Ranking ALL 165 Taylor Swift songs; including ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’
This blog was originally published on April 8th, 2021.
Tomorrow we launch into a new era of Taylor Swift as she releases her first re-recorded album, ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’. So before we all travel back to 2008, I’ve decided to rank every Taylor song to date (with some exceptions) from least favorite to favorite. This wasn’t an easy task and there have been many last minute changes made to this ranking.
I’m not the first Swiftie to attempt this feat and I’m sure I won’t be the last as more songs are released from The Vault. Comparing my favorites to other published rankings was quite interesting and I already know of some Swiftie fans/friends who might disagree with some of my rankings. I especially enjoyed reading through Rob Sheffield’s list he compiled for Rolling Stone Magazine. My list is not as detailed as his, but I’m sure I had just as much fun assembling it.
Here are my rules for this ranking- official singles and album tracks only, no covers, and songs Taylor is featured on if she wrote them too. Honorable mentions will include covers, songs featuring Taylor that she did not write, songs Taylor has written for other artists, and charity songs. I included my favorite lyrics from songs that ranked in the #1-100 placements.
So, without further ado are you… Ready For It?
165. Beautiful Eyes (Beautiful Eyes EP)
164. Bad Blood (1989)
163. Christmas Must Be Something More (The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection)
162. Both of Us (with B.o.B, Strange Clouds)
161. dorothea (evermore)
160. The Archer (Lover)
159. mad woman (folklore)
158. Dancing With Our Hands Tied (reputation)
157. Dress (reputation)
156. Change (Fearless)
155. Soon You’ll Get Better (Lover)
154. Mean (Speak Now)
153. Fifteen (Fearless)
152. Sad Beautiful Tragic (Red)
151. Christmases When You Were Mine (The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection)
150. Sweeter Than Fiction (single)
149. evermore (evermore)
148. It’s Nice To Have A Friend (Lover)
147. happiness (evermore)
146. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince (Lover)
145. cowboy like me (evermore)
144. Girl At Home (Red)
143. Perfectly Good Heart (Taylor Swift)
142. Superman (Speak Now)
141. So It Goes... (reputation)
140. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (reputation)
139. Death By A Thousand Cuts (Lover)
138. Look What You Made Me Do (reputation)
137. I Wish You Would (1989)
136. Two Is Better Than One (with Boys Like Girls, Love Drunk)
135. Come In With The Rain (Fearless)
134. Beautiful Ghosts (Cats: Highlight From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
133. ivy (evermore)
132. Invisible (Taylor Swift)
131. long story short (evermore)
130. Clean (1989)
129. Wonderland (1989)
128. Tied Together With A Smile (Taylor Swift)
127. This Love (1989)
126. Only The Young (single, featured in Miss Americana)
125. SuperStar (Fearless)
124. Eyes Open (The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond)
123. The Outside (Taylor Swift)
122. All You Had To Do Was Stay (1989)
121. Teardrops On My Guitar (Taylor Swift)
120. right where you left me (evermore)
119. You Need To Calm Down (Lover)
118. hoax (folklore)
117. Afterglow (Lover)
116. betty (folklore)
115. How You Get The Girl (1989)
114. no body, no crime (evermore)
113. it’s time to go (evermore)
112. epiphany (folklore)
111. The Best Day (Fearless)
110. Better Than Revenge (Speak Now)
109. A Place In This World (Taylor Swift)
108. Babe (with Sugarland, Bigger)
107. Speak Now (Speak Now)
106. Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) (Taylor Swift)
105. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (with ZAYN, Fifty Shades Darker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack))
104. Don’t Blame Me (reputation)
103. Innocent (Speak Now)
102. The Lucky One (Red)
101. Hey Stephen (Fearless)
100. Daylight (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “I once thought love would be burning red, but it’s golden”
99. Cold As You (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “You put up the walls and painted them all a shade of gray / And I stood there loving you and wished them all away”
98. my tears ricochet (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “And you’re the hero flying around saving face”
97. Dear John (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m shining like fireworks, over your sad empty town”
96. seven (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “And just like a folk song, our love will be passed on”
95. I’m Only Me When I’m With You (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “You and I are painting pictures in the sky”
94. False God (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “Staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town, I’m New York City”
93. Haunted (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “You and I walk a fragile line”
92. The Story Of Us (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “This is looking like a contest, of who can act like they care less”
91. Picture To Burn (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time”
90. Stay Beautiful (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “Taking pictures in my mind so I can save them for a rainy day”
89. I Did Something Bad (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing”
88. exile (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “I think I’ve seen this film before and I didn’t like the ending”
87. Long Live (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “May these memories break our fall”
86. Never Grow Up (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room”
85. Gorgeous (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “Guess I’ll just stumble on home to my cats”
84. The Other Side Of The Door (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “With your face and those beautiful eyes / And the conversations with the little white lies / And the faded picture of a beautiful night”
83. peace (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “Your integrity makes me seem small, you paint dreamscapes on the wall”
82. Love Story (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress”
81. I Know Places (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “Loose lips sink ships all the damn time / Not this time”
80. The Last Time (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “You wear your best apology, but I was there to watch you leave”
79. Red (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes”
78. Tell Me Why (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “I told you I’m not bulletproof, now you know”
77. closure (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “It’s been a long time, but seeing the shape of your name still spells out pain”
76. The Man (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man”
75. 22 (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way”
74. ‘tis the damn season (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “I parked my car right between the Methodist and the school that used to be ours”
73. White Horse (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well”
72. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m really gonna miss you picking fights, and me falling for it screaming that I’m right / And you would hide away and find your piece of mind, with some indie record that’s much cooler than mine”
71. ...Ready For It? (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “And he can be my jailer / Burton to this Taylor”
70. The Way I Loved You (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain / And it’s 2 AM and I’m cursing your name”
69. Stay Stay Stay (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “You carry my groceries and now I’m always laughing”
68. New Romantics (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “We show off our different scarlet letters, trust me mine is better”
67. Welcome To New York (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “Walking through the crowd the village is a glow / kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats”
66. If This Was A Movie (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “I know people change and these things happen”
65. ME! (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “I promise that you’ll never find another like me”
64. Should’ve Said No (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “You should’ve known that word, ‘bout what you did with her, would get back to me”
63. mirrorball (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “When no one is around my dear, you’ll find me on my tallest tip toes, spinning in my highest heels”
62. this is me trying (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “You’re a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town”
61. Getaway Car (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “The ties were black, the lies were white”
60. Last Kiss (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “I watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep”
59. King Of My Heart (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for”
58. I Think He Knows (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “He got that boyish look that I like in a man / I am an architect, I’m drawing up the plans”
57. the lakes (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m setting off, but not without my muse, not without you”
56. You Are In Love (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “Morning, his place, burnt toast, Sundays”
55. the last great american dynasty (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “50 years is a long time / Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / Then it was bought by me”
54. You’re Not Sorry (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “All this time I was wasting hoping you would come around”
53. Forever & Always (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “And I stare at the phone, he still hasn’t called / And then you feel so low you can’t feel nothing at all / And you flashback to when he said forever and always”
52. champagne problems (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “Your heart was glassed, I dropped it”
51. illicit affairs (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “What started in beautiful rooms, ends with meetings in parking lots”
50. Breathe (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve”
49. Jump Then Fall (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “Every time you smile, I smile / And every time you shine, I’ll shine for you”
48. Come Back... Be Here (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “If I had known what I’d known now, I never would’ve played so nonchalant”
47. invisible string (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “Isn’t just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me”
46. Out Of The Woods (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “We decided to move the furniture so we could dance, baby like we stood a chance / Two paper airplanes flying”
45. Today Was A Fairytale (single)
Favorite Lyric: “You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess”
44. Lover (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “We could leave the Christmas lights up til January.”
43. The Moment I Knew (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “You called me later and said ‘I’m sorry I didn’t make it’ and I said ‘I’m sorry too’ / And that was the moment I knew”
42. Starlight (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “Don’t you dream impossible things”
41. Crazier (Hannah Montana: The Movie)
Favorite Lyric: “I was trying to fly, but I couldn’t find the wings / You came along and you changed everything.”
40. I Knew You Were Trouble (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “A new notch in your belt is all I’ll ever be”
39. State Of Grace (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “Twin fire signs, four blue eyes”
38. Fearless (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “You’re just so cool, run your hands through your hair / Absent mindedly making me want you”
37. I Almost Do (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “I bet your sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city and I hope sometimes you wonder about me”
36. Enchanted (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “My thoughts will echo your name until I see you again”
35. Treacherous (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “Two headlights shine through the sleepless night”
34. Back To December (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “So this is me swallowing my pride, standing in front of you saying I’m sorry for that night”
33. London Boy (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “Babes, don’t threaten me with a good time”
32. Tim McGraw (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “Someday you’ll turn your radio on / I hope it takes you back to that place”
31. Safe & Sound (Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond)
Favorite Lyric: “When all those shadows almost killed your light”
30. End Game (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “You’ve been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks”
29. Shake It Off (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “I make the moves up as I go”
28. You Belong With Me (Fearless)
Favorite Lyric: “If you could see that I’m the one who understands you / Been here all along so why can’t you see / You belong with me”
27. Everything Has Changed (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind”
26. tolerate it (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life, drawing hearts in the byline”
25. Wildest Dreams (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “Say you’ll remember me standing in a nice dress staring at the sunset”
24. Paper Rings (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet / Now I’ve read all of the books beside your bed”
23. Our Song (Taylor Swift)
Favorite Lyric: “I was riding shotgun with my hair undone in the front seat of his car, I grabbed a pen and an old napkin and I wrote down our song”
22. I Forgot That You Existed (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “How many days did I spend thinking about how you did me wrong / Lived in the shade you were throwing til all of my sunshine was gone”
21. Cruel Summer (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “Devil’s roll the dice, angels roll their eyes”
20. Christmas Tree Farm (single)
Favorite Lyric: “In my heart is a Christmas tree farm, where the people would come to dance under sparkling lights”
19. coney island (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “Sorry for not making you my centerfold”
18. Begin Again (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “You said you’d never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you, but I do”
17. Mine (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “I was a flight risk with a fear of falling”
16. Holy Ground (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “Spinning like a girl in a brand new dress”
15. gold rush (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “My mind turns your life into folklore, I can’t dare to dream about you anymore”
14. august (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “Cancel plans just in case you called and said ‘meet me behind the mall’”
13. Blank Space (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream”
12. Call It What You Want (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m laughing with my lover / Making forts under covers / Trust him like a brother”
11. New Year’s Day (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “Squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi / I can tell that it’s gonna be a long road”
10. willow (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “I come back stronger than a 90’s trend”
9. Style (1989)
Favorite Lyric: “You’ve got that James Dean daydream look in your eyes”
8. Delicate (reputation)
Favorite Lyric: “Handsome, you’re a mansion with a view”
7. cardigan (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “You drew stars around my scars”
6. Sparks Fly (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “I’m captivated by you baby, like a firework show”
5. Ours (Speak Now)
Favorite Lyric: “People throw rocks at things that shine”
4. marjorie (evermore)
Favorite Lyric: “Never be so polite, you forget you power”
3. Cornelia Street (Lover)
Favorite Lyric: “Windows swung right open, autumn air / Jacket ’round my shoulders is yours”
2. the 1 (folklore)
Favorite Lyric: “And if wishes came true, it would’ve been you”
1. All Too Well (Red)
Favorite Lyric: “There we are again in the middle of the night / We’re dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light”
Honorable Mentions
Untouchable (cover, Fearless)
Gasoline (featured artist, Women In Music Pt. III – HAIM)
Highway Don’t Care (featured artist, Two Lanes Of Freedom – Tim McGraw)
Best Days Of Your Life (songwriter, Kellie Pickler – Kellie Pickler)
Better Man (songwriter, The Breaker – Little Big Town)
This Is What You Came For (songwriter, single, Calvin Harris)
You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home (songwriter, Hannah Montana The Movie – Miley Cyrus)
Ronan (charity song, single, Taylor Swift)
