In the lead up to Midnights, Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album which releases on October 21st, I’ve decided to rank Swift’s nine preceding albums (Taylor’s Version re-recordings have replaced the originals). Swift’s knack for creating stunning lyrics, gorgeous melodies, and hard-hitting storylines which have only improved over the years makes this a very difficult task, as she never misses. I did my very best to come up with the most complete and definitive ranking of the albums. So with further ado let’s get into the list:

9. Lover

Lover, full of pastel and glittery vibes was a nice reawakening back into the light from the darkness that was Reputation. The songs were rich in narrative but the album lacked sonic consistency. This album contains the most skips out of all her albums and the inability to pick singles that had depth, such as, “You Need To Calm Down” and “Me!” halted the album’s success. Recognition should be given to songs like “Cruel Summer” and “Cornelia Street” which deserved more than this album could give them.

8. Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

Fearless, home to some of Swift’s most iconic songs, “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” captured the feelings of innocence, wistfulness, and doe-eyed infatuation that every teenager has experienced. It contains stories of first-loves gone wrong and is a perfectly wrapped package of nostalgia. However, this nostalgia traps it in a specific time period, which is no longer relatable to most. It brought lots of attention to Swift and won her her first Grammy for Album of the Year.

7. Taylor Swift

Swift’s debut album was a classic country album and the perfect stepping off place for her career. At only age 16 she wrote songs that contained depth and stories so effortlessly timeless and relatable. It is spunky, fiery, and unfiltered, in songs like “Picture To Burn”, “Our Song”, and “Should’ve Said No” showing a side of Swift before she knew hardships and heartache. The album also has a softer, gentle side to it with songs like “Mary’s Song” about her neighbors love story, “Tim McGraw”, a song about looking on a past relationship, and “Tied Together With A Smile” about her friend whose life seemed perfect from the outside but unbeknownst she was struggling with an eating disorder. However the album lacked maturity and seeing the work that was yet to come from Swift, leaves this album at a low ranking.

6. Speak Now

Swift wrote and composed the album all by herself and is a testament to her abilities as a hit-making machine. The lyrics follow a transition of adolescence to adulthood, the awkward time in your life where you kind of fit in your childhood home but you kind of don’t and you kind of fit a sophisticated apartment on your own but you kind of don’t. It has fairytale vibes full of stories of all encompassing love and heart-wrenching failed relationships. This album feels trapped in between the confines of its genre and is losing its new and shiny Songs like, “Back To December”, “Last Kiss”, “Mine”, and “The Story Of Us” are highlights of this album.

5. folklore

folklore is an indie-inspired masterpiece, taking a sharp turn from the pop based music Swift had been making for several years. Her songs centralize on stories outside of her world and though she will not be the first to admit it some  portray her emotions so beautifully. The lyrics are filled with metaphors and imagery just waiting to be analyzed. The lush instrumentals meld perfectly with her crisp vocals which give the heartbreaking lyrics an almost peaceful feel. The only reason this album is ranked lower is because the melancholy vibes can seem a bit one note.

4. 1989

1989 forever changed the scene of pop music. It was the first time Swift had left her country roots behind fully embracing a more electronic sound. Just because her sound changed, doesn’t mean her lyrics got more simplistic. The songs, “Style”, “Out of the Woods”, “Blank Space”, and “Shake It Off” all became platinum hits and deservedly so. Swift used her life as a 23 year old in New York City and the media’s stories about her to write iconic songs. Even tracks that were included on later versions of the album such as “You are in Love” and “New Romantics” are beloved fan favorites. This is definitely not an album to cry to but if you are looking for a good time this is it.

3. Reputation

So much can be said about this album and so much has already been said, coming out after the most controversial time in her life all eyes were on this piece of work and it did not disappoint. Reputation is like 1989’s older sister, a more mature version whose faced hate and hardship but also love worth dying for, a version who learned who to stand up for herself and protect the things she loves. The first half of the album contains very brash songs like “Look What You Made Me Do” and “I Did Something Bad” many of which address the Kim-Kanye incident. However the back half of the album has a much sweeter and sultry vibe and contains some of my favorite songs, “Call It What You Want To” and “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” both beautiful songs about falling in love as the world is crashing down around you.

2. evermore

evermore was the second surprise album Swift released during the pandemic. As an extension of folklore, the album contains very similar style songs, based on folk stories with an indie type beat. The album has a much older sound than folklore and shows mastery of a particular style of music. It is a perfect album for the time between Halloween and Christmas, the cold days and nights, when the seasonal depression starts creeping in. It is cozy and poetic and contains some of Swift’s best songs like “Tolerate It” and “Gold Rush”. There is a hopeful feeling in some of the songs, a realization that hardship and pain will not last forever. This album made me a fan of Swift and is without a shadow of a doubt one of her best.

1. Red (Taylor’s Version)

Red is the quintessential sad girl autumn album. It paints scenes of walking home after the rain as leaves are falling down, dancing in the kitchen with a soulmate, staring out the window remembering the good times you once had with a past lover, hand writing letters in candle light. It is a wonderful blend of country and pop, a sign that Swift was about to break out of the mold that she was placed in. The album contains iconic songs, “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” and the fan favorite song, “All Too Well”. My personal favorite song of Swift, “Sad Beautiful Tragic” also comes from this album. It would be amiss if I were not to mention the vault tracks that were added to the album when it was rerecorded, the album stood wonderfully on it’s own, but songs like, “I Bet You Think About Me”, her version of “Better Man”, and the 10 minute version of “All Too Well” just added to my love for the album.