With Taylor Swift’s Midnights album set to drop on October 21st, I, as a casual fan, undoubtedly had to rank all 9 of her studio albums. From her debut in 2006 to now, Swift continues to be a trailblazer in the music industry and evolves as a singer-songwriter album after album. 

To be completely honest, I was never really a Swiftie. Until my friends spent every waking hour gushing about Red (Taylor’s Version), the only Taylor Swift songs I really knew were “Shake It Off” or “Love Story”. But for better or worse, I am now versed in her discography. Here is my ranking of all 9 Taylor Swift albums, and my favorite songs from each!

9. Taylor Swift 

Unfortunately, Swift’s debut album is simply not my cup of tea. I could never really get through all 15 songs in this album without zoning out; at some point, the songs all just bleed into each other. None of the songs on her debut album were memorable to me, and if I really had to choose, it would be “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Tied Together With A Smile”. I guess I’m just not a fan of old, country Taylor. 

8. Speak Now

“Enchanted” from Speak Now is absolutely one of Taylor Swift’s best songs. However, as I’ve said, old Taylor just isn’t really my vibe. This album is similar to the debut album, just improved.

7. Red

Starting from here on the list, it was increasingly more difficult to rank the remaining albums. Red is an amazing album, and I may or may not have streamed “State Of Grace” on loop for a full week. Multiple bridges on this album have my heart. Inexplicably, Red sounds exactly like its name, red, in the best way.  

6. Fearless

Fearless has always been a pretty good album, but Swift’s re-recording of it in 2021 directly elevated it to number 6 on my list. Of course, there are well-known hits like “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” from this album, but a hidden gem is “The Way I Loved You”. 

5. Reputation

Just like the backstory of this album, every song on Reputation is iconic. Each song sounds distinctive and highly recognizable, and is criminally catchy. Personally, I love “Delicate” and “Getaway Car”, which are the perfect songs for a late night drive. 

4. evermore

evermore is yet another heavily replayed album for me. The album sounds wistful, melancholy, and absolutely beautiful. Especially during the fall and winter months, evermore’s sound perfectly captures the essence of these seasons. “tolerate it” and “gold rush” are my two current favorite songs from evermore.

3. 1989

If it makes sense, 1989 sounds like the city, and not just because it opens with “Welcome To New York”. 1989 never misses with hit after hit, and it is basically a flawless pop album. As basic as it may be, “Wildest Dreams” may be my favorite song from this album.

2. Lover

Lover is an album that best captures the feeling of summer, specifically a summer sunset.“Cruel Summer” was definitely my anthem this summer, and most of the songs on this album were super catchy. Once again, Swift demonstrates her unparalleled ability to create memorable bridges to her songs, such as for “Daylight” here. The only thing I have to criticize is the existence of “ME!-ft. Brendon Urie” on this otherwise amazing album.

1. Folklore

 I may or may not be biased as it is currently fall, and Folklore is the album for fall, but Folklore is a masterpiece. Folklore, in my very honest (and slightly controversial) opinion, is evermore but better. With this album, I could instantly notice yet another distinctive change in style. Every song on this album is so thought-out and cohesive to Taylor Swift’s intended narrative. And of course, her collaboration with Bon Iver on this album is the cherry on top. With songs like “invisible string” and “august”, Folklore is the undebatable winner for me.