An Objectively Deranged Taylor Swift Album Ranking (Updated)

Updated to included The Life of a Showgirl

When The Tortured Poets Department dropped, I was not impressed. Since then, I’ve grown slightly in my estimation of the album (it has some of her most interesting lyrics, but also largely a lot of cliché lyrics and regurgitated themes, and I’m ultimately tired of her collaboration with Jack Antonoff). Since then, we’ve also reviewed the album on Keep It:

I feel it’s now the appropriate time to drop my rankings of Taylor Swift albums (“absolutely deranged” as it’s been referred to on Twitter!). If only because my TTPD review is already the third most read piece on Frank, so lemme chase a bit of clout and make a few coins off a billionaire!!

12 - Midnights

I found this album fine, but not an essential part of her discography when it dropped. Since then, it’s worsened in my estimation because I do not revisit this album at all. I actually find Tortured Poets has more creativity in it, this album feels a lot like a mid-tour cash grab with less than a handful of good songs. And “Anti-Hero” is one of my least favorite Taylor singles.

Essential: “Lavender Haze,” “Glitch,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”

11 - Taylor Swift

Idk, I’m a grown man. I’m not really listening to this album, but it’s a solid pop country debut.

Essential: “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” “Picture to Burn” (Homophobic Version)

10 - The Life of a Showgirl

Read my review here.

Essential: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Wi$h LiSt”

9 - Fearless

These songs hit. She’s obviously gone on to greater lyrical heights, but production-wise this album is solid and it’s fun when it’s pop. When it’s not, I’m not particularly interested.

Essential: “You Belong With Me,” “Love Story”

8 - Speak Now

A collection of bangers, but I don’t really listen to any of the other songs on this album. Also, I prefer the original to Taylor’s Version! I think some of the production suffers in the recreation.

Essential: “Better Than Revenge,” “Mine,” “Dear John”

7 - The Tortured Poets Department**

It still feels like the same album we’ve heard for the past few years, but it’s grown on me a bit within the past week. Maybe it’ll change in my estimation over the next year.

Essential: “Down Bad,” “So High School,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” “I Look in People’s Windows”

6 - Evermore

This album still feels like B-Sides to Folklore, which is why it’s ranked so low. There’s a lot of filler on this album, but also some of my favorite Taylor songs are on this album, so it evens out.

Essential: “Gold Rush,” “Tis the Damn Season,” “No Body, No Crime”

5 - Red

Some of Taylor’s best work, even if the back half of the album is kind of boring?

Essential: “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “All Too Well,” “Begin Again”

4 - Lover

Justice for Lover! This album gets the hate that Midnights should get. It’s not entirely cohesive and it contains two of her worst songs in existence — “Me!” and “You Need to Calm Down” — but it also has some real bangers. And I love the Fall Out Boy and Lorde vibes of “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” We could’ve used more of this on TTPD…

Essential: “Cruel Summer,” “False God,” “I Think He Knows”

3 - 1989

Wall to wall bangers. Needed Max Martin back on Taylor’s Version, but the original 1989 is as close to a perfect pop album as Taylor has ever made.

Essential: Everything but “Welcome to New York”

2 - Folklore

Taylor Swift the artist emerged here, for better or for worse. The industry at large began to take her more seriously and maybe she started taking herself more seriously, as evidenced by the latest album, but this is a beautiful album from start to finish.

Essential: “August,” “My Tears Ricochet,” “Mirrorball,” “The Last Great American Dynasty,” “Cardigan”

1 - Reputation

Her best lyrics. Her best production. This album has an attitude to it that probably can’t be replicated on Taylor’s Version, because bad reviews of TTPD are not the same as being pissed off that the industry won’t take you seriously. That your “best” just isn’t enough for some people. Taylor had something to say on this album, and it’s messy as hell, but it feels authentic. And it works. I love this album.

Essential: The whole damn thing

**The Tortured Poets Department has moved up two spots in the past month because I really really love the songs that I love. But the songs that I don’t enjoy still feel like tiresome. The album needs editing.