11 Gateway Songs to Taylor Swift discography
To date, there are 11 albums, over 250 songs, and nearly 2 decades in the Taylor Swift discography, making it an overwhelming venture for any newcomer to embark. So here are 11 songs that will give you a good feel of the landscape of the Taylor Swift musicology:
All Too Well (original and 10-min version)
Her magnum opus, the most epic of her ballads, and the one that solidified the concept of Track 5 (the track position where she would often place the emotional focal point of her albums). These are the tear-jerkers, the ex demolishers, always sentimental and heartbreakingly romantic.
More like this: Teardrops on my Guitar, White Horse, Forever & Always (piano version), Dear John, Back to December, Enchanted, Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve, Is It Over Now?, Cornelia Street, my tears ricochet, tolerate it, You’re Losing Me, loml, The Smallest Man Who Ever LivedBlank Space
One of her biggest pop bangers, and the song that truly expanded her audience to beyond just teenage girls and cemented her status as a popstar. She leans into the playgirl character that she has been portrayed as by the public, she is at her most darkly humorous, and her play with words and her catchy phrasings are world-dominatingly infectious.
More like this: Our Song, You Belong with Me, We are never ever getting back together, Look What You Made Me Do, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero, Karma, I Can Do it with a Broken HeartMean
The first time she directly addressed her critics. It’s very conversational that it’s almost not a song. She pokes fun of her bullies and describes the trauma she’s endured while keeping it light and comedic. After all, she’s more focused on the great things she’s about to do — which is the best revenge of all: doing well.
More like this: A Place in this World, Nothing New, The Man, mad woman, Lavender Haze, Karma, How Did it End?, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me, clara bow, thank u aimeeLove Story
Listening to Love Story, you will understand how she was able to create an enduring fanbase since 2008. It’s a fairytale love story set in the present day. It’s about young love and being hopelessly romantic, it’s sneaking out and going against your daddy’s wishes, it’s thinking that he’s gone then surprises you with a ring. It’s also one of her many songs where she flips the script and switches the point-of-view mid-song or by the bridge.
More like this: Tim Mcgraw, Mary’s Song, Back to December, Speak Now, The Story of Us, How You Get the Girl, Getaway Car, Lover, the last great american dynasty, no body no crime, Maroon, Midnight Rain, But Daddy I Love Him, Peteraugust
Way before her folklore and evermore eras, Taylor Swift has already been showing signs of her alternative/folk leanings thru the Hunger Games songs Safe and Sound and Eyes Open. But of course, it was the sister albums where she fully embraced the genre, played with new sounds and time-signatures, concocted fictional tales and characters, and pushed her poetry prowess. august is one of her most beloved in this genre. It’s riddled with nostalgia, longing, regrets, resentment, memories of home and sneaking off.
More like this: Safe and Sound, Wildest Dreams, the lakes, the 1, cardigan, illicit affairs, willow, ivy, champagne problem, tis the damn season, The Prophecy, I Hate It HereLook What You Made Me Do
Taylor Swift can do angry, head-banging rock as well as she does the pop bangers and the quiet ballads. Every album has at least one of it, directed to someone who either broke her heart or did her dirty. And in the album Reputation, she leans into it heavily, especially in its first half. Deemed as her bad-girl era, she set out for revenge and was unapologetic about it. Look What You Made Me Do is the most iconic of this era, and the most villainous. She’s not just calling out her detractors, she’s warning them.
More like this: Should’ve Said No, Picture to Burn, Better than Revenge, Haunted, I Knew you were Trouble, Bad Blood, I Did Something Bad, Don’t Blame Me, mad woman, no body no crime, Vigilante Shit, Who’s Afraid of Little Old MeI Can Do It with a Broken Heart
We’ve seen it many times before — pop stars of this size succumb to the mental fatigue of fame. And in Taylor Swift’s most recent album, Tortured Poets Department, she speaks more honestly about her own psychological struggles. Of needing to be at the top of her game while going through consecutive breakups. Of the criticisms from her own community and fans. But it’s not the first time she’s talked about topics like this. As early as in her Debut album she’s written songs about the experiences of isolation and insecurities, at times as a voice of reason to her peers too.
More like this: Tied together with a Smile, Fifteen, Breathe, We Were Happy, Begin Again, Nothing New, Out of the Woods, Clean, The Archer, Daylight, mirrorball, this is me trying, happiness, evermore, Labyrinth, Fortnight, The Black Dog, I Hate It Here, The Prophecymarjorie
In every Taylor Swift album, there is usually one that is written about or for a member of her family. Of course she’s written about her mom, her dad, some neighbors, stories about her great-grandpa during the wars, a fan, nephews or nieces, and childhood friends. But perhaps the most memorable is the one for her grandma, marjorie, a song which even includes a snippet of her grandmother’s operatic singing.
More of this: Mary’s Song, The Best Day, Never Grow Up, Ronan, Soon You’ll get Better, epiphany, You’re on your own Kid, RobinDelicate
Up until this song, Taylor Swift has avoided writing anything overtly sexual. With Delicate, she was able to keep the perfect balance of flirty, sexy, and sweet. At track 5 in the album Reputation, she hints that the album will transition to something less loud and more romantic.
More of this: Stay Beautiful, Hey Stephen, You All Over Me, Enchanted, Electric Touch, Style, Gorgeous, Dress, New Year’s Day, London Boy, Paper Rings, Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince, False God, invisible string, cowboy like me, Snow on the Beach, Paris, Guilty as Sin, Down Bad, The Alchemy, So High School, imgonnagetyoubackCruel Summer
Four years after the release of the Lover album, Cruel Summer was able to reach the top of the US charts and become Taylor Swift’s first song-of-the-summer for the year 2023. With this song, she was able to make a true party anthem, with one of the most exciting bridges.
More of this: Our Song, Fearless, The Way I Loved You, Change, Sparks Fly, Long Live, 22, State of Grace, Holy Ground, Shake It Off, Welcome to New York, …Ready for It, You Need to Calm Down, Lavender Haze, BejeweledYou’re On Your Own Kid
Midnights, her 10th album, was the album that kicked-off her Eras Tour, and the one where she reflects on her life and career to come up with 13 songs about 13 sleepless nights. And this is most effective in the song You’re On Your Own Kid where she literally looks back to where she’s started and how far she’s come, and even enumerates moments from each of her previous eras up until then. Every now and then she would do this, and we get to hear from this genius herself about how she perceives her own legacy.
More of this: A Place in this World, Castles Crumbling, Nothing New, long story short, clara bow, The Manuscript
