Taylor Swift has been famous since her Debut album was released in 2006. She was sixteen years old when this album dropped, now she is 32 years old. 23 years later she is still popular. Throughout these years she has released 12 albums. Two of these are rerecordings of her earlier albums. 

Many of her fans have been listening to her for years and have watched her music style change. She has experimented with so many different types of music. Her personality dramatically changed as she grew up. She considers all her various albums from different eras. 

One of the best things about her music is the range. There is music for every emotion, experience, and stage in life. 

Many Taylor Swift fans often argue over which album, or era, was her best. There are very widespread opinions. Many people love some albums that other people dislike.              

We are going to figure out this debate and find which album is truly her best. 

I personally like her older music more. There are some songs on her new albums that are absolutely amazing, but I feel her old music in my soul. 

Growing up I loved Taylor Swift, I went to her older concerts and listened to her music on repeat. Now, as a teenager, I still find myself constantly listening to her. Her music has helped me get through so many times in my life. 

My Ranking 

Now it is time for my ranking. 

In my opinion, her worst album was Lover. I just did not connect to this album and do not find many songs that I have become obsessed with. 

Another album I did not enjoy was Reputation. This was, by far, her most different album. It really veered away from her previous albums. She had not released music in three years and her life had been filled with scandals. 

She seemed to be trying to send a message that she was stronger and different now, but I just do not think it resulted in a good album. There are a few songs perfect for when you want to feel unstoppable, but other than that it does not even compare to some of the other albums. 

Next, I would have to say that 1989 was not my favorite. It has some good songs and if I am in the right mood I can really enjoy it. This album is just missing those heart-throbbing songs. The songs that you scream too. Those songs make you cry and rethink your whole life. 

Now, this is when it becomes challenging for me to rank her albums. They are all just so good. 

As much as it pains me to not put this higher, the next album in my opinion is Debut. This was her first-ever album and it really does have some good songs. There are some songs on here that I find myself singing with my whole heart, but it still is not enough. There are not enough deeper messages in these songs. 

Next, I would have to put Evermore. Two of my absolute favorite songs are on this album. These songs are “Champagne Problems” and “Right Where you Left Me.” 

These songs are just extraordinary. They are utterly relatable and just the type of songs you scream and sing. This album has very other songs that I love. All in all the music is very good and conveys such powerful messages, but it just does not top some of her other albums. 

Her newest album, Midnight, falls here. It is so good, but it is missing those epic bridges. A few songs contain these, but all in all, it is missing that “wow” factor. All of the songs contain such meaningful lyrics and underlying gists.

Next is Folklore. This album contains so many amazing songs. It has so many powerful bridges and heart-throbbing lyrics. Some of my favorite songs, “August,” “This is me Trying,” and “My Tears Ricochet”, all are from this album. There also are so many other good songs. This is the perfect album to cry to. The only reason this is not ranked higher is that they are some songs that I do not love. 

Red, one of her earlier albums, falls third on my ranking. About a year ago she rerecorded this album and added some new songs to it. This album is through and through amazing and heart-wrenching. It is the perfect album to explain the many struggles women go through. It has many bridges and lyrics that make it a loveable and singable album. 

Fearless comes in second. All there is to say about this is that every single song on this album is perfect. This was her second album and was recently re-recorded. As a child, I lived by these songs. I know them all by heart and they precisely capture what it is like to be a teenage girl.  

Finally, the best album from Taylor Swift is Speak Now. It is a no-skip album. Every song is powerful, passionate, and emotional. This, similar to Fearless, was one of her earlier albums. I have loved every song on this album since I was young. It is my favorite album of all time and one I listen to no matter the occasion. 

The People’s Opinions 

Through an anonymous survey taken by students at Pentucket, I received input on the different albums. People were asked to rank the best album and the worst one. The answers varied, as expected. 

The most popular albums were 1989, Folklore, Debut, Speak Now, and Red. 

Senior Courtney Lynch agreed with me when she choose to Speak Now as her favorite album. 

Lynch gave backed up her answer by saying, “There are no songs in this album that I would skip, whereas all of the other ones have really good songs. but at least that I’d skip.” 

The results also shared that people believed the worst albums are Debut, 1989, Midnight, Evermore, and Lover. As we can see from these answers, people’s opinions on her albums really vary. There is no album that is really better than the other, it all just depends on personal taste. 

A lot of people chose 1989 as their favorite, but so did people for their least favorite. 

Senior Jane Rizzo shares her reasoning behind 1989 being the worst album, “The songs from her 1989 album were just so “pop” themed. Personally, that’s not the kind of music I like listening to. Most of these songs I remember from elementary school, and from being extremely overplayed.”

We see through Rizzo’s perspective the various genres that Swift’s albums include. Some people love certain styles, while others do not.

Senior Kaileigh Moriarty added that she believed Midnight was her worst album because it was “not heartfelt enough.” 

The idea of passion is something that I, and many other Taylor Swift fans, believe is crucial to her music. It is truly what makes her music so special. 

There are many different opinions on what Taylor Swift’s album is superior. When it comes down to it, they all have their perks. She has no bad album, different ones just appeal to different listeners. 

The thing that is not a debate is how great of an artist she is. If you disagree, stream all her different albums and I am sure you will change your mind.