30. The Lucky One - Red (2012)
Just an excellent storytelling song in every way. The writing is top notch and the premise is among the most unique of any Taylor Swift song. It can take a couple listens before you really figure out what it's about and it can be a little less interesting in the interim which is why it isn't higher, but this song is still pretty darn great.
29. Our Song - Taylor Swift (2006)
I pretty much just discussed this song in a standalone post. I stand by what I said there; this song really brims with charm. The pacing and writing are great, and it has one of the most catchy choruses of any song in Taylor's repertoire.
28. Love Story - Fearless (2008)
Does using Romeo and Juliet as a bar for romance make you basic? Yes, if you do it wrong. But, as I discovered a while ago, Taylor certainly doesn't make this mistake. This song uses the allusion to it's strength, setting up an expectation of failure. It's like I Knew You Were Trouble, but more subtle.
27. End Game - Reputation (2017)
I genuinely feel that this song deserves a spot high. There's a chance that the unparalleled dearth of hip-hop I've been experiencing has made my expectations too low, but I don't think that's the case. If you're going by sound alone, this song actually flows really well. Again, if you go in expecting rap from Taylor you'll be disappointed, so just don't do that and you'll be fine.
26. New Year's Day - Reputation (2017)
A strong song in just every way. There's a real theme that is backed by the sound, and acts as a fantastic finale to a fantastic album. It shows, but never tells. It even tells you not to read the last page, and shows you why. Nice.
25. Dancing With Our Hands Tied - Reputation (2017)
This song is always strong, but when it really gets going it can pull you in so hard. I have a crackpot theory that this is secretly the perfectly ultimate Taylor Swift song, and can be performed seamlessly in any genre she chooses. It's a true look at what a "Taylor Swift" song looks like. I'm aware I'm only saying that because of the acoustic performance during her concert opened my eyes to the possibilities of what this song could sound like, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. If anything it just means that Taylor and I agree on something.
24. Shake It Off - 1989 (2014)
What a freaking classic. The combination of horns and percussion are the perfect musical choice. It's like Taylor's band turned into a marching band and Taylor is the head cheerleader for herself, and by extension the audience. It also has one of my favorite music videos. Wow, it even has something to do with the words coming out of Taylor's mouth! Incredible!
23. Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift (2006)
I'm sad to see this song so low on the list. I wish I could put it at number one, but unfortunately I honestly think there are twenty two songs that outperform it. It doesn't do anything too advanced, but it's an unbelievable honest look at an unrequited romance. Taylor gets this raw plenty of times later in her career, but hardly ever manages to surpass what this song accomplishes in that regard.
22. Dear John - Speak Now (2010)
Speaking of raw emotion, wow. I initially had this song much higher on the list, but a combination of it's length lack of a thematic thread hold it back from being the best of the best. When it comes to sound, it's absolutely fantastic. I don't think many people would argue with me for saying that's it's more or less a slightly inferior version of All Too Well. The lack of nuance both helps and hurts it, but probably ends up taking more than it gives.
21. The Story Of Us - Speak Now (2010)
Can you tell that this song is from Speak Now? If the electric guitars weren't enough, then the high tempo beats should've tipped you off. I love how the music is arranged so that the tension builds and releases in perfect unison with the emotion behind the lyrics. If you want to see what a Taylor Swift song can do when all the elements work together, this is it, and it only goes up from here. Also, the music video cracks me up every time.
20. 22 - Red (2012)
This song is similar to Shake It Off in many notable ways, but is a little more successful in my opinion. It too gives the advice to ignore the haters, but also tells you how to do it. It's an anthem of being young and stupid, for all the reasons, both right and wrong.
19. Gorgeous - Reputation (2017)
I did a whole post about the genius in this song. It was initially about both this song and 22, but I ended up having so much to say about Gorgeous that I had to ditch the spare. It has a clear goal and uses every aspect of the song to successfully forward progress in the name of that goal. If that's not great songwriting then I don't know what is. It's fine if you don't like this style of music, but I feel it would be unfair to ignore all the ways that Gorgeous succeeds as a song holistically.
18. Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift (2006)
My intuition is telling me that some people may disagree with the ranking of this song, but I think it is 100% deserved. This was Taylor's first studio song ever released, and for good reason. The writing is actually fantastic, and paints a relationship with detail that I wish we got more of, even today. It's so engrossed in the country style that even it's title is... well you know. Overall this song is success on every front, and I'm sure that the first time her producers heard it in the studio they knew Taylor was going to be something big.
17. Delicate - Reputation (2017)
I have a soft spot for songs like Clean, Gorgeous, and Delicate, where their titles describe the song both in terms of theme and tone. Delicate is all about a relationship in a wonderful, yet precarious place. To get this message across as effectively as possible, the song literally sounds delicate. I don't even know what that means, but I can't imagine anyone would disagree.
16. I Knew You Were Trouble - Red (2012)
Can a song be memed half to death and still be good? Well, if you can get through the screaming goats, yes! I love how this song is able to make tangible the feeling of blaming yourself for someone else's actions. Rationalizing someone else's shitty behavior by blaming yourself is human nature, and this song does it while oozing style. It' also one of the only good high energy songs on Red, which I appreciate more than you know.
I still love memes though, don't get me wrong
15. You Belong With Me - Fearless (2008)
It's basic, but that's what makes it so good! I also can't help but thinking that's how it ought to be when Taylor tells us everything she loves about this dood. Everyone wants to feel special and this song can do it, no matter which side of the plea you imagine yourself on. You Belong With Me has the strongest use of the common musical elements from it's album, while also having one of the greatest music videos of all time.
14. This Love - 1989 (2014)
It never ceases to amaze me just how far Taylor is able to push past her boundaries in her music. Long prior to 1989's release we had heard songs similar to This Love in both tone and theme, but usually not both. It took her a while to synthesize these elements the way we see here, but man it was worth the wait. I can't get enough of the mantric way the lyrics are recited, you can feel the complex combination of emotion Taylor is feeling here, and it's so hard to describe. I really could go on and on, and I have, but rarely do we hear a song where the tone is peaceful or content.
That's all for her main studio albums, here are the songs from other sources (movies, deluxe albums, etc) that I think fit into this tier of quality, in no particular order as always.
Great:
Wonderland
Sweeter Than Fiction
Jump Then Fall
These songs are all fantastic, but tomorrow you will see the 13 songs that I feel are true masterpieces. I could listen to them on repeat for hours (and I have). I hope you're as excited as I am! Let me know what you thought about today's list, I would be happy to ignore you!
See you tomorrow,
-C
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