Music for Everyone: How To Enjoy Taylor Swift’s Legendary Catalog

Despite a catalog of 10 albums and decades of lore, getting into Taylor Swift’s music is not as daunting as you might think. You also don’t need to be, or have ever been, a lovestruck teenage girl. Her discography is the embodiment of having something for everyone. So, if you’re looking to dip your toe into songs beyond “Love Story,” whether out of sheer curiosity or for the love of a Swiftie in your life, this guide is for you.

Here, we will break down her albums into different categories — mostly by genre — so that you can find something that aligns with your taste or mood. Each album description will also include a short list of “starter tracks,” which are exactly what they sound like. We suggest trying at least those few songs if you’re not ready to dive into a full album. They’re curated by how much they represent the album, the era, and their role in Swift’s story.

You’ll see the words “(Taylor’s Version)” a few times throughout this list. To put a long story short, Swift has re-recorded several of her albums in pursuit of legally owning her work. Fans have taken famously well to this, putting years-old albums back on the charts. What makes these newer versions a little different is the inclusion of what Swift calls “From the Vault” tracks. She wrote these songs back when she recorded the original album, but they did not make the final cut.

While this is a guide to Swift’s music, there are other routes to getting to know the pop star. A 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, looks deeper into her life and songwriting than audiences have ever seen. And if you have three and a half hours to spare, the Eras Tour concert film on Disney+ is a show-stopping display of the renowned tour that has been taking over the world for the past year. It includes sets from almost every album, so it is the best comprehensive look at her discography (aside from this guide, of course).

Without further ado, baby, let the games begin.

For Country Music Fans: Taylor Swift, Fearless

‍Overview: The roots of Swift’s career are in country music. It’s what she grew up with and where she made a name for herself. Her first two albums immediately made a splash in the Nashville scene. Audiences became captivated by her ability to master and elevate what country music does best: tell a story.

Taylor Swift: Capturing the ups and downs of young love with clever lyrics and catchy melodies, Taylor Swift sounds less like a debut album and more like someone already a master of their craft at 16 years old. Her singles made an immediate impact on audiences, who connected to Swift’s lyrics and storytelling, and the quality of their radio play proved undeniable.

Starter tracks: “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” “Picture to Burn”

Fearless (Taylor’s Version): Originally released in 2009, Fearless built on what Swift had already established by showcasing her indisputable talent. The album won her four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, which at the time made Swift the youngest person to ever win the award at 20 years old. The 2021 version added 13 songs to the original tracklist (if you didn’t already know, 13 is an important number to Swift), six of which audiences had never heard before. This album continued the trend of perfectly picked singles to represent it.

Starter tracks: “Love Story,” “Fifteen,” “You Belong With Me”

For the Pop Girlies: 1989, Lover, Midnights

‍Overview: It’s almost hard to believe that as one of the world’s biggest artists, Swift hasn’t always been a pop star. It took a hard shift for her to enter the space formally. Though she had previously had singles played on pop radio, it wasn’t until her fifth album that she went for a complete genre change. 

1989 (Taylor’s Version): Swift’s first formal outing into pop music is still maybe her best. Originally released in 2014, when she moved to New York City, she let the change in her life circumstances influence her sound. She fully leaned into the songwriting voice that defined her artistry while picking up new sounds and practices that would define many future albums. Once again, the singles from this era do the best job of defining it.

Starter tracks: “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Wildest Dreams”

‍Lover: This album is arguably the closest we have to bubblegum pop from Swift. While not particularly critically acclaimed, it does have some of her best songs. It was a vast shift from its predecessor, reputation, and signaled another step forward in Swift’s songwriting. Its energy makes it to be a quintessential summer album, which is probably why it’s the opening set of the Eras Tour.

Starter tracks: “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts”

Midnights: Swift’s tenth studio album is a moody and hazy (pun intended) pop outing. It marks Swift’s return to pop after her two most acoustic albums. It marked an evolution from where she started with 1989, with more grown-up themes and mature songwriting. However, keeping up with what is and isn’t Midnights can be more complicated than it looks. The original album had 14 songs. Three hours after it dropped, Swift released the 3 a.m. Edition, with bonus tracks that include a widely held fan favorite. Then, a year and a half later, came the Til Dawn Edition, with remixes and songs previously exclusive to a specific few editions of the album.

Starter tracks: “Lavender Haze,” “You’re On Your Own Kid,” “Karma”

Words, Words, Words: folklore, evermore, The Anthology

‍Overview: While Swift has always been known for her lyrical prowess, that part of her songwriting really became front-and-center with a pair of pandemic releases: folklore and its sister album evermore. Offering a more stripped-back sound compared to what audiences had heard in previous years, these albums squarely cemented Swift in a different league when it comes to powerful, engaging, and dynamic lyric writing. The practice continued a few years later.

folklore: With little warning, Swift released this album a mere 16 hours after announcing it. It was recorded in the height of quarantining and offered audiences, and Swift herself, a sense of escapism that we all seemed to need at the time. Working with longtime collaborator Jack Antanoff and first-time collaborator Aaron Dessner of The National, Swift once again proved herself a songwriting powerhouse. For many, this album made them into Taylor Swift fans.

There is a second, almost alternative, version of this album in folklore: the long pond sessions. This live, acoustic album was recorded at a remote studio in Hudson Valley, New York. It is an even more stripped-down version of the album that took the world by storm.

Starter tracks: “cardigan,” “exile,” “august”

evermore: A follow-up to its predecessor, evermore was also announced and released within the same day just five and a half months after folklore. Even though it’s referred to as a sister album, it is anything but a repeat. In fact it is more of a continuation and evolution. Arguably her most tear-jerking album, this work is an emotional catharsis that simultaneously rips out listeners’ hearts while treating them with tenderness.

Starter tracks: “champagne problems,” “cowboy like me,” “evermore”

The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology: Speaking of sister albums, Swift’s 2024 release came as a surprise double album. Staying on theme, the second part arrived with essentially no notice, just three hours after the first. It is yet another lyrical marvel, featuring a more acoustic backdrop than most of her previous albums. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t diversity in its sound. This collection of songs is arguably more sonically dynamic than the original release. It also has its fair share of tear-jerkers, though, so be warned.

Starter tracks: “The Black Dog,” “How Did It End?” “The Manuscript”

Theater Kid Energy: Speak Now, Red

‍Overview: Ah, young adulthood. It provides some of life’s highest highs and lowest lows. In other words, it might be the most dramatic period of a person’s life. Swift’s albums from this time certainly embody and capture that with track listings that would feel all over the place at any other point in time.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version): Written all by herself at age 19, Swift is unapologetically dramatic on this album. This album has everything from love declarations to apologies, to calling out her critics, to reminiscing on a world tour as if it were high school homecoming. Almost every song plays out in a three-act structure with heightened emotions. Swift embraces fairytale imagery that evokes a sense of whimsy and creates a tone specific to this album. Everything about these songs is theatrical, with Swift herself playing all the parts.

Starter tracks: “Sparks Fly,” “Dear John,” “Enchanted”

‍Red (Taylor’s Version): This album is a whiplash. It was Swift’s final formal country outing in 2012, but it clearly showed her desire to move on musically. Stadium anthems and dance bops litter the album between heartbreaking outpourings of hurt, fully embracing the tumultuous nature of one’s early 20s. With this album's twists and turns, it takes listeners on a ride that’s like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street. Its honesty won it lots of critical acclaim on its initial release (including an Album of the Year nomination), and the re-record is regarded by many as even better than the original.

The fifth track on a Taylor Swift album is usually the most vulnerable song. On Red, "All Too Well" is Swift's ultimate Track 5. Although never released as a single, it has been a fan favorite since 2012. Its popularity encouraged Swift when it came time for the re-record to include the song as she originally wrote it: a full 10-minute narrative. It has become an anthem for Swift and fans alike. The music video is a short film that Swift directed herself, and she showcases the definitive version of the song on the Eras Tour.

Starter tracks: Red, “All Too Well,” “22,” “The Lucky One”

Emo Wasn't Just a Phase: reputation, The Tortured Poets Department‍

Overview: Swift has always talked about writing about love because of how strongly it makes her feel. While that may be true, anger, spite, and rage also play a part in her inspirations. The black-and-white theming of these two albums is not the only thing they have in common: They are Swift's most vulnerable works. They bare her soul in ways a flowery love song never could.

reputation: The Miss Americana documentary discusses how Swift “disappeared for a year” while producing this album. Amidst a public feud with Kanye West, she decided to come back with a villain persona. Using snake imagery and a color scheme of black and white, everything about this album and era represented a shift from what Swift had produced before, including its sound. With heavy synths and powerhouse vocals, this album proved to be a true force. It took time for much of the fandom to adjust to the new era. However, reputation is now a fan favorite and an iconic part of Swift’s discography.

An original turning point for many fans’ opinions was the stadium tour that accompanied the album release. Not only did the live shows provide an environment for the new songs to thrive, but the concert film, which was released on Netflix in 2018, brought the live versions to people’s homes.

It is a common consensus among Swifties that she recorded another album before the release of reputation. This "lost" album is supposedly called Karma, and many believe that the release of reputation (Taylor’s Version) will include the long-awaited release of these unheard songs, separate from the vault tracks.

Starter tracks: “Don’t Blame Me,” “Delicate,” “Getaway Car”

Tortured Poets Department: Raw and visceral, this album is perhaps the most profound look we’ve ever gotten into Swift’s psyche. It feels like an outpouring of thoughts and feelings that, were she not a songwriter, sound as if they should be reserved for Swift’s diary. Dubbed the “Feminine Rage: The Musical” set of the Eras Tour, this album certainly provides a catharsis for Swift and listeners who relate to her feelings.

Starter tracks: “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”

No matter your music interest, there’s a good chance here’s something in Taylor Swift’s catalog for you to enjoy. Let us know if this guide is helpful in your efforts to learn and listen more to the music that has been the life soundtrack to so many. If you haven’t already, head to our Discord and join the #music channel to talk all things tunes. And check out this video from Youtini for a deeper dive into just what being a Taylor Swift fan means.