Taylor Swift's 22 most essential songs, ranked

The lead single off her 2017 album, this one is littered with references to her tarnished reputation. This showed the new direction she was going in, and for anyone who saw this performed live, it gained even more popularity for how well it played to an audience.

Best lyric: "Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time / I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined."

The titular song of her fourth album, "Red" features everything you'd expect from a Taylor Swift song. She uses the reference to the color to depict how intense the relationship explained within the song is.

Best lyric: "His love was like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street."

The album as a whole took Taylor into new territory as this track mixed the shade exhibited in her Reputation era with something you'd expect off of Red or 1989 . In this, Swift doesn't hold back in expressing her disdain for online trolls while showing her support for the LGBTQ+ community. Oh, and Katy Perry and Swift dressed up as a hamburger and french fries in the video.

Best lyric: "Say it in the street, that's a knockout / But you say it in a tweet, that's a cop-out."

While "Mean" and "Mine" get plenty of attention off Swift's third album, this song may hold up the best. The tempo of this song really makes it memorable as she tells the story of how awkward things can be once a breakup occurs.

Best lyric: "I don't know what to say since the twist of fate / When it all broke down and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now."

This album had a couple of memorable singles released, but "Back to December" has a unique sound featuring notes of country and pop. It's also one of her longest songs, coming in at just under five minutes. 

Best lyric: "You gave me all your love, and all I gave you was goodbye."

One of her best ballads, this one tells a story that everyone can relate to at some point. While we all want that perfect match in our life, the person best suited for us isn't always going to be the one who fits the mold of being perfect.

Best lyric: "I was a dreamer before you went and let me down / Now it's too late for you and your white horse."

Among her most streamed songs, "Shake it Off" may have the most “Let It Go” vibes in regard to how easy it is to stick in your head. That said, it remains a certifiable banger. 

Best lyric: “My ex-man brought his new girlfriend / She's like "Oh, my God!" but I'm just gonna shake.”

When we say there's something for everyone in her collection, this is why. Throw this one at the gym or when in a bad mood. The remix featuring Kendrick Lamar goes harder than we deserve.

Best lyric: "Did you think we'd be fine / Still got scars on my back from your knife." 

This one exhibits the incredible storytelling found within her past few albums. This one tells the story of Rebekah Harkness, a Rhode Island elite who owned the mansion that Swift now holds. There's a cool twist at the end where Swift places their two stories in the same light.

Best lyric: "Who knows if I never showed up what could've been." 

There's a level of rock to this song that some of her earlier work didn't incorporate. This one gained new life with the re-release, as it peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Best lyric: "But I don't wanna dance / if I'm not dancing with you."

This song has so many different sounds. What makes this one so enjoyable is the story it tells of James and Betty, which plays out over two other tracks on the Folklore album, including “August” and “Cardigan.” 

Best lyric: “Those days turned into nights / Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long.”

A true dive into Swift’s folk aesthetic, there’s a certain mystique that carries through this tune. While “Cardigan” gets a lot of love from the Evermore album, “Willow” deserves all the praise. 

Best lyric: “I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night/Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife.”

What's not to love about one of her earliest breakthroughs? This one mirrors the Romeo and Juliet tale with a slightly different ending than that tragedy. This song is so good it topped the country charts twice, the second time being with the re-release. 

Best lyric: “Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone/I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run.”

Nestled on a predominantly country album in Red, this track was what propelled Swift to a more pop-centric tone. The video picked up a VMA and earned several nominations across various award shows. 

Best lyric: “A new notch in your belt is all I'll ever be.”

The recognition for this song isn't like any of the other ones in the top 10, but this jam has everything we can ask for. It's got the personal story of heartbreak, plenty of catchy lines, and a beat that can't help but get you moving.

Best lyric: "Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes / And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know." 

From her self-titled album, this one may not have the accolades of her later hits, but it's the foundation that helped get Swift off and running. A bit of nostalgia keeps this one in the top 10, but it's hard not to recall her singing this song while still being an opener.

Best lyric: "Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see / That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be."

This one spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 but, more impressively, picked up a pair of Grammy nominations. Its video also took home two awards at the 2015 MTV VMAs. 

Best lyric: “Got a long list of ex-lovers/They'll tell you I'm insane/'Cause you know I love the players/And you love the game.”

Newer to the scene, "Anti-Hero" also benefits from playing during a pivotal fourth-season scene in Netflix’s You. This chart-topper broke Spotify as the biggest opening-day stream in the U.S. and went on to win Song of the Year at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.

Best lyric: “It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me.”

The third single from the stacked 1989 album is arguably the best of the group, as evident by this position. There's a different sound to this track, aided by some synthesizers that make it so fun to keep listening to. 

Best lyric: “And when we go crashing down, we come back every time.”

Everyone has a story like this from their younger days. We can all relate to the unrequited love expressed in this song. No wonder it garnered a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. 

Best lyric: “Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find / That what you're looking for has been here the whole time.”

This was Swift’s first-ever song to reach No. 1 in the United States, and that has to count for something. This may not be a masterpiece for lyrics, but among her “made for radio” songs, this one takes the cake for best of the bunch.

Best lyric: “And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that's much cooler than mine.”

How can anything but this song be at the top of this list? Not only is it her longest song, but there's also a whole short film accompanying it that stars two of Hollywood’s youngest stars in Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. There’s just something about the journey this song takes us on that keeps it one of the most-played songs despite its length. 

Best lyric: “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”

• "Wildest Dreams"
• "Lavender Haze"
• "Delicate"
• "Cardigan"
• "Lover"
• "...Ready for it?"
• "Fifteen"
• "Should've Said No"