When you hear someone say “Taylor Swift,” you might think of her fashion, famous friends, or those outrageous conspiracy theories.
But what makes Swift truly exceptional is her music. She is the first artist to complete a billion-dollar tour. The first person to win the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. She has the Billboard Hot 100 records by female artist with the most charted songs (231), most Top 40 songs (137), most Top 10 songs (49), and the second most debut #1 (six). And those are just a few examples of Swift’s record-breaking success in recent years.
In anticipation of Swift’s 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” arriving April 19 and poised to break more music records, we’ve ranked her 11 No. 1 hits (and yes, she’d probably appreciate the digital symmetry of his new album).
11. “Willow” (2020)
The wispy ballad of “Evermore” dances nicely with its acoustic guitar backbone and lilting chorus. But, like many songs from Swift’s second foray into folk-leaning pop, it’s ethereal to the point of floating in the ether.
10. “Bad Blood” (2015)
As the fourth single from Swift’s “1989” album, there was virtually nothing to prove after the No. 1 hits of “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” and a Top 10 entry with the hovering “Style”. But the song, while gently biting in its pretense of good times gone bad, is remembered less for its repetitive chorus than for laying the groundwork for the snarling “Look What You Made Me Do” from his next album.
9. “Vest” (2020)
“Folklore,” the album that spawned Swift’s sixth No. 1 hit, arrived as a pleasant surprise a few months after the pandemic’s solitary confinements began. The exchange of shimmering synths from his previous album, “Lover,” to the gentle piano and hazy production of Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff on this first single from “Folklore” surprised fans. But they quickly embraced the new vibe as she retreated into a world of enchanted forests and moss-covered pianos.
8. “Cruel Summer” (2023)
Follow us: The song resides on 2019’s “Lover.” The COVID-19 pandemic canceled plans to release it as a single in 2020. The melodic synth-pop song – still a fan favorite, and apparently one songs by Swift as well – resurfaced on her Eras tour when it debuted in March 2023 and became a hit. viral success, returning to the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2023. The swirly, girly pop anthem slipped to No. 1 to mark its 10th chart topper.
7. “So Good (Taylor Version)” (2021)
Swift’s highly publicized and admirably wise decision to re-record her albums in order to own her masters allowed her to release the full 10-minute presentation (aka “Taylor’s Version”) of the meandering breakup ballad originally released on her “Red” from 2012. album. It’s one of his wordiest, but with its vivid narration about making sense of hurtful memories, time flies.
6. “Is it over now?” (Taylor’s Version)’ (2023)
Fans believe the venom-filled lyrics are targeting ex-boyfriend Harry Styles. Regardless of which one she sings on, Swift’s most recent No. 1, delivered as a bonus track on “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” is a seductive marriage of layered background vocals and scathing lyrics. “If she has blue eyes, I guess you’d probably date her,” Swift delivers with sarcastic precision. That the vitriol is softened by a hushed melody hardly diminishes the verbal jabs.
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5. “We’ll Never Get Back Together” (2012)
Swift soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with this stomper, her first slide from country heroine to pop starlet. As she responds to a lover trying to get back into her good graces, Swift saves her more muscular words for a spoken word bridge that showcases her relatability: “Ugh, so he calls me and he says, ‘ I still love you’ and I’m like, I mean, it’s just exhausting, you know?
4. “Shake It Up” (2014)
A happy ball of pop that seems light, but is undoubtedly irresistible. Swift is so musically astute that she fuses ’80s synths with ’60s girl group sparkle and gives it a unique sound. The song is not only an undeniable highlight of the concert, but its direct directive in the chorus also serves as a useful reminder on difficult days.
3. “Anti-hero” (2022)
Her confidence as a songwriter was clearly boosted by her poetic musings on “Folklore” and “Evermore,” Swift returned to 2022 with “Midnights” and her debut single presented internal hiccups and apologies with honesty flawless. Shades of Kate Bush are insinuated into the dark melody, but the real hero is the T-shirt’s ready-made slogan: “It’s me.” Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.
2. “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017)
Swift has never shied away from a fight, and she made it clear on this scorching slice of electropop that if you’re going to come for the queen, you better be ready. In a way, the song marked a rebirth for Swift, who proved — as if she needed it — that the pretty girl in tennis sneakers was just as capable as donning a snake-inspired cat costume and to extend its claws.
1. “Empty Space” (2014)
Swift’s lyrical mastery is on display in almost every song she’s written — even a seemingly simplistic chorus in “Welcome To New York” is laced with knowing nods — but this standout from “1989” best exhibits her genius. The clip-clop rhythm, the choppy delivery, the shift between flirtation (“I can make the bad guys good for a weekend”) and sass (“I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your noun » ) are all bad delights. But the song also contains perhaps the best line she’s ever written: “Honey, I’m a nightmare dressed up as a waking dream.” » Swiftian perfection.
