Exploring Taylor Swift's Career

Taylor Swift Albums from Debut to Latest

Taylor Swift has put together one of the most impressive careers in music history —and she’s arguably just getting started. From her early years as a teenage country singer to her reinvention as a pop star to the incredible business acumen she developed later in her career, Swift keeps creating hit after hit. She has weathered her fair share of controversies and orchestrated one of the most successful tours of all time. She is a gifted songwriter whose relatable relationship issues connect her to fans. As a longtime Swiftie or new fan, you may wonder how to listen to the Taylor Swift albums in order.

1. Taylor Swift

A country album released when Swift was just 16 years old, Taylor Swift launched her career with hits like “Our Song” and “Should’ve Said No,” which both hit No. 1 on the Hot Country charts. With Swift, she also became one of the first artists to promote an album heavily on MySpace. Swift was the first female country artist ever to write or co-write every song on a debut country platinum album, earning her further accolades in an industry that had long favored older male artists. Swift was a commercial and critical success, receiving good reviews from the New York Times and Rolling Stone. It earned an Album of the Year nomination from the Academy of Country Music. You can listen to Taylor Swift on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Deezer and Pandora.

2. Fearless

Swift’s second studio album dropped just a few weeks shy of her 19th birthday. Five singles charted from the album, including “You Belong With Me,” which became the first country song to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs hit list. “Me” also won the VMA that sparked the Kanye controversy. Fearless earned Grammy awards for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, and single “White House” picked up two more awards. Swift became the Grammys’ youngest-ever Album of the Year winner. In fact, Fearless is the most-honored country album ever; it also won Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards prizes for Album of the Year. You can listen to Fearless on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Deezer and Pandora.

3. Speak Now

Swift wrote her third album all by herself and released it when she was 20 years old. It marked her transition into more of a pop sound, though you can still hear the country influence. The album sold 1 million copies in the U.S. in its first week, ultimately going platinum six times. Critics noted that the album took on a more confrontational and confessional bent than her previous efforts, reflecting Swift’s transition from adolescence to adulthood. The VMAs dustup with West, for example, inspired the track “Innocent.” Critics generally lauded the more mature tone from Swift and appreciated her move outside country — though it still earned Billboard’s Country Album of the Year award and the single “Mean” earned two country prizes. You can listen to Speak Now on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Deezer and Pandora.

4. Red

Swift released Red at age 22. The album focuses on her personal life, exploring what happens when romance fades. It added some rock influence to her country pop style and made Swift the first female artist to achieve three straight albums atop the Billboard 200 for at least six weeks. She once again received Album of the Year and Best Country Album nods at the Grammys plus a CMAA nod for Album of the Year. Swift collaborated with artists including Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and Ed Sheeran on the album, which included smashes like “I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Red received the most mixed reviews to that point in Swift’s career, though they were still largely positive—critics seemed to struggle with the fact that she’d grown up, but fans loved it.

5. 1989

Continuing her blistering pace of an album every two years, Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, when she was 24. You can hear the electronic influence of producer Max Martin on the album, her first “true” pop collection. Swift challenged the industry by refusing to release 1989 electronically and still selling 10 million copies. The album was a huge commercial and critical hit, earning Swift Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Hit singles included “Shake It Off” and “Wildest Dreams,” and of course the songs sparked endless speculation about who Taylor was talking about — she was rumored to be with Harry Styles during writing and production of the album.

6. Reputation

Swift responded to media scrutiny following her pivot to pop on Reputation — at times angry, at times frustrated, ultimately finding strength in love. It also marked Swift’s final album released by Big Machine Records, where she signed as a teenager. She didn’t do any press for the release and even scrubbed her social media accounts. Singles like “Look What You Made Me Do” showed a new side of the then-27-year-old singer, and not everyone approved. Critics gave the album a chillier reception than her previous ones; more recently, though, critics looking back on the album have softened that response. Reputation still went four times platinum and earned Swift a Grammy nod for Best Pop Vocal Album.

7. Lover

Following Swift’s breakup with Big Machine, she landed at Republic Records for her seventh studio album, Lover. She dedicated this “love letter” in part to her fans, who supported her through the controversies from Reputation and during the subsequent hit stadium tour. She also did press again for this album after going silent for Reputation. Swift, who released Lover at age 29, hit the Billboard top 10 with the album’s first three releases, including “You Need to Calm Down” and “Me!” with Panic! at the Disco’s Brandon Urie. The album outsold every other release that year with 3.2 million copies, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Lover earned loads of accolades for Swift, including four VMAs, Grammy nods for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album.

8. Folklore

A new Taylor Swift album at the height of the pandemic was exactly what the public needed. The surprise drop, released by the 31-year-old singer following the cancellation of the Lover tour due to COVID-19, was produced virtually by Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. It’s a storytelling departure from previous albums, which were more personal. Folklore sets a mood with mellow ballads and a more folky style. “Exile,” featuring Bon Iver, became Swift’s sixth single to top the Billboard charts, and the album received perhaps the best critical response of the singer’s impressive career. It won Album of the Year at the Grammys, making Swift the first female performer ever to accomplish that feat three times. Rolling Stone later named it to its list of 500 greatest albums of all time.

9. Evermore

Two days before her 31st birthday and five months after Folklore’s release, Swift put out her ninth studio album, Evermore. Again, she avoided more personal tunes to embrace a folk vibe, with critics calling the sister album to Folklore an escapist blend of indie rock and chamber pop. Evermore raked in more critical kudos, receiving an Album of the Year nomination and selling 1 million copies in its first week. It became Swift’s eighth consecutive album to top the Billboard chart upon its debut. The single “Willow” earned Swift’s eighth time atop the singles chart, while “No Body, No Crime” and “Coney Island” both also became popular releases.

10. Fearless- Taylor's Version

In 2021, following a long feud with Braun, who owned rights to her early catalogue, Swift began rerecording her earlier albums in a series dubbed “Taylor’s Version.” Her fans refer to the earlier albums under these names as the “Stolen Versions.” Starting with Fearless, released when she was 31, Swift reimagined the albums by using the same arrangements but updating the vocals and instrumentation. They also have “From the Vault” songs that weren’t released on the original versions. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) became the first rerecorded album to achieve No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and while critical response was warm, the bigger impact came in conversations sparked by Taylor’s Versions within the artistic community about who should hold song rights.

11. Red- Taylor's Version

Swift’s second rerelease, which came out a month before her 32nd birthday and just months after the Fearless rerelease, features 30 songs, including 10 that weren’t on the original album. Six were “From the Vault” selections. It gave Swift four Billboard 200 chart-topping albums in 16 months, a new record. Notably, the revised “All Too Well,” which lasts 10 minutes, became the longest song ever to top the charts. The album also earned Swift yet another Grammy award and two American Music Awards.

12. Midnights

Somehow Swift also found time to release her 10th studio album, called Midnights because it focused on what keeps her up at night. It was a return to the autobiographical style of songwriting her fans adore, including ruminations on love, heartbreak and self-doubt. Of course, Midnights became her 11th straight Billboard 200 No. 1. It sold a million copies in a week and became 2022’s bestselling album despite being released in October, a couple months short of Swift’s 33rd birthday. Midnights earned critical kudos, too, making many entertainment publications’ list of top 2022 albums and receiving six Grammy nods. Most notably, though, it gave birth to the Eras Tour, which became the first concert tour in history to gross more than $1 billion.

13. Speak Now- Taylor's Version

Swift’s had a busy 2023. In addition to touring, she released two Taylor’s Versions. The first, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), released in July, when she was 33. The album has more of a rock feel than the original, with six “From the Vault” songs. It became Swift’s 12th straight to top the Billboard 200. The achievement also gave Swift another career milestone: She broke Barbra Streisand’s record for most No. 1 albums by a female singer. Plus, all 22 songs from the album appeared in the Billboard Hot 100. Some critics were salty about the lyric change in “Better than Revenge,” but the album received generally strong reviews. Spotify users set a record with more than 126 million streams of the album on the day of its release (1989 (Taylor’s Version) broke the record a few months later).

14. 1989- Taylor's Version

Taylor Swift ended 2023 on a high note with the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in late October—her second re-recorded album of the year. At age 33, she broke streaming records on both Spotify and Amazon Music, and the album delivered her biggest sales week ever on the Billboard charts, becoming her 13th No. 1 album. The rerelease made a massive impact on the charts, with seven tracks landing in the Billboard Top 10 simultaneously, including three previously unreleased “From the Vault” songs. A standout moment was the Kendrick Lamar remix of “Bad Blood,” which was met with widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike. Notably, the album dropped exactly nine years after the original 1989 was released.

15. The Torchered Poets Department

During her 2024 Grammy Awards acceptance speech, where she won Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights, Taylor Swift surprised fans around the world by announcing her next major project: a brand-new album titled The Tortured Poets Department. The announcement, delivered with Swift’s signature theatrical flair, instantly set social media ablaze and sent fans into a frenzy of speculation about the album’s theme, collaborators, and musical direction. Released on April 19, 2024, The Tortured Poets Department was met with widespread anticipation and excitement. It marked a fresh chapter in Swift’s ever-evolving discography, offering what many described as some of her most introspective and lyrically complex work to date. The album’s rollout was accompanied by cryptic teasers, easter eggs, and a strong visual aesthetic, further fueling fan engagement and online discourse.

Awards

Taylor Swift has amassed an extraordinary array of awards and honors throughout her career, reflecting her evolution from a country prodigy to a global pop icon. As of May 2025, she has secured 694 wins from 1,622 nominations across various prestigious platforms. Here's a chronological overview of her most significant accolades.

• 2007: Won the Horizon Award (New Artist of the Year) at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.
• 2008: Received the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award for Top New Female Vocalist.
• 2009: At the CMA Awards, Fearless won Album of the Year, and Swift was named Entertainer of the Year.
• 2010: At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Fearless won Album of the Year and Best Country Album; "White Horse" secured Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
• 2012: "Mean" won Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.
• 2013: Received the CMA Pinnacle Award, recognizing her global success.
• 2014: Red earned multiple nominations, including Album of the Year at the Grammys.
• 2015: 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys.
• 2016: Honored with the inaugural Taylor Swift Award by BMI, recognizing her unique impact on the music industry.
• 2018: Reputation won Top Selling Album at the Billboard Music Awards.
• 2020: Folklore won Album of the Year at the Grammys, marking her third win in this category.
• 2021: Evermore received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
• 2022: Red (Taylor's Version) was nominated for Album of the Year at the American Music Awards.
• 2022: Received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from New York University.
• 2023: Midnights won Album of the Year at the American Music Awards; "Anti-Hero" secured Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.
• 2024: The Tortured Poets Department broke Spotify's single-day streaming record and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• Time Magazine: Named Person of the Year twice (2017, 2023), the first woman to achieve this distinction.
• IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year: Awarded five times (2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), the most by any artist.

The Eras Tour

The Eras Tour is Taylor Swift’s most ambitious and successful concert tour to date, celebrating her entire musical career by featuring songs from all of her “eras,” from Taylor Swift (2006) to Midnights (2022) and The Tortured Poets Department (2024). Launched on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, the tour spans over 150 shows across five continents, with each performance lasting more than three hours and including around 44 songs. It became the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing $1.5 billion in revenue and breaking Elton John’s previous record. The tour also shattered attendance records at major stadiums and inspired a cultural and economic phenomenon known as the “Taylor Swift Effect,” significantly boosting local economies in every city it visited. The accompanying concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, became the highest-grossing concert film ever, earning over $260 million worldwide. The tour also caused surges in streaming and album sales, firmly cementing Swift’s dominance in the music industry and redefining what a global tour can achieve.