Taylor Swift’s Albums Ranked Per Their Metacritic Score ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Taylor Swift, one of the biggest pop sensations in the world, has announced the title of her next studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. Her twelfth studio album will be released on October 3, 2025, with standard and limited-time deluxe editions.
This is Taylor Swift’s first album release since the conclusion of her massively successful Eras tour from 2023 to 2024. This album is the latest in a long line of commercially and critically successful outings by the iconic pop star. Read on to learn more about Taylor Swift’s albums so far, ranked by Metacritic.
11. Taylor Swift
Release date: October 24, 2006
Metacritic rating: 67
Producers: Nathan Chapman, Robert Ellis Orrall
Taylor Swift’s debut album, recorded when she was in her teens, stands in contrast to much of her later output by its strong focus on country music. This album spawned successful singles like Teardrops on My Guitar and Our Song.
Her songwriting skills were noted early on by reviews from Pitchfork and Allmusic, though others, such as Popmatters, believed that Taylor ought to branch out beyond country music in the future.
10. Reputation
Release date: November 10, 2017
Metacritic rating: 71
Producers: Max Martin, Shellback, Jack Antonoff
Reputation was Swift’s sixth studio album, released during a tumultuous time in her life. Dealing with an ongoing feud between Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, alongside increasing media attention to her allegedly manipulative nature, left her dogged with a public relations crisis.
Reputation was Swift’s way of addressing the public backlash against her by adopting a more rebellious and introspective approach to her music. Her approach proved divisive, with some critics like Vulture praising her vulnerability, and others like Consequence disappointed at the record’s production and accusing her of racial insensitivity.
9. Fearless
Release date: November 11, 2008
Metacritic rating: 73
Producers: Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s second album marked a major pivot towards pop music sensibilities. Her record spawned iconic singles such as Love Story and You Belong with Me. This was also the first album to grant Taylor Swift a Grammy victory, winning Album of the Year in 2010.
The album was well received by critics, with Allmusic and The Boston Globe praising the record’s crossover appeal. Others, like Slant Magazine, believed she needed more refinement.
8. 1989
Release date: October 27, 2014.
Metacritic rating: 76
Producers: Max Martin, Shellback, Jack Antonoff, Ryan Tedder
1989, her fifth album, marked a major creative pivot in Swift’s career. After starting as a country musician and slowly going for a more pop-oriented sound in future albums, Swift made a complete jump to synth-pop, overhauling her production crew.
1989 would win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2016. Critics such as The AV Club praised Swift’s increasing lyrical maturity. Her genre shift to synth-pop proved divisive, garnering both acclaim and skepticism.
7. The Tortured Poets Department
Release date: April 19, 2024
Metacritic rating: 76
Producers: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner
The Tortured Poets Department is Taylor Swift’s eleventh album, the release occurring alongside Swift’s hotly anticipated Eras tour. The album was a major success on Spotify, becoming the most pre-saved album of all time.
Critics were immensely flattering towards Swift’s experimental approach to her music, with The Guardian praising her risk-taking in a risk-averse industry. The album proved divisive among commentators such as Paste magazine, who considered it a shallow, empty effort.
6. Speak Now
Release date: October 25, 2010
Metacritic rating: 77
Producers: Taylor Swift, Nathan Chapman
Taylor Swift’s third album, Speak Now, was released in 2010. Continuing her evolution that began in Fearless, it saw Swift explore more confrontational themes, such as her evolving view on romance, rising stardom, and the controversy that came with it.
Critics such as Allmusic praised Taylor Swift’s newfound maturity in her songwriting, but Slant Magazine had mixed feelings about her ability to tackle tough topics.
5. Red
Release date: October 22, 2012
Metacritic rating: 77
Producers: Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Nathan Chapman
Red was Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album, and in many ways it served as a transitional record, with Swift slowly moving beyond her country roots and experimenting with more pop-oriented sensibilities. Focused heavily on themes such as the nature of love and her past breakups, the record made a massive splash upon its release.
Critics such as Billboard considered the album an important milestone in Swift’s artistry and called it her first adult pop album. Others, such as The A.V Club, critiqued what they perceived as an unfocused approach.
4. Lover
Release date: August 23, 2019
Metacritic rating: 79
Producers: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Joel Little
Lover was a landmark release by Taylor Swift, as she left her original label, Big Machine Records, in favor of a better deal at Republic Records. Swift treated her seventh album as a new beginning in her career, experimenting heavily with the themes she covered in her music, from the true nature of love to LGBT rights.
Allmusic praised Lover for its experimental approach and more lighthearted tone compared to 2017’s Reputation. Paste Magazine was considerably harsher, considering the record a cliché-ridden, pointless affair.
3. Midnights
Release date: October 21, 2022
Metacritic rating: 85
Producers: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave
Midnights was Taylor Swift’s first major release after the COVID-19 pandemic. For this record, Swift aimed to capture the aesthetic of nighttime, leaning heavily on the synth-pop direction she first pioneered in 1989.
Like with 1989 and Fearless, Midnights won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2024. Midnights has been praised by The Guardian and American Songwriter for its confident and introspective lyricism.
2. Evermore
Release date: December 11, 2020
Metacritic rating: 85
Producers: Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner
Evermore is the second of Taylor Swift’s albums released during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heavily influenced by the tension and isolation of this time period, the record reflects a darker, moodier atmosphere.
Evermore was well received by The Guardian, which praised Swift’s alt-rock influences and character-focused lyrics. Swift’s approach to storytelling, which moved away from leaning on her own personal life, was also lauded by Esquire.
1. Folklore
Release date: June 24, 2020
Metacritic rating: 88
Producers: Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Joe Alwyn
Folklore is Taylor Swift’s most critically acclaimed album, standing alongside Fearless, 1989, and Midnights in winning a Grammy for Album of the Year back in 2021. Like with Evermore, the album was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, although Folklore actually came out first.
Rolling Stone magazine lauded Taylor’s intimate approach to her music, and Consequence was impressed by Swift’s willingness to move beyond her own perspective in her songwriting.
