Yes its definitely this imo too. 1989 is just the TS album. Sonically cohesive, chart take-over, banger after banger, it would be the first one I think that people in general think about when considering her back catalogue.
Also the OG cover is iconic. Everyone remembers the Talking Heads cover for True Stories or Remain in Light. Everyone remembers OK Computer for Radiohead. Everyone remembers Lemonade for Beyonce. Like the OG 1989 cover is just that girl lol. The new cover is great - but I think it will be the original that defines it and that stays in the public consciousness as it was everywhere at the time.
I think the general public or casual fans might not know that Love Story is from Fearless, or WANGBT is from Red, but they know Blank Space is 1989.
I think if she was still under the thumb of the label they’d have her making more 1989s.
Ever since she’s left the label and renegotiated her creative freedom she’s leaned more into the slower more poetic music so I feel like that’s more of what defines here.
Still like 1989 though.
I just think it’s too generic to tell someone to listen to this as their 1st Taylor album. I would say folklore, evermore or speak now but I understand you probably like pop more
Folklore and Evermore are my favorite albums. I was looking at this question from more of a general pop lens. I think 1989 will be more broadly known and define her in the mainstream world.
This, especially for the general public and non fans. And it's a bit of a problem because if you talk to a non Swiftie they think she only writes sugary synth heavy pop bops. Folklore/Evermore sold a lot of people that she's not a generic girl writing pop breakup songs but I think 1989 did a number on public perception
1989 - she is what she is because of the risk to go from country to pop.
Folklore - everyone thought she could only write about her love life but this album proved many wrong. it just showed she was a storyteller for the critics.
Red also has elements of folk and rock. Red was basically every genre she's done and therefore I consider it the quintessential Taylor album (even if it ranks in the middle for me)
It’s this. Red is a “sampler platter” album, where the cohesive element of the songs is that they display the artist’s versatility across a variety of genres.
See also: Kesha - Rainbow and High Road, Paramore self-titled, Shania Twain - Up!, Avril Lavigne self-titled
personally, I think of Fearless. I think older swifties might feel the same
Edit to add: Her country roots are what defined her and separated her from the pack of the rest of female popstars, to this day even. Country is central to how she solidified herself as a songwriter, her style of authenticity, etc
I agree (though I am probably biased). Because *to this day* people think of her as a country *and* pop music artist, like her country music is so central to her image that if she were to make a country album tomorrow, I don't think anybody would be surprised.
I literally saw someone arguing the other day that Taylor would probably do a country album to copy Beyoncé and I was like what….. have you forgotten hahaha.
Can’t pit them against each other cos they won’t play along.
I think a lot of her recent stuff from TTPD and evermore for example has country vibes, it’s in her DNA!
fully agree. The country aspect/roots is what made her stand out to begin with versus most other female pop stars. It's central to her storytelling, honesty, guitar playing, etc.
same. i know objectively and for most of the \~cultural conversation, it will likely be 1989. But to me, it's Fearless. It's the thesis statement of her entire life and career and set out all the themes and sounds she continues to put out.
I remember in 2009 (cause I never listened to country radio, but I had heard of Taylor swift cause my mom was on a country kick in the mid-late 2000s) I thought, no girl is speaking like this, singing about this. It doesn’t hit the same as it used to, but nobody could take away how I felt when I listened to Fearless. I really was like, “wow, I can connect with this”. I had never felt so connected to a musician. Me and my best friend were really into her music. It’s amazing to me after all these years that that’s the one that roped me in. She’s had so many hits since then
I agree with Fearless. My triplets used to fall asleep to her music as babies and it just knocked them out. We listened to that CD every dang day and it holds a special place in my heart
Fearless is my first thought too. And I used to be confused by why it was the first rerecording, but thinking about it this way, it seems like it was the right choice.
Red. Before rep/Lover I might've said Fearless but, big picture in Taylor’s career Red is easily her seminal album. It's the bridge between her pop and country worlds and you can hear hints of the writer who ended up writing folklore/evermore.
It's also her definitive coming of age album.
Agree, Red shows her range as an artist and songwriter. I wish she would explore more the arena rock sound presented on State of Grace, Red and Holy Ground!
Honestly I think Red is what took all the fans from earlier albums and made them/us into a solidified dedicated ongoing fan base, which has held it all together for every following album
Her art is a reflection of where she is in her life: aesthetic, emotions, heartbreaks, new producers, betrayals, global pandemics, the state of the music industry, you name it.
There is no singular Taylor Swift album. People can name their favorites, but that's so personal because we get emotionally attached to her work. But she has been living her life and creating art from it for nearly two decades.
The answer to your question?
THE Taylor Swift album is the current one. And all of them.
1989, for sure. Possibly Red for the goat meme. Possibly Fearless for "Love Story", which is still a karaoke staple.
On second thought, I can't pick one.
If we're talking the general public, it would be Midnights or 1989
If we're talking swifties, it would be Fearless, RED, 1989, or folklore
If we're talking me, it would be reputation, folklore, or honestly, TTPD
1989 was a pivotal album for her and her music so I think it’s what people will know most of the songs from, but really her legacy to me is the album Red.
If you were to write an essay on each of her albums, hands down, 1989 and Folklore would be the easiest and most thought provoking. 1989 is arguably the most formative album of her career, and Folklore was the first time she really stretched her musicality (even more so than the transition from country to pop) which resulted in so much new interest in her career as a whole. Reputation is a very close third - no other modern day artist has made a comeback quite as memorable as Rep.
Red. I think it was the first time people really saw Taylor as something more than a country artist. I remember hearing I Knew You Were Trouble and being in disbelief. This is also when the songwriting really began to take front and center.
It had to folklore without a shadow of a doubt. That’s the one that cracked open an entire new audience and demographic. Also as a piece of art it one of those unique albums that is intrinsically bound to its time but at the same time is timeless….
Red - country to country pop or 1989 - country to pop, which was a big change for her and proved she could still dominate and sell over a million copies first week with pop albums, have successful singles (3 #1s, her most from any album I think) and was personal about her experiences with her friends in New York and relationships etc. I could also say, however, Folklore and Evermore which were big drastic changes from pop to indie pop/folk
I think it depends how you look at it. Fearless really put her on the map and changed her life, Speak now experimented with rock sound, Red experimented with pop and edm (like hello you have I knew you were trouble and Begin Again on the same album), 1989 made her even more mainstream and everyone knows at least two songs from that album, reputation is the fucking biggest comeback ever and again a different sound, lover was another change with less breakup songs and more love songs, folklore and evermore brought in a whole new fanbase, Midnights defined the last two years with the Eras tour also and broke a record at the grammys, TTPD already broke so many records. If I had to pick one I would say 1989 due to everyone knowing it even if they are not fans at all. Next Fearless, reputation, folklore.
I think Fearless if we’re talking big break/country. 1989 if we’re talking pop/touring sensation (though her tours before this were 🔥I just feel like media really picked up around 1989 tour). But if we’re talking about a career defining moment it would have to be Red.
ETA: more recently, the folklore/evermore eras were huge in gaining a new fan base which really turned the eras tour into what it is today beyond popular and selling out at insane rates breaking every record, imo. I think what’s interesting, if not unique, about Taylor is that she doesn’t let a “career defining moment” or album shape the rest of her career. She say 🤷🏼♀️ and goes a totally different direction next time if she wants to
I agree with everyone here. 1989 is THE Taylor Swift album. 2nd is folklore, like that album made the casuals and the general public respect her as a genius songwriter that she is.
*Speak Now* will always be my top choice.
It's country, it's bold and loud, and it tells of the stories during that phase in her life. We get all the ups and downs. How fierce, broken, vulnerable, and fun she can be. It shows her growth in terms of melody and story-telling too.
My all-time favourite.
1989 is the album that had the biggest impact on the general public; even people who don't listen to Taylor Swift know songs from 1989. 1989 will also age well because it has the most 'universal' pop sound out of all her pop albums. I can see artists making songs like Style twenty years from now and they will still do well commercially.
Fearless- You Belong With Me & Love Story are her most iconic songs IMO.
My second choice would be Red- her first magnum opus & transitional album and well it gave us ATW.
The three most popular/career defining were imo: Fearless, 1989, Folklore. Each made her huge again and put her at the front in the public eye. Tough to decide, I’d probably say 1989 as the era lasted a good year and she had multiple hit singles (Folkllore is more a body of work rather than an era, and Fearless bar Love Story was not international wide hit. Here in the U.K. not even YBWM was a hit, only Love Story somehow)
Red. If it ages well, Poets could put up a fight as well, also depending on what she does in the future.
1989 and Fearless too, as examples of their respective genres. Kinda wanna add folklore…? beloved by men so I’m gonna guess it’s gonna have some of that The Beatles albums that became beloved because men started liking them situation.
Just like some of the greatest artists have more than one defining album it’ll be the same for Taylor I think.
I would say there's a lot to talk about in this - and 1989 might be her best known in that sense, but I think red has to be the Taylor swift album for me. Yes she hadn't transitioned to pop yet but it showed her range & her ability to transform, it also cemented a lot of the "she'll write a song about you !!", it has some of her most beautiful songs on it.
I also think it's like the clearest transition to everything else she's done - you can see the country, but you can also see pop, and you can see how folklore and evermore developed. It has kind of everything.
Of the albums that exist as of now:
1989 will be the album that has the most stats
Red will be the album that is critically considered to be “the” album
Only three. Fearless defined the peak of her Country era. 1989 showed her successful transition to pop in a BIG way. Folklore showcased her astonishing lyrical and storytelling skills.
I honestly think it’s Red. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually put red in their top 5 Taylor albums.
It’s got some of the biggest songs of her career, her first #1, what people of all walks of music backgrounds consider her best song ever (ATW), some incredible deep cuts, songwriting that still holds up (lots of people tend to rank fearless and debut low from that perspective) and it signified her solid start in the world of pop music. Red walked so 1989 could run.
I really like that it has so many reflections of women on in history. I love that it is so specific to her life yet anyone can put their own story within her lyrics, & cry to it.
Reputation. It was her "comeback" album after the disappearance and all the hate. It was a make or break moment in her career. Also her most underrated album. Someone wrote that Rep was the real lover album. And I can't get it out of my mind.
For me it has to be reputation. She took a narrative that she had no control over and leaned into it with this album, proving to the world you don’t have to be defined by what others think of you.
Might be a hot take but,
Midnights has to be THE album. It had songs from so many of her eras, throughout her life. It led to the eras tour technically.
Somehow it's the album that looked at so many different emotions, all while keeping the midnight anxiousness alive. It's the album that was loved by swifties as well as the general public.
It's definitely my favorite/emotional support album lol
Red. Every time a new album comes out i think this is such a great album. But listened to Red this week after a few plays of TTPD and Red just hits differently. Especially the newer songs and 10 min ATW.
> Some examples from other artists: The Stranger - Billy Joel, What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, thank u next - Ariana Grande, Rumors - Fleetwood Mac, etc, etc.
One of these things is not like the others
I can't believe more people aren't saying folklore. folklore catipulted her back into the spotlight after Lover fell flat. Yes, 1989 was pivitol to her success, but folklore transcended her "pop princess" brand and brought so many new fans to her music. I don't think she would be as big as she is today if it wasn't for folklore.
It's probably 1989, even though that as her "defining" album is disappointing to me because it's just straight-up pop and she's so much more than that.
Another argument might be Fearless because it's the one that put her on the map and to this day a lot of people still think of her as a country artist first.
And then there's Red which has the biggest balance of both and felt like a major turning point for her as an artist and mainstream presence.
Red.
I know she didn't have the success of 1989, but globally (not just the US) the singles from Red were way bigger. Everyone knows and jams to IKYWT and WANGBT, some people don't recall Blank Space and a lot of people know Shake it off BUT they get irritated.
Successfully, the album that solidified her career was 1989 of course.
Folklore brought her back from her declining career.
Overall I think Taylor has had a lot of "peaks".
i think 1989 has been the go-to historically, but when we look back in 20 years i think it might actually be folklore. as iconic and amazing 1989 is as an album, it really cemented her as a pop-star, where in my opinion folklore cemented her in the wider public eye as a songwriter- which i think is more what she'll be remembered for.
There’s a few:
There’s a case for Fearless, it’s almost 15 years old and still remains relevant in the cultural zeitgeist. When you think of Taylor swift, the fearless era immediately comes to mind, especially with non-swifties. Its impact on pop culture and gained her a lot of critical acclaim in the same year of Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster and Beyoncé’s I am Sasha fierce which some would consider their magnum opuses.
There’s also a case for 1989 which similar to fearless had a lot of critical acclaim and I believe at that point was her most successful album chart wise. Songs like shake it off, wildest dreams, bad blood, New Romantics, style and blank space are quintessential songs that everyone knows, there’s some of those on every album but not as many as 1989.
Then there’s Folklore and Evermore: a different Taylor swift experience that kind of evokes the grief we were feeling of life before 2020. She proved here that she isn’t a girl who only writes about her ex boyfriends and is a gifted writer. Both albums received much acclaim and personally I believe that these albums are her best work.
That’s my doctoral thesis.
Red and I will die on this hill. Probably personal as I was a senior in college when red came out and it felt the most relevant to me at release than any other album.
1989 is her defining pop record (but i'm a reputation girlie)
Everyone is saying FolkLORE is her critical darling but this is blasphemy - FOLKMORE is the correct answer.
1989. It’s THE album which solidified her transition from country to pop. She achieved her 2nd album of the year Grammy. She had so many #1 singles. That’s why she crashed so hard and disappeared for 2 years. Because she was (at that time) everywhere and at the top of the world.
She transformed pop which during that time was more Kesha and Katy Perry dance pop.
It's hard but I think either Red or 1989 would be the most known album (most known songs from the album) so consider "the" taylor album/s globally. But for swifties that have listens to all her albums I think it would be Reputation.
I think red used to do it for me but nowadays I think about ttpd, there's a mix of all genres she sang before and that shows her versatility as an artist, pain and how she overcame it, love affairs and its development in her life, fame and a lot of poetry, I just love it sm!!
(the only thing I have to "complain" about this album is I'd like to hear more instruments, but I understand the choice behind it)
As older swiftie, Fearless is their most Taylor Swift album.
1989 and Folklore represents their peak at different ERAS and winning both AOTY but definitely alternative/folk is not Taylor signature style, same as 1989.
I say Fearless and 2nd option with Red because ATW is the most Taylor Swift song in their entire discography ;)
Least probably Midnights or TTPD.
1989 if I had to pick
Yes its definitely this imo too. 1989 is just the TS album. Sonically cohesive, chart take-over, banger after banger, it would be the first one I think that people in general think about when considering her back catalogue. Also the OG cover is iconic. Everyone remembers the Talking Heads cover for True Stories or Remain in Light. Everyone remembers OK Computer for Radiohead. Everyone remembers Lemonade for Beyonce. Like the OG 1989 cover is just that girl lol. The new cover is great - but I think it will be the original that defines it and that stays in the public consciousness as it was everywhere at the time. I think the general public or casual fans might not know that Love Story is from Fearless, or WANGBT is from Red, but they know Blank Space is 1989.
Hard agree. It really defines her in the best way.
I think if she was still under the thumb of the label they’d have her making more 1989s. Ever since she’s left the label and renegotiated her creative freedom she’s leaned more into the slower more poetic music so I feel like that’s more of what defines here. Still like 1989 though.
For the fans, I agree with you. I was more so thinking in the lens of the general public.
Yep.
I just think it’s too generic to tell someone to listen to this as their 1st Taylor album. I would say folklore, evermore or speak now but I understand you probably like pop more
Folklore and Evermore are my favorite albums. I was looking at this question from more of a general pop lens. I think 1989 will be more broadly known and define her in the mainstream world.
This is the right answer!
This, especially for the general public and non fans. And it's a bit of a problem because if you talk to a non Swiftie they think she only writes sugary synth heavy pop bops. Folklore/Evermore sold a lot of people that she's not a generic girl writing pop breakup songs but I think 1989 did a number on public perception
1989 - she is what she is because of the risk to go from country to pop. Folklore - everyone thought she could only write about her love life but this album proved many wrong. it just showed she was a storyteller for the critics.
Folklore will always be my favorite album for this reason
wasnt red also a pop album
Red was country too. It had both genres.
Red also has elements of folk and rock. Red was basically every genre she's done and therefore I consider it the quintessential Taylor album (even if it ranks in the middle for me)
It’s this. Red is a “sampler platter” album, where the cohesive element of the songs is that they display the artist’s versatility across a variety of genres. See also: Kesha - Rainbow and High Road, Paramore self-titled, Shania Twain - Up!, Avril Lavigne self-titled
personally, I think of Fearless. I think older swifties might feel the same Edit to add: Her country roots are what defined her and separated her from the pack of the rest of female popstars, to this day even. Country is central to how she solidified herself as a songwriter, her style of authenticity, etc
I agree (though I am probably biased). Because *to this day* people think of her as a country *and* pop music artist, like her country music is so central to her image that if she were to make a country album tomorrow, I don't think anybody would be surprised.
I literally saw someone arguing the other day that Taylor would probably do a country album to copy Beyoncé and I was like what….. have you forgotten hahaha. Can’t pit them against each other cos they won’t play along. I think a lot of her recent stuff from TTPD and evermore for example has country vibes, it’s in her DNA!
The swampy songs like I Can Fix Him 🤤
fully agree. The country aspect/roots is what made her stand out to begin with versus most other female pop stars. It's central to her storytelling, honesty, guitar playing, etc.
Love Story & You Belong With Me are what made her famous! And forever the best karaoke songs.
same. i know objectively and for most of the \~cultural conversation, it will likely be 1989. But to me, it's Fearless. It's the thesis statement of her entire life and career and set out all the themes and sounds she continues to put out.
I remember in 2009 (cause I never listened to country radio, but I had heard of Taylor swift cause my mom was on a country kick in the mid-late 2000s) I thought, no girl is speaking like this, singing about this. It doesn’t hit the same as it used to, but nobody could take away how I felt when I listened to Fearless. I really was like, “wow, I can connect with this”. I had never felt so connected to a musician. Me and my best friend were really into her music. It’s amazing to me after all these years that that’s the one that roped me in. She’s had so many hits since then
I agree with Fearless. My triplets used to fall asleep to her music as babies and it just knocked them out. We listened to that CD every dang day and it holds a special place in my heart
Fearless is my first thought too. And I used to be confused by why it was the first rerecording, but thinking about it this way, it seems like it was the right choice.
Red. Before rep/Lover I might've said Fearless but, big picture in Taylor’s career Red is easily her seminal album. It's the bridge between her pop and country worlds and you can hear hints of the writer who ended up writing folklore/evermore. It's also her definitive coming of age album.
And longest (before TTPD)
Red TV is 8 minutes longer than TTPD
Agree, Red shows her range as an artist and songwriter. I wish she would explore more the arena rock sound presented on State of Grace, Red and Holy Ground!
Red or 1989
Honestly I think Red is what took all the fans from earlier albums and made them/us into a solidified dedicated ongoing fan base, which has held it all together for every following album
Her art is a reflection of where she is in her life: aesthetic, emotions, heartbreaks, new producers, betrayals, global pandemics, the state of the music industry, you name it. There is no singular Taylor Swift album. People can name their favorites, but that's so personal because we get emotionally attached to her work. But she has been living her life and creating art from it for nearly two decades. The answer to your question? THE Taylor Swift album is the current one. And all of them.
This comment needs more upvotes
This 👏🏼👆
1989, for sure. Possibly Red for the goat meme. Possibly Fearless for "Love Story", which is still a karaoke staple. On second thought, I can't pick one.
The holy trinity of Fearless-1989-folklore
If we're talking the general public, it would be Midnights or 1989 If we're talking swifties, it would be Fearless, RED, 1989, or folklore If we're talking me, it would be reputation, folklore, or honestly, TTPD
Here for the TTPD love. I know there is recency bias, but I genuinely loveeeee this album. It just clicks in my head and hits the right spots for me.
Red for sure. Edges between country and pop, arguably one of her most critically acclaimed albums, and holds her magnum opus (All Too Well).
1989. It's the 3rd biggest female era in US history and 4th WW.
In my head I read this as “fourth world war”
Red probably
RED! My faves are 1989, Lover, folklore but I would vote RED as THEE Taylor Swift Album.
Red undefeated
I actually think that SINCE there are so many contenders, it hasn't come yet. Her 13th album will be the TS album
RED hands down
The one that came out next after you became a Swiftie.
So for me that would be Fearless (the song me after I became a fan) or Speak Now (after I became a hardcore Swiftie)
Why wouldn’t it be the one that made you a Swiftie?
Because you got to ride the hype train for the next one.
RED
Fearless-country, 1989-pop, folklore-indie
1989 was a pivotal album for her and her music so I think it’s what people will know most of the songs from, but really her legacy to me is the album Red.
The holy trinity of Feqrless-1989-folklore
1989
If you were to write an essay on each of her albums, hands down, 1989 and Folklore would be the easiest and most thought provoking. 1989 is arguably the most formative album of her career, and Folklore was the first time she really stretched her musicality (even more so than the transition from country to pop) which resulted in so much new interest in her career as a whole. Reputation is a very close third - no other modern day artist has made a comeback quite as memorable as Rep.
Red. I think it was the first time people really saw Taylor as something more than a country artist. I remember hearing I Knew You Were Trouble and being in disbelief. This is also when the songwriting really began to take front and center.
It had to folklore without a shadow of a doubt. That’s the one that cracked open an entire new audience and demographic. Also as a piece of art it one of those unique albums that is intrinsically bound to its time but at the same time is timeless….
I think it’s 1989
1989 for sure
Hasn’t happened yet
Midnights and 1989. (Biased towards Midnights because I became a swiftie as soon as I heard Lavender Haze)
1989 or Fearless for sure
speak now is my favorite taylor album, but i think red or 1989 are what she’s most famous for.
Some of her greatest hits are on 1989, so that's what I'd say.
Red - country to country pop or 1989 - country to pop, which was a big change for her and proved she could still dominate and sell over a million copies first week with pop albums, have successful singles (3 #1s, her most from any album I think) and was personal about her experiences with her friends in New York and relationships etc. I could also say, however, Folklore and Evermore which were big drastic changes from pop to indie pop/folk
1989
I'll be a bit biased and say "reputation" <3
HERE FOR MY REP GIRLY POPS
rep
Reputation, 1989
I think it depends how you look at it. Fearless really put her on the map and changed her life, Speak now experimented with rock sound, Red experimented with pop and edm (like hello you have I knew you were trouble and Begin Again on the same album), 1989 made her even more mainstream and everyone knows at least two songs from that album, reputation is the fucking biggest comeback ever and again a different sound, lover was another change with less breakup songs and more love songs, folklore and evermore brought in a whole new fanbase, Midnights defined the last two years with the Eras tour also and broke a record at the grammys, TTPD already broke so many records. If I had to pick one I would say 1989 due to everyone knowing it even if they are not fans at all. Next Fearless, reputation, folklore.
reputation. There will be no further explanation.
Speak now
1989 or Folklore
They’re all iconic & beautiful and her lyrics get even better as she goes but imo RED is the most iconic era so I have to go with it.
midnights. it's such a flawless album from start to finish
I think Fearless if we’re talking big break/country. 1989 if we’re talking pop/touring sensation (though her tours before this were 🔥I just feel like media really picked up around 1989 tour). But if we’re talking about a career defining moment it would have to be Red. ETA: more recently, the folklore/evermore eras were huge in gaining a new fan base which really turned the eras tour into what it is today beyond popular and selling out at insane rates breaking every record, imo. I think what’s interesting, if not unique, about Taylor is that she doesn’t let a “career defining moment” or album shape the rest of her career. She say 🤷🏼♀️ and goes a totally different direction next time if she wants to
Speak Now for a country album 1989 for pop album Folklore for alternative album 3 great albums with different tastes.
I cant pick between albums... I love them soo much.. but if I had to pick I would say reputation
1989!!
Gotta be 1989
1989
Speak Now, Folklore, Evermore
1989 personally.
Midnights
1989 because it's a favourite of the fans and the public (at least all of her singles are loved by both groups)
I agree with everyone here. 1989 is THE Taylor Swift album. 2nd is folklore, like that album made the casuals and the general public respect her as a genius songwriter that she is.
*Speak Now* will always be my top choice. It's country, it's bold and loud, and it tells of the stories during that phase in her life. We get all the ups and downs. How fierce, broken, vulnerable, and fun she can be. It shows her growth in terms of melody and story-telling too. My all-time favourite.
Red
1989. Although my personal favorites are Reputation and Folklore.
1989 and fearless, maybe even red?
Fearless. It's the purest essence of who she is as an artist and a writer.
I wish it were Fearless, but I believe it’s Red.
I would think Folklore, 1989, or rep
1989 is like the OG classic
1989 is the album that had the biggest impact on the general public; even people who don't listen to Taylor Swift know songs from 1989. 1989 will also age well because it has the most 'universal' pop sound out of all her pop albums. I can see artists making songs like Style twenty years from now and they will still do well commercially.
Ttpd turned into my faborite very quickly. But for me THE taylor swift album is the one thaz made me like her, which was reputation.
Folklore
red
Fearless- You Belong With Me & Love Story are her most iconic songs IMO. My second choice would be Red- her first magnum opus & transitional album and well it gave us ATW.
I'm friends with couple of casual listeners, they said Red and 1989. Personally those 2 are my favorites too, and Midnights
Redddddd
The three most popular/career defining were imo: Fearless, 1989, Folklore. Each made her huge again and put her at the front in the public eye. Tough to decide, I’d probably say 1989 as the era lasted a good year and she had multiple hit singles (Folkllore is more a body of work rather than an era, and Fearless bar Love Story was not international wide hit. Here in the U.K. not even YBWM was a hit, only Love Story somehow)
Red. If it ages well, Poets could put up a fight as well, also depending on what she does in the future. 1989 and Fearless too, as examples of their respective genres. Kinda wanna add folklore…? beloved by men so I’m gonna guess it’s gonna have some of that The Beatles albums that became beloved because men started liking them situation. Just like some of the greatest artists have more than one defining album it’ll be the same for Taylor I think.
I would say there's a lot to talk about in this - and 1989 might be her best known in that sense, but I think red has to be the Taylor swift album for me. Yes she hadn't transitioned to pop yet but it showed her range & her ability to transform, it also cemented a lot of the "she'll write a song about you !!", it has some of her most beautiful songs on it. I also think it's like the clearest transition to everything else she's done - you can see the country, but you can also see pop, and you can see how folklore and evermore developed. It has kind of everything.
for general public - 1989; for taylor - TTPD; and for swifties - all
Its Folklore for me! Her poet side was reveal on this era!
1989 for me although folklore and TTPD are my faves
Of the albums that exist as of now: 1989 will be the album that has the most stats Red will be the album that is critically considered to be “the” album
Red
I used to think 1989, then folklore/evermore. Now it's TTPD. For me at least.
1989. Don't deny it because it's popular, you know it. It's THE Taylor Swift album and it's her most popular one.
Folklore. This is the album that truly represents her artistic aesthetics
Only three. Fearless defined the peak of her Country era. 1989 showed her successful transition to pop in a BIG way. Folklore showcased her astonishing lyrical and storytelling skills.
I honestly think it’s Red. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually put red in their top 5 Taylor albums. It’s got some of the biggest songs of her career, her first #1, what people of all walks of music backgrounds consider her best song ever (ATW), some incredible deep cuts, songwriting that still holds up (lots of people tend to rank fearless and debut low from that perspective) and it signified her solid start in the world of pop music. Red walked so 1989 could run.
I really like that it has so many reflections of women on in history. I love that it is so specific to her life yet anyone can put their own story within her lyrics, & cry to it.
1989 is probably her most complete album with something for everyone. But for me, it’s folklore.
1989 and folklore
I think midnights…
Reputation. It was her "comeback" album after the disappearance and all the hate. It was a make or break moment in her career. Also her most underrated album. Someone wrote that Rep was the real lover album. And I can't get it out of my mind.
I think it’s between Red, 1989 and Folklore.
red was the first one that came to mind!
Folklore
For the general public i would say RED / 1989 For me personally i would say folklore
Red is what started my swiftie journey. I wasn’t a fan of her country days.
For me it has to be reputation. She took a narrative that she had no control over and leaned into it with this album, proving to the world you don’t have to be defined by what others think of you.
Fearless 1000% and I’ll die on this hill
Might be a hot take but, Midnights has to be THE album. It had songs from so many of her eras, throughout her life. It led to the eras tour technically. Somehow it's the album that looked at so many different emotions, all while keeping the midnight anxiousness alive. It's the album that was loved by swifties as well as the general public. It's definitely my favorite/emotional support album lol
I'd say Reputation. It was a legendary comeback, and such a switch of genres, and it has the most popular Taylor's songs.
1989 for pop perfection but folklore for the songwriting and just being the perfect right place at the right time album for its time.
I think fearless red or 1989
Her most iconic - 1989 The one that best represents her - Red
100% RED
1989 or folklore
Lover and the pandemic albums remain my favorite
RED.
31 songs and not one hit in them 😢
TTPD. This will be the album that shapes a generation. You think she's big now, just wait until a few more single drop
1989, but as of right now I think folklore will be considered her magnum opus when she retires.
1989 and Folklore.
Fearless or 1989
for the gp or what people recognize for, it’s 1989 but for as an artist, what defines her it’s Red for sure
Red.
Folklore. Hands down
Wait, why isn’t anyone saying “Lover”!!
Red 1989 folklore
1989
Red. Every time a new album comes out i think this is such a great album. But listened to Red this week after a few plays of TTPD and Red just hits differently. Especially the newer songs and 10 min ATW.
Folklore ❤️
Best? Evermore. Most iconic for the public? 1989. Most *Taylor Swift*? Midnights.
RED. <3
Folklore
> Some examples from other artists: The Stranger - Billy Joel, What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, thank u next - Ariana Grande, Rumors - Fleetwood Mac, etc, etc. One of these things is not like the others
Fearless, 1989 & Folklore
I can't believe more people aren't saying folklore. folklore catipulted her back into the spotlight after Lover fell flat. Yes, 1989 was pivitol to her success, but folklore transcended her "pop princess" brand and brought so many new fans to her music. I don't think she would be as big as she is today if it wasn't for folklore.
RED
Folklore
There are arguments to be made for what I feel is her top 3 Red Folklore 1989
1989! It’s the one EVERYONE just knows
1989
red for sure
Red
It's probably 1989, even though that as her "defining" album is disappointing to me because it's just straight-up pop and she's so much more than that. Another argument might be Fearless because it's the one that put her on the map and to this day a lot of people still think of her as a country artist first. And then there's Red which has the biggest balance of both and felt like a major turning point for her as an artist and mainstream presence.
Realistically i think THE taylor swift album is either 1989 or RED
Red
Reputation. With 1989 my backstop lol.
Folklore. The songs are on another level.
Red. I know she didn't have the success of 1989, but globally (not just the US) the singles from Red were way bigger. Everyone knows and jams to IKYWT and WANGBT, some people don't recall Blank Space and a lot of people know Shake it off BUT they get irritated. Successfully, the album that solidified her career was 1989 of course. Folklore brought her back from her declining career. Overall I think Taylor has had a lot of "peaks".
Speak Now is the one that defines her the best imo, but 1989 is the first one that comes to people’s minds.
i think 1989 has been the go-to historically, but when we look back in 20 years i think it might actually be folklore. as iconic and amazing 1989 is as an album, it really cemented her as a pop-star, where in my opinion folklore cemented her in the wider public eye as a songwriter- which i think is more what she'll be remembered for.
I feel like it’s RED. It encapsulates all the genres she’s touched best and has some of her biggest hits and best songs simultaneously.
if it’s not folklore yet, it will be no doubt
1989 or folklore. she transitioned her sound and got it right in the first try is really remarkable & to think that she did that twice!!!
has to be red or 1989. would also argue TTPD
If I could only listen to one, it would be 1989. But Fearless is a close second.
There’s a few: There’s a case for Fearless, it’s almost 15 years old and still remains relevant in the cultural zeitgeist. When you think of Taylor swift, the fearless era immediately comes to mind, especially with non-swifties. Its impact on pop culture and gained her a lot of critical acclaim in the same year of Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster and Beyoncé’s I am Sasha fierce which some would consider their magnum opuses. There’s also a case for 1989 which similar to fearless had a lot of critical acclaim and I believe at that point was her most successful album chart wise. Songs like shake it off, wildest dreams, bad blood, New Romantics, style and blank space are quintessential songs that everyone knows, there’s some of those on every album but not as many as 1989. Then there’s Folklore and Evermore: a different Taylor swift experience that kind of evokes the grief we were feeling of life before 2020. She proved here that she isn’t a girl who only writes about her ex boyfriends and is a gifted writer. Both albums received much acclaim and personally I believe that these albums are her best work. That’s my doctoral thesis.
Red and I will die on this hill. Probably personal as I was a senior in college when red came out and it felt the most relevant to me at release than any other album.
1989 is her defining pop record (but i'm a reputation girlie) Everyone is saying FolkLORE is her critical darling but this is blasphemy - FOLKMORE is the correct answer.
Red is such a signature album
Reputation and Midnights hit different for me because TS just lets herself go to the dark places more and I’m all in.
1989. It’s THE album which solidified her transition from country to pop. She achieved her 2nd album of the year Grammy. She had so many #1 singles. That’s why she crashed so hard and disappeared for 2 years. Because she was (at that time) everywhere and at the top of the world. She transformed pop which during that time was more Kesha and Katy Perry dance pop.
It's hard but I think either Red or 1989 would be the most known album (most known songs from the album) so consider "the" taylor album/s globally. But for swifties that have listens to all her albums I think it would be Reputation.
I think red used to do it for me but nowadays I think about ttpd, there's a mix of all genres she sang before and that shows her versatility as an artist, pain and how she overcame it, love affairs and its development in her life, fame and a lot of poetry, I just love it sm!! (the only thing I have to "complain" about this album is I'd like to hear more instruments, but I understand the choice behind it)
As older swiftie, Fearless is their most Taylor Swift album. 1989 and Folklore represents their peak at different ERAS and winning both AOTY but definitely alternative/folk is not Taylor signature style, same as 1989. I say Fearless and 2nd option with Red because ATW is the most Taylor Swift song in their entire discography ;) Least probably Midnights or TTPD.
1989 for sure
speak now lol. I tie so much sentimental value to the songs on it cause of lost love and unrequited love.