Music

Taylor Swift’s No. 1 Songs From Worst to Best

One of Taylor Swift's songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 includes a fake telephone call in its bridge.

by Matthew Trzcinski

Published on March 26, 2023

2 min read

Taylor Swift‘s songs range from acoustic ballads to polished dance singles. Some of her songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 are great. On the other hand, sometimes she definitely sacrificed her musical identity for hits.

9. ‘Shake It Off’

Swift’s embrace of Katy Perry-style pop on “Shake It Off” was regrettable. It removed all her personality and made her seem like a teenager writing her first song. Most of the song is forgivably bad but that bridge is just embarrassing. “This sick beat” indeed. Nothing but Swift’s star power propelled this song to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

8. ‘Bad Blood’

“Bad Blood” tries to be dramatic but it just slaps you in the face with an obnoxious hook. The only reason people remember this song is its star-studded music video. The video is fun and high-tech but it would have to be a lot better to elevate a song as lazy as “Bad Blood.”

7. ‘Look What You Made Me Do’

“Look What You Made Me Do” is like a Halloween version of “Bad Blood.” It mixes spooky sound effects with some of the tawdry celebrity drama of Swift’s earlier hits. Besides the funny telephone call bridge, it’s not impressive. That bridge will probably become a meme one day.

6. ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was Swift’s first single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s far from her best work, but at least its sassy lyrics have some personality. Swift wrote much better breakup songs, but “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was an important milestone on her ascent to the top of the music business.

5. ‘Cardigan’

Lyrically, “Cardigan” is a weird song where Swift says someone treated her like an old cardigan. Musically, it sounds like folky elevator music. There are some genuinely evocative lyrics in this song, but the cardigan metaphor drags it down.

4. ‘Willow’

Like “Cardigan,” “Willow” is built around a strained metaphor where Swift sings “Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind.” It works a little better than “Cardigan” and it definitely shows off Swift’s ambitious side.

3. ‘All Too Well’

Thanks to tracks like The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and Don McLean’s “American Pie,” critics often think a really long song must be a really good song. “All Too Well” is over 10 minutes. It’s a little bloated, but the length makes it feel more like a journey than a regular pop song.

2. ‘Blank Space’

Swift portrays an exaggerated version of herself in “Blank Space,” making herself seem like an evil maneater. The satire is so on point it almost feels real. Swift draws some influence from Lorde for the beat, and it works wonderfully.