Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs That Belong on Different Albums

#10: “I Know Places” “1989” (2014) → “reputation” (2017)

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Top 10 Best Taylor Swift 1989 Era Performances

“1989” was Taylor Swift’s fifth studio album and her big pop breakthrough. It’s upbeat and danceable, featuring a cohesive style and tone where every song earns its place. And don’t get us wrong – this is true of “I Know Places.” But thematically, the number also reminds of Swift’s “reputation” era. After all, the narrator paints a picture of herself and her lover as cornered foxes, desperately trying to outrun the media gaze and find a place where they can be alone. In both “1989” and “reputation,” Taylor dissects her own public image. But while tracks such as “Blank Space” and “Shake it Off” feel more tongue-in-cheek, “I Know Places” taps into the darker side of fame also explored in “reputation.”

#9: “King of My Heart” “reputation” (2017) → “Lover” (2019)

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Izzo Blues Coalition - Don't You Lie To Me (Albert King Cover)

Swift dubbed her seventh studio album, “Lover”, a “love letter to love”. “Reputation,” while a drastically different work on the whole, features this theme in its own way through songs like “Gorgeous”, “Call It What You Want,” and many others. However, we think “King of My Heart” would fit most seamlessly into the “Lover” tracklist. The synth-pop tune is an unfiltered celebration of romance, of being with someone who makes it feel like your wounds are healing. Both “King of My Heart” and many of the songs of the “Lover” era act as a refreshingly un-cynical exploration of true love, and that’s timeless.

#8: “New Year's Day” “reputation” (2017) → Various

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Top 10 Best Taylor Swift Reputation Era Performances

“Reputation” is an album of two parts. It features themes of anger and revenge, but it also tells the story of a blossoming relationship. “New Year’s Day” rounds things out nicely, ending the story on a warm, optimistic note. Still, the different production makes it something of an outlier. This gentle piano ballad relies on emotional honesty rather than synths and drum machines, lyrically spotlighting the small things that define love. Coincidentally, it also name drops two future albums - “Midnights” and “evermore” (okay, she says “forevermore”, but still!) It wouldn’t seem out of place in either work, fitting the sleepless vibes of the former and the poetic energy of the latter. We could also see it as part of “folklore,” or even “Red (Taylor’s Version).”

#7: “The Archer” “Lover” (2019) → “folklore” (2020) & “evermore” (2020)

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Top 10 Best Taylor Swift Lover Era Performances

If “Lover” was a season, it would have to be summer. The bubblegum pink aesthetic and feel-good pop sound are in direct contrast with the dark drama of “reputation” and the mellow vibes of “folklore.” However, with track five, “The Archer”, Taylor gives us a taste of something different. Next to the likes of “London Boy” and “Paper Rings,” the song almost feels like an anomaly. But compare it to “folklore”’s “peace” or “mirrorball”, or “evermore”’s title track, and it makes total sense. Slow, dreamy and emotionally vulnerable, it never really builds too intensely, and is more about the lyrics than anything else. In an album full of sunny energy, “The Archer” conjures a reflective mood.

#6: “This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things” “reputation” (2017) → “Red (Taylor's Version)” (2021)

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Top 20 Most Underrated Taylor Swift Songs

Another “reputation” track that could transcend its album is number 13 - “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” Although the lyrics reference fallout from drama, the tone largely remains playful, upbeat, and emotionally light. “Look What You Made Me Do” and “I Did Something Bad,” in contrast, deal with similar subject matter, but in this one, any real sense of anger seems to have evaporated. Instead, the song brings the same determined yet fun energy as the feel-good “Red” numbers - think “22” or “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” There’s a sense of moving on from past dramas, living your life, and looking back with a sense of humor.

#5: “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” feat. Chris Stapleton “Red (Taylor's Version)” (2021) → “Fearless (Taylor's Version)” (2021)

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Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs

Taylor Swift began her career as a country artist, but by her fourth album, she had begun moving in a new direction. “Red” is lighter on the country and more heavily influenced by pop and rock. Perhaps that's why “I Bet You Think About Me” was initially left in the vault? But Swift returned to her roots in 2021 when she released this absolute banger as part of “Red (Taylor’s Version).” It’s definitely a hit, and we can’t help but think it’s reminiscent of the best of “Fearless”. We could picture it having been part of that era with its mixture of sarcasm, clever snark, and folksy, country storytelling. It wouldn’t be out of place on “Speak Now,” either!

#4: “It's Nice to Have a Friend” “Lover” (2019) → “folklore” (2020) & “evermore” (2020)

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Top 10 Hauntingly Beautiful Taylor Swift Songs

Like “The Archer”, “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” is one of “Lover”’s more laid back tracks. It wouldn’t feel out of place on “folklore” or “evermore”, which are characterized by their storytelling and indie-folk sound. Tucked away towards the end of the album, “Lover”’s track seventeen is a quiet, brief tale of childhood friends who fall in love. The lyrics read like a poem, painting a vivid picture with only a few simple words. Meanwhile, the musical production is hauntingly beautiful, with everything from the instrumentation to the background vocals blending seamlessly. Those same descriptions could be applied to a slew of numbers on Swift’s sister albums from 2020, so it could’ve been a match made in woodsy heaven.

With its talk of vengeance and a stripped back, trap-infused production, this dark pop tune could have easily been part of the “reputation” era. Snare drums and bass create the mood, while the lyrics weave a revenge narrative laced with mocking, witty lyrics. “Vigilante Shit” is perhaps less immediate and angry than many of the songs on “reputation,” but it tells a similar story of rising from the ashes to bring down an enemy. What’s more, it feels like the narrator has already won the day. The number doesn’t immediately scream “Midnights”, which is an album that revisits “sleepless nights scattered throughout [Swift’s] life.” She doesn’t seem to be losing much sleep over this foe – she’s got him beat!

“Reputation” is, in part, an album of heroes and villains, with Swift herself often embodying an iconic villainess persona. Her pen portraits here are generally pretty black and white, but “Getaway Car” definitely has more nuance. At its core, it tells a compelling tale of flawed anti-heroes who should have known what they were getting into. It’s surprisingly reflective, but also loads of fun with its pop culture references and exciting, mysterious energy. “Getaway Car” is an evocative synth-pop track that calls back to the eighties in the best way. In other words, the “1989” vibes are strong with this acclaimed hit. Can’t you just picture seeing it nestled right between “Style” and “Out of the Woods”? It would almost be too good! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Should've Said No”, “Taylor Swift” (2006) → “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” (2023) An Underrated Classic That Could’ve Easily Worked on the Later Album “Bejeweled”, “Midnights” (2022) → “1989” (2014) This Pure Pop Diamond Would Shine on “1989” “Gorgeous”, “reputation” (2017) → “Lover” (2019) A Prime Candidate for This Loving Era “betty”, “folklore” (2020) → “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” (2021) This Teenage Love Story Feels like a “Fearless” Song From a New Perspective “Dancing with Our Hands Tied”, “reputation” (2017) → “1989” (2014) This Definitely Wouldn’t Feel Out of Place Amid “1989”’s Synth Bops

#1: “Bad Blood” “1989” (2014) → “reputation” (2017)

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Taylor Swift - The Story & the Songs

Any Swiftie will remember how invigorated they felt when “Bad Blood” came out, with its music video only bolstering that energy. It was like lightning in a bottle – a difficult feeling to recreate. But if anyone can conjure up that kind of magic multiple times, it’s Taylor Swift. Sure enough, along came “reputation” a few years later. The “old Taylor” was pronounced dead, but the more we thought about it, the more we realized we’d gotten a glimpse into the new one during the “1989” era! The 2014 album’s eighth track sees Swift embracing fiercely rebellious behavior, singing about betrayal to the backdrop of pounding drums. The sound, the lyrics, and the video’s aesthetic were all giving “reputation” long before that album dropped. Which Taylor Swift song (if any) would you switch to a different album - and where would you put it? Let us know in the comments!