Taylor Swift Albums In Order Of Release Date (By Year)

Taylor Swift albums in chronological order begins with her self-titled debut album. Much of the project deals with themes of teen love and longing. 

Released in 2006 in the US and Canada, and in 2008 internationally, the singer was only 17 when it came out. As such, she caused a big furor after its success for being the first woman to write a platinum Country record.

Though she would go on to release bigger and better records, her self-titled debut is known for showcasing many of the attributes she would go on to be famous for. From lyrics inspired by personal events as well as dealing with romantic relationships, especially exes, Swift's debut is a great look at a teenage mind.

The singer released five singles over the course of two years to support the album. It is also the only one of Swift's albums not to top the Billboard 200.

Taylor Swift Fearless is the second album in her discography. It is also the album that helped her break into mainstream pop.

Released in 2008, the album was led by the single Love Story, which peaked at number 4 on the Hot 100. Though still dealing with subjects of teenage love like her first album, Fearless was more courageous and mature than its predecessor.

A critical and commercial success, the album was the first to peak the Billboard 200 and was lauded for showcasing Swift's incredible songwriting and radio-friendly hooks. However, some found the production formulaic.

The album was immensely lauded almost instantly and won both the Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Eleven years later, Swift would rerelease her album on April 9, 2021 after a disput over its ownership with her former label.

Taylor Swift Speak Now is the third album released in her catalog. Though less successful commercially than her past efforts, it is critically lauded.

The album is her first "concept album" revolving around confessions be they about love, heartache, and public experiences. Like her previous effort, Fearless, this album also topped the Billboard 200.

The record has retroactively been regarded by critics as one of the best Country albums of the decade, and also one where Swift started to embrace herself as a lead songwriter. Supported by six singles, the album would go on to win two Grammy Awards.

The song that won the two awards, Mean, was also the first time Swift would direct her pen toward a public enemy, in this case, a negative critic. This aspect of Swift's lyrics would only grow from this point forward.

Red is the fourth Taylor Swift album in order by year. It sees the songstress going in a more pop direction.

Often seen as the antithesis of the previous Speak Now album, Red consisted of a bevy of hit singles, which is something its predecessor lacked. Despite consisting of songs that appropriated many of the then-current pop trends like Dubstep in the third single I Knew You Were Trouble, critics still lauded the album's songwriting.

However, Swift's first tackle of the pop genre left many critics confounded, but, as with Speak Now, this record is seeing something of a reappraisal.

One of the main reasons why is because, like with Fearless, Swift re-released this record, and released a 10 minute version of one of the deep cuts, All Too Well, which many now think is her crowning achievement.

1989 is the fifth album in the discography of acclaimed artist Taylor Swift. It was created out of her dissatisfaction with critics claiming she'd gone pop.

Many saw Red, Swift's previous album as her departure from Country, despite it not being intended as such. So, in order to prove her critics right as a way to shut them up, she actually went full pop and even enlisted famed producer Max Martin to help her out.

Lead single Shake It Off was a vast departure from anything Swift had released before, and each subsequent single only saw her go more and more pop. The singer's leap of faith proved successful as she won both Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

To many, 1989 is still the quintessential Swift album. Fearless may have made her a star, but this record turned her into a global icon.

The seventh record in the Swift discography is also her most polarizing. It saw her fully embracing the persona that the media had painted her as.

As remembered for its music as it is for the drama surrounding it, the album's release year, 2017, saw Swift in a heated and public beef with various artists like Kanye West and Katy Perry. The lead single Look What You Made Me Do's music video saw the singer literally slaying her past selves.

Though it saw initial success by debuting atop the Billboard 200, the ongoing drama made many critics and fans disregard the album. However, like many of her albums, it too has a bevy of fans.

The album would also be the last to be released under her record label, Big Machine, as the singer would have a public falling out with the label over song ownership.

Lover is the seventh album in the Swift catalog. It sees the singer returning to a quieter sound reminiscent of her early works.

After the entire public debacle that ensued Reputation, the singer decided to pare things down on her next project. Though the first two singles Me! and You Need to Calm Down were more gimmicky and less representative of the album, the third self-titled single showcased the delicacy many fans had found lacking in her previous album.

Seen by many as one of her lesser albums, it was the first in her discography that found more acclaim among critics than fans. It still is perhaps the least talked about Swift album amongst fans.

However, many see it as a stepping stone to the more mature albums that would follow. It wouldn't come as a surprise if this record sees a reappraisal in coming years. 

Folklore is the eighth studio album released by Taylor Swift. The album sees her teaming up with producers Aaron Dressner and Jack Antonoff.

Recorded during the pandemic caused by the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the album is a quieter more serene affair than many of her previous work. In fact, many see it as the start of a new chapter in Swift's music.

The album sees the singer going in a more indie vibe as the producers show. Both Dressner, best known as a member of Indie darlings The National, and Antonoff, best known for being a member of Fun. imbue a sense of raw and almost anti-popness into the record.

However, it is squarely Swift's project and the singer shows a hitherto hinted but not fully seen maturity and weight to her writing. It is the album that caused non-Taylor Swift fans to start taking her seriously.

Evermore is the ninth studio album in the Swift discography. It was released the same year as Folklore and is seen as its companion piece.

However, unlike Folklore, Evermore was not planned and came out of the sessions that Swift did with Aaron Dressner. The songs in the record are more subdued than their companion piece and feature more acoustic numbers.

Held in the same high regard as Folklore, the album showcases Swift's writing even more as most of the pieces are character studies. Thus, the lyrics are something of a departure from the personal themes on which she built her career.

Though it is the only one of her albums not to sell more than a million copies, its because the record was sold entirely digitally.

Midnights is the tenth and most recent album in the Swift discography. It is another concept album revolving around songs she wrote at midnight.

As with her previous two albums, Swift collaborated with producer Jack Antonoff. Many of the songs explore hitherto foreign topics for the singer like anxiety, insecurity, and self-criticism.

Something of a departure from the indie sounds she explored in the previous two albums, the record nonetheless sees various experimentations in genres like Dream Pop and synth. The album also resulted in Swift occupying all ten of the Top 10 list of the Hot 100, making her the first artist to do so.

The singer embarked on her Eras Tour to support the album, and the ensuing demand crashed the website of Ticketmaster, a ticket-selling site.