I am particularly excited for this ranking. Red is my favorite album of them all. It’s all things you want from a Swift album—fun, vulnerable, and clever, just to name a few. In my opinion, Red exhibits some of Swift’s best songwriting. This particular ranking went through many drafts, but I’m pretty confident in it. Here is the definitive ranking of Taylor Swift’s Red:
19. Come Back… Be Here Probably the least memorable song on Red, “Come Back… Be Here” is one of the tracks included only on the deluxe album. The song fails to live up to the songwriting on the rest of the album and doesn’t really stick out among some of the absolute bangers on this album.
18. Girl At Home Another track only included on the deluxe version, “Girl At Home” is largely forgettable similar to “Come Back… Be Here.” This just ranks higher because I simply like it better!
17. The Moment I Knew Something about these bonus tracks just doesn’t live up to the rest of the album. “The Moment I Knew” like “Girl At Home” and “Come Back… Be Here” just don’t live up to the rest of the album. They almost seem tacked on at the end because there’s not much else to do with them.
16. Stay Stay Stay Okay, I think this song gets too much hate. Yes, it is Red’s “Me!” equivalent, but I don’t think it’s that bad. I think it’s meant to be this bubbly and peppy song that’s simply meant to make you smile and nothing more. I think it’s time we appreciate this song for what it is.
15. The Last Time (feat. Gary Lightbody) I will be honest, this song drags a little bit. The song is five minutes long and feels like 10 and falls right after “Stay Stay Stay.” It’s a bit of a weird jump to me.
14. The Lucky One About the dark side of fame, “The Lucky One” is a classic Swift ballad with a simple melody. It’s not a stand out on the album by any means, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
13. Starlight Based off of a photo of U.S. Senator Bobby Kennedy and his wife Ethel from the 1940s, “Starlight” is upbeat, fun, and is a great example of this pop-country hybrid genre that is Swift’s Red. The song is simply adorable.
12. Sad Beautiful Tragic This song is beautiful. Swift said to Billboard in an interview “‘Sad Beautiful Tragic’ is really close to my heart. I remember it was after a show and I was on the bus thinking about this relationship that ended months and months before. The feeling wasn’t sadness and anger or those things anymore. It was wistful loss.” I think the song communicates this idea perfectly, lyrically and musically.
11. Holy Ground This song is the turning point for the ranking of Red. This song has a head-banging beat and lightens up the particularly somber last half of the album. This song makes me wanna roll down the windows in my car and sing along with Swift.
10. Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran) I think this song is severely underrated. While rather simple, this song just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. This song also introduced much of the world to Ed Sheeran. His vocals and verses definitely work better here than on reputation’s “End Game.”
9. Begin Again By now, we all know I love most of Swift’s closers. This is no exception. “Begin Again” is also another song I consider underrated. Red is a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s up and down and we don’t really know where Swift is going to take us next on the album, and after all this, “Begin Again” grounds the listener and brings them back to Swift’s country roots. I love this song.
8. 22 Swift single handedly made 22nd birthdays a thing. If you don’t blast this song on your 22nd birthday, you’re doing it wrong. I don’t make the rules. “22” is catchy, fun, and includes the iconic “Who’s Taylor Swift, anyway? Ew.”
7. I Almost Do This country-pop soft-rock infused ballad is lyrically and musically impressive. Swift is vulnerable in her lyrics and I just love the guitar in this track. Personally, I think “I Almost Do” is pretty underrated. It’s simply beautiful.
6. Treacherous I love this song. Swift’s voice is airy and dreamy, working perfectly with the rather light music that comes to a peak at the bridge. She is expressive in this song making for a perfect ballad. This is another song I think just isn’t talked about enough.
5. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Okay, this song is truly iconic. This Grammy-nominated track is snarky, sassy, and catchy. The spoken word works so well with the song. Everything about this song draws the listener in, each guitar strum and lyric just fits together perfectly. You can’t deny, this song makes you want to scream-sing it at the top of your lungs.
4. Red The titular song is jam-packed with synthesized sound, a banjo, and catchy lyrics by Swift. There’s a lot going on, but it works so well. This track established what Red the album is all about. The song itself is an emotional rollercoaster. You can hear it in Swift’s voice. This song, as it should being the title song, embodies the album in its entirety. This is the first song I fell in love with on the album and it’s one of my favorite Swift songs to this date.
3. I Knew You Were Trouble This song is off the rails, but it works. It really, really works. This is Swift’s crossing from country to, well, literally every other genre. This distinctively 2010s pop song has dubstep among other synthesized sounds but still contains Swift’s fiery lyrics. This song was experimental for Swift at the time, but she definitely succeeded.
2. State Of Grace This song is phenomenal. It’s the perfect opener to Red, arguably (although I would say objectively) Swift’s best album. And, it’s a rock song. Yes, I said rock. And Swift nailed it. The guitar reverb and the vocals work brilliantly together. Every single time I listen to this song, it hits different. I notice something new every time I listen to it, or a certain lyric just affects me a new way. I can’t get enough of this song,
1. All Too Well Yes, we’ve made it. Going into this, I knew, and I’m sure you too dear reader, knew, this would be number one. While in the years since Red came out, this song has become a bit basic to call your favorite, but it’s basic for a reason. This is Swift’s best song. And it isn’t just a song. It’s a literary masterpiece. Swift becomes more than a songwriter or a musician, she’s a poet here. This song started out with around eight verses and was 15 minutes long. The released version is 5 and a half minutes of strict story-telling. Swift walks the listener through a tumultuous relationship through snippets of memories. The song comes to a head with a rocking crescendo at the bridge: “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” Swift exhibits the best lyrical performance of her entire career here. I could go on and on about this masterpiece of a song; it’s my favorite after all. But I will end it with this: Jake Gyllenhaal, will you please give Taylor her scarf back?
Taylor Swift’s Red is everything you want in a Swift album—a few upbeat tracks, a few passionate ballads, and a few songs to cry to. This album showcases Swift at her best. Each song is a work of art with intricate details and intentional choices. All I have to say is thank you Taylor for this wonderful album. It’s been eight years since it came out, and each listen is just as new and exciting as the last. Listen to Red ranked in this order here.