I think the Speak Now era is the most underrated. I’ve never met anyone that has said this album is their favorite or that this is their favorite era, but I think Speak Now definitely deserves more hype. The album is Swift’s last all country album, but it definitely doesn’t feel like it. I love this album, and I’m so excited to get to the ranking. It was a hard one. Here is the definitive ranking of Taylor Swift’s Speak Now:
17. Better Than Revenge This Avril Lavigne-esque song is not great. The lyrics feel immature and childish rather than sassy and snarky like the much better “Blank Space” on 1989. However, this song does make me want to get up and scream-sing the lyrics with Swift.
16. Ours This song is distinctively youthful and optimistic, but similar to “Better Than Revenge” comes off a little childish with it’s light guitar strumming and acoustic instrumentation.
15. Superman This song is slightly pop-infused with sweet lyrics. But, that’s about it. It’s simply a cute song.
14. If This Was A Movie Particularly reminiscent of Fearless, “If This Was A Movie” isn’t a standout on the album. It’s good, but doesn’t compare to the brilliance of the other tracks on the album.
13. Never Grow Up I really like this song. I think it’s sweet and simple, but it works. Some might say its simplicity of instrumentation is underwhelming considering some of the more intense songs on the album, but I think “Never Grow Up” offers the listener a nice breather in the album.
12. Innocent This song was born out of the infamous moment where Kanye West snatched the mic from Swift’s hands at the MTV VMAs. Here, Swift takes the high ground in the conflict between the two. Musically, I like this song’s slight soft rock feel and it’s building bridge.
11. Last Kiss Here’s where this ranking got particularly hard for me. This song is just beautiful. This understated ballad is melancholic and nostalgic, but it’s number 12 because I just like the rest of the album a bit better.
10. Speak Now The titular song embodies the storytelling of Fearless’ “Love Story.” The song is cute and dramatic, but its fairytale end is just so sweet. The track is charming and a little silly, but I just love it.
9. Back To December Swift apologizes for a past relationship in this song. This ballad is filled with grand instrumentation and it’s honest and sincere. It’s hard not to love this song.
8. Sparks Fly Swift wrote this banger of a song when she was 16. After reworking it for a few years, it was perfected and released on Speak Now. This rock- and pop-infused country song was made for dancing. It’s a perfect track to come before the rest of the album, which is ballad-heavy.
7. Enchanted This almost six minute track starts off as a light, fairytale ode, but quickly builds up to a big crescendo of orchestrations and the song becomes much more intense. I personally think this song is quite underrated. It’s just spectacular.
6. Mean I love a banjo moment. This country pop song is iconic. Swift tackles her bullies and critics with self-confidence. “Mean” is catchy, and a little kitschy, but it works. I can’t help but sing this song when it comes on.
5. Long Live Something about me and the last track on each album… Similar to reputation’s “New Years Day,” this song makes for the perfect closer as it provides a nice transition from one era to the next. Swift reminiscences about her time on tour and making her dreams a reality. I love the bridge and Swift has a few great vocal moments. It’s just a lovely song.
4. The Story Of Us Swift wrote this after running into ex boyfriend John Mayer at an award show. While I think this track can be seen as a little cheesy with it’s spoken word “next chapter” bits, I don’t think that takes away from this head-banger of a song. While writing this, I’m listening to the song and I can’t help but jump around and scream the lyrics with Swift. The song is intense and a little angry and I just love it.
3. Mine Similar to Red’s “State Of Grace,” “Mine” is the perfect opener to Speak Now. The lead single has a country-pop sound and a fantastic bridge. The song is narrative and tells the story of a girl’s perspective on love and romance after witnessing her parents’ marriage fall apart. This song is just wonderful and one of my favorites on the album.
2. Haunted This goth-rock, fantastical track is an absolute banger. Compared to the fairytale-like, sickly sweetness of the rest of the album, “Haunted” is clearly a fairytale gone wrong. Swift is angry here with an intense vocal performance and a distinct electric guitar. Maybe this one is ranked quite high because of personal bias, but it’s hard to deny that this song isn’t great.
1. Dear John The fifth track on the album, “Dear John,” follows the fifth track pattern. On Swift’s albums, the fifth track is usually ballad-like, emotionally heavy, and long, and “Dear John” is no exception. This seven-minute long song isn’t as good as Red’s “All Too Well” (well, what is?) but holds the same emotional intensity. Swift definitely has the best vocal moments on Speak Now in this song. While never confirmed, this song is speculated to be about ex John Mayer, for obvious reasons. The song writing in this song is also superior to the rest of the album. Take the bridge for example: “All the girls that you’ve run dry have tired lifeless eyes.” This song is fantastic with its vulnerability and passion. No other song could be my number one for this album.
After writing this, I’ve come to conclude that Speak Now may be tied with Red for my favorite Swift album. The standout aspect of this album is definitely the storytelling. Each song seems to be out of a poetry book. Each narrative has been worked relentlessly to match the instrumentation in each song. Swift’s songwriting and vocals are amazing here. I just love this album. Listen to Speak Now ranked in this order here.