The Enswiftification of MeFi
November 1, 2023 2:40 PM Subscribe
Glad to see my favorite (Seven, at #27) so high on the list. But apparently "Bad Blood" is the Andy Summers of Taylor Swift songs?
posted by swift at 2:51 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by swift at 2:51 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
it is a crime that carly rae jepsen isn't bigger than taylor swift and i feel strongly enough re: this that i am throwing down a gauntlet about it at the start of the thread.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 3:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 3:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [11 favorites]
I'm impressed by the ability to rank 243 of anything, even if the process is kind of arbitrary. Thanks for posting, this should be fun. Even if I'm already mad by the first entry... Bad Blood isn't her best, but worst out of 243 songs?!?!?!
posted by dusty potato at 3:18 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by dusty potato at 3:18 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
I also think it's kind of funny how they posted a picture of Taylor alongside every single entry, in case you forgot what you were reading a hundred or so songs in.
posted by dusty potato at 3:20 PM on November 1, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by dusty potato at 3:20 PM on November 1, 2023 [12 favorites]
Wait, #176 isn't Dido?
posted by rhizome at 3:31 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 3:31 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Well, she's no Karen Carpenter, but she does have a certain charm...
posted by Czjewel at 3:31 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 3:31 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Number 8! I thought I was the only one who misheard it as "Got a lot of Starbucks Lovers!"
I guess not!
posted by heyitsgogi at 3:32 PM on November 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
I guess not!
posted by heyitsgogi at 3:32 PM on November 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
Yo La Tengo's "Moby Octopad" coming in at #578 was quite a surprise!
posted by phooky at 3:33 PM on November 1, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by phooky at 3:33 PM on November 1, 2023 [15 favorites]
This is actually pretty educational because I always was under the impression that Taylor didn't have a lot of either duets or covers in her back catalog, but it turns out she has uhhhh a fair amount of both and they primarily inhabit the 243-150 level of this list.
posted by dusty potato at 3:38 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by dusty potato at 3:38 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
I also think it's kind of funny how they posted a picture of Taylor alongside every single entry, in case you forgot what you were reading a hundred or so songs in.
I laughed at this and gave it a fave because it's a funny idea, and I was about to move on because I don't know enough about Taylor Swift for this to mean anything to me, so it's one of those posts where I just smile and feel a little out of it.
And then I thought: Wait, what if it's true. What if they really did that.
So I clicked. And . . .
For the love of God, Montresor.
posted by The Bellman at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
I laughed at this and gave it a fave because it's a funny idea, and I was about to move on because I don't know enough about Taylor Swift for this to mean anything to me, so it's one of those posts where I just smile and feel a little out of it.
And then I thought: Wait, what if it's true. What if they really did that.
So I clicked. And . . .
For the love of God, Montresor.
posted by The Bellman at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2023 [10 favorites]
it is a crime that carly rae jepsen isn't bigger than taylor swift and i feel strongly enough re: this that i am throwing down a gauntlet about it at the start of the thread.
I like CRJ more than Taylor Swift and I also don't want CRJ to ever reach Taylor Swift levels of public awareness. Both of these things can be true.
I mostly like Swift even if most of what she does isn't for me. It took me a while to come around on her primarily because of You Belong With Me, which is the go-to example of my least favorite subgenre of pop music, the "I'm real, not like those fake bitches with their high heels and short skirts" song. That Taylor then went on to spend the remainder of her career in high heels and short skirts just added to my annoyance any time the song comes on, and it is wild to imagine that Rolling Stone thinks she has 115 songs that are somehow worse than that.
I'm comfortable enough in my masculinity to admit to enjoying a selection of Taylor Swift songs even if I'm not quite comfortable enough to sing along to it when there are other people in the car.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
I like CRJ more than Taylor Swift and I also don't want CRJ to ever reach Taylor Swift levels of public awareness. Both of these things can be true.
I mostly like Swift even if most of what she does isn't for me. It took me a while to come around on her primarily because of You Belong With Me, which is the go-to example of my least favorite subgenre of pop music, the "I'm real, not like those fake bitches with their high heels and short skirts" song. That Taylor then went on to spend the remainder of her career in high heels and short skirts just added to my annoyance any time the song comes on, and it is wild to imagine that Rolling Stone thinks she has 115 songs that are somehow worse than that.
I'm comfortable enough in my masculinity to admit to enjoying a selection of Taylor Swift songs even if I'm not quite comfortable enough to sing along to it when there are other people in the car.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
Perhaps this is a good place for the There I Ruined It version of Blank Space featuring an AI Johnny Cash.
posted by Catblack at 3:43 PM on November 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by Catblack at 3:43 PM on November 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
Perhaps this is a good place for the There I Ruined It version of Blank Space featuring an AI Johnny Cash.
As good a place as any
posted by chavenet at 3:58 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
As good a place as any
posted by chavenet at 3:58 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’m quite fond of Bad Blood. That may be some large percentage down to the video though.
posted by Artw at 4:01 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Artw at 4:01 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
I'm not a Swifty and Bad Blood is not my favorite of her songs, but I've heard it quite a few times (I have daughters who are, if not Swifties, at least Swifties in training) and if that's her worst song out of nearly 250, then she must be one of the finest songwriters who has ever lived.
Add me to the "Starbucks lovers" list, btw.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 4:02 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
Add me to the "Starbucks lovers" list, btw.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 4:02 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
I’m here to say that 243 = 3 ^ 5. That’s what grabbed my attention. Numbers are like friends !
posted by caviar2d2 at 4:04 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by caviar2d2 at 4:04 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
I like them but I can't tell many of them apart, they wash over me nicely. That's a pattern to the lyrics and humour and, despite collaborating with a lot of writers and producers, the output is notably Swift formula recording.
posted by k3ninho at 4:16 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by k3ninho at 4:16 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I am on record as not being a fan, but "We Are Never Getting Back Together" is the only one of these that has ever gotten stuck in my head. At first to my chagrin, but now I'm like, "huh, it's catchy, I guess."
posted by thivaia at 4:19 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 4:19 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
It's impressive that Swift's body of musical work is big and deep enough for people to act like hipsters entirely inside of it. Putting "Shake It Off", which was probably her best-known song, at #125—just below the halfway mark—has a strong whiff of "oh, yes, I'm aware of her so-called 'hits'..."
posted by The Tensor at 4:28 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by The Tensor at 4:28 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
I, too, am way too cool to actually like Taylor Swift—which in no way is related to her gender or the gender of her fans—and I thought I'd stop by to let you all know about it.
I once heard this one song by her and it's okay, I guess.
posted by signal at 4:30 PM on November 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
I once heard this one song by her and it's okay, I guess.
posted by signal at 4:30 PM on November 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (FTFY)
posted by chavenet at 4:39 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 4:39 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
We Are Never Ever Ever Ever Getting Back Together
posted by Phssthpok at 4:59 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Phssthpok at 4:59 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Like, ever.
posted by signal at 5:03 PM on November 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by signal at 5:03 PM on November 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
My 14 year old Swiftie is going through this with a critically-learned, fine-toothed comb Metafilter could never hope to match
posted by Rumple at 5:08 PM on November 1, 2023 [20 favorites]
posted by Rumple at 5:08 PM on November 1, 2023 [20 favorites]
The long version of "All Too Well" is a masterpiece so I agree. That song takes you through it!
I still say "Would've, Could've, Should've" is one of the best songs she's written just because it's so raw. I want more of that from her!
"Now That We Don't Talk" is the Millenial version of "You're So Vain" but apparently no one agrees with me there.
("Seven" is so gorgeous and vulnerable and it's such a sensitive song about young girl friendship before what you know what that means. I relate to that song in a lot of ways. It's just loving someone before you really know what it means.)
posted by edencosmic at 5:23 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
I still say "Would've, Could've, Should've" is one of the best songs she's written just because it's so raw. I want more of that from her!
"Now That We Don't Talk" is the Millenial version of "You're So Vain" but apparently no one agrees with me there.
("Seven" is so gorgeous and vulnerable and it's such a sensitive song about young girl friendship before what you know what that means. I relate to that song in a lot of ways. It's just loving someone before you really know what it means.)
posted by edencosmic at 5:23 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
Shout-out to Closure (#172), which is in 5/4.
posted by kurumi at 5:41 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kurumi at 5:41 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Bad Blood deserves so much better -- the video for that one is absolutely bananas in the best possible way. I've lost track of how many times I've seen it.
posted by mochapickle at 5:45 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 5:45 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
I’m glad they re-recorded the Kendrick edit of Bad Blood. The verse helps the song a lot.
posted by JoeBlubaugh at 5:45 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by JoeBlubaugh at 5:45 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
As Marge Simpson says: "Music is none of my business."
posted by credulous at 6:05 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by credulous at 6:05 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Here's another great ranking (just focused on 1989)
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 6:41 PM on November 1, 2023 [21 favorites]
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 6:41 PM on November 1, 2023 [21 favorites]
I have not listened to all 243 songs, or close to it, but my favorite is at #13, which has got to be about right.
Once you're in the top 20 of a catalog as vast as this, they're mostly going to be very good, and mostly about the same level of very good.
posted by maxwelton at 7:00 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Once you're in the top 20 of a catalog as vast as this, they're mostly going to be very good, and mostly about the same level of very good.
posted by maxwelton at 7:00 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
She is very good at what she does, and what she does is make pop hits.
I unreservedly think she's fantastic, and I am the epitome of not her target demo (i.e., a Boring Suburban Dad).
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
I unreservedly think she's fantastic, and I am the epitome of not her target demo (i.e., a Boring Suburban Dad).
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
there’s a really good beat saber level for “shake it off” by a guy whose name i can’t remember but iirc he’s a professional backup dancer who’s also a programmer on the side. it’s available wherever copyright-law-doesn’t-like-these-beat-saber-levels-but-copyright-law-can-get-fucked-because-good-beat-saber-levels-are-fine-art beat saber levels are found these days. it’s been a couple of years since i’ve played it, first because of a really nasty back injury that i got while *checks notes* walking up a flight of stairs? the same flight of stairs i walk up every day? seriously? that’s what caused it? that took a full year to recover from and then because of not really having the right space to play vr in, but the level is so good (and this reflects very well indeed on the song) that years later whenever i hear “shake it off” on the radio or whatever i unconsciously start doing all the moves for the beat saber level. like, uh, I never miss a beat and I’m lightning on my feet, as it were. even though if you asked me to do the beat saber while i’m not listening to that. sick. beat. there’s no way i’d be able to do it.
wait i think i remember the beat saber map guy’s name! i think he goes by “benny da beast “ or something like that, if you see a beat saber level for “shake it off” by a guy with a name something like that, that’s the one I’m talking about and it’s so good. try to practice enough to do the highest difficulty version of the map, because the higher the difficulty goes the more awesome the map is.
carly rae jepsen should be as big as taylor swift is, and charli xcx should be as big as carly rae jepsen was back when straightworld still listened to her, and hannah diamond should be as big as charli xcx (it took me a little while to pick up what hannah diamond is putting down but then i picked it up and realized how smart it is I swear there is a lot going on in there) and taylor swift should be exactly as big in straightworld as carly rae jepsen is in queerworld and most of all and i mean this so much that i’m going to do something i never do, most of all SOPHIE should still be alive because she was the future of music and she had just gotten her pronouns sorted out and it’s all just so sad.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 7:21 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
wait i think i remember the beat saber map guy’s name! i think he goes by “benny da beast “ or something like that, if you see a beat saber level for “shake it off” by a guy with a name something like that, that’s the one I’m talking about and it’s so good. try to practice enough to do the highest difficulty version of the map, because the higher the difficulty goes the more awesome the map is.
carly rae jepsen should be as big as taylor swift is, and charli xcx should be as big as carly rae jepsen was back when straightworld still listened to her, and hannah diamond should be as big as charli xcx (it took me a little while to pick up what hannah diamond is putting down but then i picked it up and realized how smart it is I swear there is a lot going on in there) and taylor swift should be exactly as big in straightworld as carly rae jepsen is in queerworld and most of all and i mean this so much that i’m going to do something i never do, most of all SOPHIE should still be alive because she was the future of music and she had just gotten her pronouns sorted out and it’s all just so sad.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 7:21 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
the short skirts high heels song was unfortunate because it came out exactly at the same time that people started publicly acknowledging how awful the “not like other girls” cultural complex is/was. (thankfully it has mostly been dismantled at this point, right?).
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 7:34 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 7:34 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
“Style” is too low. Should be Top 10, if not #1.
As much as I try to do the right thing and support the (Taylor’s Version) of her songs, the new version was a big disappointment.
posted by The Gooch at 7:36 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
As much as I try to do the right thing and support the (Taylor’s Version) of her songs, the new version was a big disappointment.
posted by The Gooch at 7:36 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I am not aware of ever having heard a Taylor Swift song, even if without doubt I have heard her songs many, many times in many public spaces without listening. I have heard her over and over, but I cannot remember one time.
Will anyone nominate a "This is a Taylor Swift song and it is great and awesome" nomination? Because my impression is that she is 21st century elevator music. All I know about her is that she is one of many markers that pop rock died about 20 or 30 years ago.
Open my mind, Taylor Swift fans! Earnestly tell us all why anyone should listen to her product. With examples.
posted by Scarf Joint at 7:48 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Will anyone nominate a "This is a Taylor Swift song and it is great and awesome" nomination? Because my impression is that she is 21st century elevator music. All I know about her is that she is one of many markers that pop rock died about 20 or 30 years ago.
Open my mind, Taylor Swift fans! Earnestly tell us all why anyone should listen to her product. With examples.
posted by Scarf Joint at 7:48 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
hey, Scarf Joint, "All Too Well," the #1 song on Rob Sheffield's ranked list (first link in the original post), coincidentally happens to contain the most famous mention of a scarf in contemporary pop music, so I think you should listen to that one
posted by clair-de-lune at 7:59 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by clair-de-lune at 7:59 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
OK, scarfs. Not enough, I don't listen to scarfs (mostly silent). What else?
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:01 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:01 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Or absence of music-alikes? I am so glad that I am so old and have a decent music collection.
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out which one was Taylor Swift and which one was Katy Perry. Yes I am an old. And I've been trying to catch up on more current music and gravitate more to Ariana and Dua Lipa in pop, though Lana Del Rey is the singer who resonates most. But I have a ton of respect for Swift and her fans. A lot of her songs bounce off me, but there are plenty that land even for me. She's gone from being a cog in someone else's machine to taking possession of the machine herself. She's remade the pop music landscape even if she hasn't exactly remade the game creatively.
posted by rikschell at 8:15 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by rikschell at 8:15 PM on November 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
finally
I'm so tired of listening to them in unranked order like a savage
posted by klangklangston at 8:16 PM on November 1, 2023 [20 favorites]
I'm so tired of listening to them in unranked order like a savage
posted by klangklangston at 8:16 PM on November 1, 2023 [20 favorites]
A lot of her songs bounce off me, but there are plenty that land even for me
Exactly! Name one. I want to hear one. The best one. Deliver.
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:22 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Exactly! Name one. I want to hear one. The best one. Deliver.
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:22 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
The way Taylor exhales at the end of the line “I’m about to play my ace-aaah” is perhaps the finest moment in the history of human lungs.
Inventing 243 justifications for an arbitrary ordering does funny things to one's sense of perspective.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:26 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Inventing 243 justifications for an arbitrary ordering does funny things to one's sense of perspective.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:26 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yeah, well, Denver has their own idea about Swift's best song.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:36 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:36 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
What's Taylor Swift's best song?
Why can't anyone take responsibility for liking a Taylor Swift song?
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:39 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Why can't anyone take responsibility for liking a Taylor Swift song?
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:39 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
What is your favorite Taylor Swift song, and why? How does it make you feel, and how does it make you feel about women and the near future? Do you think she's a great influence on US/World/Internet culture? Are you happy with her cultural presence?
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:46 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Scarf Joint at 8:46 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
My daughter won't let me play any Taylor Swift songs because she hates Taylor. Hates.
Me, I'm not a huge fan by any means but she impresses the heck out of me. She doesn't do any one thing any better than most successful musicians other than write a lot about relationships but she does all things really, really well. And she's really good at social media. And Folklore. And yes, she has a formula but really, so do most artists. And she has created some really catchy songs. And Invisible String should be higher but okay, 103 isn't bad. And Bad Blood is a good song but Ryan Adams made it better, although I'm open to different viewpoints on that. And Jack Antonoff. And she seems to be fairly well-grounded considering the fact that she's uber successful, changes economies, creates seismic activity, is studied and researched and there are university courses about her, she's mega rich. And not that I'm comparing her to David Bowie at all but I'm pretty sure that some people are saying things like, "we lived at the same time as Taylor Swift". And I think that a Taylor Swift concert would be quite the show, a spectacle. All that, and I'm actually not really that huge a fan. See? The Swift Effect is strong!
My daughter doesn't hate Taylor Swift because of any of this, however. She just doesn't like the music all that much and is very concerned about some things that Taylor supposedly said or did that wasn't nice. Hates. I think it's irrational.
posted by ashbury at 8:48 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Me, I'm not a huge fan by any means but she impresses the heck out of me. She doesn't do any one thing any better than most successful musicians other than write a lot about relationships but she does all things really, really well. And she's really good at social media. And Folklore. And yes, she has a formula but really, so do most artists. And she has created some really catchy songs. And Invisible String should be higher but okay, 103 isn't bad. And Bad Blood is a good song but Ryan Adams made it better, although I'm open to different viewpoints on that. And Jack Antonoff. And she seems to be fairly well-grounded considering the fact that she's uber successful, changes economies, creates seismic activity, is studied and researched and there are university courses about her, she's mega rich. And not that I'm comparing her to David Bowie at all but I'm pretty sure that some people are saying things like, "we lived at the same time as Taylor Swift". And I think that a Taylor Swift concert would be quite the show, a spectacle. All that, and I'm actually not really that huge a fan. See? The Swift Effect is strong!
My daughter doesn't hate Taylor Swift because of any of this, however. She just doesn't like the music all that much and is very concerned about some things that Taylor supposedly said or did that wasn't nice. Hates. I think it's irrational.
posted by ashbury at 8:48 PM on November 1, 2023 [4 favorites]
Can someone tell me how I Knew You Were Trouble ranks? It and Style are my earworm Swift songs and I already found Style ranked criminally low.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by jacquilynne at 9:13 PM on November 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Why can't anyone take responsibility for liking a Taylor Swift song?
The links in the post are literally a bunch of people ranking her best songs. What more do you want here?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:15 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
The links in the post are literally a bunch of people ranking her best songs. What more do you want here?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:15 PM on November 1, 2023 [14 favorites]
Hey Scarf, here's one that's good and fun: You Need to Calm Down. I'll raise my hand as liking it -- and Bad Blood.
posted by Jeff_Larson at 9:33 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Jeff_Larson at 9:33 PM on November 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
I could pick out maybe 4 of these songs, knowing that they're Taylor Swift, but I doubt I could name them all if asked for the title upon listening.
I've predicted that Taylor Swift will have significant influence on American (and maybe global) culture/politics this year, but I don't imagine I'll ever get to the, "Wow, this is really good," stage with her music.
Don't cancel me for having an opinion, though. I've only been listening to music my entire life and don't have the same frame of reference as someone who idolizes this young woman. I'm sure she's very entertaining to many people. She's obviously doing something right, we'll see how her music holds up. Hopefully, she just gets better over time.
posted by Chuffy at 10:14 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I've predicted that Taylor Swift will have significant influence on American (and maybe global) culture/politics this year, but I don't imagine I'll ever get to the, "Wow, this is really good," stage with her music.
Don't cancel me for having an opinion, though. I've only been listening to music my entire life and don't have the same frame of reference as someone who idolizes this young woman. I'm sure she's very entertaining to many people. She's obviously doing something right, we'll see how her music holds up. Hopefully, she just gets better over time.
posted by Chuffy at 10:14 PM on November 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I thought Blank Space was totally fun, Anti-Hero's refrain is a legit earworm, and I kinda liked the blade runner-esque visuals in Ready For It. But when The Rock lip synched Shake it Off, he made it unbeatable.
To be clear, I am an aging X-er who wore out more than one copy of pretty hate machine.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 10:52 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
To be clear, I am an aging X-er who wore out more than one copy of pretty hate machine.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 10:52 PM on November 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
I think I only know one song of hers, Shake It Off. It's a great tune! Then...I got nothing. Needless to say I am not her target audience, being a middle-aged man. But I am very impressed with her highly prolific career. She's made 243 songs and she's just 33? That is amazing. She will likely go on writing and making music for three or four more decades. Some people were just born to be stars, and she is one of the few.
posted by zardoz at 12:14 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by zardoz at 12:14 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
What is your favorite Taylor Swift song, and why? How does it make you feel, and how does it make you feel about women and the near future? Do you think she's a great influence on US/World/Internet culture? Are you happy with her cultural presence?
I don’t know if I can tackle your last two questions, Scarf Joint, but if I did it would be with much the same ambivalence I feel about much of white US/Western pop culture. Lots of room for thoughtful critique, none of which takes away from my answers to the first couple of questions.
How does Taylor & her music make me feel about women and the future? Proud, happy, joyful! Thrilled to see a woman acknowledge & own that she works hard and is damn good at what she does, and to see her encourage other women, especially young women, to do the same. Greatly moved to share a moment of commune with other women of all ages, laughing, crying, singing at the top of our lungs together. Marveling at having someone articulate in perfect pop composition so many of the experiences that women go through from childhood to young adulthood (and excited to hear more as this songwriter goes through her 30s, 40s, and beyond).
What is my favorite song and why? Oh gosh there are many, for different reasons. August, for that wry coming to understand that a relationship wasn’t ever going to last. My Tears Ricochet, for that screaming at the sky you do when you’ve been deeply hurt by someone you trusted. The Man because it’s funny and true. Cruel Summer because it’s a damn good pop song. I could go on, but that’s what the links in the post are for!
posted by tinymojo at 12:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
I don’t know if I can tackle your last two questions, Scarf Joint, but if I did it would be with much the same ambivalence I feel about much of white US/Western pop culture. Lots of room for thoughtful critique, none of which takes away from my answers to the first couple of questions.
How does Taylor & her music make me feel about women and the future? Proud, happy, joyful! Thrilled to see a woman acknowledge & own that she works hard and is damn good at what she does, and to see her encourage other women, especially young women, to do the same. Greatly moved to share a moment of commune with other women of all ages, laughing, crying, singing at the top of our lungs together. Marveling at having someone articulate in perfect pop composition so many of the experiences that women go through from childhood to young adulthood (and excited to hear more as this songwriter goes through her 30s, 40s, and beyond).
What is my favorite song and why? Oh gosh there are many, for different reasons. August, for that wry coming to understand that a relationship wasn’t ever going to last. My Tears Ricochet, for that screaming at the sky you do when you’ve been deeply hurt by someone you trusted. The Man because it’s funny and true. Cruel Summer because it’s a damn good pop song. I could go on, but that’s what the links in the post are for!
posted by tinymojo at 12:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
What is my favorite song and why? Oh gosh there are many, for different reasons.
What is my favorite toothpaste and why? Oh gosh there are many favorite toothpastes, for different reasons.
What is one Taylor Swift song that anyone would uniquely suggest that anyone should listen to, besides "Oh gosh there are many, for different reasons"?
posted by Scarf Joint at 1:07 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
What is my favorite toothpaste and why? Oh gosh there are many favorite toothpastes, for different reasons.
What is one Taylor Swift song that anyone would uniquely suggest that anyone should listen to, besides "Oh gosh there are many, for different reasons"?
posted by Scarf Joint at 1:07 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Scarf Joint- my favorite TS song is Blank Space. It's got an edge to it and killer lyrics and it's fun to karaoke to. I don't feel the need to write an essay answering the rest of your questions. There are literally hundreds of articles out there explaining why people like Taylor Swift. I'm not a huge fan or anything (the last concert I saw was Nick Cave to give you a flavor or my musical tastes) but Taylor Swift has a bunch of catchy pop songs that are fun to sing along to in the car.
posted by emd3737 at 1:13 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by emd3737 at 1:13 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Taylor Swift songs often strike me as having really good verses but the choruses are a disappointment. The Phantom of the Opera mashup with Look What You Made Me Do is what I wish the song actually sounded like.
posted by creatrixtiara at 1:26 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by creatrixtiara at 1:26 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Here's another great ranking (just focused on 1989)
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 6:41 PM on November 1 [6 favorites −] [!]
truly the best of the web.
1. Clean (Taylor’s Version)
The storm metaphors. The treatment she received that she never deserved, treatment she deserved and never received. Cleveland droughts are few and far between, but the realities of rain, drains, and pain wash over the entirety of the song and our work.
At night, as you you flush and forget, remember the words of Taylor Swift as if the drain water spoke them right to you:
And by mornin’, gone was any trace of you
I think I am finally clean.
You are finally clean, water. Clean, safe, and ready for a new day.
posted by chavenet at 1:29 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 6:41 PM on November 1 [6 favorites −] [!]
truly the best of the web.
1. Clean (Taylor’s Version)
The storm metaphors. The treatment she received that she never deserved, treatment she deserved and never received. Cleveland droughts are few and far between, but the realities of rain, drains, and pain wash over the entirety of the song and our work.
At night, as you you flush and forget, remember the words of Taylor Swift as if the drain water spoke them right to you:
And by mornin’, gone was any trace of you
I think I am finally clean.
You are finally clean, water. Clean, safe, and ready for a new day.
posted by chavenet at 1:29 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
The "Bad Blood" ranking is trolling, right? I do not love this song but it's catchy, it has Kendrick Lamar on it, and it announces immediately, "I am a somewhat clunky pop song, enjoy me." Like come on, it's not worse than all her dumb Christmas songs.
posted by kensington314 at 1:31 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kensington314 at 1:31 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Just gonna jump in to say “Dear John”, wherever it appears in these stupid lists, is one of the best examples of the “you hurt me but I’m gonna be just fine” genre in recent memory. And as catchy and sing-along-able as any of her bigger hits. Broken Heart Banger.
posted by gottabefunky at 1:42 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by gottabefunky at 1:42 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
It’s an interesting take, to insist that you must be recommended one song, and one song only, by an artist who has written hundreds of songs over a fifteen year career. Almost seems like you’re not particularly interested in her music?
posted by tinymojo at 1:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by tinymojo at 1:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
I keep picturing Scarf Joint in a dark room in a damp basement, under a naked swinging light bulb, menacing us with rusty dental equipment while we’re duct taped to a wooden chair. They hum a little to themselves, mumble something about toothpaste. There’s the sound of water dripping. We’ve been here for days now. Weeks.
Name one song, they say.
Tell me which Taylor Swift single fully advances the very concepts of music, feminism, and humanity as a whole.
And we’re like, I don’t know, man. I just like to listen to the radio.
posted by mochapickle at 2:34 AM on November 2, 2023 [23 favorites]
Name one song, they say.
Tell me which Taylor Swift single fully advances the very concepts of music, feminism, and humanity as a whole.
And we’re like, I don’t know, man. I just like to listen to the radio.
posted by mochapickle at 2:34 AM on November 2, 2023 [23 favorites]
Scarf Joint, stop being a butt. Cruel Summer is a great song by any standard. Shake It Off is a dumb song, but a genius dumb song that I find impossible not to love. Haters gonna hate gate hate hate hate.
Being a hater only hurts yourself.
posted by rikschell at 4:49 AM on November 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Being a hater only hurts yourself.
posted by rikschell at 4:49 AM on November 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
I really love the song "Paper Rings." It's joyful and loving and positive.
Try that one, Scarf Joint.
posted by wenestvedt at 4:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Try that one, Scarf Joint.
posted by wenestvedt at 4:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
"What is your favourite TS song? Tell me!"
*many many posters tell troll their fave songs*
"WHY IS NO ONE ANSWERING MY QUESTION"
I am fairly indifferent to Swiffy, but I do like some of her songs. "Bad Blood." "Me!" "Look What You Made Me Do."
Taylor Swift is one of those artists that I appreciate that her music resonates over generations. My sister's two teens refuse to believe that their mom was listening to Taylor Swift before they were born. I love that there is an artist that parents and their kids can bond over. Believe me, none of the music I liked at that age would have been bonding experience for my very patient mom.
posted by Kitteh at 5:28 AM on November 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
*many many posters tell troll their fave songs*
"WHY IS NO ONE ANSWERING MY QUESTION"
I am fairly indifferent to Swiffy, but I do like some of her songs. "Bad Blood." "Me!" "Look What You Made Me Do."
Taylor Swift is one of those artists that I appreciate that her music resonates over generations. My sister's two teens refuse to believe that their mom was listening to Taylor Swift before they were born. I love that there is an artist that parents and their kids can bond over. Believe me, none of the music I liked at that age would have been bonding experience for my very patient mom.
posted by Kitteh at 5:28 AM on November 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
Mod note: ScarfJoint, you've been given a day off from commenting. If you wish to come back and comment in the thread, please do so without the numerous questions that resemble trolling.
No comments have been removed at this point.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 5:36 AM on November 2, 2023 [14 favorites]
No comments have been removed at this point.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 5:36 AM on November 2, 2023 [14 favorites]
It's Blank Space at #1 for me, and yeah a fair portion of that is due to the tongue-click wink fingerguns right before each "...and I'll write your name." Magnifique!
posted by joelhunt at 5:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by joelhunt at 5:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
The list is massive and I'm not familiar enough with her catalog to easily get a sense of this myself, but... Is there a clear chronological correlation to the ranking? I know for me her best work was folklore, but the earlier hits are their own kind of genius. On the other hand I don't think I've heard a single track since then. Has she fallen off? Have I lost touch? Am I off base?
posted by dbx at 6:46 AM on November 2, 2023
posted by dbx at 6:46 AM on November 2, 2023
All the ranking lists included in this post, ranked from worst to best:
Rolling Stone: All 243 of Taylor Swift’s Songs, Ranked
Vulture: All 209 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked[*]
Holler: The Best Taylor Swift Songs
Variety: Taylor Swift’s 50 Best Songs, Ranked
Billboard: The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks
PopSugar: These Are Taylor Swift's 10 Best Singles — Hands Down
[*] In the OP, the Variety article appears twice, and I believe the link called All 209 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked, was probably intended to go to this Vulture Article.
Methodology: I added up the rankings of I Knew You Were Trouble and Style to get the base rankings and then adjusted slightly based on how old the lists are, under the assumption that rankers who had access to more T-Swift tracks might have mistakenly ranked some of them higher than I Knew You Were Trouble and Style while the makers of older lists had fewer distractions.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
Rolling Stone: All 243 of Taylor Swift’s Songs, Ranked
Vulture: All 209 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked[*]
Holler: The Best Taylor Swift Songs
Variety: Taylor Swift’s 50 Best Songs, Ranked
Billboard: The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks
PopSugar: These Are Taylor Swift's 10 Best Singles — Hands Down
[*] In the OP, the Variety article appears twice, and I believe the link called All 209 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked, was probably intended to go to this Vulture Article.
Methodology: I added up the rankings of I Knew You Were Trouble and Style to get the base rankings and then adjusted slightly based on how old the lists are, under the assumption that rankers who had access to more T-Swift tracks might have mistakenly ranked some of them higher than I Knew You Were Trouble and Style while the makers of older lists had fewer distractions.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
Swift's Trouble also paved the way for MeFi's own to create this
posted by Gorgik at 7:26 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Gorgik at 7:26 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
Here's another great ranking (just focused on 1989)
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 21:41 on November 1 [12 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]
This is fucken amazing. As a resident of Northeast Ohio, I couldn't be more proud. Brings a fucken tear to my eye.
posted by slogger at 8:34 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Ranking “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks based solely on their connection to sewer infrastructure, by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
posted by Gorgik at 21:41 on November 1 [12 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]
This is fucken amazing. As a resident of Northeast Ohio, I couldn't be more proud. Brings a fucken tear to my eye.
posted by slogger at 8:34 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
As a beginner-to-intermediate level Swiftie who sat outside the Eras Tour one night when it came to town, the Billboard list is much closer to what I understand to be the consensus rankings of the catalog within the Swiftiverse itself. The Rolling Stone list reminds me of the kind of music critic writing best exemplified in earlier Pitchfork, where the writer is sniffing haughtily that something is too popular because it's too good. (Pitchfork itself has done some work recently to acknowledge, among other things, the misogyny embedded in their original style.)
Speaking of which, remember when Ryan Adams covered 1989, and then turned out to be a little problematic? Yeah. Maybe there's some Swift Derangement Syndrome out there. Maybe it even shows up on the blue sometimes.
posted by sockshaveholes at 8:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Speaking of which, remember when Ryan Adams covered 1989, and then turned out to be a little problematic? Yeah. Maybe there's some Swift Derangement Syndrome out there. Maybe it even shows up on the blue sometimes.
posted by sockshaveholes at 8:51 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
IMO:
Way too High:
128 “You Belong With Me” (2008)
Best line: “She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers.”
Terrible lyrics - a cheer captain who only wears high heels? Huh. Maybe she wears situationally appropriate shoes and the narrator doesn't.
111 “Out of the Woods” (2014) - lyrics so repetitive- boring.
25 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (2012) - both characters in this song are horrific.
19 “Clean” (2014) - boring end to 1989.
107 “Picture to Burn” (2006) - She's become a gay rights icon when her early track included a slur and the Taylor's version replaced it - poorly. That shows personal growth but this song still sucks.
65 “Treacherous” (2012) - just boring
60 “Mean” (2010) - would have been a fun song without the bridge - when the singer becomes meaner!
1 “All Too Well” (2012-2021) - I know a lot of fans like this song, but IMO its' filled with strawamanning a person to get mad at, the extra lyrics are kludgy, and the answer song (Jake's Version) is hilarious.
Way too low:
188 “Better Than Revenge” (2010) - yeah the less offensive re-write is kludgy, but this song is actually fun and clever and she turns the guy into property two ladies are fighting over.
148 “Speak Now” (2010) - also really fun song and revenge dream. IMO it's a better story than all that boring Folklore nonsense, where she wrote the same meet/breakup songs but about other people.
40 “Getaway Car” (2017) - IMO one of her best songs.
2 “New Romantics” (2014) - I can't believe she left this off 1989 and included all those boring end of the album tracks. This song is pretty great if you like (IMO) bands like Elastica, Dubstar, Bis, and Ivy from the 1990s, it doesn't sound like Duran Duran.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:39 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
Way too High:
128 “You Belong With Me” (2008)
Best line: “She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers.”
Terrible lyrics - a cheer captain who only wears high heels? Huh. Maybe she wears situationally appropriate shoes and the narrator doesn't.
111 “Out of the Woods” (2014) - lyrics so repetitive- boring.
25 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (2012) - both characters in this song are horrific.
19 “Clean” (2014) - boring end to 1989.
107 “Picture to Burn” (2006) - She's become a gay rights icon when her early track included a slur and the Taylor's version replaced it - poorly. That shows personal growth but this song still sucks.
65 “Treacherous” (2012) - just boring
60 “Mean” (2010) - would have been a fun song without the bridge - when the singer becomes meaner!
1 “All Too Well” (2012-2021) - I know a lot of fans like this song, but IMO its' filled with strawamanning a person to get mad at, the extra lyrics are kludgy, and the answer song (Jake's Version) is hilarious.
Way too low:
188 “Better Than Revenge” (2010) - yeah the less offensive re-write is kludgy, but this song is actually fun and clever and she turns the guy into property two ladies are fighting over.
148 “Speak Now” (2010) - also really fun song and revenge dream. IMO it's a better story than all that boring Folklore nonsense, where she wrote the same meet/breakup songs but about other people.
40 “Getaway Car” (2017) - IMO one of her best songs.
2 “New Romantics” (2014) - I can't believe she left this off 1989 and included all those boring end of the album tracks. This song is pretty great if you like (IMO) bands like Elastica, Dubstar, Bis, and Ivy from the 1990s, it doesn't sound like Duran Duran.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:39 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
25 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (2012) - both characters in this song are horrific.
That’s why it’s good!
posted by Artw at 9:56 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
That’s why it’s good!
posted by Artw at 9:56 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Taylor Swift isn't famous for her music alone, but her entire public image. Fans pore over her songs for clues about her relationships like it's an ARG. To that end, my favorite song is Anti Hero because it sums up her persona: unimaginably rich and famous, but still feels like an awkward loser. Second is Blank Space, which is a more tongue-in-cheek take on it.
posted by airmail at 11:35 AM on November 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by airmail at 11:35 AM on November 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
I also think it's kind of funny how they posted a picture of Taylor alongside every single entry, in case you forgot what you were reading a hundred or so songs in.
I was wondering where on earth they had found 243 different pictures of Taylor Swift, but then realized they used some of them more than once.
posted by straight at 11:39 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
I was wondering where on earth they had found 243 different pictures of Taylor Swift, but then realized they used some of them more than once.
posted by straight at 11:39 AM on November 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
Getty Images alone has nearly 70K Taylor Swift images available for your licensing pleasure so reusing them is either lazy or cheap.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 11:50 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Are you saying that lots of people have taken pictures of Taylor Swift and that these pictures are on the internet?!?
posted by straight at 11:54 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by straight at 11:54 AM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Glad I finally know exactly how many songs there are in total because as a brand new middle-aged fan of her writing, her poetry and her philosophy I was having a little trouble catching up! I was like most of the commenter’s above (too cool to like her) but IMHO, if you’re a romantic and have any interest in poetry, the lyrics to her sad songs will hit you differently. I would encourage you to read all her liner notes to understand what I’m getting at and give her albums a chance, if you’re looking for a cathartic experience. Glad this generation has an intelligent, well-read, well-spoken role-model (an actual stable genius 🙂). The kids are going to be allright!
posted by cynicalidealist at 11:56 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by cynicalidealist at 11:56 AM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Are you saying that lots of people have taken pictures of Taylor Swift and that these pictures are on the internet?!?
Well, that's a literal translation of what I said, yes. A more figurative translation would be "Wait, seriously, did they actually reuse the same images for different songs in this list? WTF?!"
posted by jacquilynne at 2:10 PM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Well, that's a literal translation of what I said, yes. A more figurative translation would be "Wait, seriously, did they actually reuse the same images for different songs in this list? WTF?!"
posted by jacquilynne at 2:10 PM on November 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
I just wanted to add to this that my favourite Taylor Swift Track is champagne problems. I will not be taking questions at this time.
posted by signsofrain at 8:02 PM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by signsofrain at 8:02 PM on November 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
it is a crime that carly rae jepsen isn't bigger than taylor swift and i feel strongly enough re: this that i am throwing down a gauntlet about it at the start of the thread.
Best way to actually throw that gauntlet would be to find a good list ranking all of Jepsen's songs and make a post about it. Just sayin'.
posted by straight at 12:22 AM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best way to actually throw that gauntlet would be to find a good list ranking all of Jepsen's songs and make a post about it. Just sayin'.
posted by straight at 12:22 AM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Speaking of seeing Taylor Swift, I think the video for "Delicate" where suddenly nobody can see her and she dances like nobody is watching is charming. And I like the song too.
posted by straight at 12:26 AM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by straight at 12:26 AM on November 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
20 Taylor Swift songs with literary references you may have missed:
https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-lyrics-literary-references-easter-eggs-details-2023-5
posted by cynicalidealist at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2023
https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-lyrics-literary-references-easter-eggs-details-2023-5
posted by cynicalidealist at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2023
Mod note: [btw, Gorgik's comment and this thread have been added to the sidebar and Best Of blog]
posted by taz (staff) at 2:54 AM on November 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by taz (staff) at 2:54 AM on November 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by box at 2:43 PM on November 1, 2023 [32 favorites]