Even Taylor Swift has some songs that don’t fly as high as her hits. No artist is immune from the occasional underwhelming response—Swift included. Now, her least-streamed songs still have listenership in the millions, but they pale in comparison to her songs that have streams in the billions.
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Taking a look at Swift’s original albums (re-recordings excluded), here is our definitive take on which of Swift’s least well-performing songs is the best.
10. “Change” (Fearless)
“Change” is cut from the same cloth as many songs on Fearless. While we admire its inspirational message, we’d likely choose the title track, “You Belong With Me,” or “The Way I Loved You” over this one. It seems many fans have felt the same way, judging by the streaming stats.
There are things about “Change” that are meritable. It’s catchy, anthemic, and danceable. But, it’s dulled out by its fellow Fearless tracks. That being said, we have to put it in last place on this list of last-place songs.
9. “So It Goes…” (Reputation)
Largely for the same reason we put “Change” in last place, we have to follow it up with “So It Goes…” There are many other sexy, swaggering songs on Reputation that are more memorable than this one. We can’t deny it gives us the same confidence by proxy as listening to “Look What You Made Me Do” or “…Ready For It” does. Nevertheless, it’s not as powerful as those songs and subsequently falls at the bottom half of this list.
8. “It’s Nice To Have A Friend” (Lover)
“It’s Nice To Have A Friend” is perhaps one of the most unique songs in Swift’s catalog. It’s short, it’s chorus-less, and it’s sparsely produced. We have to give this song props for sheer individuality, but that’s not enough to put it in the top half of this list.
We love Swift’s use of narrative in this track. Few contemporary artists can flesh out a story in three minutes or less like she can. But, even with its uniqueness, it’s somewhat forgettable—compared to the many era-defining hits she produced for Lover.
7. “Closure” (Evermore)
The off-kilter production on “Closure” is a bold choice for Swift. We tip our hats to her for experimenting, but we enjoy returning to other, more subtle, songs from Evermore. Like the rest of the album, her lyricism is top-tier. But, given that every track on that record sees Swift deliver some of her best turns of phrase, we can’t let it rise to the top of this list on that alone.
6. “Innocent” (Speak Now)
Swift dreams about going back to childhood in “Innocent.” Her punk-pop influences rear their head here to great appeal. While the musicality is enticing enough, this song has examples of Swift’s ability to write simple lines that pack a heavy emotional punch.
Always a bigger bed to crawl into, is likely not something many other songwriters would turn to when trying to describe childhood. Nevertheless, it recalls memories of hopping into your parent’s bed after a nightmare, cozy and content. We love this track for Swift’s unique songwriting choices.
5. “Sad Beautiful Tragic” (Red)
“Sad Beautiful Tragic” has developed into a fan favorite. This haunting track was an enviable choice for Swift to pick as a “Surprise Song” option. Those not in Arlington, Texas when Swift dusted off this track at the Eras Tour were likely cursing those that were.
Swift has almost too many heartbreak songs to count. While she has others that have garnered more fame, we admit that this one will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thus, it has to fall toward the top of this list.
4. “The Outside” (Taylor Swift)
It’s not hard to see why “The Outside” fell through the cracks on Swift’s debut album. There are a number of splashier songs that, understandably, had a bigger impact. However, looking at this song in the context of this list, it shines bright.
The chorus of this song is so deeply engrained in early ’00s country it hurts. The twinge of nostalgia hits hard while listening to a baby-voiced Swift sing about feeling out of place. But Swift proved she knew her way around a catchy hook with this one and, having listened to this whole list a number of times, it’s the one that continues to ruminate in the mind.
3. “Labyrinth” (Midnights)
“Labyrinth” feels almost suffocating with its sweeping musicality and reverb-heavy vocals. The atmospheric song may not be the most popular song from Midnights, but it is one of the most stunning. We understand how this song got to the place that it’s in. With mammoth hits like “Anti-Hero” on the same album, it’s a wonder this song gets any attention at all. It’s not exactly radio fodder. Nevertheless, we’d like to fete it for the expert lyricism and powerful emotion Swift displays here.
2. “This Love” (1989)
Shockingly, “This Love” is the least-streamed song on 1989. Despite its increased popularity now, it seems fans found the track a little lackluster when only the original version was available to stream–though we’re not sure how. We feel this sweeping, cinematic track is one of the best executions of Swift’s ’80s pastiche on this record.
The jolty backing beat paired with Swift’s soft vocals is a match made in pop heaven. We love an up-tempo Swift tune, but we can’t deny it’s her least-produced songs that often hit the hardest. “The Love” is one such song.
1. “Epiphany” (Folklore)
Listening to “Epiphany” feels like cupping your hands over your ears in an effort to drown out the chaos around you. Swift’s vocals nearly drown in the swirl of the rich synths flying around her. Even on a surface level, this Folklore cut has to come in at No. 1.
Digging deeper though, this song touches on Swift’s grandfather’s military service. Despite not having gone through the experience herself, Swift uses her empathy for this stunning vocal performance. Keep your helmet, keep your life, son / Just a flesh wound, here’s your rifle / Crawling up the beaches now / “Sir, I think he’s bleeding out” / And some things you just can’t speak about, makes us shudder it’s so emotive.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
