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Taylor Swift Albums in Order: Complete Chronological List (2025)

Mason Ryan Campbell Bennett • 2026-05-31 • Reviewed by Maya Thompson

Anyone who’s tried to list Taylor Swift’s albums in order already knows it’s not as straightforward as it used to be. With 11 original studio albums and four re-recorded Taylor’s Versions as of 2024, the discography tells a story of artistic ownership and reinvention. This guide walks through every release by year, separates originals from re-recordings, and adds the context behind the numbers.

Original studio albums: 11 · Taylor’s Version albums: 4 · Total album releases: 15 · First album: 2006 · Latest album: 2024 · Grammy Awards won: 14

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Swift has not officially confirmed which albums she will re-record next
  • “Top 3” rankings vary significantly by metric (sales, critics, fan polls)
3Timeline signal
  • From debut to Midnights: 16 years, 10 original albums
  • The Tortured Poets Department (2024) is the 11th original
  • Taylor’s Versions reshape the chronology starting 2021
4What’s next
  • Remaining Taylor’s Versions (reputation, Taylor Swift, etc.) expected but unannounced
  • Possible 12th original album after The Eras Tour wraps in 2024

Six key facts that anchor Swift’s discography — each verified from authoritative sources.

Fact Detail
First album Taylor Swift (October 24, 2006) (Wikipedia)
Latest album The Tortured Poets Department (April 19, 2024) (Wikipedia)
Total original studio albums 11
Total re-recorded albums 4 (Fearless, Red, Speak Now, 1989) (GRAMMY.com)
Total album releases (incl. re-recordings) 15
First Taylor’s Version Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – April 9, 2021 (Wikipedia)

What are Taylor Swift’s 12 albums in order?

Original studio albums

  • Taylor Swift – October 24, 2006 (Wikipedia)
  • Fearless – November 11, 2008 (Wikipedia)
  • Speak Now – October 25, 2010 (Wikipedia)
  • Red – October 22, 2012 (Wikipedia)
  • 1989 – October 27, 2014 (Wikipedia)
  • reputation – November 10, 2017 (Wikipedia)
  • Lover – August 23, 2019 (Wikipedia)
  • Folklore – July 24, 2020 (Wikipedia)
  • Evermore – December 11, 2020 (Wikipedia)
  • Midnights – October 21, 2022 (Wikipedia)
  • The Tortured Poets Department – April 19, 2024 (Wikipedia)

Re-recorded Taylor’s Version albums

  • Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – April 9, 2021 (Wikipedia)
  • Red (Taylor’s Version) – November 12, 2021 (Wikipedia)
  • Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – July 7, 2023 (Wikipedia)
  • 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – October 27, 2023 (Wikipedia)
Bottom line: Swift has 11 original studio albums. The “12 albums” count often includes The Tortured Poets Department plus earlier re-recordings as separate entries. New fans should start with the original chronology and slot in Taylor’s Versions at their release year.

How many albums does Taylor Swift have in total?

Original versus re-recorded counts

As of 2025, Taylor Swift has released 11 original studio albums and 4 re-recorded Taylor’s Version albums. That brings the total to 15 album releases (Wikipedia discography). The re-recorded set includes Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989 — each of which Swift has called a “Taylor’s Version” to differentiate from the original masters she doesn’t own.

Total releases including EPs

Beyond studio albums and re-recordings, Swift has released two EPs (the Taylor Swift Holiday Collection and Beautiful Eyes) and multiple live albums, bringing her formal catalog to over 20 distinct releases. However, the core discography that defines her career arc remains the original studio albums and their Taylor’s Version counterparts.

The upshot

The distinction matters because Swift’s re-recording project is not just a nostalgia play — it’s a legal and financial strategy to reclaim control over her master recordings. Each Taylor’s Version has debuted at number one in multiple countries, validating the move commercially (Wikipedia).

Bottom line: Swift has 11 originals and 4 re-recordings, for a total of 15 studio album releases. The re-recording project controls master ownership, not just nostalgia.

What are the top 3 Taylor Swift albums?

Critical acclaim

By Metacritic score, the three highest-rated Taylor Swift albums are Folklore (88), Evermore (85), and 1989 (76) (Music Hub | Fandom). Folklore and Evermore, both surprise indie-folk releases in 2020, were praised for their lyrical maturity and cohesive sound.

Commercial success

By worldwide sales and chart performance, 1989 leads with over 10 million copies, followed by Fearless (8.6 million) and Taylor Swift (5.7 million) according to industry tracking (Wikipedia).

Fan favorites

Fan polls and streaming data consistently rank Folklore, 1989, and Midnights among the top. On Spotify, Midnights broke the record for most streamed album in a single day in 2022 (Wikipedia).

Bottom line: Rankings live in the eye of the metric. Critics favor the indie-folk era, while sales figures still tip toward Swift’s early pop peak. No single album dominates across all three categories.

What is the lowest rated Taylor Swift album?

Critical reception lowest

Among Swift’s albums with Metacritic scores, reputation received the lowest aggregated rating at 71, followed by Lover at 76 (Music Hub | Fandom). Critics cited the defensive tone and uneven production on reputation, though the album still sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Fan reception lowest

Fan ratings on RateYourMusic and Album of the Year place Taylor Swift (debut) and reputation at the lower end, though the debut’s country-pop simplicity has been re-evaluated positively over time.

What to watch

“Lowest rated” is relative — Swift’s worst Metacritic score (71) still falls in the “generally favorable” range. The album that critics rated lowest is also one of her most commercially resilient. The pattern: commercial resilience and critical reception do not always coincide for Swift.

What are Taylor Swift’s albums in order by year?

Debut era (2006)

Swift’s self-titled debut arrived on October 24, 2006, establishing her as a country-pop songwriter. Singles “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar” became radio staples (Wikipedia).

Fearless and Speak Now (2008–2010)

Fearless (2008) won Album of the Year at the Grammys, a first for Swift. Speak Now (2010) was written entirely by Swift without co-writers (Wikipedia). Both were re-recorded as Taylor’s Versions in 2021 and 2023.

Red to 1989 (2012–2014)

Red (2012) marked her pop crossover, featuring the Max Martin-produced “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” 1989 (2014) was her first official pop album and spawned five top-ten singles (Wikipedia). Both have been re-recorded.

Reputation to Lover (2017–2019)

reputation (2017) embraced dark electronic-pop after a public feud. Lover (2019) moved to bright, romantic pop and became her first album under Republic Records (Wikipedia).

Folklore to Midnights (2020–2022)

Folklore and Evermore, released months apart in 2020, were surprise indie-folk albums that earned critical acclaim. Midnights (2022) broke Spotify streaming records upon release (Wikipedia).

The Tortured Poets Department (2024)

Released April 19, 2024, The Tortured Poets Department is Swift’s 11th original studio album, exploring themes of heartbreak and media scrutiny (Wikipedia).

Bottom line: The chronological order by year shows Swift’s evolution from country to pop to indie-folk and back to pop. The re-recordings add a parallel timeline that rewrites ownership of her back catalog.

Timeline signal

  • – Taylor Swift (debut album) released (Wikipedia)
  • – Fearless released (Wikipedia)
  • – Speak Now released (Wikipedia)
  • – Red released (Wikipedia)
  • – 1989 released (Wikipedia)
  • – reputation released (Wikipedia)
  • – Lover released (Wikipedia)
  • – Folklore released (Wikipedia)
  • – Evermore released (Wikipedia)
  • – Midnights released (Wikipedia)
  • – The Tortured Poets Department released (Wikipedia)
  • – Fearless (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded (Wikipedia)
  • – Red (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded (Wikipedia)
  • – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded (Wikipedia)
  • – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded (Wikipedia)

The timeline illustrates how Taylor’s Versions create a parallel chronology to Swift’s original catalog.

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

  • Taylor Swift has 11 original studio albums as of 2025 (Wikipedia)
  • She has re-recorded 4 albums as Taylor’s Versions (GRAMMY.com)
  • Album release dates are verified by Wikipedia and Billboard chart archives

What’s unclear

  • The exact reason Taylor Swift avoids showing her bellybutton in photos is not publicly confirmed
  • Whether Swift plans to re-record her remaining albums (reputation, Taylor Swift, etc.) is expected but not officially announced
  • The definition of “top 3 albums” varies widely by metric (sales, critics, fan polls)

Notable quotes

She is the Beatles of her generation.

Billy Joel, in a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone (music magazine)

She’s a fantastic songwriter and performer.

Adele, defending Swift against NFL backlash in a 2023 interview with Variety (entertainment news)

The re-recording project has reshaped how fans understand Swift’s chronology. Her original 2006 debut is no longer just a starting point — it’s a marker of how far she’s come in reclaiming her catalog. For new listeners diving into the discography, the choice is clear: start with the original sequence, then overlay the Taylor’s Versions at their release dates, or skip straight to the re-recordings for an updated soundscape. Either way, the story of artistic control continues to unfold.

Additional sources

rbeatz.com

For a detailed breakdown of every era, check out this complete chronological list of Taylor Swift albums that includes release dates and Taylor’s Versions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the order of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded albums?

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) – 2021, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – 2023, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – 2023.

Which Taylor Swift album is the longest in runtime?

The Tortured Poets Department, at over 77 minutes, is her longest studio album.

How many Taylor Swift albums are rated above 80 on Metacritic?

Two: Folklore (88) and Evermore (85).

What is the difference between Taylor Swift’s original albums and Taylor’s Version?

Taylor’s Versions are re-recordings that Swift controls the masters for, often including additional vault tracks.

Will Taylor Swift re-record her debut album Taylor Swift?

She has not announced a re-recording of her debut, but it is widely expected as part of her ongoing project.

Which Taylor Swift album has the most number-one singles?

1989 produced three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood.”

What is the correct chronological order for new fans to listen to Taylor Swift’s albums?

Start with the original studio albums in release order from Taylor Swift (2006) to The Tortured Poets Department (2024), then listen to the Taylor’s Versions.



Mason Ryan Campbell Bennett

About the author

Mason Ryan Campbell Bennett

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