Taylor Swifthas had 264 songs chart on Billboard’s Hot 100, with 12 of them going #1. The pop star’s music has ranged from country to pop to folk, with all genres making it onto the charts. WhileSwift found success very early in her career, it wouldn’t be until “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” the lead single fromRed, that she’d find herself atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Since then, every lead single off Swift’s albums has gone #1, with the exception of some rerecordings and “ME!” off her albumLover.
Unfortunately, the bubble gum pop song had tough competition due to the success of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' “Old Town Road.” Still,Loverdid eventually see one of its singles hit #1 when “Cruel Summer” topped the charts four years after its release. However,Swift saw the most success with her first official pop album,1989, which had three number-one singles. Having twelve #1 songs with only eleven studio albums is an impressive feat. Swift has received mixed opinions about her single choices, and despite their success, it’s true that some songs are stronger than others.
12Willow
evermore (2020)
Taylor Swift released “willow” as the first single off her 9th studio album,evermore. The album came five months afterfolkloreand was declared its sister album. Withfolklorestill being so new, it was difficult to fully digestevermore. It felt almost like fifteen bonus tracks that didn’t make the cut when Swift was recording the first album.
However, fans streamed its first single enough for it to hit the #1 spot on Billboard. In order to keep fans interested,Swift released several remixes of the song, but the new versions didn’t stop it from falling after only one week. While a fewevermoresongs have had a massive impact on Swifties, theevermorelead single is one of Swift’s more forgettable #1 songs.
11Fortnight
The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
In April 2024, Swift shocked fans when the meaning behindThe Tortured Poets Departmentwas less about the end of a long-term relationship and more about the abrupt end of a whirlwind fling. With 31 songs to choose from, Swift picked “Fortnight,” a duet with Post Malone, for her first single. While “Fortnight” is catchy and has an impressive bridge, it spent no more than two weeks at number one.
It wasn’t the song on the album that resonated most with Swift’s audience. Compared to tracks like “So Long London” or “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” it wasn’t the best either. “Fortnight” went on to win five VMAs, including Video Of The Year, but isn’t exactly the most defining song of Swift’s career.
10Shake It Off
1989 (2014)
Taylor Swift released “Shake It Off” the same day she announced that her fifth album would be her first official pop album, called1989. Whileseveral songs onRedwere pop-inspired, there were also a few country and pop-rock, so"Shake It Off" was quite a surprise.The song’s production leans heavily on drums and horns, with lyrics addressing the media’s perception of her.
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It is arguably one of the catchiest songs Taylor Swift has ever released and cemented her as one of the biggest pop stars of the 2010s. While it’s not her lyrically strongest song, “Shake It Off” signified a smooth transition into a new genre, showcasing Swift’s determination to try new things. Still, Swift’s other #1 singles still manage to surpass this one.
9Look What You Made Me Do
reputation (2017)
After the Kim Kardashian and Kanye West drama of 2016, Taylor Swift took a much-needed break from music and the spotlight. When she returned at the end of August 2017, she was back with a vengeance. “Look What You Made Me Do” is far from the best song onreputation,but it was the perfect comeback for the singer at a time when the whole world thought she was a villain.
The most impressive part of “Look What You Made Me Do” was it was the only song to knock “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber out of the number-one spot after 16 weeks at the top.Swift’s song became even more appealing after she debuted its music videoat the 2017 VMAs. The video tackled all the criticism she’d gotten in the years since releasing1989,like backlash over pulling her music from Spotify. The #1 single proved something Swift confessed three albums earlier: she always has the last word.
“Bad Blood” was the eighth track on1989and initially didn’t have much of an impact. However, when Swift released it as a single, she had rapper Kendrick Lamar jump on the track, replacing her verses with his own.The song took over the airways in 2015, and the impact its music video had on that is undeniable. Swift had over fifteen celebrities star in the video, including close friends Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.
However, the song was also powerful enough on its own. Lamar’s added verses led to Swifties screaming his line “You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go” at concerts for years, even though Swift was singing her original version. “Bad Blood” was certainly an unforgettable moment in pop culture and Swift’s career, even if some of her other #1 songs still surpass it.
7Anti-Hero
Midnights (2022)
Taylor Swift had her longest reign at #1 when “Anti-Hero” spent eight weeks atop the charts. The song was the lead single off ofMidnightsand acted as a return to pop afterfolkloreandevermore. Swift came back in full force, as the song immediately dominated the airways. “Anti-Hero” was also one of ten songs offMidnightsto take over the entire top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100.
In the song, Swift sings about her fears and insecurities while confessing that she knows she’s the problem. Swift was mocked for years for always seeming to blame others when things went wrong, so “Anti-Hero” was also her response to that commentary.Despite being 10 albums in, the single became one of Swift’s most well-known. It’s also incredibly catchy, with clever lyrics that fit with its pop production.
6We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Red (2012)
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was potentially even more surprising than when Swift made the full switch to pop with “Shake It Off.” Before the song’s release,it was clear Swift was expanding outside the country genre.Speak Nowhad some rock influences but no songs that suggested Swift would be turning toward bubble-gum pop. However, that’s exactly what Swift did when she wrote and recorded the lead single offRed.
The single was an earworm that radio stations couldn’t stop playing, making it an easy rise to #1. As Swift’s first #1 song on the Hot 100 charts, it was quite monumental. It showed that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon and wasready to take over the world with her music. Swift’s mission to create a catchy pop song to irritate her ex, who thought indie music was superior to what she made, was an instant success.
5Cardigan
folklore (2020)
After a few years of Swift’s pop hits topping the charts, “cardigan” was exactly what fans needed in the summer of 2020. Everyone was staying in, so the upbeat tempo of her previous #1 singles was far from what anyone was looking for.It was quite cathartic to hear “cardigan"after the year the world had been through. It also felt like a coming home for Taylor Swift. Since 2014, when she released1989, Swift had been a certified pop princess.
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She hadn’t truly dived into confessional songwriting with stripped-down production in almost 10 years. “cardigan” was the lyrically strongest #1 single Swift had ever had at that point. It proved she still had what it takes to create a beautiful ballad with emotional lyrics. While it didn’t stay at the top of the charts for long, it was still a pivotal moment in Taylor Swift’s career.
4Is It Over Now?
1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023)
Since1989 (Taylor’s Version)was a rerecorded album, “Is It Over Now?” going number one was quite a surprise. At the time of its release,the song was nearly a decade old, and the relationship Swift was singing about was long gone. However, the lyrics brought back a lot of nostalgia for fans. Lines like “blue dress on a boat” and “you search in every model’s bed for something greater” stood out the most.
The majority of the songs on the original1989were pretty kind to Swift’s ex, considering what she’d written about exes in the past. However, “Is It Over Now?” delivers some of the criticism left off the original album, and fans found it quite comical. The song also had some virality on TikTok with a popular dance to the song’s second pre-chorus.
3Blank Space
“Blank Space” is arguably one of Taylor Swift’s best pop songs and best singles of all time. The satirical hit takes jabs at the media for how they portrayed Swift as a boy-crazy monster. There was alsoincredible production done by Max Martin and Shellback.It would not be the last time Swift reacted to the public’s perception of her, but it was one of the most impactful.
It showcased a new side of the pop star, proving she wasn’t the innocent girl next door she used to be. Instead, she was a woman willing to stand up for herself and let the media know she bites back. The song also made Taylor Swift the first female to dethrone herself at #1, as “Shake It Off” was previously atop the charts before “Blank Space” claimed its rightful spot.
