Taylor Swift went from weeping over a guitar to singing in front of stadium-sized crowds. Her life is the most iconic pop journey ever. With each album, she has reinvented herself, having mastered country, conquered pop, and even spun a little indie folk magic. From Grammy sweeps to viral lyric drops, these 15 Taylor Swift albums have not just set records, they’ve broken the stage and rewritten pop culture itself.
Ready to dive into the eras that made Taylor a worldwide phenomenon? Let’s go!
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s self titled debut album was the first leg of her journey, which would become her Country Era. It did not win any Grammys but it was instrumental to her rise into superstardom. It has earned over $10–15 million and sold over 7 million copies around the world as the original version.
Fearless
Fearless (2008) stood as Taylor’s first Country Era peak and won her 4 Grammys, including Album of the Year. The original version made between $30–45 million and sold more than 12 million copies.
Speak Now
This shift into a more personal and refined sound of Country-Pop came with Speak Now (2010) although it received a nomination, winning none. The original version still quite impressively garnered sales of over 10 million along with an estimated $25–35 million in revenue.
Red
Red (2012) marked the ongoing transition from once country-aligned sound experimentation on pop music, clearly termed the Country to Pop Era. Grammy nomination means nothing as an award, but the original album made $35–50 million, with sales above 8 million.
1989
1989 (2014) was her full dive into the Pop Era and turned in 3 Grammy Awards for Taylor including her second Album of the Year award. It is one of her most commercially successful albums earning $60–$70 million and selling over 14 million copies.
“The rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color.”
Reputation
Reputation (2017) initiated a darker, edgier pop sound, part of what’s popularly known as her Dark Pop Era. Grammy nomination but did not win. Still, it raked in $40–50 million with sales close to 6 million.
Lover
Putting in a vibrant and romantic feel back into her Pop Era, Lover (2019) did not bag a Grammy but got nominated. The album grossed to $30–40 million and contended itself for sales over 5 million copies.
Folklore
Folklore (2020) was the indie/folk turn for Taylor and won her third award for Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2021. Major artistic shift for the sales value of around $25–35 million with roughly 3.5 million copies sold.
Evermore
Evermore (2020), continuing the tonal quality of that of Folklore, with a mellower, more poetical sound, was also Grammy-nominated but did not win. The album earned approximately $20–$25 million that saw its sales surpass 2.5 million.
“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you keep thinking about yesterday.”
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) became the first re-recorded album in her journey reclaiming masters from the creators to whom they had been sold. It is not Grammy eligible for winning, but it did bring in $10–15 million with 1.5 million sales.
Red (Taylor’s Version)
This one’s Red (Taylor’s Version) from 2021, revisiting her Country-to-Pop Era. The emotional depth and fanfare found here aren’t Grammy-eligible, but it still went on to earn $20–$30 million with over 2.5 million in sales.
Midnights
Midnights (2022) is afterwards ontop of returning to pop with heavies in synth production and dreamy storytelling. It won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, grossed $40–60 million, and sold over 6 million copies.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
With re-recorded vocals and vault tracks, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2023) reminded one of the thoughtful Country-Pop sound. It was not eligible for the Grammys, but it grossed $10–15 million and sold over 1.2 million copies.
1989 (Taylor’s Version)
1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023) resuscitated her most iconic Pop Era, with new energy. It is also not eligible for Grammys but collected a whopping $25–35 million in revenue and sold over 3.5 million.
The Tortured Poets Department
The Tortured Poets Department launches her Indie-Pop Era with a more poetic and introspective sound. On the Grammy front, much is hanging in the balance, but projections for the album indicate earnings of $50 million and above, with a conservative early sales estimate already teetering over the 2 million mark.
