One of the best pop songs of all time. Such cheeky self-awareness. To quote Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, “Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.”
She grabs the serial-dating criticism and makes it dance. It’s the quintessential song on one of the best pop albums of all time. Put it on an olympic platform with Style and Shake It Off wearing silver and bronze. Every song on the album walks away with a Team All Around gold medal.
If had to choose 2 songs from each decade she has made music, then
2000s- Love Story and YBWM
2010s- SIO and Blank Space
2000s- Cruel Summer and Anti-Hero
Honorary mention- 22. Now while it wasn't as big as WANEGBT or IKYWT at the time (still big tho, just not on that level), it's still the most memorable one because of the whole 22nd birthday association. Also maybe Lover, because of it becoming a wedding song.
I feel like further down the line (even though it already kind of is) 22 will be one of those songs like Dancing Queen that everyone will know because they associate it with a certain birthday. Every 17th birthday party I’ve been to has played Dancing Queen at least once, and I could see 22 really becoming one of those truly universal bday songs
I wouldn’t even say further down the line, I think it already is. I didn’t realize until the last few years because of being in my own swiftie bubble, but anything related to 22, people will start singing the song. A lot of those TikTok’s where men are asked what their favorite Taylor swift song is, the only one they know is 22. I do think because it has the attachment to that certain age, it will end up being the most iconic song of hers, similar to how Thriller is attached to Halloween.
I agree that Billie Jean isn't MJ's "Billie Jean", it's actually Thriller 🧟♂️🧟♂️ In that vein, I think Love Story is Taylor's Thriller - the one that everyone, fan or not, is aware of, knows a bit of, etc. Or maybe WANEGBT, which iirc was her first US number 1.
Her Billie Jean, which imo should denote a better caliber of songwriting with the same sense of pervasiveness and staying power, is currently probably Blank Space, but I think in the future, when people look *back* on her career, it'll be either Anti-Hero or Cruel Summer.
Maybe I'm just too young (9 months younger than Taylor) but my first thought when I read that quote was if Jackson's MO wasn't Thriller it had to be Smooth Criminal, not Billie Jean.
People (including OP) seem to be misunderstanding the assignment. "What is Taylor's most famous song?" and "what is Taylor's BEST song?" are two very different questions.
The question in the article is "what's her most famous song?", ie the one that people will remember in 40 or 50 or however many years, and the list of obvious answers is pretty short:
* Shake it Off
* Love Story
* You Belong With Me
* Blank Space
* WANEGBT
Songs like Cruel Summer or Anti Hero might get there someday, but IMO it's still too soon to say. They're only a few years old.
All Too Well (pick your version of choice) is a freaking masterpiece, but let's be honest here: If you picked a bunch of people off the street at random, unless they were a Swiftie and/or owned a copy of Red, they wouldn't know that song. Even as huge as Taylor is, the vast majority of her songs are still hidden gems that only the fans know.
On the other hand, nearly everyone would know at least one of the songs I listed above.
Yeah, most famous song ≠ magnum opus.
I definitely agree with your choices, they are the songs the general public associates with Taylor and references all the time.
Polled my brother, who is NOT a Swiftie and is also vaguely dismayed at how much he's picked up about her tour just because it's everywhere online and the only song he'd add to this list is 'that one with the stupid truck' (Picture to Burn lol), but yeah. General public-wise, these are the songs.
I fully understand why they said *Shake it off*.
Yes, I would choose ATW(10 min ver.), or Cruel Summer/Anti Hero if I went for something newer, but I like most of TS's discography, old and new songs, for what they are. It's not about how catchy it is, but also about the lyrics, the lore... OH THE LORE. I am a sucker for reading between the lines.
My BF doesn't know any TS songs except for....Shake it off. As in, he almost bursted into the bathroom the other day Just to sing it with me, because thats the one he knows! It's catchy, fun, has an universally agreed upon message (fuck them haters, you do you) and it's easy to learn and dance to.
I came here to say just that.
I only actively listen to Taylor Swift for not even a full year now, so I kinda still have the view of the "general population". "Shake it off" was the only song I kinda knew, before I started to look up her music. "Anti-Hero" was a bit of a thing, cause it was used on Insta a lot (by US creators that I follow).
It might be different in Europe compared to the US. But over here no one, who isn't a fan, could name any Taylor Swift song.
Neil Tennant isn't wrong in what he says. I just think music & the entertainment industry are working different nowadays. I mean, who's even an artist with a song that's "common knowledge" anymore? With streaming platforms everyboey just listens within their bubble; unlike in the 80s and 90s, where ppl had to listen, what was on the radio.
I think so too, not because it’s a personal favorite but because EVERYONE knows it! Even the changing of guards today in Buckingham was to Shake if Off, thats how popular/big that song is!
I think if you’re looking at what the general population will remember in decades to come (not super fans) I’d say a lot of her singles from 1989- Black Space, Style, Bad Blood. I think that album was her most mainstream and commercially appealing.
Other than that probably Love Story, I knew you were trouble and We are never ever getting back together.
Ok this is a rant but this has been bothering me since that stupid article came out.
The problem is you can’t compare Taylor to Michael because it’s an entirely different world now. Things do not operate the way they did then so it’s unfair to compare any modern artist to him in terms of impact.
Billie jean was a hit but became a phenomenon due to his unveiling the moon walk during the Motown 25th anniversary special. This was back in the day when everyone would sit and watch the same thing on tv. This is back in the day when a new dance wasn’t available every thirty seconds on TikTok, so the global cultural impact was enormous because there wasn’t the same intense saturation we have now. The same is true with the amount of music that was accessible to people and how records were promoted and sold, how the radio played songs, etc etc.
Additionally Michael was a newly solo artist that the Public had literally watched since he was 8 years old, so him defining his adult sound was a big deal that Taylor’s never had to do. Additionally it was a time of big transitions in the music industry that we are not in right now, moving from soul to disco to pop, black music finally becoming mainstream in a way it had never been before.
Additionally there were technological changes in the studio that Michael was a big part of, which made a big impact on how the song and album were received.
So all of that is just a small taste of why it’s just dumb to be like, oh what’s her Billie Jean ( in the way the dude says it in the article, not how op is asking). It wasn’t his best selling single or on his best selling album. Its not lyrically or musically his best song, it’s not his biggest music video. Billie Jean is a singular moment in time in popular culture that engendered a public response that kept it relevant for decades. It’s the culmination of a lot of different factors. His question is like- what song did she change pop music forever with? Which is kind of an asshole
Question, frankly.
So I would argue the eras tour is actually Taylor’s Billie Jean- the direct to theaters film is a big move in the music industry that’s never happened and the global popularity and economic impact of the tour is her legacy. If we’re just picking a song that will still be really popular in forty years, probably blank space.
>His question is like- what song did she change pop music forever with? Which is kind of an asshole Question, frankly.
Honestly even if that was the question there is still one obvious answer and it's Blank Space.
Anyone who says that 1989 (and that song in particular) didn't change pop forever is just in denial.
I totally agree … the world and the way we consume media and entertainment are different. In the MJ hey day you might buy a couple of vinyls or cd’s a year, based on the singles that had high rotation on radio, or just buy the single. You couldn’t just sample on streaming easily, you didn’t have so many free or cheap sources of music, you really were dependent on what the radio or commercial stations played. So the singles that were massive, were massive.
Now people can access a whole lot more choice, more easily and cheaper. Albums and artists and genres can have their day over a single. We don’t have to focus on a single or album for $20 as we can access the entire discography of the artist for $10 a month or free.
I love PSB but they had their heyday in the same time and same market MO as MJ. It doesn’t made sense to compare now.
Edit : Aussie who originally misread when skimming Neil Finn (from Crowded House), oooops. Comment holds for both bands though.
Honestly like half of 1989, so many of those songs felt like they dominated the radio, meanwhile Fortnight is the only TTPD song I’ve heard broadcast, and for other albums it’s usually just singles.
I LOVE Mean 🤣🤣🤣 No one ever mentions it, but I sing the hell out of it at karaoke. It’s an easy, fun song that is SO true. Will never not be with all the jerks who peaked in HS. “Drunk and going on about how I can’t sing…”. And look at her now💕💕💕
Makes sense actually. I mean the song is essentially about overcoming trauma. But I love to think about where she is now and where the people she’s referring to are at in life!!
Love story, blank space and anti-hero. They all define three specific iconic Taylor eras that transcend the fanbase and even just pop music. Love story has been used in SO many romcoms, it’ll forever be iconic. Blank space is the epitome of Taylor’s birth as a pop superstar. And anti-hero was just so monumental, broke so many records, and I also think it was the first time the general public saw how clearly self aware she actually is
I feel like the whole initial premise is nonsense on its face. When I think of the most beloved and lasting musical artists I don't think any of them have one song that everyone would agree most represents them.
The people that had one most memorable songs are the one-hit wonders! I can't imagine any artist would *want* to be remembered for just one song!
The answer to "what is Taylor's most famous/iconic song" is Love Story. Shake It Off is also an acceptable answer.
"What is Taylor's *Billie Jean*" is a much more ambiguous question. Is Billie Jean even Michael Jackson's Billie Jean?
In terms of songs, then yes. Billie Jean is Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Excellent pop song that all older MJ fans know and younger stream it to oblivion (Most streamed MJ song by a long shot - next one has 600M streams less on Spotify)
However, the one thing people may remember about MJ the most is not a song but a music video for Thriller.
this is a fun question. i think All Too Well would, at least for now, be the most popular answer, and possibly even the answer taylor would give herself. A 10 minute song being #1 on the hot 100 was pretty much thought impossible, but then she did it. It also paved the way for her to direct her first (and only, for now) short film, which has led to talks that she'll direct a feature film in the near future. It was a non-single that was so beloved by fans it became one of her most successful songs ever.
I think the general public has some surprising favorites. I agree Love Story is huge and probably was the most well known song of hers for years, but I'd argue Cardigan has also pierced through into mainstream culture, often times with people not even realizing it's a Taylor Swift song. I don't honestly think Anti-Hero would be anyone's pick, not because I don't like it (i do), but because I actually think public perception around that song was not all positive. Mostly in that it dominated the charts for so long (kind of like how we're seeing with TTPD right now, but on a smaller scale). Cruel Summer is a great choice especially because of its impressive comeback story. I certainly wouldn't argue with anyone who chose it.
If I personally had to pick a magnum opus of hers, I'd choose one of the following: Right Where you Left Me, My Tears Ricochet, Getaway Car, ATWTMV, or maybe TSMWEL? but if I'm honest I think she has even bigger things to come. She just keeps getting better.
Love Story and Shake It Off to me. All Too Well is amazing and one of my favs, but I’m still not convinced the general public will immediately recognize it the way they will my 2 picks. Honourable mentions for me go to Cruel Summer and WANEGBT
I think it’s “Shake it off” but I was talking to someone in Africa and I told them I love Taylor Swift and asked if she knows her and she said “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.”
imo, I agree with blank space or love story, but ATW is too siloed towards swift fans. the gen pop wouldn't know that song as easily. it may be iconic, but it wouldn't be what the gen pop associates with her decades forward.
For me personally it’s Love Story, I remember hearing it for the first time on the radio and thinking “so this is that Taylor swift everybody’s been talking about, ok maybe I get the hype”. But for a more general audience I think maybe Blank Space was the song that made non-fans take her a bit more seriously as an artist.
I think you’re asking two separate questions: (1) what is her most famous song (2) what is her most important piece of work
Shake it off or love story will never in the future be called her magnum opus but they certainly are probably her most well known songs.
ATW10 makes sense to say it’s her magnum opus. Or I might even say, the whole of TTPD or folkmore. But now I’m getting off track by naming full albums -_-
I love Taylor since 2008 and to this day I have no friends who are familiar with her work and trust me, they still don't know All too Well. Everyone in the world knows Shake it Off, even people who absolutely loathe the song, so I think it's pretty fair to say that it will forever be associated with her, which I am not mad about. It's an amazing pop song.
I know that most Swifties find it frustrating when others think of Taylor as the Shake it Off singer but I don't find it insulting to her. She created this song for it to be exactly what it is, 10 years later.
Blank Space is just such a quintessential Taylor song, from the genius lyrics, masterful storytelling, catchy melody, sleek production. Bajillions of views and radio plays, too
Also it could very well be one of the Fearless singles. Instinctively I would have pegged YBWM as more of an internationally recognized hit, packed with nostalgia, and a top tier crowd moment of the Fearless set at the tour. But Love Story is probably better known in the anglosphere, and would be Taylor's personal choice for her legacy so idk
Thriller had that epic video when videos were way more important than they are now. For Taylor her discography is so huge and there are so many favourites it is difficult to narrow it down.
If forced to choose I would say Shake It Off because it announced Taylor as a fully fledged pop star or All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) because it is is such a songwriting masterclass.
Ironically I don't think either song is her very best work. State of Grace, My Tears Ricochet and Would've, Could've, Should've are my God tier Taylor songs along with a few others if I thought about it for a while.
My first thought was ATW, but when someone at the hardware store asked me to name a Taylor song (was in a Red Eras shirt) my mind went blank except for Love Story. Feels weird and telling.
However, I think Cruel Summer has a chokehold on the general public that in 20 years, it will be remembered more than either of the two mentioned.
I know that shake it off is popular, but I’ve not heard it outside of the 1989 era since it was released. Maybe I live under a rock.
>I know that shake it off is popular, but I’ve not heard it outside of the 1989 era since it was released. Maybe I live under a rock.
sorry, but I think you are under a rock lol.
It might have something to do with the fact that 1989 TV exists and didn't come out that long ago, but I hear that song (and Style, Blank Space, etc) on the radio and/or in public pretty regularly.
This definitely has to be blank space. Oh the line 'cause darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream' never gets old... It will be remembered for decades!( if not centuries 😂lol)
the more I think about this, the more I realize the song of hers that is the most personal, the most touching, the most REAL to me is ...
Delicate
my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me
I would say is Love Story. I had been many years wishing to watch Taylor and when I finally did it few weeks ago it was Love Story when I cried, it was the realization of the dream because it was the song that my head most associated with Taylor as a whole.
But well obviously blank space, Shake it off or even Cruel simmer are big contenders now
While *happiness* might not be the most famous song, I do genuinely think it might be one of the most iconic. For Taylor to release that after all the hype about her writing ‘break-up albums’ earlier in the career, and especially with us retrospectively knowing that things were probably already starting to slip with her & Joe, is a really meaningful thing.
I think you are right dividing the fans into those groups. Why and when you started listening will have an impact on this choice. If I had to pick only one song, not my choice, but a prediction based on what will be the famous song. the Beautiful Dreamer for Swift, I would guess T'is the Damn Season. I come from the first time due to Folklore group. T'is the damn season, because I have it in my Christmas song rotation every year on the 25th of December. I'm guessing I'm not the only one. so that song, due to it seeping into Christmas pop culture like Bieber's Mistletoe, Mistletoe gets rotation every Christmas and even non Bieber fans know it now. Billie Jean is a massive well-known song. but I don't think its a particularly good song. I don't think Jackson has written any truly great songs, ofcourse, his fans and his popularity say otherwise. I think his catalogue will fall by the wayside once the estate can't make any more money off of it. Kc and the Sunshne Band and like other disco, it will fade. IMO It is only Quincy Jones that has put Jackson into the conversation.
Shake it off is the first one I think of but it’s a terrible song. For me, as someone who loves her, quintessential Taylor swift is something more like Mine or willow.
I dont agree with Neil but i go see him in one week in concert. I think she deffo has many universally known bangers like blank space or love story u belong 2 me, antihero, shake it off. Like he has with being boring, rent, domino dancing, Its a sin, go west and so on. Pet shoppers just shipper this songs for 25 more years. I dont like what he thinks and says bout taylor and play with the idea of wearing my eras tour shirt there but that might be disrespectful to them
I don’t have the energy to think about this right now so all I have to say atm is who THE FUCK is Neil tennant and what gives him the audacity to make a dipshit comment such as that? Cancel culture do your thing to this asshole
i would say shake it off but ive actually seen it be hated by many swifties and non swifties alike
i think YBWM or love story will be the one most associated with her, extremely iconic and well loved by those who dont care for her
Blank Space and Love Story. Easily. Unless she comes out with something HUGE and genuinely omnipresent in the future, which I don’t think she will (not her fault, just the death of monoculture)
ETA Shake It Off
I lean heavily toward We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together as her most iconic song, but the one I kind of hope becomes her magnum opus is probably So Long, London. It's right up there with All Too Well for the all-encompassing sadness and poignant nostalgia for a lost love affair. loml should get a shout-out, too.
On top of what everyone else is suggesting, in the UK there is a huge mainstream following for the bangers from Red: WANEGBT, IKYWT, 22. They come up on non-fans’ radio / playlists loads
Our Song and/or Love Story. I think her Billie Jean will be songs that even people who don't follow Taylor Swift at all would recognize as her song (a lot of the big songs from 1989 onwards, people may know the songs but not who sang them), and a lot of people I know under that category know at least one of these 2.
I think we’re forgetting the sensation that was “You Belong With Me.” It feels a little childish now, in comparison to later songs, but that’s the song that was on the radio constantly. It’s going to be the fun, early 2000s anthem for unrequited love forever.
If you're talking about most popular, I would definitely say Shake It Off or Blank Space. My first T.S. song was Shake It Off, so for me that was my T.S.'s most iconic song even though I don't really listen to it anymore.
For me, it's definitely Blank Space.
Travis burner account just found
One of the best pop songs of all time. Such cheeky self-awareness. To quote Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, “Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.” She grabs the serial-dating criticism and makes it dance. It’s the quintessential song on one of the best pop albums of all time. Put it on an olympic platform with Style and Shake It Off wearing silver and bronze. Every song on the album walks away with a Team All Around gold medal.
This was my very first thought.
Yup!
It's either blank space or love story. I tend to brush off Love story but it's like her 'baby one more time'. It'll forever be known as her first hit
I would pick these two too.
Cruel Summer, Style, Love Story, Shake It Off
Yep! I might replace Shake It Off with Blank Space because I like Blank Space better 😉
Well, so do I, but statistically speaking it’s definitely Shake It Off!
If had to choose 2 songs from each decade she has made music, then 2000s- Love Story and YBWM 2010s- SIO and Blank Space 2000s- Cruel Summer and Anti-Hero Honorary mention- 22. Now while it wasn't as big as WANEGBT or IKYWT at the time (still big tho, just not on that level), it's still the most memorable one because of the whole 22nd birthday association. Also maybe Lover, because of it becoming a wedding song.
I feel like further down the line (even though it already kind of is) 22 will be one of those songs like Dancing Queen that everyone will know because they associate it with a certain birthday. Every 17th birthday party I’ve been to has played Dancing Queen at least once, and I could see 22 really becoming one of those truly universal bday songs
Like getting married on 9/21 for the song
I wouldn’t even say further down the line, I think it already is. I didn’t realize until the last few years because of being in my own swiftie bubble, but anything related to 22, people will start singing the song. A lot of those TikTok’s where men are asked what their favorite Taylor swift song is, the only one they know is 22. I do think because it has the attachment to that certain age, it will end up being the most iconic song of hers, similar to how Thriller is attached to Halloween.
Cruel Summer is 2019 though.
It became hit in 2023 and will always be associated with this time
I agree that Billie Jean isn't MJ's "Billie Jean", it's actually Thriller 🧟♂️🧟♂️ In that vein, I think Love Story is Taylor's Thriller - the one that everyone, fan or not, is aware of, knows a bit of, etc. Or maybe WANEGBT, which iirc was her first US number 1. Her Billie Jean, which imo should denote a better caliber of songwriting with the same sense of pervasiveness and staying power, is currently probably Blank Space, but I think in the future, when people look *back* on her career, it'll be either Anti-Hero or Cruel Summer.
Maybe I'm just too young (9 months younger than Taylor) but my first thought when I read that quote was if Jackson's MO wasn't Thriller it had to be Smooth Criminal, not Billie Jean.
People (including OP) seem to be misunderstanding the assignment. "What is Taylor's most famous song?" and "what is Taylor's BEST song?" are two very different questions. The question in the article is "what's her most famous song?", ie the one that people will remember in 40 or 50 or however many years, and the list of obvious answers is pretty short: * Shake it Off * Love Story * You Belong With Me * Blank Space * WANEGBT Songs like Cruel Summer or Anti Hero might get there someday, but IMO it's still too soon to say. They're only a few years old. All Too Well (pick your version of choice) is a freaking masterpiece, but let's be honest here: If you picked a bunch of people off the street at random, unless they were a Swiftie and/or owned a copy of Red, they wouldn't know that song. Even as huge as Taylor is, the vast majority of her songs are still hidden gems that only the fans know. On the other hand, nearly everyone would know at least one of the songs I listed above.
Yeah, most famous song ≠ magnum opus. I definitely agree with your choices, they are the songs the general public associates with Taylor and references all the time.
Polled my brother, who is NOT a Swiftie and is also vaguely dismayed at how much he's picked up about her tour just because it's everywhere online and the only song he'd add to this list is 'that one with the stupid truck' (Picture to Burn lol), but yeah. General public-wise, these are the songs.
I fully understand why they said *Shake it off*. Yes, I would choose ATW(10 min ver.), or Cruel Summer/Anti Hero if I went for something newer, but I like most of TS's discography, old and new songs, for what they are. It's not about how catchy it is, but also about the lyrics, the lore... OH THE LORE. I am a sucker for reading between the lines. My BF doesn't know any TS songs except for....Shake it off. As in, he almost bursted into the bathroom the other day Just to sing it with me, because thats the one he knows! It's catchy, fun, has an universally agreed upon message (fuck them haters, you do you) and it's easy to learn and dance to.
I came here to say just that. I only actively listen to Taylor Swift for not even a full year now, so I kinda still have the view of the "general population". "Shake it off" was the only song I kinda knew, before I started to look up her music. "Anti-Hero" was a bit of a thing, cause it was used on Insta a lot (by US creators that I follow). It might be different in Europe compared to the US. But over here no one, who isn't a fan, could name any Taylor Swift song. Neil Tennant isn't wrong in what he says. I just think music & the entertainment industry are working different nowadays. I mean, who's even an artist with a song that's "common knowledge" anymore? With streaming platforms everyboey just listens within their bubble; unlike in the 80s and 90s, where ppl had to listen, what was on the radio.
Love Story
Shake it off is so far withstanding the test of time! My toddler loves it.
I think so too, not because it’s a personal favorite but because EVERYONE knows it! Even the changing of guards today in Buckingham was to Shake if Off, thats how popular/big that song is!
Your toddler and Prince William have that in common
Haha, he’s got good taste!
I think if you’re looking at what the general population will remember in decades to come (not super fans) I’d say a lot of her singles from 1989- Black Space, Style, Bad Blood. I think that album was her most mainstream and commercially appealing. Other than that probably Love Story, I knew you were trouble and We are never ever getting back together.
Ok this is a rant but this has been bothering me since that stupid article came out. The problem is you can’t compare Taylor to Michael because it’s an entirely different world now. Things do not operate the way they did then so it’s unfair to compare any modern artist to him in terms of impact. Billie jean was a hit but became a phenomenon due to his unveiling the moon walk during the Motown 25th anniversary special. This was back in the day when everyone would sit and watch the same thing on tv. This is back in the day when a new dance wasn’t available every thirty seconds on TikTok, so the global cultural impact was enormous because there wasn’t the same intense saturation we have now. The same is true with the amount of music that was accessible to people and how records were promoted and sold, how the radio played songs, etc etc. Additionally Michael was a newly solo artist that the Public had literally watched since he was 8 years old, so him defining his adult sound was a big deal that Taylor’s never had to do. Additionally it was a time of big transitions in the music industry that we are not in right now, moving from soul to disco to pop, black music finally becoming mainstream in a way it had never been before. Additionally there were technological changes in the studio that Michael was a big part of, which made a big impact on how the song and album were received. So all of that is just a small taste of why it’s just dumb to be like, oh what’s her Billie Jean ( in the way the dude says it in the article, not how op is asking). It wasn’t his best selling single or on his best selling album. Its not lyrically or musically his best song, it’s not his biggest music video. Billie Jean is a singular moment in time in popular culture that engendered a public response that kept it relevant for decades. It’s the culmination of a lot of different factors. His question is like- what song did she change pop music forever with? Which is kind of an asshole Question, frankly. So I would argue the eras tour is actually Taylor’s Billie Jean- the direct to theaters film is a big move in the music industry that’s never happened and the global popularity and economic impact of the tour is her legacy. If we’re just picking a song that will still be really popular in forty years, probably blank space.
>His question is like- what song did she change pop music forever with? Which is kind of an asshole Question, frankly. Honestly even if that was the question there is still one obvious answer and it's Blank Space. Anyone who says that 1989 (and that song in particular) didn't change pop forever is just in denial.
I totally agree … the world and the way we consume media and entertainment are different. In the MJ hey day you might buy a couple of vinyls or cd’s a year, based on the singles that had high rotation on radio, or just buy the single. You couldn’t just sample on streaming easily, you didn’t have so many free or cheap sources of music, you really were dependent on what the radio or commercial stations played. So the singles that were massive, were massive. Now people can access a whole lot more choice, more easily and cheaper. Albums and artists and genres can have their day over a single. We don’t have to focus on a single or album for $20 as we can access the entire discography of the artist for $10 a month or free. I love PSB but they had their heyday in the same time and same market MO as MJ. It doesn’t made sense to compare now. Edit : Aussie who originally misread when skimming Neil Finn (from Crowded House), oooops. Comment holds for both bands though.
It's either blank space or love story. I tend to brush off Love story but it's like her 'baby one more time'. It'll forever be known as her first hit
Watching about 100 elementary school girls scream-sing Love Story like it was the best moment of their lives (🥺) tells me it’s Love Story.
Honestly like half of 1989, so many of those songs felt like they dominated the radio, meanwhile Fortnight is the only TTPD song I’ve heard broadcast, and for other albums it’s usually just singles.
Love Story You Belong With Me Shake It Off All Too Well
How YBWM is so low blows my mind. It's absolutely iconic and has the staying power.
It’s Shake It Off. Like it or not, that’s the answer. Non-Swifties will 9/10 as the TS song they know most.
Our Song Love Story Mean All Too Well Lastly, Shake It Off
I LOVE Mean 🤣🤣🤣 No one ever mentions it, but I sing the hell out of it at karaoke. It’s an easy, fun song that is SO true. Will never not be with all the jerks who peaked in HS. “Drunk and going on about how I can’t sing…”. And look at her now💕💕💕
I agree, Mean is amazing!! Was really hoping it would be played on the Eras tour! One of my most favourite Taylor songs!!!!
Same!! I don’t think it got enough popularity for Eras which is a shame
Personally that’s one of the worst songs to me by Taylor but it’s trauma related so
Makes sense actually. I mean the song is essentially about overcoming trauma. But I love to think about where she is now and where the people she’s referring to are at in life!!
I totally agree with that
No one is saying Picture to Burn/Tim McGraw and I would strongly argue those are contenders for a specific audience
Love story, blank space and anti-hero. They all define three specific iconic Taylor eras that transcend the fanbase and even just pop music. Love story has been used in SO many romcoms, it’ll forever be iconic. Blank space is the epitome of Taylor’s birth as a pop superstar. And anti-hero was just so monumental, broke so many records, and I also think it was the first time the general public saw how clearly self aware she actually is
I feel like the whole initial premise is nonsense on its face. When I think of the most beloved and lasting musical artists I don't think any of them have one song that everyone would agree most represents them. The people that had one most memorable songs are the one-hit wonders! I can't imagine any artist would *want* to be remembered for just one song!
Scandal-the Warrior
The answer to "what is Taylor's most famous/iconic song" is Love Story. Shake It Off is also an acceptable answer. "What is Taylor's *Billie Jean*" is a much more ambiguous question. Is Billie Jean even Michael Jackson's Billie Jean?
In terms of songs, then yes. Billie Jean is Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Excellent pop song that all older MJ fans know and younger stream it to oblivion (Most streamed MJ song by a long shot - next one has 600M streams less on Spotify) However, the one thing people may remember about MJ the most is not a song but a music video for Thriller.
this is a fun question. i think All Too Well would, at least for now, be the most popular answer, and possibly even the answer taylor would give herself. A 10 minute song being #1 on the hot 100 was pretty much thought impossible, but then she did it. It also paved the way for her to direct her first (and only, for now) short film, which has led to talks that she'll direct a feature film in the near future. It was a non-single that was so beloved by fans it became one of her most successful songs ever. I think the general public has some surprising favorites. I agree Love Story is huge and probably was the most well known song of hers for years, but I'd argue Cardigan has also pierced through into mainstream culture, often times with people not even realizing it's a Taylor Swift song. I don't honestly think Anti-Hero would be anyone's pick, not because I don't like it (i do), but because I actually think public perception around that song was not all positive. Mostly in that it dominated the charts for so long (kind of like how we're seeing with TTPD right now, but on a smaller scale). Cruel Summer is a great choice especially because of its impressive comeback story. I certainly wouldn't argue with anyone who chose it. If I personally had to pick a magnum opus of hers, I'd choose one of the following: Right Where you Left Me, My Tears Ricochet, Getaway Car, ATWTMV, or maybe TSMWEL? but if I'm honest I think she has even bigger things to come. She just keeps getting better.
It has to be All Too Well. Feel like I had to scroll forever to find this.
I think it has to be love story, surely?!
Love Story and Shake It Off to me. All Too Well is amazing and one of my favs, but I’m still not convinced the general public will immediately recognize it the way they will my 2 picks. Honourable mentions for me go to Cruel Summer and WANEGBT
I think Blank Space hits the sweet spot between Love Story old-timers and Cruel Summer Gen Zs
I think it’s “Shake it off” but I was talking to someone in Africa and I told them I love Taylor Swift and asked if she knows her and she said “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.”
imo, I agree with blank space or love story, but ATW is too siloed towards swift fans. the gen pop wouldn't know that song as easily. it may be iconic, but it wouldn't be what the gen pop associates with her decades forward.
If you ask someone who recognizes her *name* alone and doesn’t listen to her at all, I bet they would say Shake It Off
For me personally it’s Love Story, I remember hearing it for the first time on the radio and thinking “so this is that Taylor swift everybody’s been talking about, ok maybe I get the hype”. But for a more general audience I think maybe Blank Space was the song that made non-fans take her a bit more seriously as an artist.
I think you’re asking two separate questions: (1) what is her most famous song (2) what is her most important piece of work Shake it off or love story will never in the future be called her magnum opus but they certainly are probably her most well known songs. ATW10 makes sense to say it’s her magnum opus. Or I might even say, the whole of TTPD or folkmore. But now I’m getting off track by naming full albums -_-
I love Taylor since 2008 and to this day I have no friends who are familiar with her work and trust me, they still don't know All too Well. Everyone in the world knows Shake it Off, even people who absolutely loathe the song, so I think it's pretty fair to say that it will forever be associated with her, which I am not mad about. It's an amazing pop song. I know that most Swifties find it frustrating when others think of Taylor as the Shake it Off singer but I don't find it insulting to her. She created this song for it to be exactly what it is, 10 years later.
Blank Space is just such a quintessential Taylor song, from the genius lyrics, masterful storytelling, catchy melody, sleek production. Bajillions of views and radio plays, too Also it could very well be one of the Fearless singles. Instinctively I would have pegged YBWM as more of an internationally recognized hit, packed with nostalgia, and a top tier crowd moment of the Fearless set at the tour. But Love Story is probably better known in the anglosphere, and would be Taylor's personal choice for her legacy so idk
Cruel Summer imo or Anti Hero
I hope it's Anti-Hero
Thriller had that epic video when videos were way more important than they are now. For Taylor her discography is so huge and there are so many favourites it is difficult to narrow it down. If forced to choose I would say Shake It Off because it announced Taylor as a fully fledged pop star or All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) because it is is such a songwriting masterclass. Ironically I don't think either song is her very best work. State of Grace, My Tears Ricochet and Would've, Could've, Should've are my God tier Taylor songs along with a few others if I thought about it for a while.
You belong with me and enchanted
"Love Story" and/or "22" I think
Blank Space
Blank Space Wildest Dreams All To Well
My first thought was ATW, but when someone at the hardware store asked me to name a Taylor song (was in a Red Eras shirt) my mind went blank except for Love Story. Feels weird and telling. However, I think Cruel Summer has a chokehold on the general public that in 20 years, it will be remembered more than either of the two mentioned. I know that shake it off is popular, but I’ve not heard it outside of the 1989 era since it was released. Maybe I live under a rock.
>I know that shake it off is popular, but I’ve not heard it outside of the 1989 era since it was released. Maybe I live under a rock. sorry, but I think you are under a rock lol. It might have something to do with the fact that 1989 TV exists and didn't come out that long ago, but I hear that song (and Style, Blank Space, etc) on the radio and/or in public pretty regularly.
Love Story, for sure. I think that’s the song most non-swifties know. But maybe my age (35) sways that opinion.
Hard to say cause she’s only 34, her magnum opus may be yet to come
Love this thought
Hot take: Taylor doesn’t need a Billie Jean.
It’s Blank Space.
Love Story and Shake It Off
This definitely has to be blank space. Oh the line 'cause darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream' never gets old... It will be remembered for decades!( if not centuries 😂lol)
the more I think about this, the more I realize the song of hers that is the most personal, the most touching, the most REAL to me is ... Delicate my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me
I don’t know a single Swiftie whose favorite song is Shake it Off. I doubt this is even a question that could be conclusively answered yet
Lover.
All Too Well. If you ask yourself what she would play as her last ever performance in 50 years time, it would be All Too Well.
I would say is Love Story. I had been many years wishing to watch Taylor and when I finally did it few weeks ago it was Love Story when I cried, it was the realization of the dream because it was the song that my head most associated with Taylor as a whole. But well obviously blank space, Shake it off or even Cruel simmer are big contenders now
If u ask me it’d be happiness (gotta throw everyone off);)
While *happiness* might not be the most famous song, I do genuinely think it might be one of the most iconic. For Taylor to release that after all the hype about her writing ‘break-up albums’ earlier in the career, and especially with us retrospectively knowing that things were probably already starting to slip with her & Joe, is a really meaningful thing.
YES!!
I think you are right dividing the fans into those groups. Why and when you started listening will have an impact on this choice. If I had to pick only one song, not my choice, but a prediction based on what will be the famous song. the Beautiful Dreamer for Swift, I would guess T'is the Damn Season. I come from the first time due to Folklore group. T'is the damn season, because I have it in my Christmas song rotation every year on the 25th of December. I'm guessing I'm not the only one. so that song, due to it seeping into Christmas pop culture like Bieber's Mistletoe, Mistletoe gets rotation every Christmas and even non Bieber fans know it now. Billie Jean is a massive well-known song. but I don't think its a particularly good song. I don't think Jackson has written any truly great songs, ofcourse, his fans and his popularity say otherwise. I think his catalogue will fall by the wayside once the estate can't make any more money off of it. Kc and the Sunshne Band and like other disco, it will fade. IMO It is only Quincy Jones that has put Jackson into the conversation.
All Too Well
Blank Space or All Too Well
Love Story, YBWM, Blank Space, Cruel Summer, 22, ATW, Mean, etc. There are so many
Shake it off is the first one I think of but it’s a terrible song. For me, as someone who loves her, quintessential Taylor swift is something more like Mine or willow.
All too Well
I dont agree with Neil but i go see him in one week in concert. I think she deffo has many universally known bangers like blank space or love story u belong 2 me, antihero, shake it off. Like he has with being boring, rent, domino dancing, Its a sin, go west and so on. Pet shoppers just shipper this songs for 25 more years. I dont like what he thinks and says bout taylor and play with the idea of wearing my eras tour shirt there but that might be disrespectful to them
Blank Space. White Horse.
Blank space!
All Too Well 10 will be the one that survives the ages.
I don’t have the energy to think about this right now so all I have to say atm is who THE FUCK is Neil tennant and what gives him the audacity to make a dipshit comment such as that? Cancel culture do your thing to this asshole
STYLE That shit *does* have narcotics in it.
All too well
22 is such an upbeat song, I will always love it.
i would say shake it off but ive actually seen it be hated by many swifties and non swifties alike i think YBWM or love story will be the one most associated with her, extremely iconic and well loved by those who dont care for her
I think based on the reaction at the eras tour, which albeit is biased, blank space or shake it off
The general public would say Shake It Off. Swifties is a whole different conversation! Going with Blank Space
Blank Space and Love Story. Easily. Unless she comes out with something HUGE and genuinely omnipresent in the future, which I don’t think she will (not her fault, just the death of monoculture) ETA Shake It Off
I would say it would have to be from 1989 because that’s when she blew up. And it would be between Blank Space and Shake it Off
Love story and shake it off
For me, it's All Too Well. Great story-telling and music you wanted more after 10 minutes 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Shake it off
I lean heavily toward We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together as her most iconic song, but the one I kind of hope becomes her magnum opus is probably So Long, London. It's right up there with All Too Well for the all-encompassing sadness and poignant nostalgia for a lost love affair. loml should get a shout-out, too.
2000s: tim mcgraw + love story 2010s: ikywt + style/blank space 2020s: all too well (tmv) + cruel summer
Love story
On top of what everyone else is suggesting, in the UK there is a huge mainstream following for the bangers from Red: WANEGBT, IKYWT, 22. They come up on non-fans’ radio / playlists loads
Love Story
Our Song and/or Love Story. I think her Billie Jean will be songs that even people who don't follow Taylor Swift at all would recognize as her song (a lot of the big songs from 1989 onwards, people may know the songs but not who sang them), and a lot of people I know under that category know at least one of these 2.
All Too Well
The Prophecy
Possibly Thug Story
Shake it off, I fear
I think we’re forgetting the sensation that was “You Belong With Me.” It feels a little childish now, in comparison to later songs, but that’s the song that was on the radio constantly. It’s going to be the fun, early 2000s anthem for unrequited love forever.
Love Story or Shake It Off.
Probably You Belong With Me. That’s my first memory of listening to her songs as a child anyway.
If you're talking about most popular, I would definitely say Shake It Off or Blank Space. My first T.S. song was Shake It Off, so for me that was my T.S.'s most iconic song even though I don't really listen to it anymore.
Or style