Taylor Swift first came to attention in 2006 as a teen country star. However, by the time of her second album Fearless it became obvious she could be just as appealing to pop music fans. This is a list of her 10 best songs for all music fans.
1. "You Belong With Me" - 2009
Courtesy Big Machine
Taylor Swift wrote "You Belong With Me" after overhearing a male friend argue over the phone with his girlfriend. It is one of the most overtly pop-oriented of her singles. "You Belong With Me" was nominated for Grammy Awards for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The accompanying music video won the MTV Video Music Awards accolade as Female Video of the Year which led to a notorious altercation with Kanye West. "You Belong With Me" hit #2 pop and #1 country.
2. "Love Story" - 2008
Courtesy Big Machine
"Love Story" was the lead single from Taylor Swift's second album Fearless. She says she wrote the song when she was dating a guy who wasn't the popular choice. "Love Story" uses references to Romeo and Juliet as the words unfold. It was Taylor Swift's first top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and her third #1 country hit.
3. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" - 2012
Courtesy Big Machine
Taylor Swift headed straight for mainstream pop territory on the first single from her album Red. It was co-written and co-produced by Swedish pop masterminds Max Martin and Shellback. The song sold 623,000 copies in its first week giving it the second best digital single sales week of all time.
4. "Teardrops On My Guitar" - 2007
Courtesy Big Machine Records
Taylor Swift's second hit single details the pain in loving a boy named Drew who is with another girl. "Teardrops On My Guitar" was a major pop breakthrough for Taylor Swift landing at #13. A remixed pop version was played frequently on pop radio. "Teardrops On My Guitar" also went all the way to #2 on the country chart.
5. "Back To December" - 2010
Courtesy Big Machine Records
"Back To December" is Taylor Swift's first apology in song. Many fans think that it is about her relationship with actor Taylor Lautner. It was released as a promotional single for the Speak Now album and landed in the pop top 10 based solely on its first week of digital sales.
6. "Our Song" - 2007
Courtesy Big Machine
Taylor Swift wrote "Our Song" for a talent show in her freshman year in high school. It talks about a young couple who don't have their own song, but instead uses events in their relationship to take the place of a song. "Our Song" was a #1 country hit for Taylor Swift and rose to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
7. "Eyes Open" - 2012
Courtesy Universal
"Eyes Open" is one of two songs Taylor Swift wrote and recorded for the soundtrack to the film The Hunger Games. It takes a rock ballad approach and is one of the least country sounding songs she has yet recorded. As a result "Eyes Open" only reached #50 on the country chart but rose to #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 at adult pop radio.
8. "Tim McGraw" - 2006
Courtesy Big Machine
This is the song that started everything for Taylor Swift. She says she wrote it during math class. The song details memories of a summer romance triggered by a song by Tim McGraw. The record hit the top 10 on the country chart and peaked at #40 pop.
9. "Today Was a Fairytale" - 2010
Courtesy Big Machine
"Today Was a Fairytale" was recorded by Taylor Swift for the soundtrack to the film Valentine's Day. The song is upbeat and talks about a day when a magical date takes place. "Today Was a Fairytale" has a strongly pop-oriented sound, and it peaked at #2 on the pop chart.
10. "I Knew You Were Trouble" - 2012
Courtesy Big Machine
"I Knew You Were Trouble" is one of the most overtly pop oriented songs from Taylor Swift's album Red. It was co-written and produced by pop master Max Martin. The song features elements of dub step. It was released as a promotional single from the album and hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
