10 Best Rock-Inspired Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked
Taylor Swift has borrowed from all different genres throughout her career, and despite mainly sticking to pop, she's even released some rock-inspired songs. Swift started her career as a country music singer before branching out and becoming a major pop star. Swift has released eleven albums and has never done the same thing twice, which has contributed to her massive success. After releasing her third pop album, Lover, Swift pivoted again, dropping folklore and evermore. The albums, which she referred to as sisters, leaned heavily into folk music, as most of the songs were folktales rather than nonfiction stories.
Back in 2010, however, Swift started shifting from country music and started bringing in more rock influences. During this time, she was hanging out a lot with Paramore's lead singer Hayley Williams, and she even brought her friend out as a special guest during the Speak Now tour. During the same tour, Swift covered a few songs, including Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and the rock-inspired rap track "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. While Swift has never done an entire album of rock songs, she has a few songs that are undeniably rock-influenced.
10 Electric Touch
Written by Taylor Swift
"Electric Touch" is the first vault track on Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and Swift's first-ever collaboration with Fall Out Boy, who she's named as a musical influence in the past. Unsurprisingly, the song sounds very similar to the band's work, with heavy electric guitars and drums playing throughout. Swift and Stump sing about a relationship that they assume will break their hearts while holding onto the slim hope that things might work out.
It sounds quite juvenile compared to what Swift would go on to create, but it was a perfect addition to the re-recording, given the nostalgia it brings. It's not one of the most revered songs off the re-recorded album, nor is it one of Swift's most notable in general, but the rock influences - particularly with Fall Out Boy as a feature - are still a delight. That places it at a lower rank on this list, but still gives it a rightful place here.
9 I Knew You Were Trouble
Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback
While "I Knew You Were Trouble" was a shocking hit upon release due to its unexpected dubstep influences, it also has a rock sound to it. The beat drops at the choruses, but throughout the verses and bridge, Swift incorporates heavy electric guitars. The song's rock influences come to life when she performs the single live with much heavier drums. This is most noticeable in her performances on the 1989 tour and the Eras Tour. There's even a lyric in the second chorus that mimics one from a 2005 Fall Out Boy song.
The lyric "A new notch in your bed is all I'll ever be" parallels the "Sugar, We're Goin Down" lyric "I'm just a notch in your bedpost." This might seem like a coincidence, but given Swift's confession that Fall Out Boy's songs have influenced her lyrics throughout her career, it's likely a direct link to them. The repetitive chorus and lyric style still qualify "I Knew You Were Trouble" as a pop song, but it's undeniable that Swift was aiming for a rock hit with this one.
8 Eyes Open
Written by Taylor Swift
In 2012, Taylor Swift contributed two songs to TheHunger Games soundtrack, one of which was "Eyes Open." It's arguably her most rock-sounding song, with lyrics about fighting in the battlegrounds and always being on edge. Along with its production, Swift's singing style is far less soothing than in some of her other songs. As the track seems to detail some of the struggles of living in the spotlight, Swift sounds angry and fearful as she sings about a "cruel world" where everyone is waiting for her to mess up and fall from grace.
The song was a perfect addition to The Hunger Games soundtrack and a great transition into her next album, Red. This particular album included more rock-inspired tracks like Swift's beloved "All Too Well". Since it was still so early in her career, this was one of the first hints of how capable the pop star was of switching things up and taking her fans by surprise.
7 Change
Written by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift concluded her sophomore album Fearless with another guitar-heavy track called "Change." Swift has said the song was inspired by coming up on a small record label and living in a time of massive change; the year Fearless was released was the same year Barack Obama was elected president. The song's production encapsulates this feeling perfectly. The guitars and drums add to the song's inspiring lyrics about how, while things seem hard sometimes, they are certain to change. The re-recorded version of "Change" is even more rock as Swift switches out her original high note for a new one.
The new end note is similar to how she performed the song live for years, aiming for a much longer high note at the end, which makes her sound like a true rock star. As her voice fades out, the guitar and drums take off, building up the perfect rock outro. As the last song on the album, it hinted at what Swift might have up her sleeve for her following album. As she showed us, there were a lot more rock tracks to come.
6 The Story of Us
Written by Taylor Swift
The best way to describe the production on "The Story of Us" is messy and chaotic. Swift sings about the frustration of not knowing where her current relationship stands. While it once felt like a fairy tale, it now feels like a story that's coming to an end. The loud drums and electric guitars put listeners right into Swift's shoes, filling their minds with disarray.
Swift truly puts thought into every detail of her music, and "The Story of Us" is an example of how her music conveys exactly how she's feeling no matter what new genre she's trying out. This one in particular really explores Swift's versatility, even if some of her other rock-inspired songs have done an even better job at that. This one is a great, and iconic, warm-up to what Swift would go on to create afterward, setting it more towards the middle of this ranking.
5 Better Than Revenge
Written by Taylor Swift
"Better Than Revenge" is one of Taylor Swift's most controversial tracks, as the original lyrics do not align with the message of female empowerment Swift has always stood by. While Swift switched her original slut-shaming lyrics for new ones in the re-recording, the initial message stands. Swift was angry that her boyfriend had broken up with her for another girl, and at only 19 years old, she didn't know any better than to blame the girl. As a song title with the word "revenge" in it, there are few other genres that would have suited the song.
Rock was the perfect way to go. It's one of the angriest songs the pop star has ever released, and Swift stayed true to these feelings when she re-recorded it a decade later. The song kicks off with a loud drum beat before following it up with harsh electric guitars and some intense guitar solos throughout. Swift never put out anything like it again on her future albums, making it truly one of a kind.
4 Holy Ground
Written by Taylor Swift
"Holy Ground" is another great pop-rock crossover track from Swift. The most rock-sounding aspect of the track is the second half of verse two, when Swift sings about the way her past relationship fell apart. She added something extra special when she performed the hit in late 2016 at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. During the verse, Swift added some vocal growls, making it even more rock-sounding.
If Swift ever does put out a complete rock album, it's clear she has what it takes to bring her voice up to par with other rock stars. This song, and the aforementioned performance, as certainly proof of that. That alone earns "Holy Ground" this ranking, functioning as a proper display for the vocals Swift can impressively deliver within this genre.
3 So High School
Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner
When Taylor Swift first stepped out with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, their relationship was reminiscent of a 2000s romcom. It drew many comparisons to the love story between Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray's characters in the 2004 film A Cinderella Story. It seems Swift was feeling it too, as her The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthologytrack "So High School" sounds just like some of the early 2000s soft rock songs utilized in movies from the early aughts.
The track about how Kelce makes Swift feel like she's back in high school sounds similar to hits by Avril Lavigne or Jimmy Eat World. It's much gentler than the other times Swift has visited rock. It still, however, represents how capable the pop star is of effortlessly sliding in and out of various genres.
2 Haunted
Written by Taylor Swift
Swift's song "Haunted" sounds exactly as its title suggests. The singer-songwriter tells the story of feeling haunted by a past relationship over the sound of drums, guitars, and even orchestra instruments. One of Swift's best rock performances was when she performed the song at the Psycho house at Universal Studios Hollywood backlot in 2010 for the film's 50th anniversary. If Swift hadn't already convinced people she was a real rock star, that performance certainly solidified her status.
"Haunted" has since gone on to become a fan-favorite track, and for good reason. Outside the rock influences, this song is undoubtedly one of Swift's most unique and impactful pieces of work, telling its story with vivid emotion. This made it a frequently replayed song during the surprise songs set on the Eras Tour, where Swift continued to prove just how wonderful this track is. Only one other rock-inspired song manages to top this one for Swift.
1 State of Grace
Written by Taylor Swift
"State of Grace" may just be one of Taylor Swift's most underrated songs, despite being lyrically one of her best. The guitar solo that opens the song feels reminiscent of something off of a U2 album. The lyrics also cut deep as Swift sings about an ex-boyfriend of hers and how things could either go right or very badly depending on how he plays the game of love. The song is the first track on her Red album and was the opening song on her Red tour, setting the tone of the album.
While it didn't make it onto the Eras tour setlist, it found itself on the surprise song list more than once. Swift has clearly showcased major love for the rock genre throughout her career, even if she's never put out an official rock album. However, with Taylor Swift's unpredictability, time can only tell what she's got up her sleeve next.
