1989 is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. Following the release of her genre-spanning fourth studio album Red (2012), noted for its pop hooks and electronic accents, the media questioned the validity of Swift's status as a country artist. Inspired by 1980s synth-pop to create a record that shifted her sound and image from country to mainstream pop, Swift enlisted Max Martin as co-executive producer, and titled her fifth album after her birth year as a symbolic rebirth of her artistry. The album's synth-pop sound is characterized by heavy synthesizers, programmed drums, and processed backing vocals. Swift wrote the songs inspired by her personal relationships, which had been a trademark of her songwriting. The songs on 1989 express lighthearted perspectives, departing from her previous hostile attitude towards failed romance. Swift and Big Machine promoted the album extensively through product endorsements, television, radio appearances and social media. They pulled 1989 from free streaming services such as Spotify, prompting an industry discourse on the impact of streaming on music sales.After the album's release, Swift embarked on the 1989 World Tour, which was the highest-grossing tour of 2015. The album was supported by seven singles, including three US Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood". Critics praised Swift's songwriting in 1989 for offering emotional engagement that they found uncommon in the mainstream pop scene. Meanwhile, the synth-pop production raised questions regarding Swift's authenticity as a lyricist. The album appeared on several publications' lists of the best albums of the 2010s and featured in Rolling Stone's 2020 revision of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. At the 58th Grammy Awards in 2016, 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, making Swift the first female solo artist to win Album of the Year twice. 1989 was a commercial success. In the US, Swift became the first artist to have three albums each sell over one million copies within their first week of release. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and received a nine-times platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also earned multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, and the UK, and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Fuck it. I keep looking for reasons to not give this a five but I'm being an idiot. This is a great listen start to finish. Tons of hits and even when it slows down towards the end the songs still get to me. I unabashedly think this is a great album. In other words - I like a the juice.
The quintessential pop album? Every other song is a damn hit, and even the ones that didn't dominate the radio and department store playlists are catchy as fuck. I would've had a rough time telling you when exactly these songs came out before I came back to this album, and that really just speaks to the timeless feel of this record. Hell yeah Already Saved: Wildest Dreams Saved After Listening: Blank Space, Style, Out Of The Woods
The album equivalent of the CW network- i can't fault anyone for enjoying it, but you'll never convince me it's good.
This is pretty much everything I dislike about chart music and there was very little that could salvage it. Also everything I've ever seen of her when she's not singing is that she's a bit of a cunt. Shit music sung by a cunt, looks like a one way trip to one star-ville.
Seriously? I made it through 2/3 of the way. The lyrics are laughable and the music boring at best, and grating at worst.
Players gonna play and the haters gonna hate
Awesome listen
I don't know what it is about the sound of contemporary pop, but I just can't stand it. I fully realise I'm at the extreme minority corner, but that does not change my perceptions.
Yup. I unapologetically love it. I didn’t realise it was a love letter to the new romantic movement of the 80s. I love it even more.
Bow down before your queen
I've never knowingly listened to a Taylor Swift track, though I recognised a few from this. I found the whole experience utterly depressing. I will always champion something that's incompetent but ambitious versus competent mediocrity, and this falls squarely into the latter camp. I realise I'm not the target audience for this pabulum but someone thinks it's one of a thousand-odd albums I need to hear before croaking. I'm almost glad I did, because it'll make all the other colours brighter. Lyrics and production are terrible, but overall it's the fact that this just sounds so dead that makes me recoil. This feels like music that could be written, and performed, by AI. You could tell me that there wasn't a single trace of human endeavour to be found in 1989 and I would believe you.
I already have this album added to my library, and what a fantastic album it is! The entire record is filled with pop hits that were very popular when it came out, and rightfully so. The songs are catchy, Taylor’s vocals are amazing, and the overall production is great! This album is so much fun and with so many hits, and basically no duds, it’s very hard to pick a favorite! I know Taylor Swift can be somewhat polarizing, but I don’t understand how anyone can listen to this album open-mindedly and genuinely believe that it’s bad. In fact, I would venture as far as to say this is an almost perfect pop album! 5/5
I felt a little ancient the first time I realized that Taylor Swift named this album 1989 not just because it pays homage to 80s pop, but that it was also the year she was born. It's also funny because I know that I would have loved this album in the 80s even if I pretended I didn't think it was cool. Which is pretty much exactly how I secretly felt about Taylor Swift in the 2010s (secret except for that time I nailed "Look What You Made Me Do" at karaoke). Although I've never listened to this album through before, so many of these songs are burned in my brain from listening so much. I've gotten a whole lot of joy listening, dancing, singing along, and de-stressing to "Shake it Off" in the car. This is my own musical tonic. There isn't a song on here that I don't enjoy.
As far a contemporary pop goes, not bad. For pop, I’d rather look to artists like Grimes, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sophie, GFOTY, Charli XCX, and 100 Gecs, but I won’t complain if someone puts some T-Swizzle on.
Definition of all right. Incredibly sterile, offensively inoffensive, catchy but uninteresting production that rarely is fun. It feels so safe, while listening to this i felt like i was listening to an album of songs made for the sole purpose of getting some hits, it felt so calculated. No idea what this is doing on this list. The two tracks i liked are Shake it off, which is a great and fun song with a (for this album) unique instrumental, and Clean, which was a great emotional pop song.
Non-stop bops
Oh, so this is the Taylor Swift about whom I've heard so much from under the rock where I've been living. I get it now! Hella catchy but also sophisticated pop tunes. Good for the kids and their parents (and their parents' childless friends). Love it!
Packed full of pop hits. Only 2/13 tracks that I don't like.
I will never not rate Taylor Swift 5/5! The day of got this album, some clowns had been speculating she would rerelease (or announce the date for) 1989, so it felt like a casually cruel twist of fate to get it.
I don’t care. It’s a damn good album.
beautiful
A favorite album. My biased opinion finds this album sublime, joyous, perfect. Even better in the DLX version.
Fricking pop magic.
I love this album giving it a five probably because I know all the songs but I just think they’re really fun I know it’s not that advanced but I just really love the album
It's not my favourite album of hers (Red) but I can't deny it's packed with smash after smash, including Clean, maybe her best song.
Taylor it’s cool sounding pop! Like it
Loved it
Banging
Blank Space, Shake It Off
superbly crafted pop music.
Not Taylor's best- but definitely a 10/10 and classic.
This is one of my favorite albums of hers, especially the deluxe edition that has the song "You Are In Love" but I'll stick with the regular. There are so many great songs on here, Blank Space, Out of the Woods, Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams, How You Get the Girl, This Love...this was also her first pop album which was probably why it stuck so much with me. I wasn't as big a fan of country Taylor and when this album came out I fell in love with her pop side. This album is an easy four star, but I'm giving it five because it is very difficult for artists to change genres and she pulled it off.
Every single song on this album is an absolute pop banger......are words I never thought I'd say about a Taylor Swift album..... but this album is great in a genre that has spawned WAP, to have a collection of songs as catchy, light hearted and positive as this is a rare treat
No Taylor's Version yet :(
Overproduced. Formulaic. Vapid lyrics. Catchy melodies though. Bit far from those country roots when she was playing bars in places like Kuna, Idaho. Unfortunately, I did catch myself bobbing my head a number of times. That's the only reason it gets two stars.
Swedish super-producer pop. It's fine, but I couldn't find anything distinctive about it. I'd never listened to Taylor Swift before, but was expecting better based on reputation. I'm not sure if the generic production style hides some good song writing, or serves to disguise a lack of quality songs. 2/5
Trying to find a reason to not give this 5 stars, and I can’t. Loved what she did with Folklore/Evermore and felt this album was the “safe” one for her but she did the genre better than most others. Every song here is a hit. Even the non radio singles are catchy as hell Fave tracks: “Blank Space” “Out of the Woods” “Style” “Bad Blood”
I will listen to this album in shame all the time.
I hadn't listened to 1989 in full before, but so many of the songs are familiar, those cornerstones of mid 2010s pop. It's a good album. It feels like Tay-Tay has a solid concept and thoroughly runs through it, her life as a young woman navigating both the life of a celeb and just surviving the dating world. The opening track "Welcome to New York" feels a little out of place because 1989 is not a New York album. But everything works. The best track is "Wildest Dreams", especially the pre-chorus. There's something so heartbreaking about the melancholic "Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress / Staring at the sunset, babe".
I have to admit I will never stop loving this album...is anyone surprised? I have probably listened to it 100 times and it never gets old. This was when Taylor Swift fully transitioned from the pop-country style to just plain pop. Welcome to NY is the most uplifting declaration of that change and from there the whole album is so nostalgic to the mid-2010s.
bangers only
5555
This a pop album done right. It's fun from beginning to end, full of catchy songs and refreshingly positive songs. I realized I had listened to a lot of these songs as covers (which sometimes I enjoyed more) so it was nice to listen to the originals.
The girl can write some catchy pop songs
History will probably put this pop album in the top Tier of the 21st century.
One of my favourite Taylor Swift albums. I like the high tempo start and the slower finish.
I’m a fan!
Has it been nearly 8 years since this was released? Amazing how time flies. Back then I was worried about Taylor Swift going full-on pop because I really loved her country songs. One listen to 1989 and my reservations were swept aside. Every song on this album won me over with infectious hooks galore! I know people who are dismissive of Taylor Swift - but even if you don’t like her music you can’t deny her incredible talent. Transitioning from country to pop is a very challenging feat that a very small number of artists were ever able to pull off. Taylor did this while continuing to write most of her songs, kept her fans in the process, and dominated the music charts the whole time. My love for this album is already obvious since I have had it in regular rotation for the last 8 years. I know haters gonna hate but there’s a special place in my life for Taylor and I’m very happy to see her on this list.
This album has quite a few singles, and I was familiar with them, but I had never listened to a T.Swift album before. The album marks the shift to full on pop, and it definitely does fit right into that genre. It is a good album. I wasn't really awed by the album, because there wasn't anything there that I didn't expect, I guess. But it was very likable and easy to listen to.
I was skeptical first - as I though it's too recent to be added to a best of list (it's basically what my daughter is listening to!). But this album got me - the songs are really really catchy, positive (which most of the albums on this lack) but also really creative. Really a masterpiece. And the synths are top notch. I see how she was inspired by the 80s synth songs. In the hope this album stands the test of time - gave it 5 stars. Highlights: Out Of The Woods, Shake It Off, You Are In Love
Why would I give this a 5? Modern pop music sucks, right? Taylor Swift sucks too, right? So what if those modern-twisted '80s inspired hooks are catchy? Most of the tracks so overplayed listening to it again hurts right? And the moving atmospheric tracks such as "Out of the Woods" and "Wildest Dreams"? Erm... Not that good right? I mean Taylor is probably not the first one who did that. Oh, and the second half are pretty boring already, huh? So what if those soft tracks are so goood? It ultimately drags the album... I'm only rating this album a very little bit too high because nostalgia. Yes. Those nights with my kid siblings. Watching MTV. The smell of fried potatoes. The way pasta compliments the taste of softdrinks. Father going home from work. It's only nostalgia right? This album is overrated, so I would not give this a 5.
Modern classic. Can’t deny t-swizzle’s a legend
I did get down to that sick beat
4/12/22 I’m so freaking excited!! I love this album and have already listened to it all the way through many times before. Personally I think it’s one of Taylor’s bests with so many great hits that I can listen to over and over again! Fun lyrics and high energy this album is AMAZING! I literally know every word to every song on the album!! Favorite song: Bad Blood maybe but literally I cannot pick a favorite I love them all!!
An album with so many certifiable bangers. It’s so strong all the way through I just had to give it a 5
Listened to on 4/12/22 5/5 Favorite song: This Love, Style I knew all of this and loved every minute of it - absolute bangers
Sorry in advance you guys, but this album deserves a 5 in my eyes. As far as pop goes this is likely one of the least annoying or repetitive ones of the bunch and many of these songs were ones I grew up hearing during the peak of my childhood. Yes T Swizzle wrote them all about her exes, but they are catchy and not as bad as most pop songs. Also I hate her country vibe albums and this one is not that
The key here is the nonsingles, as I think is the case with Taylor generally. Huge ups to Clean in this regard, interesting instruments on that one. Of course the singles themselves indicate a sonic shift for Taylor that is much more pop-centered, and a wide spread there. Probably a 4.5, but still deserving of a 5 for how prominent this album was during its release.
Pure pop perfection. Every song is catchy and the production is spot on. I tried to fault it but found myself foot tapping and singing along to every track.
Not my favorite Taylor album, but this is still full of good hits and quality cuts that don't get radio play. This feels like a 4 or 4.5 musically for me, and I didn't want to over rate it...but the songs I wasn't familiar with were so good, and that plus the importance of this shift in her sound and how she was percieved gives me enough reason to bring it to a 5. || This album specifically makes me wish you would get certain connected albums in order...or at least within a semi-close timeframe so that listeners could better compare the evolution in an artist's sound. That would make me much more willing to get excited about some of the artists that have frequently appearances (looking at you bowie and costello).
Pop Perfection. From a country singer none the less. She consistently defies expectations and refuses to stay in her box. The songwriting is as exceptional as ever and the jump in genres is effortless. Its fun, confident, playful and forward thinking. The girl is brilliant and one of the best songwriters of our her generations. One day she'll do a grime album. and that'll be great as well. 5/5
How am I *not* giving this 5 stars?
Better than expected on a start-finish basis
This is the first album from this project that I've already listened to! I've been leaving notes to myself about each album just so I remember them better, but no need to do that for this album because I've already listened to it 100 times. This is an easy 5 stars. Part of me feels like I should give it 4 because there are definitely a few songs I listened to once and basically never again, and I actually hate the song Bad Blood lol. But there are so many highs on this album, and when it's good, it's so good, so I can't help but give it a 5. My favorite songs on this album are New Romantics, Shake it Off, and All You Had to Do Was Stay.
The epitome of pop. That album that makes me want to go on a fun montage with my friends and not look back.
As insane as it sounds, I don’t think I’ve ever heard an entire song by Taylor Swift. I’m not of the demographic that usually likes her music, so I’ve never felt a need to try it. I know she has country influences, which also has put me off it. I’m cautiously optimistic for this album. It certainly has a upbeat start with the first track. It’s a very well put together pop album and I enjoyed much more than I thought I would. I also recognized the beginnings of a couple of songs. I also think how the album flows from uptempo to slower is very well done. And to top it all off, the homage to 80s pop is great and hits well with me, as I love 80s pop in particular. Fav Track: Blank Space 5/5
Although I've been told this is a banger by numerous sources, I can now confirm that it is indeed a banger.
Banger after banger
I've been a Swiftie for more than a decade now and have loved her evolution as an artist. 1989 represented a shift away from the country sounds from her earlier albums and was hinted at in Red. This is a direction I've absolutely loved as she matured as a songwriter. I love this album. The songs are absolute bangers and Style is a top 5 maybe top 3 favourite song of mine from her work. Yeah Shake It Off is silly and stupid, but she always has a few of those on her albums. Every time I relisten to songs from this album I discover some small new thing. Also, perhaps most important, I am the same age as Taylor so I really identify with her themes and topics that she explores in her songwriting. When this album came out, I could feel what she was going through in her life since I was going through similar things in my own life. I've always felt a very strong connection to her themes as she captures what it's like to be at that age.
sim, pop queen 2
This album sorta raised me so i am biassed but i do know for a fact that this is one of the most influential and the best pop albums of the 2010s and my favourite album from Taylor swift new romantics is just to much of a banger to not give it 5 stars on its own let alone how u get the girl or out of the woods i love taylor swift so much and i knew prety much all of the words from this album whilst re-listening to it
My first exposure to 1989 was the Ryan Adams cover. That colors my experience of this listen, the most underwhelming one so far: The songwriting here is incredibly strong. The production is flawless as well, though it sometimes comes across as overproduction. Never stale, to be fair, and the magic of the album is when the vocals and production and songwriting perfectly overlay one another for a few transcendent seconds. Those intervals have been different for me over the years. This time I paid more attention to Taylor's vocals as well, which have a good amount of diversity while staying signature.
Some perfect pop. Great album.
If you like pop music, it's pretty damn good.
Full of bops, didn't expect to like it that much
Some amazing music and production. Every song is beautifully crafted and just drags you in. I do wish that some of the songs took a few more risks and had more room to breathe - not every songs needs to be a 4 minute single. What spoils it for me is that it feels like the soundtrack to a high school drama. Which it probably has been used for multiple times. Lyrically it really paints a picture, but a picture of a shallow self absorbed person going through a breakup with no shred of intropection beyond 'I like bad boys lol'
Personally, I'm not a Swifty. But this album is a bonafide classic.
the most mid taylor swift album. this love and wildest dreams are timeless bops tho
1980’s pop for people who weren’t alive or old enough to actually experience the 1980’s. It’s reboot culture: “Hey, remember this thing from when we were kids, let’s remake it for the modern generation and squeeze a few more bucks out of it”. The United States is caught in a perpetual cycle of nostalgia and trend recycling, at least in mainstream culture. We’re constantly looking back, trying to relive the glory days, and who can blame us? Shit sucks right now. But you know what? The 1980’s kind of sucked, too. Politically, you can trace a lot of the problems we have today to the 80’s. Culturally, the 80’s was a decade of excess; all style and little substance in the mainstream. It’s an era superficiality, so it makes sense that pop music keeps getting sucked back to it. Making a record that’s a throwback to a sound that’s already lacking depth makes for pretty thin soup, in my opinion. I’m not saying that pop music and mainstream culture doesn’t have its merits, just that we put too much value on it. Were the 80’s great because of the films, tv and music we choose to remember or were they actually great? If you lived through them, you probably remember a lot stuff that really sucked - no one’s out there trying to make a Small Wonder reboot or Silver Spoons: The Movie and look how well trickle-down economics worked for the lower and middle classes. I guess my point is that, if you only remember the “greatest hits” of a period time and disregard the low points and flops, you aren’t getting the full picture. You’re getting a romanticized version, and you’ll end up making the same mistakes as the people that lived through that time. “1989” is exactly that: A superficial homage to a superficial decade. So in that regard, it succeeds. It gives people enough to feel like they missed out on something incredible in 1980’s, but in reality, on a cultural level, the 80’s were no greater or shittier than every decade that’s followed, except for, you know, this one. This one sucks.
Boring and clichéd. Only managed half of it as it was irritating me.
Trallvänligt men tråkigt
Like Fearne Fotton screaming into pillow.
I hate Taylor Swift. This did not change that. In fact, all it did was make me hate myself more for listening to it.
6/10 for production minus 2 for the laziest lyrics i’ve ever heard, you have to be a walking red flag (and a legitimate bad person) to have THAT many exes you need to shit on in every song minus another 2 for every song sounding the same, oh wow THIS song has trumpets! and THIS song has acoustic guitar, how creative! and minus another 2 for pure pettiness, I’ve had to listen to each and every one of these songs ad nauseam when this POS album was new hearing this album put my body into a fight-or-flight response, I still get fucking PTSD flashbacks to that Norm of the North trailer I would rather eat a literal dick the way Armin Meiwes would, than listen to this god forsaken album one more gd time
Part of me likes to think that Taylor is writing about the long term prospects for her own career on 'Style', the record's third track. Singing directly to her target market, it is absolutely true that there will always be middle school students that will flock to her concerts and gobble up her records. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that her popularity relates to quality in any way. Repetitive structures, catch-phrase lyrics, and monotonous production decimate what little there is to begin with here. Insipid pop music.
Not aimed at me. If I was a 13 year old girl then maybe! My idea of music is something more than squawking along to a computer backing track. Listened to about 6 'tunes' before wasting my life was no longer an option. 1 star
Music for the I-Phone-y generation. Featuring self-obsessed lyrics that sound like they were written on the back a fag packet by a 14 year old kid during detention, chewing gum vocals married to robotic synthesized music, this is about as tedious as expected. It is catchy pop music mind, so I suppose it's no surprise it's a big selling album. But after several sessions of therapy, I think I'm at peace following the ordeal of listening to it.
Incredibly derivative, full of Rihanna “ehs”, Lorde beats, Coldplay hooks and annoying girl lyrics.
If it wasn't for 1,001 and this cool website I wouldn't listen to albums that are not on my radar such as this. Because of 1,001 I've found some hidden gems so I thank them for that. For example, I would never have listened to Kanye's Dark Twisted Fantasy because I think he's a douche, but I was genuinely surprised at how good that album was. He really is a crazy genius mofo. Unfortunately Taylor Swift isn't in that category it reinforces why I was correct in avoiding it for all those years. Damn you 1,001, this was pure shite
I cannot understand how this utter rubbish ended up in here.
I don’t want to be curmudgeonly and genuinely go into every album assuming I’ll enjoy it but in the pantheon of pop music I’m really at odds as to how this album made it to the list. For the most part it’s bland oversimplified musicality and woeful woeful lyrics leave me feeling deflated. The singles on this album are bops and there’s one decent Ballard towards the end but all in all I came away from the experiance thinking less of Taylor Swift. Lorde or Miley Cyrus made better pop albums in this era just to name two alternative examples. If I could have a decimal rating it would gain an extra 0.5 for ‘style’ and ‘shake it off’ but otherwise it deserves the 1 rating.
Hay que aceptar el pop cuando es pop bueno y este es del mejor que hay. Taylor Swift (al menos en esta etapa) es tremendamente buena y si eso fuera poco tiene la mano de los suecos Max Martin y Shellback que lo que tocan lo hacen oro pop. Su voz es linda y bien cuidada, sus letras y tonadas tienen esos momentos pegajosos que se te quedan el día completo, totalmente relatable para su público (obviamente no para nosotros rayando los 40, pero sí para escuinclas de su edad para abajo) y con momentos altos y bajos para llenar todos los apetitos. Al César lo que es del César.
Almost every song is a coming of age tale and a scene from a light romantic comedy - love songs for the early 20s, care free yet surprisingly lucid - this album is well crafted, well written, restrained yet pumping throughout - stylishly and well produced. It’s also paced just right - and I enjoyed every minute of it. Never thought in my life I’d give a Taylor Swift album 5 stars but here we are.
okay - pretty great album
lindo perfeito maravilhoso
I tried not buying in to the Taylor Swift hype, but this was a banger
I like it...I'm old now
ставлю пятеру тэйлор, потому что рил кайфик, альбом сладкий, как чупачупс с жвачкой
YASS
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÁ literally mother