The Most Popular Taylor Swift Album in Every U.S. State

In the last year, Taylor Swift has raked in headlines—and, we suspect, a ton of money—with surprise album drops, significant pandemic relief funding, and revamped recordings of old hits. Tall, blonde, and almost unbearably earnest, Swift has been both a music industry darling and outcast, stacking Grammy nominations and awards while coming to blows with heavy-hitters like Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry (and their millions of respective fans). With a knack for penning pop hits—often loaded with revenge lyrics and nods to her bizarre bevy of notable exes (looking at you, Mr. Styles)—Swift is beloved by anyone who has ever inked their initials alongside someone else’s, cried while journaling, or made winged eyeliner their entire personality. But which of her record-breaking discography tops the charts in the hearts of Swifties across the country?  

Methodology

To find out, we turned to online search interest. Using a list of Taylor Swift’s nine studio albums and one re-recorded album ((Fearless (Taylor’s Version)), we explored Google search trends over the last 12 months for every state and the District of Columbia. We determined clear winners for the most searched album in every state, the most searched album overall, and how many states searched that album the most. So, Swifties, are you “…Ready For It?”

“Sparks Fly” in Google Search Results

Search data backs up Swift’s fame—all of her albums ranked highest in search interest in at least one state. Fans in Washington, D.C., Texas, and Tennessee have been rooting for Taylor since she got her start in country music, searching for her very first album, Taylor Swift, above any that have followed. In Nebraska and Vermont, listeners see Red when they think about how Jake Gyllenhaal broke Taylor’s heart. In Delaware and Arkansas, the synthetic soundscapes and romantic escapism of 1989 make the album first-rate, while the bubblegum beats of Lover make it the number one pick in Alaska and Rhode Island. Search interest for the first recording of Fearless was highest in Alabama and Indiana, while Fearless (Taylor’s Version) surpassed its predecessor in Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, and Louisiana.

Speak Now, a singularly confessional crossover album, with both country and pop moments, swept in Colorado, Florida, and Hawaii, among others. Folklore’s surprise release brought relief to fans mid-pandemic, showcasing Swift’s pivot to an indie-pop celebration of solid, timeworn love; the album ranked first in California, Michigan, Idaho, Illinois, and Washington. Evermore, the surprise sister album of Folklore that dropped in 2020, called to mind quiet winter walks and haunting past loves for listeners in Maryland, Utah, Oregon, Virginia, and more. Reputation ranked first in only one state, Montana—“Call It What You Want,” but that album was still a success. 

“The 1”

So which albums have the most screaming fans, and which albums can go back into Taylor’s famous vault? Folklore was the standout chart-topper, ranking first in 14 states, where listeners in states like New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York appreciated the softer, more nostalgic side of Swift. Evermore followed suit with 10 states, including Kansas, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio. Speak Now also boasts first place in 10 states, including Arizona, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts, where listeners made themselves heard in the rankings.

“Gold Rush”

Does search popularity align with album sales? We took a deeper dive into unit sales for each of the albums explored in this ranking and uncovered some surprises. Fearless (the first recording), ranking first in only two states, generated the most unit sales at 9,955,000—surpassing more buzzworthy albums like Folklore and Evermore by 8,070,000 and 9,320,000 respectively. Red, Taylor Swift, and Speak Now also drew more sales than newer, genre-bending albums with extensive production, high-profile collaborations, and significant national search interest. It’s possible that this shift in unit sales can be attributed to Swift’s complex, often contradictory relationship with streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, but it also may be a reflection of changing listener tastes—some of Swift’s fans simply may not have grown with her.

Final Thoughts

Despite the controversy that often follows the singer, there’s no contesting that Taylor Swift has been extremely successful, amassing fortune and fame over the course of her 17 years in the music industry. But we don’t all have a Taylor Swift bank account, and protecting our investments is key. Surety First’s contractor bonds protect homeowners—and their money—in the event of a breach of contract or a call from a contractor saying “I Did Something Bad”. Next time you’re looking to upgrade your home, make sure to hire a fully bonded and insured contractor.