Here is a ranked guide to Taylor Swift’s album tracks explicitly labeled “From the Vault” on her Taylor’s Version releases, ordered by songwriting, melodic distinction, arrangement, emotional payoff and replay value. This is one critic’s assessment, not an official or consensus ranking. The list covers releases available through October 8, 2026, and includes “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” because it is a vault track on Red (Taylor’s Version).
What counts as a Taylor Swift vault song?
This ranking uses a narrow, consistent definition: a song must be explicitly presented as “From the Vault” on a Taylor’s Version album release. That keeps the list tied to a clear release label rather than fan use of “vault” for any unreleased, previously recorded or later-issued song.
![Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor’s Version – Aquamarine Green) [CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519XWImLuIL._SL160_.jpg)
For example, Apple Music identifies “Is It Over Now?” as a From The Vault track on 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Deluxe, a 22-song edition released October 27, 2023. Apple Music’s album listing provides the release details and track designation. The official store lists six vault tracks on the 27-song vinyl edition of Fearless (Taylor’s Version); its stock status can change. Taylor Swift’s official store listing.
Some fan catalogs also group songs such as “Babe,” “Better Man” and “You’re Losing Me” with vault material, but those have different release contexts and are not included under this album-label rule. A prior TIME ranking excluded the 10-minute version of “All Too Well”; this list makes the opposite choice and states it plainly.
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#1 Best Overall
- The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th
The ranking
1. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
The expanded version earns the top place because its length serves the song’s emotional escalation rather than merely extending it. The specific details make the breakup feel lived-in, while the refrain gathers force each time it returns. Its scale can make it less convenient to replay casually, but the lyrical development and payoff justify the time.
2. “Is It Over Now?” — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
A sharp, restless pop song built around suspicion and unfinished business, “Is It Over Now?” pairs a memorable hook with lyrics that keep turning the breakup over from new angles. Its compact momentum gives it exceptional replay value. Apple Music lists it among the vault tracks on the 22-song deluxe album released October 27, 2023: album listing.
3. “Nothing New” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
“Nothing New” stands out for its clear-eyed anxiety about aging, relevance and the attention young women receive. The writing is unusually direct without losing tenderness, and the duet arrangement deepens the sense of shared experience rather than distracting from the song’s central worry.
4. “Mr. Perfectly Fine” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Bright, brisk and pointed, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” turns post-breakup indignation into an instantly legible pop-country character sketch. The title hook is economical, the production keeps the track buoyant, and the contrast between its upbeat sound and wounded perspective gives it staying power.
Rank #2
![The Life of a Showgirl[Sweat & Vanilla Perfume CD with Poster]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41yCcbNzURL._SL160_.jpg)
- Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, will be released worldwide October 3, 2025
5. “I Bet You Think About Me” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
This country-leaning cut makes its breakup argument through class contrast, social detail and a sharply delivered chorus. Its wit is more distinctive than its melodic shape, but the song’s voice is unmistakable, and its narrative perspective gives it a satisfying bite.
6. “You All Over Me” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Patient and reflective, “You All Over Me” treats memory as something that lingers in the smallest traces. Its restrained arrangement leaves room for the lyric’s imagery, and the result feels more contemplative than dramatic—a strength, even if it has less immediate hook power than the songs above it.
7. “The Very First Night” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
One of the most buoyant entries, this track turns nostalgia into forward motion. The melody is easy to hold onto, and the chorus gives its longing a bright, almost conversational lift. Its emotional stakes are lighter than those of the highest-ranked songs, but it is among the collection’s most natural repeat listens.
8. “Come Back…Be Here” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
Distance and uncertainty shape this understated ballad. Its appeal lies in the simple ache of wanting someone present before the relationship has settled into certainty. The melodic restraint suits the subject, though the song makes a subtler impression than the more sharply defined narratives higher in the ranking.
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Rank #3
- Taylor Swift's seventh studio album Lover was released in 2019 and includes the Top 10 hits, "You Need to Calm Down," "Lover," and "Me!" featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco
9. “Forever Winter” — Red (Taylor’s Version)
“Forever Winter” takes a more urgent, outward-looking perspective, with a lively arrangement set against concern for someone in crisis. That tension makes the track emotionally affecting and distinctive. Its subject gives the song a heavier center than its energetic surface first suggests.
10. “We Were Happy” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
A quiet recollection of a relationship before it fell apart, “We Were Happy” relies on a gentle melody and uncomplicated sadness. It is effective as a mood piece, but its familiar emotional terrain and less forceful hook leave it below the strongest Fearless-era vault songs.
11. “That’s When” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
The duet format gives “That’s When” a conversational shape, as two people negotiate separation and the possibility of return. Its back-and-forth is pleasant and clear, though the song’s resolution arrives more smoothly than its premise’s emotional tension might promise.
12. “Don’t You” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Built around the discomfort of seeing an ex behave as though nothing happened, “Don’t You” has a polished pop surface and a relatable central frustration. The restraint is part of its character, but the track does not build toward as distinctive a payoff as the entries ranked above it.
13. “Bye Bye Baby” — Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
As a farewell, “Bye Bye Baby” closes the Fearless vault group with a clear sense of resignation. The performance is earnest and the melody is accessible, yet the song’s goodbye feels less individualized than the best entries on this list, leaving it last in this particular ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the order is subjective
No authoritative ranking establishes the best vault songs. The order above weighs lyrical specificity, melody, arrangement, emotional payoff and the desire to return to a track; readers who prioritize production, nostalgia or danceability may reasonably rank them differently. TIME has described a process of averaging individual writers’ rankings, while a single-writer list necessarily reflects one set of judgments: TIME’s ranking and method.
How the catalog could change
The ranking is current to releases available on October 8, 2026, and applies only to songs labeled From the Vault on Taylor’s Version album releases. The Associated Press reported in 2025 on the re-recorded albums through 1989 and their vault material; later releases could add eligible songs. Apple Music’s artist catalog is one place to check for subsequent releases: Taylor Swift on Apple Music. Any new Taylor’s Version vault tracks would require a fresh comparison, not an automatic placement at the bottom of this list.
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