Considering how many hits she has tallied, how many awards she has won and how many massive venues she has filled, it feels like country crossover superstar Taylor Swift is a veteran at this point. However, the singer is only celebrating her 21st birthday today, which means she can finally legally toast to her many, many successes.
In honor of Swift's birthday, here are the 21 best songs from her three multi-platinum albums.
21. "Picture to Burn"
Her later work would become much more caustic, but this track from her debut laid the groundwork for her evolution.
20. "Back to December"
Swift's ode to ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner is one of the better ballads in her catalog.
19. "White Horse"
A breezy epic from her breakthrough album Fearless.
18. "Teardrops On My Guitar"
One of Swift's most country-fied tunes, "Teardrops On My Guitar" has its heart in Nashville but its head on pop radio.
17. "Hey Stephen"
A bouncy track from Fearless, "Hey Stephen" is notable for its delightful use of a Hammond organ.
16. "Should've Said No"
Another great twangy epic with a huge chorus from Swift's debut.
15. "Breathe"
Swift's bluegrass-kissed duet with Colbie Caillat is a slow-burning number that builds to a gutsy climax.
14. "You're Not Sorry"
Though "You're Not Sorry" is one of the strongest tracks from Fearless, it can't hold a candle to the depth on Speak Now. Still, it's extremely well-written and cutting.
13. "Innocent"
Probably the darkest song in Swift's song library, her song about Kanye West brought the house down at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.
12. "Speak Now"
The title track from Swift's latest album splits the difference between her country roots, her sneering rock touches and her commitment to polished pop. Plus, the narrative she constructs with the lyrics has the sort of detail that songwriters twice her age struggle with.
11. "The Story of Us"
A dance track from Taylor Swift? On this Speak Now cut, she proves that she can do as much with drum machines and synths as she can with acoustic guitars and banjos.
10. "Our Song"
Swift's loveliest lyric from her debut album.
9. "Fifteen"
A heartfelt shuffle full of heartbreaking teenage angst that feels extra real — probably because Swift wasn't that far removed from the freshman year narrative when she wrote it.
8. "Sparks Fly"
A rugged, confident rocker that finds Swift at her most intimate, honest and passionate.
7. "The Best Day"
One of the later tracks from Fearless, "The Best Day" is a minimalist song that is tremendously specific and yet entirely universal — a remarkable accomplishment for such a young lyricist.
6. "Mean"
On "Mean," Swift establishes an incredible dichotomy, as she matches a sweet back porch country tune with some of her most cutting lyrics (which target critics who take her down).
5. "Love Story"
A massively successful single, "Love Story" also represents Swift's purest pop moment.
4. "Mine"
The first single from Speak Now has everything Swift's fans love: the sharp lyrics, the sweet melody and a huge shout-along chorus.
3. "Fearless"
The title track from Swift's second album (which also opens said album) is a huge statement of purpose that bridges the gap between her country roots and her next step up.
2. "Tim McGraw"
Swift's first big single was a cute ode to her favorite country star was something of a novelty, but it has completely held up.
1. "You Belong With Me"
Swift's best song was also her biggest for a reason.