Yes, chart-wise Taylor will become the biggest artist of all time pretty soon, we all know that. This is her biggest decade and by extension the biggest decade on the charts for any artist ever with simultaneous song, album and tour smashery all over the globe. But does her music truly define the decade the way Madonna and Michael defined the 80s? The way Whitney and Mariah defined the 90s? The way Britney, Beyonce and Eminem defined the 00s? The way Adele, Rihanna and Drake defined the last decade? Does she have an album this decade on the level of Saturday Night Fever, Rumours, Thriller, The Bodyguard, 21, Teenage Dream or even Arctic Monkeys' AM that everybody knows? Are her biggest 2020s hits decade-defining hits?

Thank goodness no Only within her cult and the media who think she can do nothing wrong because of her popularity.

Yes, her impact on music is undeniable, unfortunately for us…

I'm an OTH and the answer is sadly yes. No one else even comes close.

Taylor not only defined music, she defined music business, touring business, media, and awards.

Taylormania was most of the first half of the 2020s, so regardless of how someone feels about her or her music it would be silly to think she isn't one of the defining artists of the decade. Strictly musically speaking, I think folklore is an early 2020s staple and maybe Midnights too

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by rebeltwat

There's very few universal hits this decade. Off the top of my head Old Town Road and Not Like Us, maybe Die With A Smile can be added. That said with the lack of hit songs Taylor's success would put her on top.

I think the music of Midnights, that synthy pop will be one of the sounds of the 2020s. I also think folklore/evermore will be viewed as essential COVID albums. And The Eras Tour a cultural pillar of the decade.

yes it does

Folklore is already a decade essential and high point in her career. Taylormania, Swiftonomics and by default Midnights as the album tied to the Eras Tour, especially Anti-Hero as will be remembered as one of the final gasps of monoculture. Finally, even if people hate TLOAS (rightfully so, it's terrible) The Fate of Ophelia will be remembered as one of the biggest hits of the decade.

Beyonce defined 00s

Lmfao where? Maybe in US at best

Early half of 00s was ruled by Britney and Alicia Keys , later by Gaga in the end

And Avril has one of the biggest album in Asian markets

She does sort of speak to how terrible this decade has been so far, yes.

Of course.

I feel like Midnights while not inventing or revolutionizing the bedroom pop genre it still pushed it to max popularity.

7 minutes ago, FolkLover1989 said:

Beyonce defined 00s

Lmfao where? Maybe in US at best

Early half of 00s was ruled by Britney and Alicia Keys , later by Gaga in the end

And Avril has one of the biggest album in Asian markets

Everywhere lmao. Her biggest album, biggest classics worldwide (Single Ladies, Halo, Crazy in Love, Irreplaceable), strongest charting power were all released in the 2000s.

I think so, more on the singer-songwriter aspect than the actual music.

Folklore and Evermore absolutely do. They're in a group that helped define the covid distancing era to a tea. Culturally the idea of re-releasing is also gonna go on to define more music in the future.

I don't think there was anything distinct enough about her music this decade to make such claim.

Folklore and evermore were good albums but there were multiple big and small artists making the same type of music before and after her.

This is not Lorde, Lana or The weeknd situation in the early 2010s where everything changed. It's just a continuation of sounds that came before.

in a baby shark do do and ms rachel kind of way

I don't follow Taylor career closely but i would say her defining style and sound were pretty much set in the last half of the 2010s. I don't see what could be so striking for her on this decade to make the zeitgeist about her once again. Yeah you could make a case her continuing success is remarkable and that from a marketing standpoint the music industry this decade would be very different without her but we should differentiate artistic and cultural influence from commercial power.

Even if you don't think her own music was that dominating, her influence is all over the new generation of pop/indie girl music. And that's before the second generation of pop girls who probably attended Eras tour in grade school hits.

Not really. She was ultra successful, yes. But we all know the blueprint of the 2020's was non other than Lana.

If it wasn't for Lana. There would be no current Taylor nor any of the other girls.

Also Billie's 2019 breakout was MASSIVE. Olivia is also right there with the biggest streaming female album. Drivers license had more of an impact than any Taylor song. Same with bad guy.

Taylor re-released and re-recorded and over exposed herself. Her songs did very well too. But define? Billie and Olivia are much more relevant to current Gen z and the general public overall.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by TouchinFree

Not at all. When people look back at the music & pop culture scene of the 2020s in future, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish will the male and female faces who have defined and spearheaded the music culture of the decade.

Taylor Swift will be noted as a pop figure who still achieved success during the decade, but who apart from a successful tour in 2023, didn't matter that much to the cultural foundations of the 2020s. One close comparison that seems reasonable is Madonna in the 2010s. Also successful, especially in touring, but not really relevant to the decade at large.

Folklore is the definitive early 20's album.

given how horrible this decade has been i really wouldn't want my music to be the soundtrack of it

so for her sake i hope not