Taylor Swift performing an acoustic surprise song at The Eras Tour. Scott Eisen/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Taylor Swift sings two surprise songs at every stop on her Eras Tour. The acoustic section changes from night to night with very few repeats. Not every pairing is created equal. Insider's senior music editor ranked each set. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour setlist goes album by album, incorporating her biggest hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts alike to give concertgoers the full picture of her expansive career. But out of the three-plus-hour spectacle, it's the acoustic section that gets the most attention. At around 1045 local time, Swift surprises each crowd with two songs that aren't meant to be replayed throughout the duration of the tour. There are, in Swift's own words, exceptions to this rule she's allowing herself to repeat any "Midnights" song she desires, and she'll redo whatever she messes up. Some choices have been obvious "High Infidelity" — with the lyric, "Do you really wanna know where I was April 29?" — was played on April 29, while Swift sang "The Best Day," which is about her mom Andrea Swift, on Mother's Day. Others have felt like a fresh surprise. As Insider's senior music editor, I decided to rank all of these song determine the list below, I considered a variety of factors like critical and fan acclaim, lyrical quality, and how long it took to grieve the loss when I realized they wouldn't be played at my own show on May 28. 33. "Question…?" and "Invisible" Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour at Gillette Stadium on May 20, 2023, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. TAS Rights Management/Getty Images Date May 20Location Foxborough, Massachusetts My friend and I were trying to get last-minute tickets to this show. We even had a rental car booked just in case we secured them, ready to drive nearly four hours from New Jersey to Foxborough. Our plan failed, and I soon realized that was probably for the best. May 20 was a rain show, which meant thousands of people were standing in a torrential downpour for hours. And they were rewarded with... a just-OK "Midnights" track and one of the weakest songs from her debut album. I am so sorry but I do not envy this crowd in the slightest and am actively glad I didn't spend hundreds of dollars to be there. 32. "A Place in This World" and "Today Was a Fairytale" Taylor Swift included "Today Was A Fairytale" on "Fearless Taylor's Version." Scott Eisen/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 22Location Houston, TexasMy sincere condolences to all those in attendance on April 22, but I laughed so hard when I saw she played these two subpar tracks from her early career. But hey, at least anyone who got this pairing can say they experienced all 10 eras. Swift's self-titled debut album isn't represented in the standard setlist, so only audiences who get a song off "Taylor Swift" get the whole shebang. It also wasn't cold and wet when Houston got to witness these, so they'll always have that over Foxborough night two. 31. "Cowboy Like Me" with Marcus Mumford and "White Horse" Taylor Swift performs with Marcus Mumford in Las Vegas, Nevada. TAS Rights Management via Getty Images Date March 25Location Las Vegas, NevadaI know this is going to be controversial, but I am a "Cowboy Like Me" hater. I find it excruciatingly drab and stand by my initial review that it "should've been left off the album." So Swift singing "Cowboy Like Me" was like opening the penny case on "Deal or No Deal."If you were at that show and love the "Evermore" track, I am so beyond thrilled that it was you who got it, and not me. I would not have appreciated it at all. "White Horse" is good, but there are stronger "Fearless" tracks, too. 30. "Sad Beautiful Tragic" and "Ours" Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour. Ethan Miller/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date March 31Location Arlington, TexasWhen Swift introduced "Sad Beautiful Tragic," she said, "I love this one. When I love a song I don't care what anyone says."On March 31, I sent that line to senior music reporter Callie Ahlgrim with a message that said, "That quote is a diss at me."I also sent her another text that said, "I do like 'Ours' — no disrespect to 'Ours' — but full disrespect to 'Sad Beautiful Tragic.'"As I wrote about the "Red" deep cut in 2019, "The song drags on — not because Swift has a lot to say like she usually does — but because she felt the need to sing a variation of the title 11 times as slowly as she could." 29. "You All Over Me" with Maren Morris and "I Don't Want to Live Forever" Taylor Swift performing on The Eras Tour. John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date June 3Location Chicago, IllinoisThis is one of the most random pairings Swift has played throughout the Eras Tour. It's a vault track from "Fearless Taylor's Version" — and not even the best one, that's "Mr. Perfectly Fine" — and something from the "Fifty Shades Darker" a surprise, but maybe not the one many people would have wanted. Even if I am pulling for "I Don't Want to Live Forever" to make it onto "Reputation Taylor's Version." 28. "Our Song" and "Snow on the Beach" "Snow on the Beach" is on Swift's 10th album "Midnights." John Shearer / Contributor / Getty Images Date March 24Location Las Vegas, NevadaI promise this list gets better after this, but "Snow on the Beach" is so boring."Our Song," though, is a hit and should've been included on the actual setlist. 27. "Wonderland" and "You're Not Sorry" "You're Not Sorry" is on "Fearless Taylor's Version." Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 21Location Houston, TexasThe "1989" deluxe track and the "Fearless" song weren't my top picks for what I'd want to hear, but they're both pretty solid also are both pre-"Lover" so there's an additional layer of nostalgia that would probably thrill any concertgoer who has been aching to see either song for years. 26. "Jump Then Fall" and "The Lucky One" Taylor Swift performing on The Eras Tour. Bob Levey/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 2Location Arlington, Texas"The Lucky One," as Swift described it in Arlington, is about how horrible it is to be famous. Swift maneuvers that thesis well, but I stand firm that complaining about fame in a song is usually not accessible to the vast majority of people listening to it. That said, "Jump Then Fall" is so fun, and, as a "Fearless" deluxe track, fairly rare to hear live. 25. "Mad Woman" with Aaron Dessner and "Mean" Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner perform onstage during The Eras Tour at Raymond James Stadium on April 15, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. TAS Rights Management/Getty Images Date April 15Location Tampa, Florida"Mad Woman" is one of the weaker tracks off "Folklore" — but it's still an exceptional song in Swift's arsenal. Throw in an appearance from Aaron Dessner and a beloved "Speak Now" track, and you've got a really solid surprise-song pairing. 24. "I Bet You Think About Me" and "How You Get the Girl" "How You Get the Girl" is on "1989." Kevin Mazur/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 30Location Atlanta, GeorgiaThis one's tricky because I consider "How You Get the Girl" as one of the worst songs in all of Swift's discography, but "I Bet You Think About Me" is an absolute banger. I was personally devastated when "IBYTAM" was crossed off the surprise-song list, but I'm glad I didn't have to hear Swift encourage some pathetic ex-boyfriend to pester a woman into getting back together with him. 23. "High Infidelity" and "Gorgeous" "Gorgeous" was the first surprise song Swift sang from "Reputation." Ethan Miller/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 29Location Atlanta, GeorgiaFurther exposing my personal taste, "Gorgeous" is fun and silly and one of my favorite songs off "Reputation." It was a great way to introduce Swift's sixth album into the surprise-song segment of the tour. "High Infidelity," with its line "Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?" may have been predicted to be played on April 29 by just about everybody, but sometimes it's nice to know what this mastermind is going to do next. 22. "Begin Again" and "Cold as You" "Begin Again" is on "Red Taylor's Version." John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 23Location Houston, Texas"Begin Again" and "Cold as You" are both emotive breakup songs, with the latter giving Swift's first-ever album some time to shine during the show. Can't be mad at it! 21. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" and "Breathe" "Breathe" is the seventh track on "Fearless Taylor's Version." Scott Legato/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date June 10Location Detroit, MichiganSwift wiped away a tear after playing "Breathe" on the piano for the crowd in Detroit. This was a very emotional pairing. 20. "Haunted" and "I Almost Do" "Haunted" is the 12th track on "Speak Now." Scott Legato/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date June 9Location Detroit, MichiganI know several people who fell to their knees once "Haunted" was taken out of the surprise-song one of my friends texted me on June 10, the "Speak Now" song "still slaps."Swift doubled down on the heartbreak by chasing it with another gut-wrenching breakup song, "I Almost Do." 19. "Gold Rush" and "Come Back…Be Here" "Gold Rush" is on Swift's ninth album "Evermore." Terence Rushin/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 12Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "Gold Rush" in Philadelphia was also expected, thanks to the lines "I see me padding 'cross your wooden floors / With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door."Swift confirmed the lyric was referring to the football team, not the band. But just because something's predictable, doesn't mean it's bad. "Gold Rush" is when we reviewed "Evermore," I wrote, "There's a bustling energy that ripples through the track in a way unlike anything Swift has ever produced, elevated exponentially by the best vocal delivery of her career thus out this pair was "Come Back…Be Here," an aching, yearning deluxe track from "Red," that likely thrilled several people at Swift's hometown show. 18. "I Wish You Would" and "The Lakes" Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at Soldier Field on June 2, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. Natasha Moustache/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date June 2Location Chicago, IllinoisThese are both two magical deep cuts — Swift even exclaimed, "Oh my God, you know it!" while performing "I Wish You Would."In the lead-up to our own concert, both of these were thrown around as ones my friends and I would be happy to hear. 17. "Out of the Woods" and "Fifteen" "Out of the Woods" is on Swift's fifth album "1989." John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 6Location Nashville, TennesseeBanger after banger. These are two widely known, absolutely beloved songs that are great to scream-sing along to. Swift put her all into those Nashville shows. 16. "Speak Now" and "Treacherous" Taylor Swift performs "Enchanted" from "Speak Now" at every stop on The Eras Tour. Octavio Jones/TAS23/Getty Images for for TAS Rights Management Date April 13Location Tampa, FloridaOh to have been in the Raymond James Stadium when Swift sang "Treacherous."I've already waxed poetic about the third song on "Red" before. It's a "brilliantly written song that exemplifies exactly why Swift is one of the best songwriters of her generation."Honestly, the title track from Swift's third album is actually doing more harm than good here. If she had picked a stronger song to pair "Treacherous" with, it easily could've cracked the top 10 on this list. Some songs like "Dear John," "Clean," or "Cornelia Street" could've even elevated it to No. that audience got one of Swift's greatest songs to date. 15. "Forever & Always" and "This Love" "This Love" is from Swift's fifth album, "1989." Bob Levey/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 13Location Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJust an incredibly strong duo. Both songs are well-written, but they're also different enough from each other to offer the audience some variety. "Forever & Always" is sassy and scathing, while "This Love" is wistful and atmospheric. 14. "The Great War" with Aaron Dessner and "You're on Your Own, Kid" Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner perform onstage during The Eras Tour at Raymond James Stadium on April 14, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. Octavio Jones/TAS23/Getty Images for for TAS Rights Management Date April 14Location Tampa, FloridaThese are two incredible songs in Swift's catalog, but they're also both from the "Midnights" era, meaning they haven't had as long to grow on fans — and have the ability to be we can't ever really lose them like we can older tracks, they're less of a loss. 13. "Hey Stephen" and "The Best Day" "Hey Stephen" and "The Best Day" are both on "Fearless Taylor's Version." Terence Rushin/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 14Location Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIt's not often that Swift plays two surprise songs from the same for a hometown show on Mother's Day, nothing was more fitting than singing the "Fearless"-era ode to her mom, "The Best Day," and another song from her teen I would've cried if I were there. 12. "Sparks Fly" and "Teardrops on My Guitar" Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 5, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 5Location Nashville, TennesseeThe first Eras Tour stop in Nashville will go down as one of the most unhinged nights in Swiftie Phoebe Bridgers brought out the rest of boygenius during her set. Swift's rumored new boyfriend Matty Healy was there to the chagrin of many fans. Swift announced the impending release of "Speak Now Taylor's Version."To celebrate dropping her next rerecording on July 7, Swift sang a fan favorite from the album, "Sparks Fly." She stuck to her country roots and followed it up with "Teardrops on My Guitar." Both are wistful, nostalgic, and beyond fun to only downside was they were completely overshadowed by every other surprise throughout the night. 11. "Welcome to New York" and "Clean" Taylor Swift performs "Welcome to New York" during the Eras Tour. Callie Ahlgrim Date May 28Location East Rutherford, New JerseyI was in the audience for this show, in the first row of section seven. I was a mere few feet away, watching on as Swift opened her mouth for what we all thought would be an introduction or "Cornelia Street". Instead, she uttered the lines, "Walkin' through a crowd, the village is aglow."At the moment, it felt like a sick joke. Many of us deluded ourselves into thinking she was using it as an intro to another song. There was no way she was going to welcome the MetLife crowd to New York on her final night in New Jersey. In hindsight, it was the funniest thing she could've possibly done and I appreciate a good joke. But the thing about this pairing is that if I had to rank all of Swift's songs from best to worst, the "1989" closer "Clean" would land within the top four which also contains two songs already on the setlist.There may be stronger pairings on this list, but personally, there are not many single songs I would prefer to hear over "Clean." 10. "I Think He Knows" and "Red" "I Think He Knows" is on Swift's seventh album "Lover." Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images Date May 21Location Foxborough, Massachusetts Both of these songs are enjoyable and it's special that they were both played on to the rain the night before, Swift's piano was malfunctioning on this Sunday so she recalibrated and gave the crowd an additional deviation from her standard fare. 9. "Holy Ground" and "False God" Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium on May 27, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kevin Mazur/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 27Location East Rutherford, New JerseyI nearly started crying in a beer garden when I pulled up Twitter and saw she played these two songs just one night before the show I was is an excellent pairing. No notes. 8. "Mirrorball" and "Tim McGraw" Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date March 17Location Glendale, ArizonaThe very first night of Swift's Eras Tour conned us all into believing "Tim McGraw" was on the setlist, meant to represent her first her debut single was immediately lost forever to the rest of us who weren't in attendance. A song about being a performer and the track that started her entire career was a poetic pairing to kick off the tour with. 7. "Getaway Car" with Jack Antonoff and "Maroon" Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff perform onstage The Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium on May 26, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kevin Mazur/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 26Location East Rutherford, New Jersey"Getaway Car" is a huge fan favorite and "Maroon" is one of the biggest highlights on "Midnights." This was one of those nights that devastated a million Swifties around the literally woke up on Saturday to a text from a man who has no stake in any of this that just said, "Maroon?!?!?" 6. "The Other Side of the Door" and "Coney Island" "The Other Side of the Door" is on "Fearless Taylor's Version." John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 28Location Atlanta, GeorgiaNo song has come back stronger during the rerecordings than "The Other Side of the Door." It felt like no one even knew it until "Fearless Taylor's Version" breathed new life into it and reminded Swifties that the outro is one for the ages. She followed it up with "Coney Island," one of her most stunning breakup songs ever written. 5. "Would've, Could've, Should've" with Aaron Dessner and "Mine" Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner perform in Nashville during the Eras Tour. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 7Location Nashville, Tennessee I didn't necessarily envy anyone who attended Nashville night three — that is, until Swift brought Aaron Dessner out around 1 in the pouring rain to sing "Would've, Could've, Should've."This crowd did have to forgo an opening set from Phoebe Bridgers and sit around waiting an extra two hours for the storm to let up enough for Swift to perform, but her strongest soldiers fought for the right to scream the best "Midnights" track in the middle of the night. They deserved it. 4. "State of Grace" and "This Is Me Trying" "This Is Me Trying" is the ninth song on "Folklore." Lisa Lake/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Date March 18Location Glendale, ArizonaThe second stop of the tour knocked out two great songs before we even registered that we weren't going to get to hear many of these songs again, and that there were actually two surprise songs each I previously wrote of "This Is Me Trying," it "stings like alcohol on an open wound. It hurts as it heals. It makes no judgment about the state you're in; all it needs you to understand is 'this is me trying.'"It stung to lose it, along with the fan favorite "State of Grace." 3. "Should've Said No" and "Better Man" "Better Man" was included on "Red Taylor's Version." John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date May 19Location Foxborough, Massachusetts Swift woke up mad as hell on May 19 and she made it anyone who wasn't at Gillette Stadium's problem by robbing the rest of us the chance to see her perform the debut-era banger "Should've Said No" and the "Red Taylor's Version" scorcher "Better Man." 2. "Hits Different" and "The Moment I Knew" "The Moment I Knew" is the 17th track on "Red Taylor's Version." Terence Rushin/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date June 4Location Chicago, IllinoisNot only did the third night of Chicago get to experience one of the biggest highlights from the "Midnights" era, but it also got the first-ever live performance of one of the most heart-wrenching tracks in Swift's entire catalog."The Moment I Knew" was originally released back in 2012, and it's taken 11 years for her to play it to a crowd. This audience really was the lucky one. 1. "Death by a Thousand Cuts" and "Clean" "Death by a Thousand Cuts" is from Swift's seventh album, "Lover." Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Date April 1Location Arlington, Texas Instead of pranking the 70,000 people who attended the Eras Tour on her second night in Arlington, Swift decided to play the most casually cruel April Fool's joke on all of her fans who didn't secure tickets to this stop on the tour by playing two of her best songs ever I wrote earlier in this list, there are not many songs I'd rather hear than "Clean." This crowd got it and one of the only live performances of her most screamable breakup song, "Death by a Thousand Cuts."The Eras Tour still has plenty of dates left, but I fear it's going to be nearly impossible to top this duo. Read next Features Taylor Swift eras tour More...

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