Historical: Taylor Swift will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at just 36 years old – younger than any woman before her. The gala will take place in June 2026.
Now it’s official: Taylor Swift is one of the best songwriters of all time. The Songwriters Hall of Fame named the artist, along with eight other songwriters, into the hallowed halls of lyrical geniuses in pop history. And that was in the same year in which she was first eligible.
Taylor Swift is one of the nine chosen ones
In addition to the megastar, the two Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the Canadian singer Alanis Morissette as well as Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, Graham Lyle, Kenny Loggins, Terry Britten and Walter Afanasieff join the top-class list. However, the inauguration ceremony will not take place until a gala in New York on June 11, 2026 – that’s when it becomes really official.
The organization justified the artist’s induction into its hallowed halls as follows: “Taylor Swift is perhaps the best-known singer-songwriter of her generation and has a unique gift.” Additionally, “Swift’s ability to transform as a songwriter is part of her superpower as a songwriter.”
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Record break also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
The singer also breaks records in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. At 36, she is the youngest woman ever inducted into the Hall of Fame’s history. She replaced Carole Bayer Sager, who was 43 years old when she was admitted in the late 1980s.
Only one was younger: Stevie Wonder. He was 33 when he entered the Hall of Honor in 1983. In addition, the artist achieved induction in the same year in which she was first eligible because: According to the institution’s rules, you can only be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame if you have an extensive catalog of notable songs with at least 20 years since the first commercial release of a song. Swift meets these requirements – she released her first single “Tim McGraw” at the age of 16 on June 19, 2006.
Swift submitted these songs for the nomination
It was announced back in October 2025 that Swift was on the shortlist for induction into the Hall of Fame. For the nomination, the songwriter was able to select five tracks from her repertoire of several hundred songs. The 14-time Grammy winner ultimately chose the 10-minute version of her re-recorded 2012 hit “All Too Well” (RED). The artist also submitted “Blank Space” (1989), “Anti Hero” (MIDNIGHTS), “Love Story” (FEARLESS) and, last but not least, “The Last Great American Dynasty” from her 2020 record FOLKLORE.
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Pre-order now: Exclusive 7-inch single “Baltimore”/“Stare” by Prince in MUSIKEXPRRESS 03/26
We are opening the year 2026 with a unique and extraordinary collaboration: on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his death, ROLLING STONE and MUSIKEXPRESS are releasing two world-exclusive vinyl singles by Prince.
A few months before his death, the genius of the century had recorded two albums that once again show him in top form and will be re-released in the new year: “HITnRUN Phase I” and “Phase II”. These were to remain his last works. For “Phase I” he worked with singers such as Rita Ora and Lianne La Havas. “Phase II” shows him as a political observer of his time.
The March issue of MUSIKEXPRESS features a second world exclusive Prince single: “Baltimore” / “Stare”, two songs from HITnRUN Phase II. Prince wrote the ballad-like “Baltimore” under the impression of racist police violence in the USA. Both editions are also available HERE together in a bundle at the special price of EUR 19.90.
Included in delivery: MUSIKEXPRESS issue 03/2026 + exclusive Prince 7″ vinyl single