Todd Rundgren has never been shy about taking aim at pop music, but his latest target is one of the biggest stars in the world. In a recent career-spanning interview, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer argued that Taylor Swift represents everything he considers mediocre about contemporary music.
“There’s an argument to be made that she ruined music,” Rundgren told Vulture. “It’s an understandable phenomenon. It’s just that, to me, Taylor Swift is the apotheosis of mediocrity.”
Rundgren’s comments came while discussing his work on Meat Loaf’s 1977 debut, Bat Out of Hell. The album famously drew on the theatrical excesses of Bruce Springsteen, and Rundgren was asked which contemporary artist he might lampoon if he were making a similar record in 2026.
“Taylor Swift, of course,” he replied.
He then offered a theory for why female artists have become so dominant in mainstream music, arguing that the industry’s audience shifted after young men began spending more money on video games than records during the 1990s.
“So you got Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, P!nk, and many artists of that ilk,” Rundgren said.
He was considerably more complimentary toward Gaga, whom he described as “a real musician” and noted is a classically trained piano player. Swift, by contrast, came in for a much harsher assessment.
“Taylor Swift doesn’t do anything particularly great except grow hair,” he said. “She’s not a great singer. She’s not a great songwriter. She’s not a great dancer.”
Rundgren did acknowledge Swift’s enormous influence, particularly among women who have grown up with her music.
“She’s a role model for what was a very young generation of women, and now for those women’s daughters as well, because it’s mothers and daughters going to Taylor Swift shows,” he said.
Rundgren has a long history of speaking candidly about his experiences with fellow musicians. He has criticized XTC frontman Andy Partridge over his attitude during the making of Skylarking, the 1986 album Rundgren produced, and he has also taken issue with George Harrison receiving a production credit on Badfinger’s “Day After Day” after Rundgren took over production of the band’s Straight Up album.
His view on Swift stands in contrast to the praise she has received from several prominent figures in the rock world. Exodus and Slayer guitarist Gary Holt said in 2024, “I love Taylor Swift. Why all the hate? She’s an extraordinarily hard worker.” Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has likewise praised Swift’s talent and the way she treats her touring crew, while acknowledging that he isn’t particularly familiar with her music.
