Seven Swans
by Sufjan Stevens

Album
Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
Year: 2004
Release date: 2004-03-16
Overall rank: 761st   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 497 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 20 albums of 2004 (14th)
Award Top albums of of the 2000s (122nd)
Award Top 1,000 albums of all time (761st)

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Sufjan Stevens bestography

Seven Swans is ranked 5th best out of 35 albums by Sufjan Stevens on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Sufjan Stevens is Illinois which is ranked number 43 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 19,122.

Sufjan Stevens album bestography « Higher ranked (705th)
Javelin This album (761st)
Seven Swans Lower ranked (764th) »
Michigan

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Seven Swans track list

  Track ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 82 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

Sort Sort by
#
Track
Rating/Comments
1.
All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands
Average Rating: 83 (114 votes)Comments: View 0
2.
The Dress Looks Nice On You
Average Rating: 84 (123 votes)Comments: View 0
3.
In The Devil's Territory
Average Rating: 82 (108 votes)Comments: View 0
4.
Track pick (850 - 130 votes)
To Be Alone With You
Average Rating: 85 (130 votes)Comments: View 0
5.
Abraham
Average Rating: 78 (100 votes)Comments: View 0
6.
Sister
Average Rating: 83 (106 votes)Comments: View 1
7.
Size Too Small
Average Rating: 80 (100 votes)Comments: View 0
8.
We Won't Need Legs To Stand
Average Rating: 78 (97 votes)Comments: View 0
9.
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Average Rating: 81 (98 votes)Comments: View 0
10.
He Woke Me Up Again
Average Rating: 80 (94 votes)Comments: View 0
11.
Seven Swans
Average Rating: 84 (113 votes)Comments: View 1
12.
Track pick (850 - 127 votes)
The Transfiguration
Average Rating: 85 (127 votes)Comments: View 1

Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Seven Swans rankings

Seven Swans rankings summary
Overall rank: 761st | 2000s rank: 122nd | 2004 rank: 14th  Overall chart history
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings).Help Click to see how the rankings are calculated (Last updated: 2 hours ago)

Seven Swans collection

Seven Swans ratings

Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 497 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 3 ratings for this album.  | Show all 497 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
85/100
 !		08/25/2026 18:19 radio-head  Ratings distribution  53882/100
 
90/100
 !		08/22/2026 11:00 Tamthebam  Ratings distribution  23,29669/100
 
65/100
 !		08/08/2026 01:48 xhitmanx  Ratings distribution  1,60475/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 79.9/100, a mean average of 79.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 80.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 12.6.


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Seven Swans favourites

Showing latest 10 members who have added this album as a favourite  | Show all 60 members

Exist-en-ciel
matterhornrider
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Seven Swans forum mentions

This album has been referenced 60 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From BestEverAlbums 08/09/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5399): By chisholm.matt
“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ) 1. by (2011) 2. (2014) 3. by (2017) 4. by (2011) 5. (2004) 6. by by (2016) 8. by (2021) 9. by (2015) 10. by (2003) 11. by (2006) 12. by (2005) 13. by (2009) 14. by (2002) 15. by by (2018) 17. by (2014) 18. (2002) 19. by (2004) 20. by…”
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From BestEverAlbums 07/10/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5369): By blueandthemoon
“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ) 1. (2005) 2. by (2008) 3. (2005) 4. by (2006) 5. by (1997) 6. by (1997) 7. (2003) 8. by (2006) 9. by (2008) 10. by (2003) 11. by by by (2000) 15. by (1995) 16. by (1995) 17. by (2007) 18. by (2003) 19. by (2004) 20. by (1968) 21. by (2005)…”
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From BestEverAlbums 07/08/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5367): By borninhockeytown
“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ) 1. by by (1974) 3. (1989) 4. by (2015) 5. by (1973) 6. by (2005) 8. by (2003) 9. by (1986) 10. by (1966) 11. by (2005) 12. by (2016) 13. (1996) 14. by by (1968) 16. (1977) 17. by (1987) 18. by (2024) 19. by by (1996) 21. by (1993) 23. by…”
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Seven Swans comments

Showing latest 5 comments | Show all 21 comments |
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Showing comments with any number of votes. Manage Profile)
Rating:  
80/100
From 02/04/2012 12:33 | #36432 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
There are lots of bands out there priding themselves on making lo-fi indie. This album shows that you can do that and stil be accessible. That Dress Looks Nice on You, Abraham and the title track are all very nice but the best is the closer, Transfiguration, a lilting, banjo-driven, unapologetically Christian beautiful piece of music.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 6
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Rating:  
95/100
From 11/07/2016 17:21 | #178068 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
One of the best straight up folk albums out there. This album is honestly just as good as Illinois but is around 700 slots down on the overall. Give more love please <3 (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 7
Reply
Rating:  
80/100
From 02/16/2012 01:52 | #36964 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
After the first couple listens I was indifferent, but it's clearly a grower, as after about 10 listens I'm really starting to love it. "Sister" is my favorite song. A rare album where the banjo is the star.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 6
Reply
Rating:  
90/100
From 10/06/2017 11:51 | #199179 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
This album is so underrated.

To Be Alone With You might just be my favourite Sufjan song. So simple, but each note reaches out and wraps its fingers around your heart. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 6
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Rating:  
90/100
From 06/06/2016 13:29 | #168011 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
Released inbetween the, Michigan, and, Illinois, albums, seven swans, is a fine record. Superior in my opinion to the recent, Carrie and Lowell, it features some stunning songs. To be alone with you, this dress looks nice on you, and, size too small, are all excellent. The best Sufjan Stevens record not about an American state. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 3
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