We’ve compiled a list of the best country songs of the 90s, but stopped at 29. What did we miss?

Everything old is new again. While we love the variety country music provides us today with artists ranging from Carrie Underwood to Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan to Chris Stapleton, there is just something special about the country music of the 90s. Maybe it’s because you grew up on it. Maybe it reminds you of a special time in your life. Maybe you’re just a HUGE Alan Jackson fan (why wouldn’t you be?!). The bottom line is: 90s Country Music is Back! With Cole Swindell‘s take on Jo Dee Messina’s Heads Carolina, Tails California, I started thinking about my favorite songs of the 90s. The decade I started falling in love with country music.

The 90s turned out to be a pivotal time for country music because there were a couple changes that happen that helped shape the music we hear today.

Girl Power!

One of the most significant changes was the rise of female artists.  Artists like Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and Martina McBride all rose to the top of the charts when they released hit albums and singles during this time.

Pop Influence!

Another major change was the introduction of pop elements into country music. Do you remember the flack Garth Brooks used to get from traditional country music fans? Garth, Randy Travis, and Alan Jackson released albums that blended country with pop and rock sounds. This trend continued into the 2000s, and it has had a lasting impact on the sound of country music.

Line Dancing!

The 1990s also saw the rise of the line dance. Yep – “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus shone a spotlight on it as well as “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn. The line dance craze helped to introduce country music to a wider audience and reinforced what fun country music is – dispelling the myth that country music is all about losing your dog, your truck, and your love.

Truth be told, I started this list thinking it would be a top ten, but I just couldn’t stop. And I know I missed a bunch, but I’m running out of space. What songs make your list of the best country songs of the 90s?

• 1. Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You - Toby Keith

  This guy needs no introduction. He really made his mark after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001 with songs like American Soldier and Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, but did you know the Toby of the 90s? This song is what really got me loving this big burly guy from Oklahoma:

• 2. That Ain't My Truck - Rhett Akins

  Who would have known back in 1995 that this guys son would be one of country music’s biggest hitmakers?! As a matter of fact, Rhett Akins may have gained popularity with this song, but here we are, nearly three decades later, and he’s still writing hits.

• 3. Next to You, Next to Me - Shenandoah

  This song is quintessential 90s. A catchy tune with happy lyrics about love.

• 4. Nobody Knows - Kevin Sharp

  I first met Kevin Sharp at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in 1997. Kevin was a Make-A-Wish kid who wasn’t supposed to survive his cancer diagnosis as a teenager, so his desire to cure childhood cancer ran deep. Kevin went into remission, had a couple hit songs, and sadly passed away at the age of 43 due to complications from stomach surgery and digestive issues. This song lives on …

• 5. Independence Day - Martina McBride

  There’s no arguing that this little lady at one time had the biggest pipes in the business. Martina McBride’s Independence Day still might be one of the most covered karaoke songs – but no one does it like her.

• 6. Fast As You - Dwight Yoakam

  What can I say about this guy? Dwight Yoakam is the real deal. His undeniable Bakersfield sound sets him apart … as do those dance moves! And, yes, you have seen him in a movie or two.

• 7. God Blessed Texas - Little Texas

  Mmmmm … God Blessed Texas. These guys knew how to tear it up in the 90s.

• 8. Every Light in the House is On - Trace Adkins

  This was Trace’s first top 5 song. For me, it’s still one of his best.

• 9. She Don't Know She's Beautiful - Sammy Kershaw

  This is it! This is the first country song I ever heard that I couldn’t stop singing. I so desperately wanted to be the girl in this song. That was, of course, before I met my husband. And the rest is history 🙂

• 10. A Better Man - Clint Black

  I remember seeing Clint Black and his then-new wife Lisa Hartman Black on a talk show. The host asked Lisa what she, this glamorous Hollywood star, saw in a cowboy. She said, “have you ever heard him sing?”

• 11. Straight Tequila Night - John Anderson

  I think I like the song Swingin’ a little better, but this is classic John Anderson.

   

• 12. Swingin' - John Anderson

  Okay. Here it is. I couldn’t resist

   

• 13. Time Marches On - Tracy Lawrence

  Classic. Classic. Classic.

   

• 14. Something in Red - Lorrie Morgan

  Lorrie Morgan had so many great songs in the 90s, but this one mesmerizes me. She takes us on the journey of a relationship through color and I start to cry from the first beautiful note to come out of her mouth.

• 15. If I Could Make a Living - Clay Walker

  OMG. Look at his baby face!!!

   

• 16. Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd

  If you tell me you never line danced to this song, I’ll call you a liar

   

• 17. Goodbye Says It All - BlackHawk

  You might remember seeing these guys perform, I think several times, at Club 92.5 back in the day. They were exquisite live.

• 18. Brand New Man - Brooks & Dunn

  How can I choose just one B&D song? Impossible to do, so I went with their first hit. But gosh did I go down a wormhole of B&D videos …

  ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_477WqAE4

• 19. This Kiss - Faith Hill

  This song. This album. were HUGE for Faith Hill, and for good reason.

   

• 20. Don't Take the Girl - Tim McGraw

  There are so many choices from Tim McGraw, yet just one.

   

• 21. Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old - Garth Brooks

  I keep trying to end this list and then I remember GARTH! This song is a classic we don’t hear as much anymore

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnNdb_bnCQQ

   

• 22. Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under - Shania Twain

  When this video would come on CMT, I would do crunches in the hopes of one day looking like Shania Twain.

• 23. Dust on the Bottle - David Lee Murphy

  This guy hasn’t stopped writing and you can hear him on Kenny Chesney’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.

• 24. She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy - Kenny Chesney

  Jeez. How could I forget this one?

• 25. Meet in the Middle - Diamond Rio

  I was saving Diamond Rio for the end because they’re one of my all time favorites. This one kicked it all off for them!

• 26. Better Things to Do - Terri Clark

  This woman was a force to be reckoned with and this song shows it all

• 27. On the Verge - COLLIN RAYE

  Collin Raye has so many great songs I could have chosen: Love Me, One Boy, One Girl, My Kinda Girl, In This Life, etc. But this song was popular when my husband and I started dating. We used to make cassette singles of songs for each other (both working in radio) and this one brings me back to that time.

• 28. Heads Carolina, Tails California - Jo Dee Messina

  The OG Heads Carolina.

• 29. Check Yes or No - King George

  There’s a reason we call him The King. George Strait has so many amazing songs from the 90s it was really difficult to choose one. I love the story and the innocence of this one.

   

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