The List

3 Country Songs From 1991 That Every 90s Kid Still Knows by Heart Today

Country music in the early 90s became part of a massive transformation in country music. In 1991, some of the best country songs were released, songs that are still revered today, including these three songs. They are all so goodโ€”and so memorableโ€”that itโ€™s likely that every 90s kid still knows them by heart today.

โ€œDonโ€™t Rock The Jukeboxโ€ by Alan Jackson

Alan Jacksonโ€™s second consecutive No.1 single is โ€œDonโ€™t Rock The Jukeboxโ€. It is the title track and first single from Jacksonโ€™s sophomore album. Although early in his career, โ€œDonโ€™t Rock The Jukeboxโ€ became an indication of Jacksonโ€™s loyalty to traditional country music.

Videos by American Songwriter

The song says, โ€œDon’t rock the jukebox / I wanna hear George Jones / My heart ain’t ready / For the Rolling Stones / I don’t feel like rockin’ / Since my baby’s gone / So don’t rock the jukebox / Play me a country song.”

โ€œDonโ€™t Rock The Jukeboxโ€ was nominated for three CMA Awards, including Song of the Year.

โ€œSheโ€™s In Love With The Boyโ€ by Trisha Yearwood

One of the most popular country songs of all time, โ€œSheโ€™s In Love With The Boyโ€ is Trisha Yearwoodโ€™s first single. It also happens to be her first No. 1 hit. The song, on her eponymous debut album, was written by Jon Ims.

A sweet love story, โ€œSheโ€™s In Love With The Boyโ€ says, โ€œShe’s in love with the boy / She’s in love with the boy / She’s in love with the boy / And even if they have to run away / She’s gonna marry that boy someday.”

โ€œShamelessโ€ by Garth Brooks

On Ropinโ€™ The Wind, Garth Brooksโ€™ third studio album, is โ€œShamelessโ€. The song was written by Billy Joel. “Shameless” first appears on Joel’s Storm Front album. A two-week No.1 hit for Brooks, it remains part of his live shows today.

Brooks heard โ€œShamelessโ€ when he got home from traveling. Unbeknownst to him, he had received six CDs of Joelโ€™s in the mail, as part of a subscription music service he belonged to at the time.

โ€œOne of his songs really captured me, a song called โ€˜Shamelessโ€™,โ€ Brooks recalls. โ€œI kept watching it. And when he did not release it as a single, we contacted his people in the hopes that we could cut it. His people sent us a letter acknowledging that he knew who I was and was very honored that I was cutting it. That was quite a compliment for me then, as it is now.โ€

โ€œShamelessโ€ begins with, โ€œWell, I’m shameless when it comes to loving you / I’ll do anything you want me to / I’ll do anything at all.”

Interestingly, Yearwood, whom Brooks would marry in 2005, sings background vocals on Ropinโ€™ The Wind.

Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images