3 Hit Country Songs From the ‘90s You Didn’t Know Were Covers

One of the things that sets country music apart from other genres is the prevalence of cover songs. There was a time when multiple artists would release renditions of the same song within months of one another. While that’s no longer the case, plenty of artists are still putting their spin on older songs. In fact, some of the biggest hit country songs from the ’90s were covers of older songs.

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Today, we’re going to look at some hit country cover songs from the ’90s that stood the test of time. Decades later, fans still love these songs but may not know that they’re not listening to the original version.

[RELATED: 4 Country Songs From the 90s That Should Have Been Bigger Hits]

1. “Tall, Tall Trees” by Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson released “Tall, Tall Trees” in 1995 as the lead single from The Greatest Hits Collection. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and dominated the airwaves throughout the ’90s. Many fans of the song don’t realize that it wasn’t one of Jackson’s many original compositions. Instead, it was a cover of a song originally released by one of his musical heroes.

George Jones co-wrote “Tall, Tall Trees” with Roger Miller. Jones was the first to release the song, dropping it as a single in 1957. Thirteen years later, Miller recorded the song for his album A Trip in the Country.

2. “Fancy” by Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire released “Fancy” in 1991 as the third single from her album Rumor Has It. The song peaked at No. 8 on the Hot Country songs chart. More importantly, it went on to be one of McEntire’s signature songs. More than three decades later, it’s a fan favorite and a staple of her live shows. However, hers wasn’t the original version.

Legendary singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry wrote and released “Fancy” in 1969. It was a crossover hit for Gentry, landing at No. 28 on the country chart, No. 31 on the Hot 100, and No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

3. “My Maria” by Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn released “My Maria” in 1995 as the lead single from their album Borderline. The song became a staple of country radio in the ’90s and was a No. 1 hit for the duo. It also brought them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997. However, they weren’t the first to record the song. In fact, “My Maria” was more than twenty years old when the duo released their version.

B.W. Stevenson co-penned the song with Daniel Moore. He released his version in 1973. Stevenson’s version of “My Maria” went to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for a week.

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