Almost everyone agrees that the 1990s were one of the best eras in country music. The decade was full of artists who released hit after hit at country radio.
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These four 1990s country artists had a lot of hits before stepping away from the spotlight, but we wish they would make a comeback in 2026.
Aaron Tippin
Aaron Tippin’s freshman You’ve Got To Stand For Something record came out in 1991. For the next ten years, Tippin was a mainstay at country radio. The title track of Tippin’s debut record became his first hit single, followed by songs like “There Ain’t Nohthin’ Wrong With The Radio”, “That’s As Close As I’ll Get To Loving You”, “I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way”, and several more.
Tippin’s final No. 1 of his career came in 2000, with “Kiss This”. He has released some music since then, including “All In The Same Boat” with Sammy Kershaw and Joe Diffie in 2013.
In 2015, Tippin released 25, a double album featuring 25 of his biggest hits. He is touring in 2026, but has yet to reveal plans for more music.
Faith Hill
One of the greatest country music mysteries will always be why Faith Hill disappeared. Hill enjoyed a lengthy string of hits, beginning with “Wild One” in 1993, which marked her first single, and first No. 1 hit. Hill continued to dominate at radio throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s.
In 2006, Hill released “Sunshine And Summer”. The song, on her Fireflies album, would be her last Top 10 single in country music as a solo artist. Fireflies also became her last studio record. In 2017, Hill and McGraw released the joint record, The Rest Of Our Life.
Hill not only stopped releasing music, but she also deleted all of her social media accounts.
Tracy Byrd
Tracy Byrd‘s eponymous debut came out in 1993. It was the start of Byrd’s reign as a country music superstar throughout the 90s, with songs like “Holdin’ Heaven”, “Watermelon Crawl”, “Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo”, and more.
In 2003, Byrd released The Truth About Men, his final album on a major record label. He did release some more music on his own. But in recent years, Byrd revealed that his decision to step away is more about the kind of music he likes and wants to keep making.
“I won’t argue that the country music of today is catchy and hugely popular,” Byrd tells Taste of Country. “But it’s vastly different from what we did.”
Terri Clark
Terri Clark’s first single, “Better Things To Do”, didn’t come out until halfway through the decade, in 1995. But once she released the song from her self-titled debut, Clark maintained a presence at radio. Her many hits include “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”, “Now That I Found You”, “You’re Easy On The Eyes”, and more.
Clark has continued to release music on her own. In 2024, she released the star-studded Take Two compilation album. Out on Mercury Nashville, the record includes collaborations on some of her biggest hits, with artists like Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, and others. While Clark hasn’t been on the charts for her own singles in recent years, she would likely be welcomed back with open arms and ears.
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