4 Hit Country Songs of the 1990s Not Written by Their Singers

Many country stars from the 1990s were also accomplished songwriters, so many of their biggest hits were self-written gems. However, that wasn’t always the case. There were quite a few superstar singers in the country world around the new millennium that got famous for songs that weren’t actually written by them. That’s not a dig by any means, either. I don’t know if these songs would have been nearly as successful without these particular singers belting out their lyrics. Let’s take a look at a few country songs that were not written by the singers who popularized them!

“Fancy” by Reba McEntire (1991)

Diehard fans of Reba likely already know that this hit is actually a cover. Still, some casual fans might be surprised to hear that fact. “Fancy” by Reba McEntire was a career hit for the redheaded crooner, but the song itself was first written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry way back in 1969. The OG version was a Top 40 hit, and Reba’s version similarly did well and hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

“Independence Day” by Martina McBride (1994)

“Independence Day” by Martina McBride was released in 1994 and became a substantial career hit for the singer. It’s her signature song, and to the surprise of some, the song itself wasn’t actually written by McBride. The song was originally written by Gretchen Peters in 1992, who offered the song to Reba McEntire. She turned it down, and McBride picked it up.

“How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes (1997)

LeAnn Rimes enjoyed a few hits in the 90s, but her most memorable song has to be “How Do I Live”. It’s a country-leaning pop song that many fell in love with, even those outside of the country music fan-o-sphere. The song was actually written by Diane Warren and pitched to the filmmakers of the action movie Con Air. Rimes’ version didn’t make it to the film (Trisha Yearwood’s version did), but Rimes’ version has since become a bit of a cult classic.

“She’s In Love With The Boy” by Trisha Yearwood (1991)

Speaking of Trisha Yearwood, that country crooner makes it to our list of country songs that were not written by their singers with the song “She’s In Love With The Boy”. This song was all over country radio in 1991, and it hit No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. This fun ballad was originally written by Jon Ims.

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