Thousands of country fans turn their noses up at anything released after 1996. They firmly believe that’s when country artists stopped making good music. Luckily for them, many of today’s artists were raised on 1990s country and are wearing their influences on the sleeves of their pearl snap shirts. These artists aren’t out there trying to bring back the sounds of a bygone era. Instead, they’re making the music they want to hear.
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These artists aren’t necessarily carbon copies of 1990s country acts. However, if they had been around to release music back then, they would have likely been named among the era’s greats like Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, and all the rest. If you’re looking to bridge the gap between 1990s country nostalgia and new music, they’ll scratch that itch.
[RELATED: 5 Songs for Anyone Who Wants to Dive Into 1990s Country]
1. Zach Top
Zach Top is probably the most popular and obvious addition to the list. He’s shared stages with some of the biggest names in country music including ’90s icons like Alan Jackson. Top didn’t set out to make music that sounds like it could have been on the radio 30 years ago, but he absolutely does.
Top’s 2024 label debut Cold Beer & Country Music will scratch the itch of anyone looking to relive the good old days. Tracks like “Sounds Like the Radio,” “I Never Lie,” and “Ain’t That a Heartbreak,” are certified bangers that would have likely dominated the airwaves alongside George Strait and Randy Travis.
2. Randall King
Randall King has been making music that will make country fans dig out their Brushpopper shirts and creased Wranglers since his self-titled debut album dropped in 2018. Unless you live in King’s home state of Texas, you likely won’t hear this criminally underrated artist on the radio. However, he has plenty of music available to stream that is steeped in the traditions of country music.
Inspired by ’90s country giants like John Anderson, George Strait, and Keith Whitley, King has amassed millions of streams on songs like “You in a Honky Tonk,” “Mirror, Mirror,” and “Another Bullet.”
3. Joshua Hedley
If you love ’90s country and haven’t heard Joshua Hedley’s 2022 sophomore album Neon Blue, you’re missing out. A Nashville mainstay, you can likely catch Hedley performing at Robert’s Western World if you’re in Nashville. If not, you can crank up his 2022 release and let smoking-hot bangers like “Broke Again,” “Country & Western,” and “Down to My Last Lie” carry you back in time.
While Hedley is a young artist, he is a student of classic country music and his albums prove that. Neon Blue and his 2018 debut Mr. Jukebox are concept albums, of a sort. Where his latest outing taps into the ’90s country sound, Mr. Jukebox rolls the clock back further to the countrypolitan sounds of the ’60s and ’70s.
4. Silverada
Hailing from the Lone Star State, Silverada (formerly Mike and the Moonpies) have been at it since releasing their 2010 debut The Real Country while they have ventured into more classic territory with Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold, the band largely produces air tight honky tonk music.
Possibly one of the most under appreciated bands in country music, the guys in Silverada aren’t trying to ape ’90s country or any other era. Instead, they’re carrying the torch for traditional country music. Their deep catalog contains gems like “Hour on the Hour,” “Getting High at Home,” “You Look Good in Neon,” and many more.
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