Many country fans who were alive in the ‘90s will tell you that was the last time you could turn on the radio and hear a country song. To an extent, they’re right. It was a great decade for the genre. This is especially true for the first half of the decade. Story songs packed with fiddle and pedal steel dominated the airwaves. At the same time, the era saw the rise of many artists who are now considered legends among genre fans.
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Recently, the ‘90s country sound has been making a comeback. Albums like Zach Top’s Cold Beer & Country Music and Joshua Hedley’s Neon Blue are great examples of modern artists dipping into the throwback style. These songs will give any fan who wants to dive into 90’s country a great place to start.
[RELATED: 4 Under-Appreciated 1990s Country Songs by Female Artists]
1. “Love Without End, Amen” by George Strait (1990)
Today, George Strait is considered the King of Country Music because of great songs like this one that he cut in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Love Without End, Amen” is a beautiful song about the love shared between a father and son. At the same time, it tells multiple stories that reinforce the strength of that bond. Sonically, this track is pure country. Acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and a danceable rhythm section lay the backdrop for Strait’s timeless vocals.
Penned by Aaron Barker, Strait released it in 1990 as the lead single from his album Livin’ It Up. “Love Without End, Amen” went to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and stayed there for five weeks making it Strait’s first multi-week No. 1 and his biggest hit at the time.
2. “Better Class of Losers” by Randy Travis (1991)
If you’re looking for something a little more lively while diving into ‘90s country, this song is for you. Randy Travis co-wrote it with Alan Jackson and released it in 1991 as the third single from his album High Lonesome. It was a No. 2 hit for Travis and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
Sonically, “Better Class of Losers” embodies the barroom honky tonk sound at the center of the popularity of ‘90s country. It has plenty of pedal steel, dobro, fiddle, and Telecaster twang to make nearly any genre purist happy. It’s also got the kind of beat that will make you want to two-step or wish you knew how. Lyrically, it’s about a blue-collar guy who finds himself paired with a rich woman and wishes he could get away from her high-society lifestyle and friends.
3. “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Reba McEntire (1992)
Songs like this one helped keep ‘90s country interesting. When Reba McEntire released it in 1992 as a single from her album For My Broken Heart, it was a modern take on the tradition of murder ballads. Today, it’s an awesome throwback song that will make younger listeners wish high-profile artists still recorded murder ballads.
Written by Bobby Russell, McEntire’s rendition of the song missed the top 10 on the charts. However, it remains one of her most popular songs. With nearly 100 million streams on Spotify, it is second only to “Fancy” in popularity among McEntire’s fans who use the platform.
4. “Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson (1993)
It might be illegal to put together a list of ‘90s country songs without adding Alan Jackson’s immortal hit “Chattahoochee.” Jackson was one of a handful of artists who helped create the sound that typified the era and this track is among his most popular. However, one can’t overlook other ‘90s bangers from his discography including “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”
Jackson co-wrote the song with Jim McBride and released it in 1993 as the third single from A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘bout Love). It went to the top of the country chart and landed at No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Jackson his first entry on the all-genre survey.
5. “A Good Run of Bad Luck” by Clint Black (1994)
For whatever reason, Clint Black didn’t retain popularity like some other artists from the ‘90s which is a crying shame. Songs like “A Good Run of Bad Luck” and “Killin’ Time” dominated country radio in the ‘90s and are still as good as they ever were three decades later.
“A Good Run of Bad Luck” was a No. 1 single for Black when he released it as a single from No Time to Kill in 1994. Lyrically, the song displays some great wordplay, comparing falling in love to gambling. Sonically, it is pure ‘90s country gold.
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