It might not seem like it at first, but the 1990s boasted some pretty great country songs. Not only that, the decade has provided a number of country tunes that will make you pine for the past. While many people think about grunge or rap or boy band music when they think of the 90s, the time period also offered a number of great country tracks—works we still listen to regularly today.
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But why do we put them on our stereos? Well, they’re good songs, of course. But more than that, they make us remember. There are country tunes from the 90s that just summon up the era in an instant. They transport us back to a time when things seemed simpler. Indeed, these are three 90s country songs that will make you feel nostalgic.
“Friends In Low Places” by Garth Brooks from ‘No Fences’ (1990)
Garth Brooks found a winner when he got this tune in his hands. There is nothing quite as country as having friends in low places, so when Brooks put that idea to melody in 1990 with this hit single, he practically won the country music lottery. It’s a song today that people still sing, and one we know quite well. For Brooks, who is one of the most famous country artists ever, this is also likely his most famous tune. As a result, it transports us, takes us back, and makes us remember a bygone era.
“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain from ‘Come On Over’ (1997)
Country music’s glamorous star, the Canadian-born Shania Twain, is also one of the genre’s most successful artists. She has sold more than 100 million albums in her career, and one of the reasons for that is her hit single, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” The catchy, empowering hit single brought Twain’s voice into millions of households and car stereos, and it’s one of those songs you can instantly sing along to in your mind when you think of it. For all these reasons, it’s a track that makes you think of the 90s and, in many ways, makes you want to go back.
“Fancy” by Reba McEntire from ‘Rumor Has It’ (1991)
Reba McEntire is one of the biggest names in country music today. She’s a multimedia star—beloved in music or on television. But it is her 1991 cover of Bobbie Gentry’s classic song “Fancy” that helped solidify her country music legend. Hard to believe, but McEntire’s version is maybe even more famous than Gentry’s. The song, which tells the story about a young woman using the little she has to make her way in the world and marry, is a heart-wrenching tune. But it’s also a beautiful and memorable one that takes you away, too.
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