Country music has great choruses. Second only to pop music, the country genre knows the importance of a great hook. Every era of country music has delivered its fair share, but if you want to listen to unbelievably catchy choruses, you need to lean on ’90s country. Below, find three unforgettable country hooks from the 1990s. You can try not to sing along to these songs, but we’d bet you’ll fail.
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“Friends in Low Places” – Garth Brooks
Few country songs from the 1990s beg for audience participation more than Garth Brooks‘ “Friends in Low Places.” The hook to this country staple is tailor-made for a sing-along, and few have resisted its charms.
‘Cause I’ve got friends in low places / Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away, the chorus begins. This is the cue to join in with Brooks on his nightly ritual. Many country songs revolve around drinking. It’s a familiar prop in the genre. While most country songs with references to alcohol are tinged with heartbreak, “Friends in Low Places” is the opposite. Brooks revels in the barroom. Moreover, he makes you want to do the same.
“Any Man of Mine” – Shania Twain
Shania Twain made waves with her tongue-in-cheek anthems that championed female empowerment. She didn’t lay feminism on thick, but she no doubt got her point across. “Any Man of Mine” is a chorus that countless female friend groups have sung since its release. It’s got an unifying factor that has helped this hit endure for decades.
Twain doesn’t mince her words here. She knows exactly what she wants, and she intends to get it. Any man of mine better walk the line / Better show me a teasin’ squeezin’ pleasin’ kinda time, she sings in this 1990s country hook. You can try to keep quiet when this song comes on, but it’s a futile goal. This song has an unparalleled catchiness.
“I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” – Alabama
Alabama’s “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” begins with a chorus. This hook is so strong that the band couldn’t wait to get to it. I’m in a hurry to get things done / Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun, they sing in this deeply relatable chorus.
We can all let the clock run our lives. Busy-ness is the crux in many of our stories. Alabama leans into that idea here, delivering a chorus that is not only fun to sing along to but cathartic to boot.
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