The beauty of country music is that there is literally a song for any emotion or feeling. Whether it’s a love song or a heartbreaking tune, there are plenty of options in country music. But in the 90s, considered one of the best decades in country music, there are also plenty of feel-good tracks, including these four songs, which are bound to put anyone in a good mood.
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“Pickup Man” by Joe Diffie
It’s almost impossible not to smile while listening to Joe Diffie’s “Pickup Man“. Written by Howard Perdew and Kerry Kurt Phillips, the song was released by Diffie in 1994, on his Third Rock From The Sun record.
“Pickup Man” says, “You can set my truck on fire, roll it down a hill / But I still wouldn’t trade it for a Coupe DeVille / I got an eight-foot bed that never has to be made / You know if it weren’t for trucks, we wouldn’t have tailgates / I met all my wives in traffic jams / There’s just something women like about a pickup man.”
According to The Boot, “Pickup Man” is the most successful single of Diffie’s career. The song stayed at No. 1 for four weeks.
“Meet In The Middle” by Diamond Rio
“Meet In The Middle” is Diamond Rio’s first single and first No. 1 hit. Written by Don Pfrimmer, Chapin Hartford, and Jim Foster, the feel-good song celebrates the joys of young love.
“Meet In The Middle” begins with, “It was 700 fence posts from your place to ours / Neither one of us was old enough to drive a car / Sometimes it was rainin’, sometimes it would shine / We wore out that gravel road between your house and mine / I’d start walkin’ your way, you’d start walkin’ mine / We’d meet in the middle, ‘neath that old Georgia pine / We’d gain a lot of ground, ’cause we’d both give a little / There ain’t no road too long when we meet in the middle.”
“I Like It, I Love It’ by Tim McGraw
There may not be a better mood-boosting song in country music than Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It”. Jeb Stuart Anderson, Steve Dukes, and Mark Hall are the writers of the song. The tune came out in 1995 on McGraw’s third All I Want album.
“I Like It, I Love It” says, “‘Cause I like it, I love it, I want some more of it / I try so hard, I can’t rise above it / I don’t know what it is ’bout that little girl’s lovin’ / But I like it, I love it, I want some more of it.”
“Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina
“Heads Carolina, Tails California” is Jo Dee Messina’s first single, and one that remains a fan favorite today. Written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders, the song came out in 1996 on her self-titled freshman project.
“Heads Carolina, Tails California” is about a couple who are venturing into the unknown, with the promise of a bright future ahead of them, regardless of where they end up. The song says, “Heads Carolina, tails California / Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer / Up in the mountains, down by the ocean / Where it don’t matter as long as we’re goin’ / Somewhere together, I’ve got a quarter / Heads Carolina, tails California.”
In 2023, Swindell paid homage to “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” with “She Had Me At Heads Carolina“.
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
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