We get it, the 90s had a lot of hits in country music. One of the best decades in the genre, it’s hard to keep track of all of the great tunes that were released. Still, there are some that are worth listening to, even after all these years.
Videos by American Songwriter
Most people already forgot these three country songs from 1998, even though they were all big hits at radio.
“Round About Way” by George Strait
Think of a George Strait song, and most people won’t mention “Round About Way”. Still, the song is one of his 60 No. 1 hits.
On Strait’s Carrying Your Love With Me album, “Round About Way” is written by Steve Dean and Wil Nance. The song begins with, “As far as all my friends can tell / I took her leavin’ well – that’s kinda right / ‘Cause when I’m out with them / I don’t let her memory rule the night / For the most part I’m okay / But I still miss her in a round about way.”
Although not as remembered as some of his other hits, “Round About Way” did become a two-week No. 1 hit. Only a few weeks later, Strait had a three-week, chart-topping single, with “I Just Want To Dance With You“.
“Wrong Again” by Martina McBride
When Martina McBride released “Wrong Again”, it was after a string of big hits. The song follows “Broken Wing”, “Valentine”, and “Happy Girl”, among others. A No. 1 single for McBride, “Wrong Again” is not as big of a hit as some of her other songs.
Still, “Wrong Again” is more than worth revisiting. Written by Cynthia Weil and Tommy Lee James for her Evolution record, the song is about finding love again, when it once seemed impossible.
“Wrong Again” ends with, “And it seemed to me the pain would last / My chance for happiness had passed / Nothing waited ’round the bend / I was sure I’d never find someone / To heal the damage you had done / My poor heart would never mend / Wrong again.”
“Wrong Again” originally had a different ending. After the writers found out McBride was interested in recording the song again, Weil went back in and changed the final verse, to make it more positive.
“It’s this huge twist, and it’s so much better,” James tells The Boot. “So I went in and actually had my vocalist come back in and re-sing it with the new lyrics, and Martina loved it.”
“Husbands And Wives” by Brooks & Dunn
“Husbands And Wives” is on Brooks & Dunn’s If You See Her record. The song is written by Roger Miller, who first released his version in 1966. Wayne Newton later recorded his own version, as did David Frizzell and Shelly West, before Brooks & Dunn put their own spin on it.
A No. 1 hit for Brooks & Dunn, it is not one the duo performs regularly today. The song says, “The angry words spoken in haste / Such a waste of two lives / It’s my belief pride is the chief cause in the decline / In the number of husbands and wives.”
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.