I Miss the Sound of Randy Travis and These 3 Songs Bring It Back

Randy Travis has a distinct sound. It’s not just 80s and 90s country, it’s something unique to him. There are only so many times I can revisit his greatest hits. Whenever I’m looking for three new country songs that remind me of Travis, I turn to the three songs below. Though they aren’t exactly the same, they all hold similarities to the country legend’s singular sound.

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[RELATED: On This Day in 1986, Randy Travis Re-Released the Unsuccessful Single That Became His First No. 1]

“Diamond Rings And Old Barstools” — Tim McGraw

This song is far more electrified than most of Travis’ music, but the narrative quality of this track puts it within Travis’ wheelhouse. With a few production changes, we could hear Travis singing this song.

“Diamond rings and old barstools / One’s for queens and one’s for fools / One’s the future and one’s the past / One’s forever and one won’t last,” the lyrics to this country song read. Travis has plenty of songs that explore the ups and downs of love. This song falls within that country tradition, which Travis helped build.

“Things A Man Oughta Know” — Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson’s “Things A Man Oughta Know” is the kind of age-old advice song that classic country artists loved to put out. Travis has a few himself. Though this song is very Wilson, you can hear the Travis inspiration—whether she meant to pay homage or not. His influence is so strong that it seeps into modern country without anyone even realizing it.

“Who gave up and got it wrong / If you really love a woman, you don’t let her go / Yeah, I know a few things a man oughta know,” the lyrics read. Again, with a few changes in musical style, this song could easily have been released in the 80s or 90s, when Travis was king of the airwaves.

“In Color” — Jamey Johnson

Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” is a nostalgic, narrative track that would likely make Travis proud. “If it looks like we were scared to death / Like a couple of kids just tryna save each other / You should’ve seen it in color,” the lyrics read.

Johnson tells a compelling story about one generation passing wisdom on to the next. It’s just as universal and heartwarming as many of Travis’ songs. You’ll get a classic country fix while listening to this 2008 hit.

(Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images)