Let’s Go, Girls: 3 Female Country Stars That Defined the 1990s

Country music undoubtedly had a heyday in the 1990s, and that was especially true for female country stars who saw their star rise in the last decade of the 20th century. From The Chicks to Faith Hill to Shania Twain, read on to discover the ladies who ruled the 90s country scene.

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The Chicks

Kicking off our list of amazing 1990s female country artists are The Chicks (née The Dixie Chicks), who found great success in the latter half of the decade. Sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer joined with Natalie Maines in 1998 to release their debut major label album, Wide Open Spaces. A year later, their sophomore release, Fly, debuted.

Both albums earned the Grammy for Best Country Album. On the charts, Wide Open Spaces landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. Fly managed to top both charts.

Faith Hill

Faith Hill made her debut with 1993’s Take Me As I Am. It was an impressive entry, as her single, “Wild One”, hit No. 1 on the charts. It was her first of many No. 1s to come. Throughout the 90s, Hill released three more albums, with all four of her first LPs earning great acclaim.

It was her fourth album, 1999’s Breathe, where Hill experienced her greatest success yet. The LP took the top spot on both the Billboard 200 chart and the outlets’ Top Country Albums chart. Breathe also gave Hill her first Grammy, as she won for Best Country Album.

Personally, the 90s were also a big decade for Hill, as she met and fell in love with Tim McGraw. The pair, who’ve often collaborated over the years, married in 1996 and share three daughters.

Shania Twain

While Shania Twain’s 1993 debut LP didn’t make waves, that all changed with her sophomore album, The Woman In Me, two years later. The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide, spawned eight singles, and earned Twain a Grammy. It hit No. 1 on the Top Country Album chart and nabbed the fifth spot on the Billboard 200.

Twain kept the success going with Come On Over in 1997, as it doubled The Woman In Me‘s sales record. Tracks including “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” appeared on the album, which earned her four Grammys. Come On Over, which spawned a world tour of the same name, took the top spot on the Top Country Albums chart and the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200.

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