What Are Your Top 5 90’s Country Songs?
On the surface, this sounded like an easy thing to do. Country Insider, a country music/radio online publication approached us looking for our “Top 5 90’s Country Songs.” Wheelhouse. This was the era when we were first getting started in country radio and it can be argued it’s the best period for music that the genre has ever seen. How long could this possibly take…2-3 minutes? Wrong.
We slaved over this. With each year of the decade that we looked back on, there were so many, “Oh yeah!” songs. And with each song came a memory behind it. That’s the thing with music. It’s not just the song, but the way it made you feel at the time. It’s the reason that lists like this are 100% subjective and there is no wrong answer. Every person is affected differently.
Before diving into our lists, we want to give you a little weekend homework. What is YOUR list of The Top 5 90’s Country Songs? The only criteria? Each song had to come out between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1999. Oh, I know, you think it’s going to be easy. You’ll see. On Monday, we’ll discuss our lists and get yours.
OR, feel free to leave your list on either Country 1037’s or our Facebook page. First up, my list as it appears in Country Insider.
5. “Fast Movin’ Train”-Restless Heart
In my opinion, there has never been a country group that had a sound like Restless Heart. The vast majority of their success was in the 1980s (including my favorite song of all time, “The Bluest Eyes In Texas”), but this song was the title cut of their final album before lead singer Larry Stewart left the band for a solo career. I’d forgotten how great they and this song are.
4. “I Love The Way You Love Me”-John Michael Montgomery
As time has gone on, I’ve become enamored with the love story of songwriter, Chuck Cannon and his now late wife, country singer, Lari White. I always wondered what the look on her face was when he played her this song for the first time. I remember it coming out around the time we got married. And for me, it pretty much says it all.
3. “Overnight Male”-George Strait
As a native Texan, there’s no chance I could have a list like this and NOT put The King on it. Here comes the hard part…which song?! It’s not like Strait didn’t have a gazillion number ones in the decade. So I went with this one. The “Pure Country” soundtrack is arguably the best album, top to bottom, Strait ever released. “Overnight Male” was an album cut never came out as a single. I don’t care. It’s the best song on the record and would have been a HUGE smash had it been released. The fiddle, pedal steel guitar, catchy lyrics, PURE Strait.
2. “Neon Moon”-Brooks & Dunn
As far as duos in the history of country music goes, there have been many. None with the success of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Ronnie’s voice, for me, was the definitive “country” voice for the better part of a decade and a half. Of all their hits, this is the one that every time I hear it, I just think, “Wow.” Lyrically, I can make you an argument that “Jukebox plays on drink by drink, and the words of every sad song seems to say what I think” is the greatest in country music history.
1. “Friends in Low Places”-Garth Brooks
The number one song was the easiest. It tops both our lists. And if anyone who lived through country music’s decade of the 90s from our viewpoint has any other song atop their list, they are lying to themselves. This was the first single from Garth’s second album, “No Fences.” And it changed the world. Country music’s popularity explosion can be traced back to this record’s release with a straight line. To this day, we’ve never had a song that was more popular or generated more requests than this one. All you need to know about its power is to be present at a Garth concert when he strums that first chord on the guitar. Wherever he is in the world, the venue explodes. Garth is VERY persnickety about videos of his performances, but I found this one from around the time of the song’s release. It’s gotta be from an award show. And it’s too funny.
And now Debbie’s list. Her reasons behind each? We’ll find out together on Monday’s show. Also, we’ll give some honorable mentions that almost made the cut on our lists including some real amazing music from Travis Tritt, Clint Black, Tracy Lawrence and others.
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