(Top Left) TheKinleys VEVO/ YouTube / (Bottom Left) SheDAISYVEVO / YouTube / (Right) Toby Keith / YouTube
The 1990s were a prime decade in country music history. Still, some ’90s country hits have been somewhat “lost” as the years trickled by.
These songs have never truly been “forgotten.” But, they don’t as much attention as monster hits such as Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
RELATED: WHICH ICONIC ’90s ALBUM WAS NAMED THE #1 COUNTRY ALBUM OF ALL TIME?
So today, we’re revisiting a group of ’90s country hits that deserve more love. Dive into the list to see how many songs you remember!
Dolly Parton released her fun and flirtatious single “Romeo” in 1993.
The song featured Mary Chapin Carpenter, Pam Tillis, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kathy Mattea, and Tanya Tucker. All of them (with the exception of Tillis) appeared in the song’s music video, with Cyrus playing Parton’s love interest.
“Romeo” landed at the 27th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart and crossed over to the 50th spot on the all-genre Hot 100 chart. The song also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
Lonestar really took off in 1999 and the 2000s with #1 hits such as “Amazed,” “What About Now,” and “I’m Already There.” But they earned their first #1 songs earlier in the ’90s.
One of those songs was 1997’s “Come Cryin’ to Me.” The track was the first single co-written by then-member John Rich to reach #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It remained on the chart for a total of 20 weeks.
Later, “Come Cryin’ to Me” ranked at the 11th spot on the year-end Country Songs chart for 1997.
Lari White and Travis Tritt sang about the pain of heartache and lost love in their 1997 duet, “Helping Me Get Over You.” The artists co-wrote the song together.
“Helping Me Get Over You” reached the 18th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart following its release. It also reached the 21st spot on the country chart in Canada.
The song received renewed attention following Lari White’s death on January 23, 2018. She was only 52 years old.
Tritt remembered White in a touching tribute, writing, “I’m extremely saddened by the passing of my friend Lari White. She was so talented and a joy to write and record with.”
Identical twin sisters Heather and Jennifer Kinley formed the now-defunct country music duo The Kinleys. One of their biggest hits was a song called “Just Between You and Me,” which they released in 1997.
“Just Between You and Me” reached the 12th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. The year after its release, The Kinleys won the ACM Award for Top New Vocal Duet or Group.
Wade Hayes burst onto the scene in 1994 with the release of his debut single, “Old Enough to Know Better.”
The song was an immediate success and reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also reached the #1 spot on the country charts in Canada.
Although Hayes has never topped the Hot Country Songs chart again, he released a subsequent string of Top 10 hits throughout the 1990s.
Ricochet released “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” in 1996 as the third single from their debut album.
The track reached the ninth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It followed the band’s two previous successes, “Daddy’s Money” and “What Do I Know.”
Ricochet won the ACM Award for Top New Vocal Duet or Group the year after they released “Love Is Stronger Than Pride.”
In case you didn’t know, Collin Raye got his start singing in the now-defunct country group The Wrays. He later pursued a solo career and has charted 30 singles, including four #1 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Raye released his single “Little Red Rodeo” in 1997. He also got the chance to perform the song on an episode of the Chuck Norris-led TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.
The song peaked at the third spot on the Hot Country Songs chart and remained on the chart for a total of 22 weeks. “Little Red Rodeo” also reached the #1 spot on the country chart in Canada.
The sister trio SHeDAISY released their debut single, “Little Good-Byes,” in 1999. The song peaked at the third spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also crossed over to claim the 43rd slot on the all-genre Hot 100 chart.
“Little Good-Byes” led SHeDAISY to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
SHeDAISY hasn’t released new music in several years, but they still share occasional posts on their official Facebook page.
Wynonna started her solo career in the ’90s and scored a string of hits during the decade. One of those hits was 1993’s “Is It Over Yet.”
“Is It Over Yet” reached the sixth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also peaked at the eighth spot on the country chart in Canada.
The song led Wynonna to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Aaron Tippin released his debut single, “You’ve Got to Stand for Something,” in 1990. The song reached the sixth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Tippin earned his first #1 hit two years later. He continued to release a series of Top 10 singles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including “Kiss This,” “Workin’ Man’s Ph.D,” and “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly.”
Rick Trevino released “I Only Get This Way With You” in 1997 as the third single from his album Learning As You Go. It was the follow-up track to his #1 single, “Running Out of Reasons to Run.”
“I Only Get This Way With You” reached the seventh spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Tim McGraw was one of the leading country stars of the ’90s. Starting with 1994’s “Indian Outlaw,” every single he released charted within the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Because he had so many hits in the ’90s, “Down on the Farm” is one song that sometimes gets lost in McGraw’s catalog. The fun-lovin’ track was released in 1994 and reached the #2 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Tim McGraw’s wife, Faith Hill, also experienced great success in the ’90s. With the exception of two songs, every single she released during the decade charted within the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
One of those hits was “Let’s Go to Vegas,” which Hill released in 1995. It peaked at the fifth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
“Let’s Go to Vegas” sometimes gets overlooked in comparison to Hill’s other ’90s hits, such as “This Kiss” and “Breathe.”
Hal Ketchum released “Stay Forever” in 1995 as the third single from his album Every Little Word. The song peaked at the eighth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
“Stay Forever” ended up being Ketchum’s last Top 10 hit. He passed away on November 23, 2020 at the age of 67.
The country group Sons of the Desert released their debut single, “Whatever Comes First,” in 1997. It also served as the title track of their first studio album.
“Whatever Comes First” put Sons of the Desert on the map after it reached the tenth spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It ended up being the biggest hit of their career.
Sons of the Desert released their last single in 2001 and disbanded soon after.
Moe Bandy was the first artist to release the song “Brotherly Love.” His recording came out in 1989.
Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley actually recorded the song two years prior, in 1987. But their version was not released until 1991…two years after Whitley’s death.
The duo’s recording reached the #2 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It remained on the chart for 22 weeks in total.
“Brotherly Love” was nominated for Vocal Event of the Year at the 1992 CMA Awards. The song also led Whitley and Conley to a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals category.
Conley passed away in 2019 at the age of 77.
Toby Keith dominated the Hot Country Songs chart in the ’90s. Starting with his debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in 1993, many of his songs peaked within the Top 10.
His 1997 single “We Were In Love” reached #2 on the chart. It peaked at the same position on the country chart in Canada.
Despite its popularity at the time, “We Were in Love” often gets forgotten when compared to some of Keith’s super hits from the ’90s such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “How Do You Like Me Now?!” But now, we’re making sure this song and each one featured in this list gets a moment to shine!
How many of these ’90s country hits do you remember listening to?
If you’d like to hear a modern country song with some ’90s country flair, then check out Justin Holmes’ official music video for his new song, “Heartbreak Honky Tonk,” below. You can also stream the track on Apple Music or Spotify.
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