The legendary decade produced some of the genre’s most timeless hits. Take a look at some of the best ’90 country songs and get to listening.
Thanks to danceable ditties by artists like Shania Twain and Brooks & Dunn, the poignant narratives of George Strait, and empowering anthems from The Chicks and Martina McBride, country music moved from small town honky tonks to sold out stadiums in the ’90s, becoming a centerpiece of mainstream pop culture in the process.
Even now the decade continues to inspire artists like Zach Top, proving that the hunger for the country of old that “Sounds like the radio / Back in ’94, you know” remains.
To celebrate arguably country music’s most successful era, C&I looks back on our favorite ’90s songs.
1. “Straight Tequila Night”
John Anderson
His first No. 1 hit in nearly a decade, “Straight Tequila Night” is widely regarded as John Anderson’s comeback single that made for a dynamite pairing with its B-side, “Seminole Wind.”
2. “Like The Rain”
Clint Black
The song became Black’s 10th No. 1 hit in 1996 and earned a nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards the following year.
3. “Friends In Low Places”
Garth Brooks
One of Brooks’ most iconic songs, the tune went on to inspire the name of the singer’s downtown Nashville bar that opened this past March.
4. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”
Brooks & Dunn
The ditty became the duo’s fourth consecutive No. 1 single and helped to renew a nationwide interest in line dancing upon its release in 1992.
5. “Down At The Twist And Shout”
Mary Chapin Carpenter
The cajun-inspired tune about a Maryland honky tonk reached No. 2 on the charts and was performed pre-game at Super Bowl XXXI in 1996.
6. “Strawberry Wine”
Deana Carter
The nostalgic ballad was Carter’s biggest hit and continues to see other songs follow its blueprint, most notably Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine.”
7. “How Forever Feels”
Kenny Chesney
The nostalgic number became Chesney’s first pop crossover hit after almost not seeing the light of day due to Tim McGraw cutting a version — but never releasing it — before him.
8. “Wide Open Spaces”
The Chicks
The empowering anthem hit No. 1 in 1998 and went on to be named not only one of country’s greatest songs, but one of the best of the entire 20th century.
9. “Achy Breaky Heart”
Billy Ray Cyrus
Cyrus’ signature tune in 1992 became the first country single certified platinum since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream.”
10. “John Deere Green”
Joe Diffie
Despite only peaking at No. 5 on the charts, the song about country lovin’ has gone on to become one of Diffie’s most cherished songs 30 years after its release.
11. “This Kiss”
Faith Hill
The crossover success was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song in 1998.
12. “Chatahoochee”
Alan Jackson
The country legend’s timeless tale looking back on adolescence in reverence went No. 1 in 1993 and has since been certified three-times platinum.
13. “Should’ve Been A Cowboy”
Toby Keith
The song romanticizing cowboy culture was Keith’s debut single, setting the stage for what would become a storied career.
14. “Independence Day”
Martina McBride
The CMA Awards’ Song of the Year in 1995, “Independence Day” tackled themes of domestic abuse and went on to become McBride’s biggest hit.
15. “Fancy”
Reba McEntire
While Bobby Gentry had a hit with it in 1969, it was McEntire who took the banger to new levels when she covered it in 1990.
16. “I Like It, I Love It”
Tim McGraw
The song became McGraw’s third No. 1 hit in 1995 and even reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.
17. “Heads Carolina, Tails California”
Jo Dee Messina
The song peaked at No. 2 in 1996 and even inspired Cole Swindell’s No. 1 hit in 2022, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.”
18. “I Swear”
John Michael Montgomery
The song became the Kentuckian’s second and longest lasting No. 1 hit, remaining at the top spot for four weeks in late 1993.
19. “Check Yes Or No”
George Strait
The King’s heartwarming story about two schoolchildren with crushes on each other became an instant No. 1 hit that has since become certified four-times platinum.
20. “You’re Still The One”
Shania Twain
The piano-driven ballad took home two Grammy Awards in 1999, proving that Twain could deliver chilling emotional numbers just as well as she could danceable, pop-country bops.
Stream The Best 90’s Country Songs
Dig into the decade with our list of the best ’90s country artists.
PHOTOS: (Cover image) courtesy Getty Images; (Reba and Brooks & Dunn) Chris & Todd Owyoung/courtesy Reba's Business INC.
