It was simpler back then.
The 90’s were a strange time, but if they managed to do anything right, it was country music. The decade has become the hallmark for throwback country playlists, with artists such as Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain setting the tone.
Unfortunately we aren’t getting any younger, and the 90’s are further away than they’ve ever been. Here’s a few songs that turn 30 years old in 2024.
“Don’t Take the Girl”- Tim McGraw
’94 was the breakout of a young Tim McGraw, seeing the then 27 year old score the first of his 25 U.S. Country Chart number one hits with “Don’t Take the Girl.” McGraw’s sophomore album Not a Moment Too Soon was the biggest country album of the year, and gave us one of McGraw’s most touching and romantic songs to date.
“Livin’ On Love” – Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson is at his best when he’s simplifying life, and nowhere is that more on display than this number one hit on the U.S. Country Chart. Working off a simple enough premise, “Livin’ On Love” takes the classic “with love we can do anything” theme and presents it with the clever lyricism and fun loving demeanor Jackson is known for.
“Be My Baby Tonight” – John Michael Montgomery
We’ve all been there. A pretty girl walks in, you work up the nerve to go talk to her, and immediately start fumbling over your words. With this hit John Michael Montgomery manages to put to song that bumbling feeling of not knowing quite the right words to say in perhaps the most catchy way possible. It’s no surprise the song became Montgomery’s third U.S. Country chart number one and set the stage for a breakout year.
“Pickup Man” – Joe Diffie
This track has seen a renaissance of sorts following Hardy and Post Malone’s cover on Hixtape Vol. 3: Difftape, but real ones have known about this Diffie classic for much longer. The pickup has been an iconic image in country music for years, and “Pickup Man” might just be the greatest ode to trucks of all time.
“Watermelon Crawl” – Tracy Byrd
While not as initially popular as some of these other songs, “Watermelon Crawl” has lived on in honky tonks for years. The song is far and away the most streamed of Byrd’s discography, primarily due to the accompanying line dance becoming a must play in country bars everywhere. The lyrics lend perfectly to dancing, with an upbeat tempo that is designed for the hardwood.
“If I Could Make a Living” – Clay Walker
Clay Walker isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think 90’s country, but he was quietly pumping out hits for much of the decade. Walker’s Texas stylings shine here behind a simple yet sweet set of lyrics about just how much he loves his woman. The song was Walker’s fourth number one U.S. Country hit, helping make 1994 the most commercially successful year of his career, with his album of the same name going platinum.
“Summertime Blues” – Alan Jackson
For most artists the success of a song like “Chattahoochee” in 1993 would be nearly impossible to follow up, but Jackson had arguably an even bigger year in ’94. The first of three number one U.S. Country hits that year, “Summertime Blues” sees Jackson lament the loss of his summer while toiling away at work. The song helped Jackson garner CMA nominations for Entertainer, Album, and Male Vocalist of the year.
“I Swear” – John Michael Montgomery
It doesn’t get much more romantic than this. Montgomery’s “I Swear” immediately found its way onto wedding playlists everywhere with promises to “love you with every beat of my heart.” R&B group All-4-One would cover the song a year later to greater commercial success, but Montgomery’s silky voice paired with that iconic piano melody simply can’t be topped.
Here’s a few more classic throwbacks turning 30 this year: