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90s Country Songs That You Forgot Were Your Jam

Everybody loves a good 90s hit and the decade sure has many great ones to offer. Between Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee”, Shania Twain’s “Any Man Of Mine”, Brooks and Dunn’s “Brand New Man”, and many, many more, there are endless opportunities to add to your playlist. With all that the ’90s country scene has to offer, there can be a few gems that get lost. That is why we have compiled a list of ’90s hits you forgot were your total jam.

 

“That Ain’t My Truck” – Rhett Atkins

“That Ain’t My Truck” is a song that everybody knows and hits those heartbreak feels. The ACM Songwriter of the Year may not be making any more of his own music but he has been pinning chart-toppers including Jason Aldean’s “When She Says Baby,” Thomas Rhett’s “It Goes Like This,” Dustin Lynch’s “Small Town Boy,” Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” and more. All of these hit songs still have a sense of Atkin’s original emotional appeal to them just like in the ’90s.

 

“Amazed” – Lonestar

Released just weeks before the ’90s were over, Lonestar’s biggest hit proved there can be a large crossover between genres. One of the few country songs to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during that time puts it on the list.

 

“She’s In Love With the Boy” – Trisha Yearwood

Music videos help bring a song to life although Trisha Yearwood’s “She’s In Love With the Boy” music video knocks it out of the park. With big hair, big mustaches, innocent themes, and irresistible melodies, this song is a huge success.

 

“Blue Clear Sky” – George Strait

While “Check Yes or No” and “Give It Away” are added most of the time, The King of Country’s “Blue Clear Sky” is still a clear hit. In fact, it was the number one song for a month straight!

 

“Pickup Man” – Joe Diffie

Many artists these days credit Joe Diffie for being an influence on their style of music so it is only fitting we include one of his popular songs. The double entendre of the song title plays out as he is always winning over the women. He barely even tries, as his new ride always gets attention in traffic jams and drive-in movies on Friday nights.

 

“Daddy’s Money” – Ricochet

This song is perfect to play when you see the right someone at the bar, at a party, or on the lake. “She’s got her daddy’s money, her mama’s good looks / More laughs than a stack of comic books,” Ricochet sings. While Ricochet had very little success, this song will live on for many more years to come.

 

“I Like It, I Love It” – Tim McGraw

McGraw’s third hit single is filled with cheesy silly lyrics and a catchy melody although it perfectly describes what someone in the singer’s shoes would do. The second it comes on the radio, you can’t help but start singing to it. As a matter of fact, you probably started singing along before you even knew the words. Between the fiddle and barroom piano and McGraw’s Southern drawl, you are hooked upon first listen.

 

“This Kiss” – Faith Hill

“This Kiss” is a perfect encapsulation of all the joy and romantic giddiness of a newfound love. Maybe Hill was taking notes from McGraw on tour? Either way, few songs can achieve such high levels of catchiness like this song and it continues to be one of Hill’s greatest hits.

 

“Independence Day” – Martina McBride

“Independence Day” won a CMA Song of the Year title in 1995, and it certainly pushed McBride to the front of the pack. Her vocal talent made this ’90s singer’s first statement song a hit. Despite its success, many radio stations were uncertain whether they would play the controversial anthem. Its story of a woman’s struggle against abuse is powerful, showcasing a realistic view of how it can torment its victims. Although it only reached #12 on Billboard’s singles chart, the song reached a wide audience and received much critical acclaim.

 

“Fast as You” – Dwight Yoakam

“Fast as You” is one of Yoakam’s last country hits, and it’s a standout on this list. The Kentucky native’s drawl and outlaw style were mixed with a pop influence created a swaggering tune that you could recognize upon only the first few beats.

 

“Watermelon Crawl” – Tracy Byrd

“Watermelon Crawl” was a classic ’90s line dance favorite in any honky-tonk across the country. The song is full of great imagery that the listener can follow as it describes the adventures of a man who pulls off the road in a small town in Georgia. Everything this festival has to offer screams country; live music, seed spitting, an eating contest, and red wine made from watermelons. It’s pure, simple country music.

 

“Every Light In The House Is On” – Trace Adkins

Last but certainly not least, Trace Adkins’ somber ballad. The ’90s hit tells the story of a man missing an ex-lover and it is just as emotional as it is beautiful. Adkins tapped into this song and truly told of heartache in a new and unique way that was not being exposed in the songwriting world just yet.

 

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[WIN] Tickets + Walker Hayes Gives Sneak Peek of his ‘Dream On It’ Tour

Last night (Jan 28.), Walker Hayes allowed members of the media to attend one of his final rehearsals for his ‘Dream On It’ Tour which kicks off this Thursday night (Jan. 31) in Houston, Texas. Hayes put the finishing touches on his tour, which will feature songs from his album boom.

The “90s Country” singer is bringing one of our 2019 Artists to Watch, Filmore along for this run, hitting cities across the US, wrapping up in Boise, Idaho on May 4th.

 

Tickets and more information are available on walkerhayes.com. Check out all of the tour dates below and head to our Instagram to enter to win tickets (here) to a show of your choice, for additional entries fill out the form below.

 

2019 ‘Dream on It’ Tour Dates:

Jan. 31 — Houston, Texas @ House of Blues Houston
Feb. 1 — Dallas, Texas @ House of Blues Dallas
Feb. 2 — Baton Rouge, La. @ Texas Club
Feb. 8 — Lake Buena Vista, Fla. @ The Block
Feb. 22 — Rosemont, Ill. @ Joe’s Live
Feb. 23 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Elevation at The Intersection
Feb. 28 — Ashwaubenon, Wisc. @ Green Bay Distillery
March 1 — Madison, Wisc. @ Majestic Theatre
March 2 — Des Moines, Iowa @ Wooly’s
March 5 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Mercy Lounge
March 7 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Buckhead Theatre
March 8 — Birmingham, Ala. @ Iron City
March 14 — Rocky Mount, Va. @ Harvester Performance Center
March 15 — North Myrtle Beach, S.C. @ House of Blues Myrtle Beach
March 21 — Silver Spring, Md. @ The Fillmore
March 22 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ The TLA
March 23 — Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues Boston
April 11 — Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall
April 12 — Knoxville, Tenn. @ The Mill & Mine
April 13 — Greensboro, N.C. @ Cone Denim Entertainment Center
April 26 — Denver, Colo. @ Grizzly Rose 
April 27 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
April 29 — San Martin, Calif. @ Clos La Chance Winery
April 30 — Sacramento, Calif. @ Ace of Spades
May 2 — Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox
May 3 — Spokane, Wash. @ The Knitting Factory
May 4 — Boise, Idaho @ Knitting Factory Concert House

 

* UPDATE: This contest has ended. Congrats to all of the winners!

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Walker Hayes Goes Live on YouTube to Release “90’s Country” Video

Walker Hayes 90's Country

Walker Hayes at The Vault in Nashville

Walker Hayes celebrated the release of the music video for “90s Country” unlike any other artist has done before. He celebrated the premiere with fans and friends broadcasting live on Youtube at The Vault in Downtown Nashville.

He sang three of his songs “Dollar Store,” “90s Country,” and of course his hit “You Broke Up With Me”. He also answered some fan questions involving some of his favorite 90’s artists, fashion trends, and questions about the music video. He explained the writing process of “90s country” and the idea of how he came up with it.

“I and a girl named LRYX started the co-write. I kind of hand it to her because it wasn’t much of an idea except for the words “90’s country”. I think we left that day with the lyrics ‘You make me feel like 90’s country’ and the ‘Do you love me if you do’ part and the ‘Tractor’s Sexy’. After that, it took about two years to track it to make it what it is. I thought one of the co-writers, Shane McAnally, was going to break up with me because of how long it took,” Hayes laughed. “I’m just a product of the 90’s and I have this argument with myself all the time, was the music that great? Or were we just kids? The titles that I did mention, I hear those titles and I immediately go back to a place. I know where I was living, who I was with, and I just remember all those sweet moments and we hoped everybody did too when they listened.”

The music video was directed by Alex Alvga and shot on Old Hickory Lake just outside of Nashville. Hayes wanted the video to take him back to his own hometown feelings of growing up in the 90’s. He said he felt more comfortable this time around for this video because he was surrounded by family, friends, and his band.

In addition, Hayes announced he’s heading out on his first European tour with Old Dominion. Make sure you continue to check his website for dates and ticketing information. Check out Hayes’ new music video “90s Country” below.

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Exclusive Interview: Walker Hayes Chats About “90’s Country”

Walker Hayes 90's Country

Walker Hayes has released his newest single “90’s Country” which marries his progressive and modern twist on the genre with twenty-two classic songs that have influenced the singer-songwriter and most country fans from an era of music that will never grow old. In a recent chat with New York Country Swag, Hayes lets us in on the decision to drop “90’s Country” as well as the writing process that took place with critically acclaimed songwriter and producer Shane McAnally and LYRX.

The most interesting part of the idea behind “90’s Country” is the duality of meaning it brings to the fans across the country and specifically here in New York.  On one hand, fans of country music who grew up listening to Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Joe Diffie, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain and all of the other artists referenced in the track, there is a wave of nostalgia that runs over you.  For New Yorkers and fans who live in New York, country music hasn’t always been accessible to us.  For seventeen years the New York and the metro area did not have a radio station playing current country music, so in order to keep up with what was popular in the country music world, prior to streaming and Spotify, you had to go out and buy CDs.  For many fans especially the younger generation of New York country fans, they are hearing these references for the very first time, possibly now choosing to seek out the generation of country music that is so revered everywhere else around America.

Piecing together songs of the past while still creating an entirely new song is no easy task and Hayes explains it was written over months of texts and arguments back and forth. On his debut album boom. each track was authentic to his story, sometimes dark and always personal so when it came to “90’s Country” he was experimenting with a new side of songwriting. “It was such a unique song for me because most of my stuff, actually, 100% of my stuff is personal experience, I just dredge for feelings and emotions and thoughts and details from the emotion that is inside of me and that is the vocabulary I am allowed to use, otherwise I feel like if I select stuff outside of my experience the song begins to become too written,” he explains.  But after releasing “Craig” which although it is an inspiring, real story, it is heavy, he felt he wanted to give his fans something lighter, something different. “I told my team I just want to put out something fun, infectious and when it’s over you have to press rewind and something you want to learn the words too.”

It wasn’t until 2004 when Hayes decided to pursue a music career and to make it his full-time job, therefore, he was able to grow up with music, soak it all in without dealing with the politics and business that come along with making the career choice. “I was able to be a teenager and experience all of those firsts with music constantly in my life, but not yet a business or a dream, because those 90’s country songs influenced me so much without me even knowing,” he tells us.  “Looking back now as someone who writes every day for a living to provide for my family, it’s incredible to look back and realize I was in 7th grade listening to and experiencing deep lyrics like Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take the Girl”,  and I was just loving it, pressing repeat. Who knew 20 years down the road I would be hopefully writing songs that people would be doing the same thing to in the car.”

Although the process of writing this song took a long time he is thrilled with the finished product. “It maintains my musical perspective while at the same time, throwing it back to my favorite songs,” he explains.  “I’ve been so happy with the reaction it was really tedious but also therapeutic, it was like we put a puzzle together. I feel like this was a good move for me, it sets up a new album and new music in general. We are really glad we spent all of the time we did on it.”

Hayes will join Old Dominion on their Happy Endings Fall Tour which heads overseas stopping in Dublin and the UK for several dates. “I am really looking forward to going back because they are such a unique listener over there, they are very attentive,” he tells us. “They listen to full-length albums they love the material, which is an artists dream.”

Hayes joined us for a Live Swag Session back in April. He returns to New York City this October and country fans can grab tickets to his headlining show at Mercury Lounge on October 9th before he heads overseas.

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songs

5 Of The Best Name-Dropping Songs in Country Music

As a genre, country music has never been one to shy away from calling out its heroes in song. In fact, there are tons of country songs that drop the names Willie, Waylon, Hank, and George. Some newer artists will shout out Kenny or Keith or Carrie, but lately, we’ve been noticing a new trend in our favorite tunes. Rather than mention an artist by name, some of country’s hottest stars are mentioning their songs or their favorite lyrics in those songs.

In his song, “Raised by the Radio,” Mitch Rossell says, “Nothing reminds you of who you are like hearing a song that reminds you of where you’ve been,” and we couldn’t agree more. Here at NYCountrySwag, it was Walker Hayes’ new track “90’s Country” the inspired this list, so here are some of our favorite country songs that namedrop other country songs.

Walker Hayes – 90’s Country: Walker Hayes’ most recent release “90’s Country” is a prime example of the trend, artfully mentioning 22 different songs within its lyrics. Written by Hayes, Shane McAnally, and David Garcia, Hayes cleverly flows from famous song titles to famous lyrics in his signature spoken-country style. He mentions songs we love, songs we forgot, and songs we want to listen to immediately. Some of the most famous songs Hayes mentions from arguably the best decade of country music include: “Strawberry Wine,” “Amazed,” “Check Yes or No,” “Friends in Low Places,” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Some songs you may have forgotten about (or never heard!) that Hayes drops into this track include “Vidalia,” “Daddy’s Money,” “Wink,” “Jukebox Junkie,” and “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer.” To give a listen to Hayes’ “90’s Country” and all the songs that inspired it, check out his fantastic Spotify playlist here.

Old Dominion – Song for Another Time: Like “90’s Country,” musical mastermind Shane McAnally had a role in “Song for Another Time,” co-producing the track written by Old D’s Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey, and Trevor Rosen, along with Matt Jenkins. The song was the band’s second number 1 on the Country Airplay chart, telling the story of a breakup through song titles. On the track, Old Dominion calls out over twenty songs, including country classics like “Marina Del Rey,” “Small Town Saturday Night,” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” in addition to other genre’s classics like “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “Paradise City,” and “Candle in the Wind.”

Lady Antebellum – And the Radio Played: While Lady Antebellum’s “And the Radio Played” wasn’t a huge hit for the band, being released as a track on the deluxe edition of their album, Golden, it still deserves a place on the list. Written by Lady A. with Josh Kear and Nathan Chapman, the song takes listeners on a musical journey through the decades, with the first chorus hitting the oldies, the second hitting the 1990’s, and the third touching on the 2000’s. Songs referenced in the first chorus include “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” “Smoky Mountain Rain,” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” while the second chorus introduces “the Dance,” “Strawberry Wine,” “Does He Love You?,” and “Amazed.” Lastly, the third chorus is like listening to SiriusXM’s Y2Kountry channel, mentioning hits like “I Hope You Dance,” “Before He Cheats,” “The House That Built Me,” and “Don’t Blink.”

Mitch Rossell – Raised by the Radio: Mitch Rossell has become known for being Garth Brooks’ protege, and the man responsible for writing one of Brooks’ most recent #1 hits, “Ask Me How I Know.” With just an acoustic guitar, Rossell opened for Brooks’ sold-out, world tour, performing a slew of songs including “Raised by the Radio.” The track recalls songs that “raised his glass,” “saved his life,” and “even helped him get lucky a few times.” Some of the songs mentioned in this song include “Blue Clear Sky,” “She’s in Love with the Boy,” “Life is a Highway,” “Walk the Line,” “Love Like Crazy,” and “Live Like You Were Dying.”

Brad Paisley – This is Country Music: On “This is Country Music,” Brad Paisley discusses the merits that make country music unique, it’s genre-bending rules challenging societal norms. “It ain’t hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns, or mama, yeah that might be true, but this is country music, and we do,” Paisley sings, the song ending as a tribute to country music. In the last minute of the song, Paisley mentions a ton of country classics, including “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Amarillo by Morning,” “Stand By Your Man,” and “God Bless the USA.”

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Throwback to “90’s Country” with Walker Hayes’ GMA Performance.

We had some fun with Nashville’s rising country star, Walker Hayes earlier this year when he joined New York Country Swag at The Refinery Rooftop for a signature Swag Session. Now, he is in New York City again to premiere his latest single on national television.

Our favorite country music dad, took the stage at Good Morning America earlier today, to perform his new single, “90’s Country,”. With a band to support him, Hayes utilized his signature swagger, as he sang the cheeky yet nostalgic lyrics to his soon-to-be hit. Our favorite part is the way that Hayes references some of the best 90’s country songs while still keeping his unique and modern twist on country music.

Hayes co-wrote “90’s Country” with Shane McAnally and LYRX, as well as co-produced the song with McAnally and David Garcia.  The track itself showcases the songwriter’s play on words and pays homage to classic country songs, such as Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”, Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” and Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”

The crowd at GMA seemed to love the clever lyrics, as they clapped along throughout the entire performance. Hayes continued to entertain the fans by putting down his guitar, and showing off some dance moves, as he moved around the stage. See the performance below.

 

The single is available for streaming or download across all major music platforms, here.

Hayes, who we named an ‘Artist to Watch’ back in 2017, will continue to play in cities across the United States throughout September and October. He embarks on his first European trek as a part of Old Dominion’s extended 2018 Happy Endings Tour, which starts in Dublin, Ireland on October 31st and continues through November 10th. Find a full list of tour dates on his website here and keep checking our calendar to see if the singer adds any New York dates to the lineup.

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Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
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