4 Songs That Set up the Neotraditional Country Boom of the 1990s

Until the last few years, the 90s were the last time country music sounded like country music to the ears of many genre fans. The decade saw a wave of neotraditional artists topping the charts. Many of those artists were on the scene and shaping the genre’s future before the beginning of the decade.

You can look at the stylistic shift country music underwent in the 90s from several angles. Some will say it was a reaction to the over-produced pop-leaning music of the 80s. Purists saw it as an invasion of rock and roll guitars and over-the-top stage shows. No matter how you look at it, though, one thing is true. A handful of artists pushed Nashville to find acts who fit the neotraditional mold established in the late 1980s.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1986, Randy Travis Released the Album That Helped Shape Country Music for the Next Decade]

“On the Other Hand” by Randy Travis (1986)

Randy Travis was among the handful of artists who fully embraced neotraditional country music. However, he wasn’t following a budding trend. Instead, he helped plant the seeds of the throwback sound with his 1986 debut album Storms of Life. “On the Other Hand” is a decent way to track when the style found mainstream favor.

Travis first released “On the Other Hand” as the lead single from the album in 1985. It peaked at No. 67 on the Hot Country Songs chart. A year later, his label rereleased it, and it became Travis’ first No. 1, which set him on the path to being one of the most influential artists of the decade.

“All My Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait (1987)

Before Randy Travis, there was George Strait, who released his debut single in 1981 and scored his first No. 1 a year later. While Travis and Strait weren’t the only neotraditional country artists of the 80s, they were the most popular.

“All My Ex’s Live in Texas” was Strait’s 11^th No. 1 single. It was continued proof of the market for the kind of country music that would become Nashville’s status quo in the 90s. One could argue that his continued success is another example of how genre fans will always go back to these throwback styles.

“A Better Man” by Clint Black (1989)

The Class of ’89–Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and Travis Tritt–dropped highly successful neotraditional country albums in 1989. They introduced themselves with hits at the end of the decade and helped dictate the direction of country music in the 1990s.

Black’s debut single, “A Better Man,” became his first No. 1. Critics praised him as the second coming of Merle Haggard, whose career was still going strong, and fans loved the swinging honky tonk sound he showcased on this track and the rest of the record.

“If Tomorrow Never Comes” by Garth Brooks (1989)

The only country artist who was more successful than Garth Brooks in the 90s was George Strait. While they took on neotraditional country from different angles, they found similar results. Throngs of fans flocked to their concerts, bought their records, and requested their songs on the radio. As a result, both had multiple hits throughout the decade and have since become genre legends.

“If Tomorrow Never Comes” was Brooks’ second single and first No. 1. Moreover, it established him as both a recording artist and songwriter, paving the way for decades of hit songs, albums, and packed concerts.

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