The Top Country Music Stars of the ’90s
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A look at the top country music stars of the ’90s, including Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, and more.
Tim McGraw
Though he was born in the late ’60s, Tim McGraw didn’t come into his own until the ’90s, when he released his debut album in 1993. He quickly rose to fame with hits like “Don’t Take the Girl” and “I Like It, I Love It,” and he became one of the most popular country music stars of the decade. Let’s take a look at some of his other hits from the ’90s.
Early life and career
Tim McGraw was born in Delhi, Louisiana, the son of Elizabeth “Betty” Ann D’Agostino and businessman Tug McGraw. He is of Italian and Irish descent on his mother’s side, and of English descent on his father’s side. His maternal grandfather, Fabrizio Fred D’Agostino, was a migrant from Brienno, Italy and his maternal grandmother, Helena Bouziane (originally from Algeria), was of French descent. Through his mother, he is a cousin of former U.S. Representative Tony Loeffler (R-CA). He has a younger sister named Stephanie Anne “Steffi” who is also a singer. McGraw underwent treatment as a teenager for ADD/ADHD.[citation needed]
After beginning his career as a songwriter in Nashville, McGraw rose to fame after releasing his debut album Not a Moment Too Soon in 1994. All of the album’s singles were top 20 country hits, three of which (” Don’t Take the Girl,” “I Like It, I Love It,” and “Something Like That”) reached number one on the Billboard country singles charts. The success of these singles launched him into superstardom and he became one of country music’s leading male artists.”
’90s hits
Tim McGraw burst onto the country music scene in the early ’90s with a string of hits that established him as one of the top stars of the decade. His debut album, Not a Moment Too Soon, was released in 1994 and topped the country charts, spawning four No. 1 singles: “Don’t Take the Girl,” “I Like It, I Love It,” “Down on the Farm,” and “Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It.” He followed up with 1995’s All I Want, which produced three more No. 1 singles: “She Never Let’s Me Go,” “I Need You,” and “Not a Moment Too Soon.”
McGraw continued to dominate the country charts throughout the remainder of the ’90s with hits like “Something Like That” (from 1999’s A Place in the Sun), “Please Remember Me” (from 2000’s Set This Circus Down), and “My Next Thirty Years” (from 2002’s Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors). He also expanded his horizons by collaborating with pop star Faith Hill on a number of duets, including “It’s Your Love” (from 1997’s It’s Your Love) and “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me” (from 1998’s Let’s Make Love). By the end of the ’90s, McGraw had established himself as one of country music’s biggest stars, thanks to his massive success on both radio and television.
Faith Hill
Faith Hill emerged as one of the most successful country music artists of the ’90s. She released her debut album in 1993, and it quickly climbed to the top of the country music charts. Her follow-up album,Take Me as I Am, was even more successful, selling more than four million copies.
Early life and career
Faith Hill was born Audrey Faith Perry on September 21, 1967, in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Her father, Ted Raymond Perry, was an accountant and her mother, Edna Mae (née Wimberley), was a nurse. She has two sisters named Rhonda and Zoë and a brother named Wesley. Hill was raised as a Baptist in Star, Mississippi. As a young child she sang gospel songs at the Stamps Baxter School of Music in nearby Laurel, Mississippi. At age seven she began singing in her church’s youth group choir under the direction of James Westman. Following graduation from high school in 1985, she enrolled at Hinds Community College where she pursued studies in cosmetology and modeling while continuing to perform country music locally.
’90s hits
Faith Hill’s career began in the early ’90s, and she quickly rose to prominence with a string of hit singles and best-selling albums. She has since become one of the biggest names in country music, winning five Grammy Awards and selling more than 40 million records worldwide.
Hill’s first album, Take Me as I Am, was released in 1993 and reached the top of the country charts. The lead single, “Wild One,” was a massive hit, spending four weeks at number one on the Billboard country chart and becoming one of the most successful country singles of all time. Hill followed up with her second album, It Matters to Me, in 1995. The album featured another chart-topping single, “Someone Else’s Dream,” as well as the top five hits “Let’s Go to Vegas” and “I Can’t Do That Anymore.”
In 1996, Hill released her third album, Faith. The album’s lead single, “This Kiss,” became one of Hill’s biggest hits, spending six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Faith also featured the hit singles “The Way You Love Me” and “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me,” a duet with husband Tim McGraw. The album was a huge success, selling more than four million copies in the United States and earning Hill her first Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Hill continued her string of hits with her fourth album, Breathe, in 1999. The album’s title track became Hill’s sixth number one single on the Billboard country chart, while also reaching the top spot on the Adult Contemporary chart. Breathe also featured the hit singles “The Secret of Life” and “If My Heart Had Wings.” The album was another huge success for Hill, selling more than six million copies in the United States and earning her second Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Hill took a break from recording in the early 2000s to focus on raising her family but returned to music with her fifth album, Fireflies, in 2005. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and featured three top ten singles: “Mississippi Girl,” “Like We Never Loved at All,” and “Sunshine & Summertime.” In 2006, Hill won her third Grammy Award for Best Country Album for Fireflies.
Hill released another best-selling album in 2007 with Cry. The album featured three hit singles: “Lost,” “Stealing Kisses,” and “Snow.” Cry was another critical and commercial success for Hill, selling more than three million copies in the United States and earning her fourth Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Hill has continued to release new music throughout the 2010s, including another duet album with McGraw (The Rest of Our Life) and a Christmas album (Joy to the World). She has also appeared as a judge on American Idol and The Voice.
Garth Brooks
Unlike some of his contemporaries, Garth Brooks managed to avoid the backlash against country music in the ’90s by staying true to his roots. A country music star of the highest order, Brooks was able to win over legions of fans with his traditionalist approach.
Early life and career
Garth Brooks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on February 7, 1962. His mother worked as a country music singer, and his father was a drummer. Garth Brooks began playing guitar when he was 12 years old. He was inspired by country music singers like Merle Haggard and Hank Williams Sr.
Garth Brooks’ professional career began in the late 1980s, when he was signed to a record label in Nashville, Tennessee. His first album, “Garth Brooks,” was released in 1989. It featured the single “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” which became a hit on country radio.
In the early 1990s, Garth Brooks’ career took off. He released a string of successful albums, including “No Fences” (1990), “Ropin’ the Wind” (1991), and “The Chase” (1992). He won several awards, including the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award and the Academy of Country Music’s Top Male Vocalist award.
Garth Brooks is one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has sold more than 160 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
’90s hits
Garth Brooks rose to fame in the country music world in the early ’90s with a string of hits that included “Friends in Low Places” and “The Thunder Rolls.” He quickly became one of the most popular artists in country music, and his success carried over into the mainstream pop world. Brooks has continued to release new music and tour throughout the ’90s and 2000s, cementing his place as one of the top country music stars of all time.
Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson is one of the most successful country music stars of all time. He has released over 60 albums and sold over 80 million records worldwide. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards and 20 CMA Awards.
Early life and career
Alan Jackson was born in New Georgia on October 17, 1958. Jackson began writing songs when he was 14 years old, and he released his first album in 1987. His first hit single, “Here in the Real World,” was released in 1990. Jackson has won numerous awards for his music, including the Grammy Award for Best Country Song (for “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”) and the CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year.
’90s hits
Alan Jackson is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is known for penning many of his own songs, as well as for his distinctly traditional country sound and storytelling abilities.
Born in Newnan, Georgia, Jackson grew up singing in church. After graduating high school, he moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. His first big break came in 1987, when he was signed to Arista Records. His debut album, Here in the Real World, was released that year and produced three No. 1 singles on the Billboard country charts.
Jackson’s next two albums, Don’t Rock the Jukebox (1991) and A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’bout Love) (1992), both topped the country charts and produced several hit singles. In 1993, Jackson was named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year; he would go on to win the award again in 1995 and 2002.
In the mid-’90s, Jackson began experimenting with other musical styles, incorporating elements of pop and rock into his country music. This change proved to be successful: His 1995 album, Once Upon a Time in the West, became his best-selling album ever, selling more than eight million copies worldwide. Jackson has continued to record and release new music throughout the 2000s and 2010s; his most recent album is Angels and Alcohol (2015).
George Strait
George Strait is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is known as the “King of Country” and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. He has had more than 100 number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the second-most of any artist.
Early life and career
George Harvey Strait Sr. was born on May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas, to John and Doris Strait. Strait’s father was an honored World War II veteran and Junior College Hall of Fame quarterback who later became a successful middle school math teacher and high school football coach in the Pulliam Community of Pearsall, Texas. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to the nearby farming community of Wilford Hall near Garciasville, Texas. When Strait was six years old, his father started teaching him how to play guitar. Also during his childhood, Strait took piano and fiddle lessons.
In addition to music lessons, Strait also learned how to work hard on a ranch from his grandfather and uncles who were cattle ranchers. This led to him having a strong work ethic which has served him well throughout his career. He would eventually put this work ethic to use as he began performing at various clubs and honky-tonks while still in high school. It was during this time that he adopted the stage name “Stoney,” which he would use for several years before eventually settling on “George Strait.”
After graduating from high school in 1970, Strait joined the Army and was stationed in Hawaii. It was there that he met and married his first wife, Debbie. Upon returning to Texas after his discharge from the Army, Strait attended Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University) in San Marcos on a football scholarship. While attending college, he continued to play music whenever he had the opportunity. He also worked at a local nightclub called Chequered Flag where he honed his live performance skills.
’90s hits
George Strait was one of the top country music stars of the ’90s. His biggest hits from that decade include “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “The Chair,” and “I Cross My Heart.” Strait continued to have success in the 2000s and 2010s with songs like “Cheyenne” and “Give It All We Got Tonight.”
