When you think about 90s country, the success of the female country scene comes to mind. This was the age that brought a more contemporary sound to country music. This was the period when huge stars like Faith Hill and Shania Twain made their career debuts. Women were leading the charts with their girl-power hits. Women became serious contenders in country music, and these hits could give bro-country songs a run for their money. There are so many great hits from men and women during this era that changed country music, but here is a look at my opinion of the top 5 female country songs of the 90s.
5. Trisha Yearwood “She’s In Love With The Boy”
Writers: Jon Ims
Album: Trisha Yearwood (1991)
This forbidden love song told a story of a young small-town couple trying to gain approval from the father. It spoke to girls everywhere who were experiencing young love in the rebellious teen years. It was Yearwood’s lead single from her debut album, made it to No. 1 on the singles charts, and launched Yearwood’s wildly successful career.
4. Faith Hill “This Kiss”
Writers: Beth Nielsen Chapman, Robin Lerner, Annie Roboff
Album: Faith (1998)
This song was every girl’s anthem with the up-beat music and catchy lyrics like “centrifugal motion” and “perpetual bliss.” It brings to life the feeling of a first kiss with your crush. This song was one of Hill’s early crossover hits, which launched her into the pop direction. You can still hear this one on the radio, as it remains relevant in contemporary country.
3. LeAnn Rimes “How Do I Live”
Writers: Diane Warren
Album: You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs (1997)
This song launched Rimes’ career as it stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 69 weeks. Rimes was only 14 years old when the song reached success. Although Yearwood also recorded this song at the same time, Rimes still earned a Grammy nomination, and it remains one of the biggest standout songs of the 90s.
2. Martina McBride “Independence Day”
Writers: Gretchen Peters
Album: The Way That I Am (1994)
This song may have never made it to No. 1, but it was one of the greatest and most controversial country songs in music history. The song received mixed responses due to the depiction of domestic abuse, which was visualized in the music video. However, McBride won two CMA Awards and a Grammy for Best Country Song. In 2014, Rolling Stone ranked the song in their list of 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
1. Shania Twain “You’re Still The One”
Writers: Robert John “Mutt” Lange, Shania Twain
Album: Come On Over (1998)
Shania Twain was one of the best country singers of the late 90s. “You’re Still The One” was Twain’s first Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit and remains one of her most successful singles. This song, written by Twain and her then-husband, won two Grammys and beat out Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” Now that’s a pretty remarkable achievement. Twain went on to be one of the most influential female country singers of the 90s.
As a little girl whose first CD was Shania Twain’s “Come on Over” album at age four, the country women of the 90s were unlike no other. They were soulful, authentic, and brought a modern vide-that I still think put these women in the country music genre; instead of the country pop that today is trying way too hard to fit trendy-pop culture’s demand to be all modern and new. Great job recognizing these powerful 90s country music women carried their careers in the 2000s!
I enjoyed this post because it shows the changing roles of women in country music and America. The female country singers of the 90’s brought new and modern approach to country music. These songs were an important step in giving a voice to female artists, however 4 of the 5 songs on this list are about a romantic relationship with a man. Although love is a common theme in country music, lyrics like “how do I live without you?” demonstrate women’s dependence on men. These artists are talented and created songs that are pleasant to listen to, but the songs’ messages are not particularly profound. The notable outlier is Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” which tackles the complex issue of domestic violence. Although modern female country artists still sing about young love, it is easy to see how the subject of country music by female artists has evolved.
My mom loved country music so we naturally only listened to country music in the car. This post brought back great memories of trips to get ice cream, or McDonalds, or going to little league baseball games. It also made me a little nostalgic for the country music produced during the 90’s. I’m still waiting for another “This Kiss” or “Independence Day” to come out. They are such timelessly great songs that I will continue to listen to for years to come. I hope Miranda Lambert can pick up the slack and make an “oldie” like the ones on this list!
The songs within this post are extremely empowering for women in country music. Not only do the songs and artist themselves show the relevance of women in country music but four out of the five songs on this list are also written by women. Female country artist are ever evolving, while most of the songs on this list have a common theme of romance, all of these artists have other hits portraying women’s strength and independence. Songs like Martina McBride’s “This One’s for the Girls” and Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” show the versatility and strength female country singers have. Overall each of these artist are extremely talented and influential artist in the country music genre.
These five country artists are some of the most talented musicians country music has ever had. Its truly a shame that there aren’t artists like this nowadays. Miranda Lambert is the best we have right now, but I would much rather listen to Faith or Martina. When I was younger I would watch the music videos CMT all day. Watching these videos really brought be back to those days. It reminded me of all the times I sat on the floor of my bedroom listening to the Dixie Chicks for hours at a time. I really enjoyed reading this blog post. Now all these songs are now stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
When I think back on my experience of how country music stole my heart, these are absolutely a few of the songs that did just that. Growing up with a mom from a small suburb of Dallas and a dad from Tennessee, country music was everything and quite literally the only thing we listened to. There was never a time when I disliked or chose not to listen to country as a genre, it was just something that I was born into I guess. All of the incredible woman artists listed evoke a memory and I can actually think of something vivid the song reminded me of. For example, Faith Hill’s “Breathe” brings me back to my best friends mom getting remarried and dancing with her new husband during their first dance. Trisha Yearwood’s “She’s in Love With the Boy” takes me back to middle school with my best friends had their first boy crushes. Both of these songs and many many more will forever be embedded in my mind, and no matter how long I go without hearing them, will always bring back the most incredible memories.
This post is everything. Honestly, 3 out the 5 songs are some of my all time favorites. In my opinion the 90’s had some of the best music that is still popular today, including every song on this list. I think the longevity of these songs is because they were ones that a lot of women could relate to at one time or another. “She’s in love with the Boy” was the anthem for every girl who was attracted to the “bad boy” that their dad was totally against. Then when that relationship ended Leann was there to get you in your feels with “How do I live?”, a song that you belted out because you felt. every. word! It’s really nice to see how versatile country music is, because then you have Martina singing about domestic violence, a topic that was usually talked about through whispers. These women really pushed the envelope of issues through their music during their careers. I need one more album from Martina!!
I really enjoyed this post because although I was so young in the 90s, these women had a great impact on my introduction to country music. Seeing Shania Twain as my first concert at the San Antonio Rodeo was a moment that I believe defined my childhood and inspired me to continue to listen to country music. I will always remember most of these artists and the memories that these songs bring back.
These 5 country artists scream 90’s and they are all amazing.