The themes of love and loss have permeated country music for as long as it’s been in existence.  This second-to-last batch of great nineties hits contains songs that are direct descendants of well-known classics like “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, along with a Shania Twain hit that would have made Roba Stanley smile.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties:

#50-#26

#50
Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)
Travis Tritt
1991 | Peak: #2

From the first forceful guitar strum on, this kiss-off number somehow manages to seem unusually cool and collected in its own aggression. You get the impression that Tritt’s character has been anticipating this moment, and has already made up his mind that he’s going to relish every second of it. – Dan Milliken

#49
I’ve Come to Expect it From You
George Strait
1990 | Peak: #1

This is about as dark and bitter as George Strait gets. It’s a coat that he wears well. – Kevin Coyne

#48
House of Cards
Mary Chapin Carpenter
1995 | Peak: #21

No neighborhood or family is without its secrets, and the more time we spend trying to hide them, the worse they become. “House of Cards” is a plea: forget appearances. Just take care of each other. – DM

#47
Love Without End, Amen
George Strait
1990 | Peak: #1

A song about a father’s eternal love for his children, powered by a fundamental Christian truth. Once again, a grand message is told through relatable anecdotes, by one of the best storytellers in country music. – Tara Seetharam

#46
State of Mind
Clint Black
1993 | Peak: #2

A tribute to the power of a melody, done so tastefully that you could almost miss the depth of its hook: “Ain’t it funny how a melody can…completely change your state of mind?” I rarely go a day without wondering the same thing. – TS

#45
Burn One Down
Clint Black
1992 | Peak: #4

Black bids his final farewell to an unworthy lover. Steeped in traditionalism, this record could stand as a classic on its sound alone, but its lyrics are masterfully bitter. – TS

#44
Seminole Wind
John Anderson
1992 | Peak: #2

Couched in a beautiful, though sing-able melody, “Seminole Wind” is a gorgeous song that pays tribute to the hardships of Native Americans. While the sound is unique, with its mix of strong piano and fiddle, it’s an example of the diversity that nineties country music enjoyed. Likewise, it’s one of the finer instances of intelligence that was often displayed in that era. – LW

#43
Sticks and Stones
Tracy Lawrence
1991 | Peak: #1

This is the more subdued version of this decade’s “Give It Away.” Lawrence hands over all of the material possessions that they had acquired together, because “sticks and stones” are worthless without the love that they lost in the acquisition of them. – LW

#42
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
Shania Twain
1995 | Peak: #11

To simply label this as one of Twain’s “countriest” records is to miss the massive slab of personality she throws into it. The snappy performance, the ridiculous, rhyming names and the terrifically cheesy bridge (“So next time you’re lonely/Don’t call on me/Try the operator/Maybe she’ll be free)? All signature Twain. – TS

#41
The Walk
Sawyer Brown
1991 | Peak: #2

While one of Sawyer Brown’s signature songs is quite possibly the most inspiring father-son song of country music, there is a strength of love that is ever-present in it. In its quiet way, it powerfully depicts a relationship of a family history of support and understanding. – LW

#40
Little Rock
Collin Raye
1994 | Peak: #2

A recovering alcoholic makes a candid phone call to the one he had to leave at home. Getting sober was only the beginning; now he has to pick up the pieces of the life he let fall to shambles. A lesser song would have resolved the situation tidily; “Little Rock” wisely abstains, leaving a realistic sense of ambiguity about whether the man is truly fit to rekindle the relationship. – DM

#39
Any Man of Mine
Shania Twain
1995 | Peak: #1

A landmark moment, both for Twain and country music. The combination of arena-stomping verses and honky-tonking choruses was a musical revelation, while the thematic demand that men continually work to deserve their women’s affections helped contribute to a major shift in the female point-of-view presented in mainstream country. – DM

#38
Suspicious Minds
Dwight Yoakam
1992 | Peak: #35

Ah, to cover an Elvis Presley song is a pretty daunting task. So, it’s no small feat to be one of the few to record a version to rival a Presley recording. – LW

#37
Straight Tequila Night
John Anderson
1991 | Peak: #1

About a bar regular who’s infamous for nursing her broken heart with hard stuff and subsequently taking out her frustrations on interested suitors. Where did these songs go? – DM

#36
This Kiss
Faith Hill
1998 | Peak: #1

A big heap of stars-in-your-eyes-head-in-the-clouds-Taylor-Swift-on-Ecstasy drivel. In other words: the perfect soundtrack to new love. – DM

#35
Nobody Wins
Radney Foster
1993 | Peak: #2

The hard truth: sometimes you’ve got to give up winning the argument in order to avoid losing the love. – DM

#34
Come Some Rainy Day
Wynonna
1997 | Peak: #14

The current of time flows forcefully in one direction, yet it’s only the most vulnerable of memories that are strong enough to swim against it.- KC

#33
Anymore
Travis Tritt
1991 | Peak: #1

Tritt tackles this confession of a song with rousing, ferocious conviction so intense that you can almost feel the narrator’s tipping point as he comes to terms with his emotions. One hell of a power ballad. – TS

#32
Love, Me
Collin Raye
1991 | Peak: #1

“Love, Me”  is like one of those tearjerker movies that gets you every time, no matter how many times you see it.  For you, it might be Titanic or Terms of Endearment. For me, it’s Toy Story 3.  This one is a sucker punch to the gut, as only the very saddest movies and the very saddest country songs can be. – KC

#31
Please Remember Me
Tim McGraw
1999 | Peak: #1

The original recording by Rodney Crowell was great in its own right. But McGraw took it to new heights, thanks in no small part to Patty Loveless lifting him up with her harmony vocal. This is a selfish man making a supreme act of selflessness. – KC

#30
Things I Wish I’d Said
Rodney Crowell
1991 | Peak: #72

It’s not a secret that Rodney Crowell endured a tumultuous relationship with his father.  As one of Crowell’s forgotten gems, “Things I Wish I’d Said”, is a  cathartic autobiographical reflection of healing between parent and child. – LW

#29
Fancy
Reba McEntire
1991 | Peak: #8

A mother pushes her daughter into prostitution, seeing it as the only way for her daughter to have any hope of escaping poverty. The daughter does, and speaks out confidently against those who judge her and her mothers’ decisions. It was a great song when Bobbie Gentry did it; when flamboyant Reba happened upon it, it became its own kind of anthem. – DM

#28
A Night to Remember
Joe Diffie
1999 | Peak: #6

He’s reeling from a tough week, ready to let loose and have “a night to remember.” But all is not as it seems. No spoilers here – you’ve got to enjoy a good country music twist where you can find one – but Diffie has never met better material. It’s enough to make you annoyed with “Pickup Man” all over again. – DM

#27
Song For the Life
Alan Jackson
1995 | Peak: #6

Alan Jackson is a masterful interpreter just as Rodney Crowell’s composition is masterfully written. It’s certainly not unheard of, but it’s rare that a single without a catchy chorus is a hit. The quiet and reflective “Song for the Life”, however, is effectively poignant with no bells and whistles to overshadow the intimacy of the performance and lyrics. – LW

#26
In Between Dances
Pam Tillis
1995 | Peak: #3

Pam Tillis was one of the women who helped bridge the gap between the victim queens that came before her and the Rah! Rah! Girl Power! ladies who came after, and she did it with songs like this.  Here, her heart is on the mend, and a potential suitor is circling. Is he a knight in shining armor, or a vulture who senses weakness? Doesn’t really matter. She’s taking a breather for now, and will proceed cautiously from here.  The hurt is palpable, but so is the strength that lies underneath it. – KC

 

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties (2010 Edition)

#400- #376 | #375- #351 | #350 – #326 | #325 – #301

#300 – #276 | #275 – #251 | #250 – #226 | #225 – #201

#200 – #176 | #175 – #151 | #150 – #126 | #125 – #101

#100 – #76 | #75 – #51 | #50 – #26 | #25 – #1