Silke Jasso
It was one of the most exciting eras in country music. The ’90s showed more variety in country than any period before it and set the stage for current country music, which is even more diverse than that. But still, there are those songs that stand the test of time and become markers in the history of the format.
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In this special edition of Rare Country’s 5, Erin Holt has our picks for those five most iconic and timeless hits. It looks like there was a whole lot of living and loving going on, and it definitely got hotter than a hoochie coochie.
When it comes to romance, it’s hard to beat a good country song, and the band Lonestar set the bar high for romantic ballads with their 1999 hit “Amazed.” It became the wedding anthem to beat all wedding anthems and remains a smash country hit. The tune sounds like baby-making music to us.
RELATED: Garth Brooks recounting the day he met Trisha Yearwood is making us melt
You might prefer Trisha Yearwood’s version or maybe you’re Team Leann Rimes, but either way, “How Do I Live” was a hit in 1997. It was also the clincher track in the hit movie “Con Air,” but there was some controversy surrounding its release. Erin explains the story behind the song in Rare Country’s 5 video.
This Alan Jackson smash posed the ever-so-important question: What exactly is a hoochie coochie and what is the average temperature that it can attain? We never got the definition or the criteria of a hoochie coochie, but it doesn’t matter. We just know that when we hear the 1993 summer smash, it’s time to hit the nearest beach, lake or river.
Well before any discussion of tomatoes or the struggle of women in country music, Shania Twain was just over there getting the job done. She pretty much owned the 1990s with a string of hits that we all know when it comes to karaoke night. After a string of mostly uptempo and light-hearted tunes, though, she released “Still The One” in 1998 and reminded us all that not only is she a talented songwriter, but she’s also sexy as heck!
RELATED: Shania Twain faces her painful divorce head-on with her brand-new album
As far as genuine musical markers in history, Garth Brooks has a catalog full. But in 1990 when he released the single “The Dance,” he did more than put out a good country song. He dared us all to chase a dream. Garth has released other iconic and important songs in his career, including “We Shall Be Free,” “The Change” and “Standing Outside the Fire,” but “The Dance” was the first and positioned him as way more than a hunk in a cowboy hat.
That’s it for this special edition of Rare Country’s 5. Make sure to check out THE video above and check back into RareCountry.com because we’ll be making more lists, talking more news and having more fun soon!
