I was minding my business, scrolling through TikTok the other night when I stumbled upon a video that had a song in it that I had forgotten existed. Despite not having heard this song in easily 25-years, it still transported me back to my youth. Memories started playing like a reel in my mind, memories that had been buried over the years but not lost. It felt like warm summer days laying in the grass surrounded by friends, road trips with the windows down and the music blaring, piling into a friend’s tiny bedroom huddled around a cordless landline talking to a boy one of us had a crush on. It felt like rushing home to watch TRL so you could catch the whole countdown and cast your vote. It felt like ease. It felt carefree.

I know they say that our olfactory sense is our strongest tie to memory, and I myself can attest to its power; but I do think music is not given enough credit for its ability to transport us to a different time, a vivid memory, a specific feeling. For me, as a true-blue ’90s baby, my formative years were filled with quite the eclectic gathering of music and artists. My tastes ran the gambit, in my CD binder you would find *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Missy Elliot, Destiny’s Child, TLC, Hootie & The Blowfish, Boyz II Men, and Mariah Carey, just to name a few. And while musical tastes are obviously subjective, I am willing to declare ’90s country as the elite era for the genre. I love me some Willy Nelson, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton, but many others of their generation were straight up trash. And do not even get me started on the popular country music of today. I’d rather sacrifice myself to the seventh layer of Hell than listen to one more song about God, guns, bibles, tractors, and small towns. ’90s country music though? Specifically the women of ’90s country, with a few men sprinkled in? Magic in a bottle. Here are some of my favorites.

Oh, and because Extra is my middle name, I have also made an accompanying Spotify playlist with even more ’90s country bops. It’s going to be a good summer y’all!

First off, let’s start with the song that inspired this entire post:

Jessica Andrews- Who I Am

We used to blast this song with the windows down in my friend’s mom’s Suburban. It has evoked such visceral memories in me that I am absolutely baffled that I forgot about its existence until now. This song is solely responsible for the rabbit hole that I have been tunneling down for days now. Jessica had a couple of straight bangers, and her voice is still elite.

SheDaisy- Little Goodbyes

This song! This music video! Both had us all in a chokehold. The video was so simple and yet somehow so effective? It’s best not to question it. The ’90s were a unique slice of time, there is no real way to explain why we liked and hated the things that we did.

Deana Carter- Strawberry Wine

I do not know any other way to describe this song other than listening to it feels like falling in love for the first time. It is whimsical and magical and feels kind of fluttery and romantic. It feels like lightning bugs and the drive-in and the smell of freshly cut grass and sunscreen by the pool. You will have to listen for yourself to see what I mean.

Jo Dee Messina- I’m Alright

Ahhhh Jo Dee Messina. Her music was BBQ music. It’s what you turned on when you were just looking to have a good time. She was feel good with a message, and we love her for that.

LeAnn Rimes- Blue

LeAnn Rimes and that voice took the world by surprise. She came storming onto the music scene with Blue, and followed it up with hit after hit, even venturing off into more pop-country when she composed the soundtrack for the smash ’90s movie, Coyote Ugly. She was young and incredibly gifted, and had the girlies all in a tizzy.

Lee Ann Womack- I Hope You Dance

’90s country music was nothing if not inspirational. I think all country music has always had really strong messaging, but Lee Ann Womack took that shit to a whole new level. Her saccharine ballad was constantly blasting through discmans and, every now and then, you’d catch a ’90s mom in the wild listening to this song with tears in her eyes.

Faith Hill- This Kiss

One simply cannot write about ’90s country music without mentioning Faith Hill. Faith was an icon the minute she came on the scene, with a powerhouse voice and oh yeah, she is also one of the most stunningly beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on. She is country music royalty and is also married to country royalty- Tim McGraw. See? Icon.

Tim McGraw- I Like it, I Love it

Speaking of Tim McGraw… this seems like a good place to insert our first fella onto the list. While I was obviously partial to the women of ’90s country music, there are a few notable exceptions that will be included in this list. Tim McGraw will always have a seat at my table and a spot on my playlist.

Martina McBride- This One’s for the Girls

Martina McBride, like so many middle-aged women in the ’90s, absolutely slayed that Princess Diana hairdo. Just like the rest of the women on this list, she was gorgeous with a voice that could knock down walls. They really were just built different back then.

Sara Evans- Born to Fly

Honestly, some of the treasures I’ve found whilst researching for this have been a real treat. YouTube is smart enough that, when I am listening to an artist, it suggests a similar one for me to listen to next– you know, algorithms and all that shit. Sara Evans was one of those treasures. Another gorgeous woman with a voice like a bell. The pattern is astounding.

Trisha Yearwood- She’s in Love With the Boy

Trisha Yearwood is also country music royalty, and is also married to country music royalty- Garth Brooks. Like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, they have been together for decades and have raised families together. She’s also the original performer of How Do I Live, which was later made super famous by Le Ann Rimes.

Garth Brooks- The Thunder Rolls

You cannot have a conversation about ’90s country without mentioning Garth Brooks, Mrs. Yearwood’s husband. Some may think using this song instead of say, Friends in Low Places is a crazy choice, but I stand by it. While I love Friends in Low Places, I do believe this is his best song. Though it is a close call between this one and Make You Feel My Love. That is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, and I will die on that hill. Garth is notoriously anti-streaming, so there will be only a few live performances included on the accompanying Spotify playlist, and finding official music videos was not something I was willing to spend the time to search for. But we forgive him because he’s a straight legend and has earned the right to tell Spotify and YouTube to fuck off.

Mindy McCready- Guys Do it All the Time

Mindy McCready was another beautiful, fierce talent, and Guys Do it All the Time was the girl power anthem we needed. Her life was cut tragically short when she died in 2013 at the age of 37.

Shania Twain- Man! I Feel Like a Woman

The hardest thing when talking about Shania Twain is, there are far too many moments that exhibit her cultural impact. I’m sure people could argue for days about what the catalyst was for how meteoric her rise was, but for me, this music video takes the cake. It is not my favorite song, though I do love it dearly, but other than that leopard print jumpsuit from That Don’t Impress me Much, I can think of nothing more iconic than this moment. Once again, Shania Twain is one of the most stunningly gorgeous women walking on this planet and, even though she is Canadian, she quickly became the reigning Queen of ’90s Country Music.

Lonestar- Amazed

Was this song sappy? Undoubtedly so. Did that stop us girls from playing it on repeat for weeks, praying our crush would call Q102 or Kiss107 FM and dedicate it to us? No chance. You have to hand it to them, country music stars know how to write a goddamn love song. This song played at every school dance for years after its release, and honestly it still holds up to this day. Props to Lonestar for their staying power.

Reba McEntire- The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

Reba was, is, and will always be That Girl. She is also a legend in her own right, with a long-lived career and reigning status as one of the remaining Queens of Country. She has branched off into acting and is currently a coach on The Voice. There is no one like her.

The Chicks (formerly known as The Dixie Chicks)- Goodbye Earl

While this list could probably go on forever, I cannot, so I’m wrapping it up with my personal favorites, The Chicks. Theirs is another instance when it is hard to pick a favorite song, but at the end of the day, the music video for Goodbye Earl is easily one of the most iconic of all-time, and the song isn’t far behind it. Queens, all three of them.

Please enjoy this playlist that I had way too much fun creating, and thanks for taking a walk with me down memory lane. Prepare yourself for a punch of nostalgia that may take your breath away, and bask in the glow of the reminiscence of a happier, more carefree time in our lives. We have more than earned it.

Oh, and, PS: there are undoubtedly going to be entrees on here you disagree with, and ones missing that will appall you. I literally do not care. Fight with your mama, but not with me, and make your own list if you see fit! Okay that is all, tysm.