Countdown Part XII: Songs 366-375

We're back with another 10 songs in our 505 favorite country singles of the 90's countdown! You may have noticed the slower posts on Facebook and of course the lack of mid-week blogs over the last few weeks. We were struggling with the current laptop and it was an absolute chore to do anything, for the most part. However, I have great news! The BORN Country computer has been replaced and we are back on track! Hopefully, this will lead to a lot more blog postings outside of the countdown, more pictures, videos, ect.!

Also, with the new computer, comes another project that is in the works, but I can't quite share that one yet! Stay tuned!

Before we dive into the countdown, there are three new releases coming on Tuesday:

- Jon Pardi is releasing a collection of B-Sides that he recorded between 2011 and 2014 which could be very interesting. His full length album is pretty strong, so I'm very curious to hear this stuff!

- Kelsea Ballerini's "The First Time" is coming Tuesday as well. The first single was a bit "poppy" for my taste, but I'm curious to hear what the rest of the album brings. I have a feeling that there could be some great gems hidden on the album tracks.

- Logan Mize is releasing an EP of new music this week, titled "Pawn Shop Guitar". I really dig Logan's current single, though it's only received a little airtime so far. Give "Can't Get Away From A Good Time" a spin and let us know what you think!



Ok, on to the good stuff!

BORN Country's 505 Favorite Country Singles of the 90's!!!

375. Tim McGraw - My Best Friend
Album: A Place In The Sun
Year: 1999

We are starting this week's list off with a country superstar! McGraw's album, "A Place In The Sun" is a strong contender, along with "Not A Moment Too Soon", as the best album in his career. Songs like "My Best Friend" wrapped up his first run of singles before releasing the first "Greatest Hits" collection by Tim. "Friend" went to the top of the Hot Country Chart.



374. LeAnn Rimes - One Way Ticket (Because I Can)
Album: Blue
Year: 1996

"Ticket" lead Rimes to becoming the fourth teenage artist in country music history to reach #1 on the Hot Country Charts. Despite being her most successful single in the country music genre, this is NOT the first song to come to mind when I hear LeAnn's name. We'll get to that one much later on!



373. Kevin Sharp - If You Love Somebody
Album: Measure Of A Man
Year: 1997

Kevin Sharp's third single from his debut album peaked at #4 on the Hot Country Chart in 1997. This would be Sharp's final song to reach the Top 10. This would be followed by 3 more radio singles released to radio in the 90's, but none of which would pass #43 on the charts. Sharp would then lend more of his time to charities and public speaking, although still recording music until his passing.



372. Lonestar - Runnin' Away With My Heart
Album: Lonestar
Year: 1996

Lonestar's lead vocalist, Richie Mcdonald not only charted many songs, including 8 #1 songs, with the band, but he has also had some success outside of the group. In 1997, McDonald was a guest vocalist on fellow 90's country star Mind McCready's #18 hit, "Maybe He'll Notice Her Now."



371. Clay Walker - You're Beginning To Get To Me
Album: 1998
Year: Greatest Hits

One of my biggest gripes in not just country music, but the music industry in general , is when a "Greatest Hits" packaged is released and there are no new songs included. Yes, I understand that the idea is to pull all of the biggest songs by one artist together in one album, but if I already own all of the previous records, give me some incentive! Perfect example: Clay Walker included two previously unreleased songs as radio singles from his first hits collection. These aren't throw away songs either!



370. George Strait - I Know She Still Loves Me
Album: Strait Out Of The Box
Year: 1995

This was by no means planned, but speaking of new songs being included in "hits" collections, this George single was unavailable until his four disc "Strait Out Of The Box" CD set was released in 1995. "King George" took this "I Know She Still Loves Me" to #5 on the Hot Country Songs chart.



369. Ty Herndon - I Want My Goodbye Back
Album: What Mattered Most
Year: 1995

Throughout the 90's Ty Herndon charted seven singles in the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart. With songs like "Goodbye Back" and "Steam," it's a wonder to me how he wasn't able to stay in the spotlight at least through the early-mid 2000's. Herndon's last album up to this point, "Lies I Told Myself" was released in 2013.



368. Sawyer Brown - The Walk
Album: Buick
Year: 1991

For Mother's Day last week, a last minute "Songs About Mama" playlist was posted on the BORN Country Facebook page & Spotify. In June, and with a bit more warning, "Songs About Dad" will have a little more work put into it. This Sawyer Brown #2 hit, will absolutely be featured in said list. Have other suggestions? Let us know!



367. Little Texas - First Time For Everything
Album: First Time For Everything
Year: 1992

The Little Texas guys have a huge and truly dedicated fan base! A few weeks prior, Little Texas performed a few songs (including this one) in a live streaming concert in order to promote their latest album. During the set, there was a chat window to leave comments/ ask the guys questions, and it seemed that nearly EVERYONE in the chat knew each other! I think it's very cool that a fan base could become almost like a family and stay in touch with others through an online community reaching all around the country!



366. Marty Stuart & Travis Tritt - Honk Tonkin's What I Do Best
Album: Honky Tonkin's What I Do Best
Year: 1996

What a perfect duo these two guys make! The third hit duet between Tritt and Stuart throughout the 90's, "Honky Tonkin" is certainly the most upbeat. What I love most about this song, is that Tritt and Stuart are obviously genuine friends and had a blast making it, opposed to duets that sometimes seem to be forced by the record labels. To see these guys perform live together would be an absolute dream!




There we have it! Another 10 songs down! We are only 46 "Likes" away from 800 on Facebook! Once we hit that milestone, I will be posting another extended countdown blog, as promised, so don't forget to share our page with your friends!

Keep your eyes pealed for more blogs coming throughout the week! Is there anything else you, as readers, would like to see on our page/blog? We are very open to suggestions and hope to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Arthur Born

Facebook.com/borncountryblog
Twitter: @BORNCountryBlog
E-Mail: BORNCountryblog@gmail.com

Countdown Part VII: Songs #436-445

Welcome!!! I know some of you readers out there have been waiting all day for this post, so I apologize if its a bit later than usual! After celebrating Amy's birthday and our first year together, I seem to be coming down with a bit of a head cold. The Coricidin is kicking in strong, so I'm gonna jump right into the countdown!

Don't forget to visit our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and share with your friends! Next weekend, we will be hosting a live chat on our FB page during the ACM Awards show, Sunday night!!! Don't miss out!

BORN Country's 505 Favorite Country Singles of the 90's!!!

445. Martina McBride - Independence Day
Album: The Way That I Am
Year: 1994

I may catch a little flack for this song being so low on the list. I've always considered McBride to be one of the biggest names in 90's country music, but despite being one of her most successful songs, "Independence Day" never really grabbed me like it did so many others. Don't get me wrong, as I do think it is one of her best, and I do believe it belongs on this list, just not as high as some of her other songs will be.



444. Ricochet - What Do I Know
Album: Ricochet
Year: 1995

I don't have any trivia to share with this song, so I will try to make another point here. What happened to "bands" in country music? Throughout the 90's we had Ricochet, Little Texas, Diamond Rio, Sawyer Brown, Alabama, Shenandoah, etc. These were acts where the entire band was the main focus. Today, we have mostly solo artists getting credit with a band behind them who most go uncredited. Sure, there are the Love & Thefts, Band Perrys and Thompson Squares, but only the lead 2 or 3 members get the credit. Just a little something that I think about.



443. Joe Diffie - A Night To Remember
Album: A Night To Remember
Year: 1999

"Night" was not only the lead single from his finally album of the 90's, but marked his first and only appearance on Billboard's overall Top 40 chart, peaking at #38. "A Night To Remember" was ranked at #18 for the most played country song of 1999.



442. Diamond Rio - Walkin' Away
Album: IV
Year: 1995

Speaking of great country bands throughout the 90's, Diamond Rio are hands down one of the best! "Walking' Away" was the lead single from the group's 4th studio album. The track reached #2 on the Hot Country Charts.



441. Hal Ketchum - Sure Love
Album: Sure Love
Year: 1992

Hal nearly hit the top the Hot Country Charts a handful of times throughout the 90's In 1998, Ketchum lost function of the left side of his body due to a neurological disorder. After re-teacing himself to walk and play guitar, Ketchum continues his music career, with his most current album having been released in 2008.



440. Andy Griggs - I'll Go Crazy
Album: You Won't Ever Be Lonely
Year: 1999

Griggs took "Crazy" to #10 on the charts in 1999. He would continue to chart 4 more top 10s in the early 2000's. This would be the 2nd and final single released by Griggs in the 90's.



439. Marty Stuart - Burn Me Down
Album: Tempted
Year: 1992

This Stuart hit has always made a link between his own and the music of Elvis Presley in my opinion. Marty has that rockabilly edge that early Elvis showed, and I've always envisioned "The King" performing this track if the writers were around in the beginnings of rock n' roll.



438. John Berry - Standing On The Edge of Goodbye
Album: Standing On The Edge
Year: 1995

"Goodbye" was Berry's 2nd highest ranking songs of not only the 90's, but his career so far. While Berry hasn't charted any singles after 1999, hopefully the nearing (fingers crossed!) revival of more tradition in country music will help him to head towards the top again.



437. Reba McEntire - Till You Love Me
Album: Read My Mind
Year: 1994

If anyone were asked if George Strait had a female equal in country music throughout the 90's, Reba is without a doubt the "Queen" to his "King". Both artists started in the 70's, broke through in the 80's and absolutely exploded through the 90's. Like George, Reba has easily continued with hits into the 2000's and today. Reba is another artist who I didn't ever find a real connection with while growing up on country music, but today, can absolutely respect everything she has done. Heck, even her sitcom "Reba" gets a chuckle out of me here and there when I'm skimming the channels! Ha!



436. Toby Keith - Big Ol' Truck
Album: Boomtown
Year: 1995

Ok, this entry in our countdown has been pretty heavy on the slow stuff, so let's crank it up a bit, shall we? Country music, especially in its modern form is LOADED with songs about trucks and how much guys love them. What we rarely see, are songs about women loving and driving their own "Big Ol' Trucks".  Toby delivers a fun song with an entertaining video for the final single on his album, "Boomtown".  "Truck" would peak at #15. Far from typical Toby success, but a good single, regardless.




Another 10 songs in the can! Again, my apologies for the late post as I deal with this head cold. I haven't decided yet, but next weeks blog MAY be posted on Saturday, due to the ACM Awards show taking place Sunday night. Perhaps you guys can crank up the Facebook page sharing and get us up to 300 by the end of the week! If so, my offer of posting a huge 20 song update is still on the table!

Don't forget to join us, this Sunday, April the 19th on our Facebook page for a live chat/commentary during the ACM Awards! The more the merrier! Invite friends, share and enjoy! Thanks for reading, as always!

-Arthur Born
Facebook.com/BORNCountryBlog
Twitter: @BORNCountryBlog
E-Mail: borncountryblog@gmail.com
Spotify: BORN Country To Go!

Countdown Part III: Songs 476-485

Another week has passed and we are back with another installment of BORN Country's Top 505 Country Singles of the 90's! While I stated at the beginning that these songs aren't exactly in an order from favorite to least favorite, there will definitely be more well known songs the further we get down to it. I have also decided that the last 50 spots WILL be reserved for my absolute favorites of the decade, so that will be exciting!... In about a year! haha.

Here we go! Another 10 from the list! As always, comment below, follow the blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other way that you can think of! Help get the word out to other readers! Enjoy!

BORN Country's Top 505 Country Singles Of the 1990's!!!

485. Aaron Tippin - Working Man's PH.D
Album: Call Of The Wild
Year: 1993

During every one of his live shows (Non-acoustic), Tippin puts together a bicycle, piece by piece, on stage while performing this song in order to donate it to Toys For Tots. Although he has long lost count, his bike donation count is long past the 1,000 gift point. Very cool!



484. Lorrie Morgan - Watch Me
Album: Watch Me
Year: 1992

Lorrie Morgan had a steady run of hits throughout the 90's. Morgan was married to late country legend, Keith Whitley until his tragic passing. They're son, Jesse Keith Whitley is currently recording and attempting to break into the country music scene.

 

483. Doug Stone - Born In The Dark
Album: Faith In Me, Faith In You
Year: 1995

Shortly after Stone's #12 charting single, he suffered a nearly fatal heart attack in 1995, follow by a mild stroke in 1996. Despite few attempts since, battles with his personal life have kept him from much touring or recording since.



482. Sammy Kershaw - She Don't Know She's Beautiful
Album: Haunted Heart
Year: 1993

Despite hitting the Top 40 Country Billboard chart 23 times throughout the 90's, this is Kershaw's only #1 song in his career. However, this will NOT be the only time we see Sammy on this list!



481. Brooks & Dunn - A Man This Lonely
Album: Borderline
Year: 1996

I've stated elsewhere numerous times that Ronnie Dunn possesses the best voice in country music history. This song right here, is a prime example.



480. Pam Tillis - Shake The Sugar Tree
Album: Homeward Looking Angel
Year: 1992

Daughter of country legend Mel Tillis, Pam is another artist on this list with only one #1 single, despite having released a handful of successful singles. This song went to #3 though, being one of her most successful radio hits.



479. Dixie Chicks - I Can Love You Better
Album: Wide Open Spaces
Year: 1997

Dixie Chicks hit country radio strongly with their very first single in 1997. "Better" went to #7 on the Hot Country Billboard charts. The Chicks would go on to release 6 more singles in the 90's, which all would top their debut song.

 

478. Marty Stuart - Tempted
Album: Tempted
Year: 1992

Marty Stuart is a top contender on my "To see perform live" bucket list. Amy and I missed him by only one day during our trip to Nashville this past January, at the Opry. We plan on another trip down there soon, so we'll have to plan accordingly!



477. George Strait - So Much Like My Dad
Album: Holding My Own
Year: 1992

George Strait took the 2nd single from "Holding My Own" to #3 on the Billboard Hot Singles chart in 1992. Even when a song is this good, I suppose they can't ALL be #1's!



476. Chris LeDoux - Life Is A Highway
Album: One Road Man
Year: 1999

If you missed my post the other night, this past Monday was the 10 year mark since the sad passing of country and rodeo legend, Chris LeDoux. As the majority of his radio releases failed to reach even the top 40, this one was no different, topping out at #64. Despite chart performance, LeDoux's version of this Tom Cochrane hit is INFINITELY superior to the dreadful cover by Rascal Flatts in 2006.




There you have it! 30 songs into the list! I sure hope everyone is having as much fun reading about and revisiting the songs on this list as I am!

I have a pretty wild work schedule this week, so hopefully I will get to put in another mid week blog entry before the next edition of the countdown. Amy and I will be seeing another 90's country legend in concert NEXT week, so I can't wait to tell everyone about that one! HUGE bucket list concert!

As always, I thank you for reading and hope you will comment below and of course share the blog on all social media outlets! Help me get this blog out there, please! My Twitter and Instagram handles are below, so follow me there as well! Once again, thanks for reading and I hope to see you again next Sunday!!!

-Arthur Born
Twitter: @arthurborn
Instagram: @arthur214
#iwasBORNcountry