Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music

Finale

We wrap up this podcast with as tidy a bow as we can muster, with our ultimate answer to our ultimate question of what makes 80s & 90s country music particularly work. We

Dissecting "Cowboy Take Me Away" by the (Dixie) Chicks - 1999

We round out the 90s, and round out this podcast, by filling the most glaring hole in our back catalogue, with a signature song by the artist that dominated the end of th

Dissecting "I'll Think of a Reason Later" by Lee Ann Womack - 1998

We start to round out the 90s with a lighthearted, neotraditional turn from a pre-I-Hope-You-Dance Lee Ann Womack.  It's her hilarious late-1998/early-1999 hit: "I&a

Dissecting "How Do I Live" by Trisha Yearwood & by LeAnn Rimes - 1997

1997 takes us back to a moment in time when it made sense for a Nicholas Cage movie to have two different divas record the same Diane Warren song for it. And we're t

Mini-Episode: Dissecting "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" by Dwight Yoakam

Here's a bonus mini-episode on Dwight Yoakam's haunting 1993 hit "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere," by request from A Symposium of Popular Songs. Enjoy!

Dissecting "Strawberry Wine" - by Deana Carter - 1996

We take on anthem of feminine coming-of-age in Deana Carter's debut single, 1996's "Strawberry Wine". I bet you still remember all the words to this karaoke-fri

Dissecting "I Can Love You Like That" by John Michael Montgomery - 1995

John Michael Montgomery ushers in the mid-90s by perhaps sticking to the formula, with his 1995 hit "I Can Love You Like That". But can he? Despite the MOTR leanings, whe

Dissecting "Wink" by Neal McCoy - 1994

We move toward the mid-90s with a song at which I defy you not to smile: Neal McCoy's 1994 hit "Wink". McCoy's down-to-earth charisma meets its perfect vehicle

Dissecting "Should've Been a Cowboy" by Toby Keith - 1993

We return to a country music icon by taking on his debut single and (at least for the 90s) his signature song: Toby Keith's "Should've Been a Cowboy". Keith str

Dissecting "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus - 1992

We celebrate our freedom by revisiting a song, dance, and mullet that exploded onto the country music scene like none has before or since: Billy Ray Cyrus's unforget

Dissecting "Aces" by Suzy Bogguss - 1992

Our first selection from a standout year takes us to another standout voice from the early 90s: this time it's 1992 CMA Horizon Award winner Suzy Bogguss, with her 1

Dissecting "We Both Walk" by Lorrie Morgan - 1991

It's vintage Lorrie Morgan in her 1991 hit: "We Both Walk". This is a song that sounds "off" for all the best reasons. But how does the unsettling tone combine with

Dissecting "Maybe It Was Memphis" by Pam Tillis - 1991

One of the best voices of her generation delivers one of the best vocals you'll ever hear, in Pam Tillis's signature song: 1991's "Maybe It Was Memphis". W

Dissecting "I'd Be Better Off (in a Pine Box)" by Doug Stone - 1990

Doug Stone takes us down the pit with him in this monument to country self-pity: 1990's "I'd Be Better Off (in a Pine Box)". Stone showcases his vocals in this

Dissecting "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks - 1990

What better way to usher in the 90s than with the signature song by the 90s' signature artist? With his 1990 hit Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks did nothing less

Dissecting "Timber, I'm Falling in Love" by Patty Loveless (with Vince Gill) - 1989

We finish out the 80s by returning to the artist who kicked us off. It's Patty Loveless, and her first number one hit: 1989's high-octane "Timber, I'm Fall

Dissecting "The Church on the Cumberland Road" by Shenandoah - 1989

We take a frantic ride with classic 80s & 90s country band Shenandoah, in their first number one single: 1989's "The Church on the Cumberland Road". Our old pal the

Dissecting "The Bluest Eyes in Texas" by Restless Heart - 1988

We stay in 1988 for a classic by a band who wasn't afraid to skew pop: vocal clinicians Restless Heart. It's their signature hit: "The Bluest Eyes in Texas". Co

Dissecting "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" by Keith Whitley - 1988

It's 1988(-ish), and we're finally getting to the ultimate Gone-Too-Soon artist of our era. It's always a little sad to listen to Keith Whitley, and that&a

Dissecting "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses" by Kathea Mattea - 1987

We stay in 1987 for one more episode, stopping for some flowers along the way, because it's Valentine's Day 2026, and thus just the right time to take on Kathy