9 Country Bands Who Defined the 1990s

The 1990s were a time of new artists, changing sounds, and chart-topping hits within the country music world. Along with a fresh crop of rising artists, a new wave of talented bands quickly made their mark on the genre.

For clarity’s sake, this list features groups with three or more members, allowing the decade’s incredible duos their own time in the spotlight.

From Alabama to The Chicks, look back at the 90s country bands that dominated the decade with their chart-topping hits.

1. BlackHawk

Nashville-based group BlackHawk launched onto the country charts in 1993 with the release of their heartfelt track “Goodbye Says It All.” They followed up their stellar debut single, which peaked just outside the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, with a string of catchy hits, including “Every Once in a While” and “That’s Just About Right.”

They notched their biggest commercial hit in 1995 with “I’m Not Strong Enough to Say No,” which climbed to No. 2 on country radio. BlackHawk enjoyed steady success through the decade’s end until vocalist Van Stephenson left the band following a skin cancer diagnosis. Founding members Dave Robbins and Henry Paul have continued to perform as BlackHawk and released a previously unheard collection of recordings featuring Stephenson entitled Blue Highway in 2022.

2. Little Texas

After inking a major label deal in 1989, country band Little Texas didn’t waste time on kicking off their career. Their debut single, “Some Guys Have All the Love,” became a Top 10 success and marked the beginning of a fruitful decade. The seamless blend of harmonies and punchy vocals from Tim Rushlow and Brady Seals was a hit with listeners, who took their romantic 1994 single “My Love” to No. 1.

Following a streak of success propelled by four studio albums, the band went on hiatus at the turn of the millennium. A brief legal battle emerged after a few former members tried to reunite and perform under the Little Texas moniker a few years later. The current version of Little Texas features vocalist Porter Howell stepping in for Rushlow and Seals, who have stayed focused on their own solo projects.

3. Ricochet

Oklahoma outfit Ricochet didn’t emerge onto the mainstream country music scene until the mid-1990s, but their impact was nearly immediate. Their self-titled debut record dropped in 1996 and spawned the band’s lone No. 1 hit, “Daddy’s Money.” They followed that massive success with the well-received singles “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” and “He Left a Lot to Be Desired,” but things began to shift when their label shelved what would have been the group’s third album.

4. Lonestar

Another act that broke through during the decade’s midpoint, Lonestar earned acclaim with their modern heartbreak tune and first single, “Tequila Talkin’.” Just a few months later, they climbed to No. 1 with their infectious track “No News,” followed by the chart-topping “Come Cryin’ to Me, “Smile,” and the beloved modern country ballad “Amazed.” Their momentum carried into the early 2000s, earning lead vocalist Richie McDonald and his bandmates five more No. 1 hits.

5. The Chicks

Texas talents Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, and Martie McGuire took country music by storm with their 1998 major label debut, Wide Open Spaces. The feisty trio, then named the Dixie Chicks, took three tracks from the record to No. 1, then notched two more hits—the anthemic “Cowboy Take Me Away” and heartbreaking “Without You”—from their follow-up record Fly. The 2000s led the group to a career upheaval over Maines’ public statement about then-President Bush, an eventual name change, and their current return to recording and live performances.

6. Sawyer Brown

Unlike many bands on this list, the 1990s marked a career resurgence for Sawyer Brown. The group had already made an impressive mark on the genre in the mid-1980s, but their chart performance began to wane during the early 90s. That all changed in 1992 with the release of their eighth record, The Dirt Road, featuring their platinum-selling No. 1 “Some Girls Do.” Their reign of country radio continued through the decade’s end, partially thanks to their impressive output of eight studio albums within ten years.

7. Diamond Rio

One of the most commercially successful acts in country music during the 1990s, Diamond Rio offered a twangy modern sound with lyrical depth. Their first single, “Meet in the Middle,” became their first No. 1 on country radio, leading the long-established Nashville group to chart 20 more songs—including 13 Top 10 hits—before the decade’s end.

8. Shenandoah

Formed out of the swampy southern sounds of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Shenandoah’s unique take on modern country earned them multiple CMA Award nominations and No. 1 hits in the late 1980s. Their career continued to blossom during the 1990s, taking over the top spot on country radio with “Next to You, Next to Me” and “If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too).” After a slew of accolades, including a Grammy Award nomination, the group disbanded during the late 1990s but is active again, officially reuniting in 2014 with the return of lead vocalist Marty Raybon.

9. Alabama

In the 1980s, Alabama did something never-before-seen, taking at least two songs to No. 1 every consecutive year. Although that streak didn’t continue into the 1990s, the band added five more chart-toppers to their collection, including “Down Home” and “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).” It also marked a moment of musical experimentation for the band, which included a successful cover of boy band *NSYNC’s “God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the current version of Little Texas features vocalist Steven Troy. The current band features Porter Howell as the lead singer.

(Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images)