If you think the culture wars that are raging across the American country music landscape in 2024 are new, you haven’t been paying attention to country music. Tensions have simmered about what is and what isn’t country music for decades.
What’s different today is just how evenly split the two opposing camps appear to be, but that is very much in keeping with country music’s traditional position at the heart of many cultural divides in the USA. The country is split over much more than just country music, and country music remains a bellwether on such matters.
In the 1970s, it was the outlaws rebelling against their Nashville overlords. In the ‘90s, inclusion came into question, with fans beginning to question whether you could have a role in country music if you were not male and if you were not white. A decade later, patriotism was at the core of the latest controversy. Another decade on and the act of performing at a political party’s convention could split the country community in two.
The best country music had to offer in 1994
I suspect we will forever be debating what constitutes “authentic” country music, in addition to arguing what constitutes good country music. But country music is nothing if not resilient and even if the squabbling gets messy, it has so far proved a big enough tent to cover both Jason Aldean and Adeem the Artist. I am a big fan of one and don’t care much for the other, but I hope there will always be room for both as the nation and the genre fumble through their differences.
We’re going to count down the 12 best country albums that are turning 30 this year. 1994 was dominated by a single album to an unusual degree, and it owes at least part of its success to that very struggle over identity that always seems to linger around country music.
Tim McGraw’s sophomore release, Not a Moment Too Soon, was the number one country album for more than half the year. It was number 1 on Easter. It was number 1 on Christmas. The run was not continuous – other albums would knock it off the top spot for a bit, but when you looked back at the year, Tim McGraw had the number 1 country album in the land for more than half the weeks in 1994.
I don’t think the album is particularly special. It had some nice hooky, country-pop tunes and some generic lyrics. It rode a wave of anti-woke sentiment before any of us knew what that was. I don’t think it’s a bad album, but it doesn’t even come close to cracking my own personal top dozen.
Instead, I am going with a blend of old and new. Some of the entries on this list are about as traditional as you can get while others are drawn from the alt-country well, which was expanding the definition of country music. Alt-country was an exciting development, but it wasn’t necessarily better than what had come before. It just opened up the sound and subject matter, and that’s generally a good thing. But the bottom line remains – if it’s good, it’s good, and the sub-genre designation doesn’t matter.
These are the best country music had to offer in 1994.
12. This is Me by Randy Travis
Not since Willie and Waylon fled Nashville had country music seen the kind of shake-up it experienced in 1986. Three young artists – Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakum, and Randy Travis – ushered in a new energized sound. Of the three, Travis was the most traditional and for a five-year stretch, the biggest. After a brilliant run in the late ‘80s, he began to lose some of the magic when the decade flipped. His 1993 album, Wind in the Wire, fell flat and fans were left wondering if he could regain his touch.
This is Me restored faith. “Honky Tonk Side of Town” got things off to a rousing start. He followed it with some solid ballads and his voice was knowing and reassuring on sentimental favorites like “Whisper My Name” and “The Box.” Country was becoming country-pop-rock in an attempt to crossover to mainstream audiences. It didn’t really matter whether it was traditional or alt. But Randy Travis was still there to sing old-school country, and on This is Me, he did it very well.
11. Viva Luckenbach! by Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker was a young hotshot songwriter in the early ‘70s who traded in his native upstate New York for the sounds of Texas. He was one of the crucial songwriters at the beginning of the outlaw country music uprising. In 1973, Jerry Jeff brought his Lost Gonzo Band to Luckenbach, Texas – the town synonymous with the Outlaws – and recorded the part-live Viva Terlingua!
Twenty years later, he revisited the concept for Viva Luckenbach! The live recording is fun and relaxed. It’s about as fun an album as you will hear. Plenty of nostalgia. Plenty of good songs. Jerry Jeff wasn’t the best of singers, but the man could write great songs the same way the sun rises in the morning. By the time he hits the final number, “Movin’ On,” you’ve gotten more than your money’s worth.
10. When Fallen Angles Fall by Patty Loveless
Other female singers scored bigger than Loveless in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but to her fans, Patty Loveless was the true voice of authentic country music at the end of the millennium. She could record catchy songs, and they could offer some modern touches, but there’s nothing even close to pop on When Fallen Angels Fly. It’s pure country.
She opens with the twangy “A Handful of Dust before carving out a sentimental corner with the gorgeous title track, written by Billy Joe Shaver. She doubles down with the stunning “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” by Gretchen Peters.
But then Loveless cranks up some blues with “Feelin’ Good About Feelin’ Bad” (written by her husband) and rocks out with “Gary Burr’s “I Try to Think About Elvis,” Throughout the ten songs on the album, she shows she can handle a range of styles without sacrificing a thing.
9. Songs for the Daily Planet by Todd Snider
In his early Nashville days, Todd Snider ran errands for John Prine. Some of the magic obviously rubbed off. Snider’s debut didn’t attract very much attention when it was released, but fans instantly recognized an observant writer with sardonic wit. His high, slightly whiney voice delivered his offbeat material with a knowing wink. Announcing the opening track – “My Generation (Pt. 2) - he chants out “My generation, Part two – Verse three – Chapter four – Jackson five – Nikki SIxx!” And we’re off.
That first song is a satiric takedown of his own peers. But he can turn his eyes to his greedy elders on “This Land is Our Land.” Snider’s political leanings are obvious, but he is so funny that even those on the other side can’t help but sing along. The best song on his first album – “Alright Guy” – is a brilliant depiction of a bewildered young slacker who can’t figure out why watching porn and getting high somehow makes him a pariah in a society capable of so much worse.
But just when you think Snider is just a comedian with a guitar, he can hit you with the heartbreak of “You Think You Know Somebody.” Snider was in his late 20s when he released his debut. 1994 also saw the release of Lyle Lovett’s I Love Everybody, comprised of songs that Lovett had written in his 20s. Lovett was a bigger artist then, and remains one to this day. But Snider’s collection of songs in 1994 was better.
8. Loco Gringo’s Lament by Ray Wylie Hubbard
Like Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard was a songwriter first and foremost. He first made his mark by writing “Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers,” which Jerry Jeff made a hit in 1973. Hubbard started recording his own music a decade later but never achieved major label success. But he has been putting out strong albums for many decades. Loco Gringo’s Lament, his sixth studio release, was among the best of his early work.
It opens with a true lament – the epic “Dust of the Chase.” He rocks (“Wanna Rock and Roll”) and gets sweet (“Bless the Hearts of the Lonely.”) He gets swampy (“Little Angel Comes a Walkin’) and poetic (“The Messenger”). He is at his best on “The Real Trick,” a sprawling narrative of figuring it all out – as he sings “ The real trick is to find a reason to believe of all of this – And the big secret is, what you’re looking for, you’re looking with.” Ray is in well into his 70s now, and still going strong.
7. What a Crying Shame by The Mavericks
Right in the middle of the Mavericks' third album, What a Crying Shame, they casually toss in a cover of Bruce Springsteen. They make “All That Heaven Will Allow” sound like it was always intended to be a country song. The Mavericks are capable of slowing things down as they do in the sweet “Neon Blue.” But they tend to be at their best when they dive in on western swing. The country-cool “The Things You Said to Me,” is a perfect groove upon which Raul Malo can croon his vocals.
I have heard Malo’s voice compared to that of Roy Orbison, and if you imagine Orbison singing over fiddles and a pedal steel guitar, you get a sense of What a Crying Shame. The rock and pop that sometimes hearkens back to the ‘60s and even the ‘50s, can confuse listeners as they try to place the act.
Roots rock and Americana weren’t exactly hot genres in the ‘90s. There was no Outlaw Country satellite channel to push their music on the radio, so the Mavericks played to plenty of dedicated fans without ever becoming major recording artists. That would improve over time, but it had nothing to do with the band getting better. They were already worthy of attention in 1994.
6. Boomtown by Toby Keith
Toby Keith’s complicated position in modern country has obscured some of his better work, and that may apply to his sophomore album, Boomtown, as much as any of his albums. The somber working-man ballad “Who’s That Man” is a very strong opener, announcing the general subject matter. He rocks out next on “Big Ol’ Truck,” though the mid-tempo “No Honor Among Thieves” and “You Ain’t Much Fun” are stronger songs.
Keith can also deliver on his slower ballads. “Woman Behind the Man” and “Upstairs Downstairs” are lovely songs. They also form something of a Rorschach test in the whole battle over representation. You could argue that both offer nuanced portraits of modern women. Or you could argue that both suggest the same modern woman doesn’t really stand much of a chance out on her own.
If you can listen to them as stand-alone portraits without the culture war overlay, you have good songs. But I’m not sure that is possible anymore. But the title track, which closes the proceedings, is an out and out banger.
5. The Great Dobro Sessions by various artists
Jerry Douglas, who has played with everyone, and Tut Taylor, who can match him pick for pick, produced this outstanding collection of instrumentals. 21 tracks – 74 minutes of the finest resonator guitar players in the land. Bashful Brother Oswald, who was 83 when the album was released (I don’t know when his track was recorded), turns in a simple, classic Hawaiian-tinged “Dobro Chimes.” Josh Graves, one of the inventors of the modern resonator sound, shows off his finger-picking on “Just Joshin’.”
Douglas and Taylor get to show off as well on “Abilene Girl” and “Little Green Pill #2” respectively. 27-year-old Rob Ickes teams up with the 66 year-old Graves on “Scrapin’ the Barrel” to show that the dobro will remain in good hands for years to come. Gene Wooten delivers a smoking cover of the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” to further show that the dobro can play most anything.
4. American Recordings by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash was already a legend by 1994. But he hadn’t been a relevant recording artist for more than a decade when Rick Rubin came calling. The producer who had launched the careers of many of hip hop’s earliest stars had a plan to re-launch Cash. Eventually, there would be six albums in the American Recordings series, featuring many stars who would walk over hot coals for the chance to record with Cash. But for this first one, it was just Johnny – his guitar and his voice. That’s all it took to make the public cry for more.
Cash sang a handful of original songs, plus a range of gems from the likes of Nick Lowe, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Loudon Wainwright. “Drive On,” a wry commentary on returning to life after Viet Nam, could have been from his classic era. He gives Glenn Danzig’s “Thirteen” indescribable gravitas. He does the same for Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire,” while he has lots of fun with Jimmy Driftwood’s 1959 classic “Tennessee Stud.” And he takes a gospel turn with his Highwayman brother Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me Lord.”
3. Read My Mind by Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire had released 18 albums prior to Read My Mind. She had already dominated country music, winning four consecutive CMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards in the mid-‘80s. As the calendar turned over, Reba had her sites set higher. Some purists denigrated the direction of her stylistic changes.
They didn’t even consider Read My Mind a country album. It was too electric. Too pop. Too rock & roll. Never mind that country singers of the opposite gender had been moving in this direction for a long time with little complaint. But then, male singers never caused near-riots by showing up at the CMAs in a low-cut red dress the way Reba did in 1999.
Reba didn’t seem to care. Neither did her fans. The dynamic twin punches of “She Thinks His Name Was John” and “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” blew away any resistance. The first was a heartbreaking ballad – the first major country song to confront the AIDS crisis. The second was a fun-loving romp through all the less serious pitfalls romance can create.
Those two songs get plenty of support from the country-pop rock of “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” to the power ballad “I Wish That I Could Tell You.” From the bluesy opener “Everything That You Want” to the high drama of the closer “Till You Love Me.” It’s a juggernaut of an album
2. The Brooklyn Side by Bottle Rockets
The purists may have questioned Reba’s country bona fides, but that attack didn’t go anywhere. For the Bottle Rockets, things were different. Along with Uncle Tupelo, they were foundational in the alt-country movement that took hold in the early ‘90s. The opening and closing tracks of their second album, The Brooklyn Side, had all the earmarks of old-time country.
The opener, “Welfare Music” has acoustic guitar and fiddle, along with a twangy vocal. It also has a great country lyric – “It takes two to make three but one ain’t here.” The finale, “Queen of the World,” mentions Hank Williams in the very first line.
In between, you get harder rock on songs like “Gravity Falls” and the boisterous “Radar Gun,” but they remain firmly rooted in country traditions. “1,000 Dollar Car” is epic country blues. They do test the waters with the Chuck Berryish “Take Me to the Bank” and the old-school rockabilly of “Idiot’s Revenge.” That song meets the problem of classification head-on: “Well, she likes Dinosaur Jr. – But she can’t tell you why – Says, ‘You like country music?’ – Man you deserve to die.”
This is the same year that post-punk titans Dinosaur Jr, were themselves flirting with a countrified sound in songs like “Feel the Pain.” The Brooklyn Side is jampacked with great songs. And it also helped point the way to a different kind of country music. It’s a direction artists continue to explore thirty years later.
1. My Life by Iris Dement
So I fully admit that I love Bottle Rockets alt-country. But when you have a songwriter and a vocalist like Iris Dement working at the peak of her skill, traditional country is very hard to beat. My Life is not merely one of the best country albums of the 1990s. It’s one of the best albums regardless of genre. The opening rapture of “Sweet in the Melody,” the heartbreaking acceptance of “You’ve Done Nothing Wrong,” the yearning of “Calling For You” – those are just the first three songs.
The momentum does not let up through all ten tracks. Sweet nostalgia blends with emotional resilience. There are spirituals. There is a beautiful piano ballad – the title track which ends the album. Dement’s warm twang rings throughout every one of them.
She was John Prine’s favorite duet partner, and that says a lot. She has put out music sporadically since an initial rush in the ‘90s. Some have been excellent, though the overall output has been a little uneven. She wasn’t uneven on My Life. She was perfect.