Top 30 90s Country Countdown: 20-11

     Ladies and gentlemen, hopefully you got a kick out of our first segment.  Did you recognize any familiar faces?  We now continue on to the middle of our countdown of favorite hits from the 90s.  Leading things off is...

#20:  "I Wanna Fall In Love" by Lila McCann

     Lila was another teen idol who came onto the scene in the late 90s, along with the likes of LeAnn Rimes and the great Jessica Andrews.  She made her debut in mid-1997 with "Down Came a Blackbird," and followed it up with this classic, which is her highest-charting single to date.  It peaked at #3 on the US country charts, and #1 on the Canadian country charts.  Although I wish the ending and the section between the second chorus and the bridge weren't cut short (the original song is nearly 40 seconds longer), I have to consider this to be one of the cutest music videos I've laid eyes upon.

#19:  "Thinkin Problem" by David Ball

     This comes across to many as his debut single, but it's really not.  It put him on the map, but his solo career goes back to the late 80s.  His first single was actually "Steppin Out," which is from a self-titled album he recorded in 1989, but didn't release until after he became a star in 1994.  Before then, he used to be part of a trio known as Uncle Walt's Band back in the 70s and early 80s.  Anyway, this fun honky-tonk number is the leadoff single from his 1994 album of the same name, and peaked at #2 on the US country charts.  It's famous for his "yes I admit" line at the start of the chorus lines, where he has a bit of a George Jones vibe going on.  FYI, Cledus T. Judd did a parody called "Stinkin Problem."   If any of you are David Ball fans, keep your eyes peeled.  He's finally got new material on the way.

#18:  "I Don't Think I Will" by James Bonamy

     Bonamy's stint in the country music industry didn't last long at all.  He only released two albums, and was out of sight by 1998.  He's one of those singers who carries the "one-hit wonder" label, and this is that one hit he's generally known for.  This is also the single that introduced me to him, though it would be 12 years before I would get to hear more songs by him.   I was in kindergarten at the time, and he had been someone I'd forgotten about for the longest.  It peaked at #2 on the charts, but the rest of his material is nothing to ignore.  "Little Blue Dot" and "Roots and Wings" are beauties to behold.

#17:  "Smoke Rings In The Dark" by Gary Allan

     It's hard not to say that Gary Allan should get inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  He's among the top 2 or 3 in regard to best voices of all time, and this dark and eery one demonstrates it well.  It peaked at #12 on the US country charts, but got a better spot in Canada at #5.  

#16:  "Life Is a Highway" by Chris Ledoux

     As with any other cover song that a favorite artist performs, there's going to be bias.  To me, this version is far better than Tom Cochrane's, and also trumps, for example, the Rascal Flatts cover that was put out for the Cars soundtrack in 2006.  For whatever reason, Chris' version only peaked at #68, but it still received frequent airplay back in the day.  He passed away in March 2005, and is forever missed.

#15:  "Watch This" by Clay Walker

     I can't guarantee that this will be the only Clay Walker song that shows up on the countdown.  Deciding which hit(s) of his to include has been the biggest challenge so far.  I figured I'd post this one because despite its chart success (#4), it doesn't seem to get the recognition that other songs of his, like "What's It To You" and "This Woman and This Man." tend to get, and it is a very gorgeous ballad.  It's the third single from his 1997 album, Rumor Has It. 

#14:  "Single White Female" by Chely Wright

    

 A lot of controversy was sparked in 2010 when Chely revealed that she is a lesbian.  How her sexuality is supposed to have any effect on her talent is something the world may never know.   This is the 1999 release that became her signature song, and it has a lot of spunk to it that makes it a joy. Chely made her debut in 1994, but it's hard not to see this one as the start of her better years.

#13:  "Letting Go" by Suzy Bogguss

     This one's been on the mind quite a bit lately since I'm about to finally move out of the house and see what the independent life has to offer.  A tearjerker of sorts, it was released in 1992 as the fourth single from her album, Aces. Very beautiful material.  The 90s brought out sex symbols like Shania Twain, but this lady was a beauty queen in her own right

#12:  "Ten Thousand Angels" by Mindy McCready

     The one that started it all for Mindy.  It lead off a series of classics that also included "Guys Do It All The Time," "Maybe He'll Notice Her Now," and "You'll Never Know."  She was a fresh 20-year-old who looked like she was on her way to the top of the world, but the rest is history.

#11:  "Check Yes or No" by George Strait

     We couldn't have a countdown without George Strait, could we?  Another one with an adorable video, this was an original cut from the fourth disc on his Strait Out of the Box collection that he released in 1995.  The chorus line is such a cute way of asking someone out.   It was of course a #1 hit.  The box set had plenty of other treasure to offer, including some recordings he did with D Records back in the 70s, as well as collaborations with Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Thompson, and Frank Sinatra.

    We're two-thirds of the way through, and it feels like we're still at the tip of the iceberg.  That's 90s country for you.  A lot of big names still have yet to be seen, as well as a bunch of forgotten faces and one-hit wonders.