This is the last time I’m going to review a country pride song.

I have nothing left to say.  From now on, I’m turning a song like this off thirty seconds in, and I’m never going to pay it any attention again.

But since it is the last time, let me say it just one more time:

You don’t have to be a blathering idiot to be country.

You can be intelligent.

You can talk about the charms and limitations of the southern youth experience, like Hal Ketchum did in  “Small Town Saturday Night.”

You can let us know that you know why “(Margie’s at) The Lincoln Park Inn”, spotlighting all the moral ambiguities and complexities lurking underneath the surface of suburban America.

You can even do a list song intelligently, as Tom T. Hall proved over, and over, and over again.

You can celebrate the rural without diminishing the urban, trusting that the commonality of the human experience transcends the boundaries of geography.

Justin Moore, you’re making Tracy Byrd at his silliest seem brilliant in retrospect.

Drivel like this is making me hate country music, and I love, love, love country music.

No more for me.  I refuse.

Written by Rhett Akins, Justin Moore, and Jeremy Stover

Grade: F

Listen:  Bait a Hook

The song is beautiful. Really, really beautiful. Like so many great country ballads, someone who’s been left alone because a relationship failed can relate to it just as well as someone who has been left alone because they’re a widow.  On the verses, Corbin sounds so good that he could’ve sent this to radio in 1992 and stood tall among the Mark Chesnutts and Collin Rayes of that time.

But there’s a big flaw, and that’s his over-singing in the choruses.  Remember how John Michael Montgomery strained his voice when he wanted to show intense emotion?  He’s doing that, with less impressive results.  It’s not enough to sink the record, of course. There are so many strong elements that even a weak delivery in some parts can’t stop it from being a good record.  But it does keep it from being truly great.

Written by Carson Chamberlain, Clinton Daniels, and Jeff Hyde

Grade: B

Listen: I Can’t Love You Back

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #350-#326

#350
How Do I Live
Trisha Yearwood
1997  |  Peak: #2

Listen

When Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes released dueling versions of this song in 1997, it was apparently a wake up call to country listeners: “Hey, wait a minute. Trisha Yearwood is an amazing singer!”  She elevates “How Do I Live” beyond its movie theme nature by adding layers of subtlety and nuance to the typical Diane Warren template. – Kevin Coyne

#349
Boot Scootin’ Boogie
Brooks & Dunn
1992  |  Peak: #1

Listen

I don’t claim to have any real knowledge of what it’s like to spend a night at the liveliest of honky-tonks, but I’ll be darned if this song doesn’t make me feel like I do. Because “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” isn’t really about a specific place where people go, and it isn’t even about the boogie itself; it’s about the universal thrill of busting out of the work week, kicking back and dancing your troubles away. From start to finish, Brooks & Dunn’s performance is a twangy blast of exhilaration, and that’s a feeling we can all relate to – outlaws, in-laws, crooks and straights alike. - Tara Seetharam

#348
Don’t Take Her She’s All I Got
Tracy Byrd
1997  |  Peak: #4

Listen

Just a damn catchy trad country sing-a-long. It was good fun when Johnny Paycheck had the original hit with it, and lost none of its steam when Tracy Byrd resurrected it for a new audience twenty-six years later. – Dan Milliken

#347
Walkaway Joe
Trisha Yearwood with Don Henley
1992  |  Peak: #2

Listen

Yearwood’s sad appraisal of a youthful infatuation feels almost like a parable in its scope and execution. You know the story’s ending from the very beginning, but you wait to hear it unfold anyway, possibly just so you can reflect on similar mistakes you wish you had seen coming. That might be why none of the characters in this song – Momma, Girl, Walkaway Joe – are given real names; as in any parable, they’re archetypes for us to see through as we try to rectify our own pasts and futures. – DM

#346
Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Us
John Michael Montgomery
1996  |  Peak: #15

Listen

Montgomery is mostly known for his sappy, country-pop love songs. This is a love song, but the bluesy little number is more understated than his typical fare. - Leeann Ward

#345
I’ll Go On Loving You
Alan Jackson
1998  |  Peak: #3

Listen

Jackson’s rarely more impressive than when he ventures out of his comfort zone. His bold choice to bring the recitation back to country radio made for one of his strongest singles from the latter half of the decade. – KC

#344
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Reba McEntire
1992  |  Peak: #12

Listen

Reba sings the heck out of this epic tale of murder. The performance and accompanying production are both spooky and fun. - LW

#343
What About the Love We Made
Shelby Lynne
1995  |  Peak: #45

Listen

Guilt trips on divorcing parents aren’t laid much thicker than this, at least without Tammy Wynette at the mic. Needless to say, Lynne sings the fire out of it.- KC

#342
It’s Only Love
Randy Scruggs with Mary Chapin Carpenter
1998  |  Peak: #67

Listen

Carpenter’s got it right; When it comes to love, “there’s no choice but to surrender.” The lyrics are just this side of saccharine, but the jaunty production is irresistible. - LW

#341
Gone as a Girl Can Get
George Strait
1992  |  Peak: #5

Listen

Due to an awesomely relaxed production that allows guitars and fiddles to shine without overwhelming the track, this is about the coolest  Strait hit there is. She’s not just kind of gone, “she’s about as gone as a girl can get.” - LW

#340
Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind
Confederate Railroad
1994  |  Peak: #9

Listen

Our generation needed its own spin on “Coat of Many Colors”, and this gem from Confederate Railroad delivered the goods. – KC

#339
Tryin’ to Get Over You
Vince Gill
1994  |  Peak: #1

Listen

It’s possible to attribute a morbid message to this song if you take the lyrics literally, but I think the focus was meant to be on the effects of an undying love rather than on a man who wants to die. Gill colors his performance with layers of aching, relentless pain so tangible that the emotion practically jumps off the track. - TS

#338
A Man Ain’t Made of Stone
Randy Travis
1999  |  Peak: #16

Listen

Men get a lot of flack for having it better than women, but one disadvantage that they have is that they’re expected to control their emotions, especially any signs of weakness. The catch is that they’re also expected to be sensitive at the right moments, which is a difficult balance for anyone to try to strike. It takes his woman leaving him for this man to lose his emotional resolve, which, incidentally, is  what it seems the woman needed from him all along. - LW

#337
The Beaches of Cheyenne
Garth Brooks
1996  |  Peak: #1

Listen

Another Garth Brooks epic, this time delving into the realm of ghosts with loaded regrets. Musically, a great example of Brooks’ arena-country style done right. – DM

#336
Take it Easy
Travis Tritt
1994  |  Peak: #21

Listen

As a part of country music’s tribute to The Eagles, Tritt delivers a solid cover of “Take It Easy”, which turns out to have more body than the original. - LW

#335
Tell Me About It
Tanya Tucker and Delbert McClinton
1993  |  Peak: #4

Listen

There’s no twang here, but the rocking guitar groove is addictive. Moreover, Tucker’s and McClinton’s rough-edged voices  have a familial-like sound. - LW

#334
Unanswered Prayers
Garth Brooks
1990  |  Peak: #1

Listen

Through a snapshot of a run-in with an old flame, Brooks illustrates that God’s blessings aren’t always what we expect them to be, and his approach is near perfect – relatable, thoughtful and authentic. - TS

#333
She Can’t Save Him
Lisa Brokop
1995  |  Peak: #55

Listen

A frank portrait of a woman wrestling with the fact that she can’t help her substance-abusing husband until he helps himself. The gorgeous bridge brings the song to life, using imagery to depict the couple’s relationship. - TS

#332
I’ve Got That Old Feeling
Alison Krauss
1991  |  Peak: Did Not Chart

Listen

Even as a young bluegrass prodigy, Krauss did most of her best work while fixated on painful goodbyes. In this case, the goodbye hasn’t even happened yet, but it’s all the more painful because she has the experience to sense it coming. – DM

#331
High On a Mountain Top
Marty Stuart
1992  |  Peak: #24

Listen

Stuart spends his life climbing his way to the top, leaving behind the ones who helped get him there along the way.  With a little help from a wailing Pam Tillis on harmony, he realizes it’s lonesome up there all by himself. – KC

#330
You Can Depend On Me
Restless Heart
1991  |  Peak: #3

Listen

Restless Heart had some likable soft jams in their 80′s hey-day, but were never better than when they got their bluegrass-pop on with this awesome campfire anthem. – DM

#329
If You Came Back From Heaven
Lorrie Morgan
1994  |  Peak: #51

Listen

Morgan writes and performs a fascinating composition in which she wonders how the reality would play out if her fantasy came true, and her late husband returned to her arms.  Among the questions she’d ask him: “Did you feel my body when I held your pillow tight?” – KC

#328
That Summer
Garth Brooks
1993  |  Peak: #1

Listen

Brooks manages to make a tawdry love affair sound steamy without seeming dirty. - LW

#327
XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)
Trisha Yearwood
1994  |  Peak: #1

Listen

An all American girl grows up to become a woman who’s trying to “make it in her daddy’s world.” No more frivolous dressing up; it’s real life now. - LW

#326
Getcha Some
Toby Keith
1998  |  Peak: #18

Listen

In the 2000s, Toby Keith has carefully crafted his image as a patriotic chest-thumper. In the nineties, however, his music seems more relaxed, as is the case with this delightful chronicle of a developing relationship. - LW

#180
“These Days”
Rascal Flatts
2002
Peak: #1

It’s the pairing of aching nostalgia and all the power that comes with a Flatts country-pop ballad that makes this song so potent. – Tara Seetharam

#179
“Takin’ Off This Pain”
Ashton Shepherd
2007
Peak: #20

Like a wide-eyed hybrid of Loretta Lynn and Jennifer Nettles, Shepherd burst onto the scene snapping her newly ring-free fingers at the clueless sap not treating her right. Next Decade, please take note: you’ve got a star in waiting. – Dan Milliken

#178
“Welcome to the Future”
Brad Paisley
2009
Peak: #2

Paisley blends funky, fresh production with a powerful yet lighthearted depiction of the progress that marks our times. Refreshingly, the result is a politically-tinged song that doesn’t preach, but celebrates. – TS

#177
“A Real Fine Place to Start”
Sara Evans
2005
Peak: #1

Evans simply soars on this perfect bubblegum hook, a hormone rush courtesy of the inimitable Radney Foster. – DM

#176
“Ticks”
Brad Paisley
2007
Peak: #1

One of the decade’s most polarizing singles, as evidenced by its inclusion in both this countdown and our recent Worst Singles of the Decade one. Indeed, Paisley’s shamelessly pervy, creepy ditty has inspired much tut-tutting from those who equate quality with seriousness, or who simply don’t care for pervy, creepy things in general. For others, however, “Ticks” is just a hilariously wrong little novelty with some of the smokingest Telecaster riffs around. – DM

#175
“Band in the Window”
Pam Tillis
2007
Peak: Did not chart

In this jaunty song, Pam Tillis pays tribute to the struggling hopefuls whose only platforms for sharing their music is in bar bands that can be seen through windows by passersby. It’s a celebration of Nashville’s vibrancy wherein talent can be found on every corner. – Leeann Ward

#174
“Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me”
Keith Urban
2003
Peak: #1

Only Urban could strip a phrase like this of all its pomposity and turn it into a hook for an exhilarating song about open-road bliss. – TS

#173
“Something More”
Sugarland
2005
Peak: #2

An anthem for those who believe that happiness is something we create. – Kevin Coyne

#172
“Ten Rounds With José Cuervo”
Tracy Byrd
2002
Peak: #1

Byrd is contagiously entertaining on this boozy, purely fun number. – TS

#171
“Some Beach”
Blake Shelton
2004
Peak: #1

The often cerebral Paul Overstreet helped write this catchy and amusing song that skates around cussing with “some beach” as the expression of choice instead of what is more likely to come out when one has had a bad-luck day like the one in this song. – LW

#170
“Cowboys are Frequently Secretly (Fond of Each Other)”
Willie Nelson
2006
Peak: Did not chart

The Aughts have brought us some classic Willie, from reggae experiments to dead-on Western swing revivals to badass live sets. Also classic: his cover of Ned Sublette’s underground “gay cowboy” song, equal parts goofy satire and bold queer theory. “Say, what did you think all them saddles and boots was about?” – DM

#169
“Sounds So Good”
Ashton Shepherd
2008
Peak: #21

“Sounds So Good” effectively illuminates the joys of summer activities by effectively focusing on their sounds, most notably that of a cooler slushing. – LW

#168
“Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right”
Billy Currington
2005
Peak: #1

Intimate, soulful and incredibly sensual – there’s not much more to say. Currington has never sounded so good. – TS

#167
“Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago”
Lee Ann Womack
2005
Peak: #32

Beautifully frank, from the awesome title to the distinct little moments of bittersweet hindsight throughout. – DM

#166
“Sweet Music Man”
Reba McEntire
2002
Peak: #36

Kenny Rogers wrote a nice song that was marred by insufferable, dated eighties production. Fortunately, Reba McEntire had the good sense to update the song by eliminating the synthesizers, which uncovers a gem with a more organic, acoustic sound. – LW

#165
“High Cost of Living”
Jamey Johnson
2009
Peak: #34

This song is dark for today’s sterile radio climate, and Johnson’s no-nonsense performance makes no effort to lighten the mood in any way. As a result, we get a glimpse into raw emotions and real consequences that make for a more authentic and enlightening song. – LW

#164
“For These Times”
Martina McBride
2007
Peak: #35

McBride is no stranger to socially conscious songs, but there’s a sad honesty to this one that sets it apart from the others. It reads like a prayer for these often disheartening times in which we live, that we can’t and weren’t made to give up on. – TS

#163
“Already Gone”
Sugarland
2008
Peak: #1

Sure, they’ve got some silly-pops in the fridge, but few modern country acts write with the passion and intelligence of this duo at their best. “Already Gone” makes the insightful observation that we spend much of our lives playing catch-up to our hearts, and touches upon both the joys and tragedies that that tendency can bring. – DM

#162
“No Fear”
Terri Clark

With this reflective song co-written by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Terri Clark shows that bravery and silence are not contradictory. – KC

#161
“In Color”
Jamey Johnson
2008
Peak: #9

A song whose premise is a series of photographs may have fallen flat in the hands of another artist, but Johnson infuses it with poignant imagery and a heaping amount of understated conviction – and just like that, it comes alive. – TS

- – -

• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 1: #201-#181
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 2: #180-#161
  
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 3: #160-#141
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 4: #140-#121
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 5: #121-#101
  
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 6: #100-#81
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 7: #80-#61
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 8: #60-#41
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Part 9: #40-#21
• The 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade, Conclusion: #20-#1

The Worst Singles of the Decade, Part 2: #40-#31

#40
Kenny Chesney & George Strait, “Shiftwork”

A stab at the working class blues still ends up on a tropical island by the third verse.

#39
Anita Cochran featuring The Voice of Conway Twitty, “(I Wanna Hear) A Cheatin’ Song”

In which a duet is formed from beyond the grave by chopping up bits and pieces of old Conway Twitty songs and reassembling them word by word.

#38
Billy Dean, “Let Them Be Little”

Thirty seconds in and you’ll be headed to your dentist for a cavity filling.

#37
Montgomery Gentry, “She Couldn’t Change Me”

Sorry boys, but “some hip-hop mess” would be a great improvement over this hillbilly trainwreck.

#36
Sarah Johns, “The One in the Middle”

Does anybody really need this gesture explained to them for four minutes? The whole point of using it is so you don’t have to talk to the person.

#35
Chuck Wicks, “Stealing Cinderella”

It’s hard to believe that you’re stealing Cinderella when you sing like you’re looking for Prince Charming.

#34
Faith Hill, “The Way You Love Me”

If my wife could only grant me one wish, and she actually chose for me to see the way that I kiss, I’d grant her divorce papers in return.

#33
Tracy Byrd, “Drinkin’ Bone”

Why come up with something original when you can just corrupt a nursery rhyme?

#32
Jo Dee Messina, “Biker Chick”

She’s not just any plain old biker chick. She’s a biker chick chick, a biker chick chick.

#31
Buddy Jewell, “This Ain’t Mexico”

You think he’s mad now? Wait until he gets to heaven and finds out God chose Pablo and Juanita to help pour out the rain.

The end result was that some solid talent was discovered a bit too early, before they’d fully refined themselves into artists. Tracy Byrd’s a great example of this. Only 25 years old when his first single went to radio, Byrd had been plucked from the Beaumont, Texas music scene that had groomed Mark Chesnutt.

Byrd’s hit material from the nineties was reflective of what the B-list hat acts recorded during that era, though his vocal charm helped him elevate middling songs from time to time. He also turned in a few gems, with his music getting far more consistent as he entered his thirties.

His last studio album, 2006′s Different Things, was excellent, but radio had already moved on to the new twentysomethings at that point, artists who will probably be making better music a decade from now and being overlooked for the new, new twentysomethings.

Ten Essential Tracks:

“Holdin’ Heaven”
from the 1993 album Tracy Byrd

When surprisingly strong sales greeted the release of Byrd’s debut album, radio jumped on board. This catchy tune briefly knocked Garth’s “Ain’t Goin Down” out of the top spot, though Brooks would return to #1 a week later.

“Watermelon Crawl”
from the 1994 album No Ordinary Man

The line dance craze taken to its absolutely goofiest extreme. This is as representative of the early nineties as it gets.

“The Keeper of the Stars”
from the 1994 album No Ordinary Man

This romantic ballad was the surprise winner of Song of the Year at the 1995 ACM awards.

“Walkin’ to Jerusalem”
from the 1995 album Love Lessons

One of the craziest choruses to hit country radio sounds like a Mideast geography lesson taking a detour through southern America.

“Don’t Take Her She’s All I Got”
from the 1996 album Big Love

There’s no question that Tracy Byrd knows his country music history, and he effectively revived this Johnny Paycheck classic for the nineties.

“I Wanna Feel That Way Again”
from the 1998 album I’m From the Country

You can hear that Byrd is beginning to mature and settle in to his voice. He wouldn’t have been able to deliver this as well on earlier albums.

“Put Your Hand in Mine”
from the 1999 album It’s About Time

Another mature record that deals with a father and son relationship being strained by the tensions between father and mother.

“Just Let Me Be in Love”
from the 2001 album Ten Rounds

A warm and romantic love song with a Spanish flavor. By this record, he’s almost an entirely different singer than the guy who once sang “Watermelon Crawl.”

“Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo”
from the 2001 album Ten Rounds

Two decades after Shelly West spiked sales of the titular drink, Byrd topped the charts with this entertaining track.

“Cheapest Motel”
from the 2006 album Different Things

A roving husband pays a far higher price in the end than the motel clerk charged him.

Two Hidden Treasures:

“Someone To Give My Love To”
from the 1993 album Tracy Byrd

Early evidence of Byrd’s affection for Johnny Paycheck surfaced with this cover featured on his first album. Despite only reaching #42, it helped stimulate sales of his debut set.

“Different Things”
from the 2006 album Different Things

It’s a shame that Byrd’s success and talent peaked in different decades. Nearly every track on his 2006 album, including the title cut, would make radio sound a whole lot better.