The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 100th birthday all year. And it’s getting fans’ help as it looks back on its rich history.
The Opry is naming the 100 Greatest Country Songs of all time, with the help of fans who have weighed in, nominating their favorites. All summer long, the Opry will be releasing lists separated by era. By the end of the summer, fans will have the ultimate country playlist.
List one featured the 18 greatest country songs released from the 1930’s through the 1960’s.
In its second list, the Opry gave fans a glimpse of the 19 greatest country songs released in the 1970’s.
The third list focuses on 80’s country, with the 19 songs that defined the era.
List four moves to the 1990’s. It’s a decade filled with nostalgia for some of today’s most iconic country singers who refer often to “90’s Country” as a law unto itself.
Seventeen songs rose to the top, but they represent just eleven artists.
Here’s the list along with insider descriptions on why these songs got the votes.
Reba McEntire Dominates the ’90’s With Four Songs on the List
Red-headed country legend Reba McEntire dominates the 90’s list with her name beside nearly 25% of the songs that made the cut. They are:
Grand Ole Opry Associate Producer, Show Development Nicole Judd writes, “Few songs tell a story quite like ‘Fancy.’ Written and originally recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1969, it’s a bold, rags-to-riches tale of survival and determination. But it wasn’t until Reba McEntire put her own stamp on it in 1990 that it became a defining country hit. With her signature fiery delivery, Reba transformed ‘Fancy’ into a full-blown country classic, complete with a dramatic music video that felt like a Hollywood film. Despite its controversial storyline, fans embraced the song as an empowering anthem—one that Reba has performed in a stunning red dress for decades.”
‘Is There Life Out There’– Reba McEntire
Craig Shelburne, who wrote The Opry’s “100 Years of Grand Ole Opry” book, writes, “Reba McEntire provided a voice for millions of women by releasing ‘Is There Life Out There’ as a single in 1992… In the lyrics, we are introduced to a woman who married at 20, started a family, and gradually lost some of her own identity. McEntire turned to another country songwriter, Alice Randall, to write a video treatment and script. With a mix of tender moments and a few tense encounters, the cinematic video dutifully captured the characters in the song, but the cable channels TNN and CMT felt that the dialogue breaks needed to be cut. McEntire and her label stood their ground. The result? A #1 country hit and an ACM Award for Music Video of the Year.”
‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia‘ – Reba McEntire
Country trio Chapel Hart writes, “We’ve always loved ‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia’—it’s one of those songs that pulls you right into the story from the first line. The mix of mystery, heartbreak, and Southern justice makes it feel like an old tale you’d hear on a front porch late at night. Written by Bobby Russell and recorded by his wife at the time, Vicki Lawrence, it shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1973. We grew up hearing it, and we still get chills when that twist hits at the end. It’s a song that sticks with you. Even today, folks are still discovering it through old records, streaming, or covers like Reba McEntire’s 1991 version. Reba and Trisha Yearwood sang it together at the Opry 100 NBC special this year, which just goes to show that a great story never really goes out of style. And that’s the power of country music!”
Reba McEntire’s Fourth Song on the 90’s List Features a Duet
‘Does He Love You‘- Reba McEntire & Linda Davis
Opry historian Craig Shelburne writes, “The ultimate ‘90s country showdown, ‘Does He Love You’ pits a wife against the other woman with explosive results – especially in the cinematic music video. Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch composed the melodramatic duet in the early 1980s for the two women in Stritch’s touring vocal group to sing together. Crowds loved it; Knox also attracted a Nashville publisher with the song. A cassette demo took a decade to find its way to Reba McEntire, but she knew exactly what to do with the show-stopper. With the fabulous Linda Davis as her sparring partner, she quickly added the track to her Greatest Hits, Volume 2, and donned *that* red dress to perform it on the 1993 CMA Awards. A year later, the real-life friends collected a Grammy and a CMA Vocal Event trophy. In 2017, Carrie Underwood delighted the Opry crowd as a surprise guest on “Does He Love You” as Reba celebrated the 40th anniversary of her Opry debut.”
Garth Brooks Comes on Strong With Two Mega Hits on the List
The 1990’s also saw the rise of megastar Garth Brooks, who released his debut album in 1989 and quickly came to own country radio. One of those songs is probably being sung in a bar or honky tonk right now.
‘Friends In Low Places‘- Garth Brooks
Opry historian Craig Shelburne writes, “You’ll never hear us complain when Garth Brooks brings ‘Friends in Low Places’ to the Opry stage. At lunch with his songwriter pals, Earl Bud Lee realized he’d forgotten his wallet. One of the songwriters remarked, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got friends in low places. I know the cook.’ Another songwriter at the table, Dewayne Blackwell, perked up at the comment. Months later at an industry party, Lee and Blackwell scribbled the song onto some paper napkins and asked a then-unknown Garth Brooks to record a demo tape. Although a few other artists recorded it first, Brooks turned ‘Friends in Low Places’ into a country music phenomenon in 1990. The Oklahoma native joined the Opry two months after releasing ‘Friends in Low Places,’ which would go on to spend four weeks at number one, earn ACM and CMA Single of the Year trophies, and become a defining hit of ‘90s country.”
‘The Dance‘- Garth Brooks
Craig Shelburne writes, “Garth Brooks, like most country fans, fell in love with ‘The Dance’ the first time he heard it. When songwriter Tony Arata sang an acoustic version at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville one night, a then-unknown Brooks made it clear he wanted to record the song if he ever landed a record deal. True to his word, Brooks spent three weeks at #1 with ‘The Dance’”’ in the summer of 1990 and joined the Opry that fall. Scotty McCreery, who accepted his Opry invitation from Brooks in 2023, says, ‘The Dance’ is one of the greatest songs of all time because everybody that listens to it can relate. Everybody’s had their dance. Everybody’s gone through those moments. The bad times that you just saw, it’s tough to go through. But once you get on the other side of it, you realize, man, you needed to go through all that to appreciate where you’re at now.'”
Vince Gill Also Makes the List Twice
‘When I Call Your Name‘- Vince Gill
Vince Gill is currently celebrating 50 years in country music on a nationwide tour. But in the 90’s, he was just getting started. Still, two of his songs from that decade are among those the Opry has named the greatest country songs of all time.
Of the first, “When I Call Your Name,” Craig Shelborne writes, “Can you imagine country music without ‘When I Call Your Name’? Vince Gill basically had one shot left when this devastating country waltz, written with Tim DuBois, arrived at radio stations in the spring of 1990. A contract with RCA had already fizzled out and the first two singles from his new record deal at MCA didn’t crack the Top 10. Few would have put money on a four-minute waltz. But with Barry Beckett on piano, Paul Franklin on steel guitar, Patty Loveless on harmony, and Tony Brown producing, ‘When I Call Your Name’ immediately felt special. Gill sang it alone at his Opry debut on June 29, 1989. When Roy Acuff listened to the recorded version, he remarked, ‘That’s the prettiest harmony I’ve ever heard.’ Six months after winning his first Grammy award for ‘When I Call Your Name,’ Gill was inducted into the Opry on August 10, 1991
‘Go Rest High on That Mountain‘ – Vince Gill
Gill’s pianist Randy Hart writes, “Whatever the measuring stick may be to earn a ‘classic song’ status, clearly Opry member Vince Gill’s ‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ achieves that and more. Written in tribute to his brother’s passing, it was Vince’s intention to keep it private as he didn’t want to record it. Fortunately his producer Tony Brown knew it was too strong to leave behind while making the ‘When Love Finds You’ album. While a songwriter never knows how their composition will be received by an audience, this song’s popularity, recognition and resonance have held up since it was first released in 1995, winning the Grammy award for Best Country Song that year. In my own experiences playing this with Vince (probably more than 100 times now), I still watch the people sing along and the tissues appearing as the song proceeds. The emotional impact is undeniable as the crowds walk out with an indelible memory.”
Brooks & Dunn Start a Dance Craze With One of Two Songs on the List
Country duo Brooks & Dunn also have two songs on the Opry’s 90’s list.
One started a country line dance craze that can be found at weddings and honky tonks to this day.
‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie‘- Brooks & Dunn
Opry historian Craig Shelborne writes, “The line dance craze of the early ‘90s is especially remarkable when you consider that nobody could look up the steps on YouTube. Whether they learned in classes, from rewinding the dance shows on TNN, or just tried to follow the cowgirls in front of them, every country fan seemed to know at least a few moves of the ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie.’ (Heel, toe, dosey doe…) The irresistible track won an ACM award and raced to No. 1 on the country chart – not bad for the fourth single from a debut album. Ronnie Dunn is the sole writer on ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie,’ but Brooks & Dunn weren’t the first one to record it. That distinction goes to Asleep at the Wheel, who put it on their 1990 album. It’s actually been covered a couple of times, but nobody does the ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’ like Brooks & Dunn. The high-energy music video, filmed on location in Tulsa, captures an indelible moment in honky-tonk history.”
‘Neon Moon‘ – Brooks & Dunn
Kelly Sutton with WSM Radio writes, “‘Watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon…’ Ronnie Dunn wrote those lyrics well before he ever met his partner Kix Brooks. Ronnie was actually in a house band at the Tulsa City Limits club when the inspiration for the song hit him. ‘Neon Moon’ talks about losing a love and drowning your sorrows in a drink beneath the neon signs at the bar, but the rhythm of the song was made for the dance floor. ‘If they dance, they buy beer and you keep a gig,’ Ronnie Dunn believes. The two-step beat allowed a lot of fans to shuffle out on the floor after Ronnie and Kix released it on their 1991 debut album Brand New Man. Just a year later, ‘Neon Moon’ became the duo’s third consecutive number one hit. The song took on another life in 2023 as the soundtrack of a viral Tik Tok dance with millions of views.“
‘Love Can Build a Bridge‘ – The Judds
Opry historian Craig Shelborne writes, “Through their songs, the Judds brought listeners into their lives. Whether they were showing their flirtatious side, or singing about family bonds, country fans could easily relate to their mother-daughter dynamic. (‘If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother,’ Wynonna liked to say.) But nobody was quite prepared for the emotional impact of ‘Love Can Build a Bridge.’ Five weeks after releasing their 1990 album, also titled Love Can Build a Bridge, Naomi Judd revealed her Hepatitis C diagnosis, and that Wynonna would go on as a solo artist after a long farewell tour. Though it served as a heartfelt goodbye in concert, ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ is also an anthem of faith and forgiveness. Written by Naomi Judd, John Jarvis and Paul Overstreet, ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ won two Grammys and solidified the Judds’ musical legacy. In 2022, Naomi and Wynonna Judd were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
‘She’s In Love With the Boy‘ – Trisha Yearwood
WSM Radio DJ Charlie Mattos writes, “Recorded in 1990 and released in the spring of 1991, this debut single from Trisha Yearwood became the first in a series of big hits for the Monticello, Georgia, native. While at first glance a simple country love song, ‘She’s in Love With the Boy’ truly defines hard work and the old songwriter adage ‘the song will find the right artist.’ Songwriter Jon Ims tells of writing and then rewriting the story of Katie and her beau Tommy a whopping 32 times and it would take years before it eventually found its way to Trisha. ‘She’s in Love With the Boy’ would be the lead single on her self-titled debut album and is still sung every time she performs on the Opry stage. An Opry member since 1999, Trisha often dedicates her performance to Opry legend Porter Wagoner, who always encouraged her to ‘sing the one that brung ya.'”
‘I Cross My Heart‘ – George Strait
Three of George Strait’s songs made it onto the Opry’s 1980’s section of the list. But for the 1990’s list, he just has one entry- “I Cross My Heart.”
Opry historian Craig Shelborne writes, “Wedding singers all across America added a new song to their repertoire in 1992: George Strait’s ‘I Cross My Heart.’ As the first single from the film Pure Country, starring Strait as troubled country singer Wyatt ‘Dusty’ Chandler, the unabashed love song captivated country listeners and spent two weeks at the top of the chart. Written in roughly an hour by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, ‘I Cross My Heart’ almost appeared in a film with Bette Midler in 1984, but her recording didn’t make the cut. A demo of the song aimed at R&B artists also went nowhere. After a decade of collecting dust, the sentimental song surprisingly resurfaced in the final credits of Pure Country, after the film’s director called Dorff, desperately looking for a love song. Although the movie performed modestly in theaters, the soundtrack sold more than six million copies, becoming the best-selling album of Strait’s career.”
‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy‘ – Toby Keith
Craig Shelborne writes, “Toby Keith wrote his career-making single, ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy,’ in Dodge City, Kansas, during a hunting trip with his friends. They’d all had a laugh at the bar that night when one of the guys unsuccessfully asked a woman to dance. Someone at the table remarked, ‘Well, you should’ve been a cowboy.’ Keith liked the sound of that phrase and stayed up late, crouched on the edge of a bathtub, quietly writing and strumming his guitar, trying not to wake up his hunting buddy. However, it wouldn’t be long until the whole world would hear Keith’s salute to Western icons like Marshall Dillon, Miss Kitty, Gene and Roy. ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy’ topped the country chart in June 1993 – the first of his twenty number one hits. The Oklahoma superstar was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame just three days before his death in 2004.”
‘Chattahoochee‘ – Alan Jackson
Opry Vice President & Executive Producer Dan Rogers writes, “Alan Jackson was on a roll when ‘Chattahoochee’ arrived as a radio single in May 1993. By the end of the summer, the song and its music video (showing Jackson in his ripped jeans, red cowboy boots, and life jacket) had propelled the singer to country music superstardom. A few months later, ‘Chattahoochee’ scored CMA Single and Song of the Year awards and picked up two Grammy nominations. Written by Jackson and Jim McBride, the feel-good hit offered more than just an instantly recognizable opening guitar lick. It also did more than celebrate the joy to be had from a grape snow cone. And, yes, it was about more than successfully rhyming the name of a river with ‘hoochie-coochie.’ This instant classic absolutely helped define the sound of ‘90s country. From the instant they were introduced on the Opry’s 100th anniversary special on NBC, Jackson and ‘Chattahoochee’ earned a standing ovation.”
‘Independence Day‘ – Martina McBride
Opry Vice President & Executive Producer Dan Rogers writes, “Some songs on the Opry 100 Greatest Country Songs list were written in a matter of minutes. Such was not the case for Gretchen Peters, who spent more than a year writing this song dealing with the subject of domestic abuse and finding it particularly difficult to craft the song’s ending. Martina McBride recorded ‘Independence Day’ in 1993 for her The Way That I Am album, and the song was released as a single in May 1994. It went on to earn two Grammy nominations, win a CMA Song of the Year award, and emerge as an anthem against the abuse depicted in the song. ‘Independence Day’ is also one of a handful of Opry 100 Greatest Songs that’ve been performed on the Opry by both its writer and the artist who made it a hit. Martina was inducted into the Opry cast in 1995 by one of her heroes, Loretta Lynn.”
‘Strawberry Wine‘ – Deana Carter
Kelly Sutton with WSM Radio writes, “It was 1996 when a breezy, barefoot newcomer arrived with a song that made country fans fall in love with her. Deana Carter came into our lives singing about ‘Strawberry Wine’ and the nostalgia in those lyrics catapulted the song to the top of the charts. Songwriters Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison penned the tune about a 17-year-old girl who experiences her first love during a summer on her grandparents’ farm. The feelings she develops from that relationship are just like the taste of strawberry wine… intoxicating, sweet and fleeting. ‘Strawberry Wine’ won the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 1997, spent two weeks at number one on country radio, and landed a Grammy nomination. To this day it transports us back to our first summer love, and continues to influence the next generation of songwriters. In fact, Lainey Wilson says she drew inspiration from the song to write ‘Watermelon Moonshine.’ ‘Strawberry Wine’ can still be heard on radio stations, in karaoke bars and on playlists around the world. It will forever be the slice of summertime music that makes us smile.”
The Grand Ole Opry Will Release Complete List By End of Summer
That list takes us from the 1930’s through the 1990’s, bringing us to 74 songs out of the 100 the Opry has promised to release through the summer.
When it’s all said and done, the Opry promises fans the ultimate country playlist.
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Grand Ole Opry’s Biggest Country Songs of the 1990’s