Cody's Country Group Mania! (COMPLETE!)

[Cody Wants Out...]

Okay, I've had enough of the 90s!
...For now, anyways...

Zac Brown Band



I have always rooted for these guys to get as much success as they can, even if their material isn't up to snuff. :kii:

Anyways, I've thoroughly enjoyed their music from their debut album onwards. I will admit that Jekyll + Hyde threw me a big curveball, but there were some pretty solid songs on there too, like "Young and "Wild", "Dress Blues", and "Bittersweet". I did feel sorry for them when they couldn't get much success out of Welcome Home (I'm assuming that the era is over right?)

The song that really caught my attention was their first ballad single "Highway 20 Ride" off of their nearly-flawless debut album The Foundation. This is a fantastic song, through and through. Lyrics pack a mighty big punch, harmonies are tight, instrumentation matches the emotion that's stuffed in this thing, I could go on and on and on...

I also considered "Jolene" (an album track from their debut), the insta-hit from Uncaged "Goodbye in Her Eyes", and the hidden gem "Day That I Die" with Amos Lee, but that Highway has my heart...



castleoblivion26 tim

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[tim]

I'm actually getting really excited for this one! I also enjoy the rollout of the songs with these small rankdowns as it lets me rank them as you go along.

Little Big Town - I'm not as familiar with their earlier material as I should be so I'm glad you selected a song from their third album; I should definitely use this as an opportunity to dig deeper into their output from the beginning of their career.

Highway 101 - This group was really popular in the late 80's and going into 1990 and I remember hearing them on the radio all the time back when I was first discovering country music. Paulette Carlson has such an amazing voice that really stood out at the time.

Dan + Shay - I first saw them live with Darius Rucker a couple summers back and I admit I didn't really give them the time of day then...fast forward to now and "How Not To" made me rethink my perception of this duo. It does help that the lead singer is rather easy on the eyes

Boy Howdy - These guys were quite popular from '93-'94 and had quite a bit of buzz around them at the time. "She'd Give Anything" was a huge success for them and I think CMT played a big role in some of that success as I remember seeing the video on all the time. Glad you included them!

Alabama - Wouldn't be a country group rankdown without them..."Mountain Music" is a classic and seems like the perfect song to choose for them.

Restless Heart - I wasn't at all surprised to see them underperform in the '92 rankdown and I'll be interested to see how they perform with one of their bigger 90s hits in the '93 rankdown; "The Bluest Eyes in Texas" is their signature song so I think it stands a better chance here.

Yankee Grey - Almost forgot about them and this is the only song I'm even familiar with.

The Forester Sisters - The first time I heard them was when my mom was decorating for Christmas one night and she put on an album that had the song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." I've been a fan of them since!

Little Texas - Perfect song selection (and not just because I live in Austin lol). I saw these guys live a few times back in the day and they always put on a good show. I remember seeing them in 1994 when Blackhawk and Tim McGraw were opening acts for their Kick a Little tour...they were great but Tim McGraw literally stole the show from them lol.

Diamond Rio - Another group that I heard on the radio a lot back in the 90s and also got to see live at my local county fair back home in Nebraska. I still like to revisit some of their earlier stuff.

[Cody Wants Out...]

Gloriana



So...there was this equally-balanced quartet in the beginning of the decade that I was quietly rooting for that blatantly pushed the boundaries between country and pop! The lead single from their debut album eventually went top 15, but didn't see too much success afterwards. Then, one of the girls left and their sophomore album got them much more success, including a song that was everywhere in 2012 that almost topped the charts way back then too. Although, their follow-up didn't reach that high bar, it still went top 20 which wasn't too bad imo.

Okay, time for me to stop using code names! :kii:

The first song I was talking about was "Wild At Heart", which barely scraped the top 15 at the end of the 2000s; their follow-ups only went top 40, even after a reissue (which only included one extra song, which made it a waste of time imo). The girl that left was named Cheyenne Kimball and all traced of her were erased, including a song from the sophomore album Kimball co-wrote titled "Piece of My Heart" and all songs were re-recorded as a result. "Kissed You (Goodnight)" was the single that broke them through into the stratosphere, peaking at #2 in August of 2012. Their follow-up "Can't Shake You" only reached #20 in May 2013, which I think made it consecutive hits imo.

For this rankdown, I chose their most popular hit "Kissed You (Goodnight)", which was also background music for some promo on ABC Family (currently called FreeForm), but I don't recall for what show.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Deleted]

I won't be doing this, but Kiss You Goodnight is an amazing song!

[Cody Wants Out...]

This one shouldn't be too much of a surprise...

Brooks & Dunn



Man! These guys were everywhere growing up! They also have to have one of the strongest singles collections to date imo. I announced this earlier at the close of the '92 Country RD reveals, but Brooks & Dunn will be my next artist rankdown coming towards the end of the summer! Can't wait to see what happens!

That being said, choosing an ultimate favorite song from these two was like trying to choose your favorite puppy/kitten out of a huge litter of them! Their debut single "Brand New Man" was (and still is) fire, "Lost and Found" is a gem that I still hear from time to time, and "Only in America" is also one of my go-to's. "You'll Always Be Loved By Me" may be a little sappy, but I love it to bits and pieces. I'll go ahead and say that "She Used to Be Mine" was one of my favorite discoveries from them for the '93 Country RD; it's so beautlful and heart-breaking! :'(

For this rankdown, I chose the song that instantly pops into my head whenever I hear these guys mentioned somewhere, and also one of the songs I think of when I hear about 90s country: "She's Not the Cheatin' Kind". I'll also confirm that this song will be in the '94 Country RD coming later this year! Enjoy!



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

The moment has come...

SHeDAISY



I'll admit that I didn't pay much attention to these ladies when I was younger, but as of two years ago, I pulled a complete 180!

A couple of summers ago, I read sabre14's comment about him preferring SHeDAISY to the DCX so I gave their discography a listen to pacify my curiosity. Well, little did I know that they had some cool stuff too! And most of it wasn't even released to radio!

Fortuneteller's Melody was a mind-bogglingly fantastic discovery for me, and with my soft spot for Sheryl Crow, I especially liked both of her co-writes on there, particularly "Whatever It Takes".

If you wanna ask me if I prefer DCX or SHeDAISY, I'd give you this infamous look:
Both are pretty iconic in their own right imo. It may end up depending on the mood I'm in though.

For this rankdown, I wanted to showcase an album track, so out of almost a dozen from all four of their albums, I ended up choosing the third track from Knock on the Sky, which could've went a whole lot better had different songs been released as singles. "Mine All Mine" was fine, but "Get Over Yourself" was a little much imo. Some of my favorites from that album were "I'm Lit", "I Wish I Were the Rain", "Repent", "Now", "Turn Me On", and especially "Man Goin' Down".



castleoblivion26 tim

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[LBTrocks]

I freaking love "Man Goin Down" 

Knock on the Sky was an absolutely WONDERFUL album and so incredibly underrated. Lots of gems on it. "I'm Lit" was also a favorite of mine. Such a jam!

[Cody Wants Out...]

Who wants to see what my last minute addition is?

[Cody Wants Out...]

Okay, so I almost completely forgot about these guys...

Thompson Square



I really, really loved the two albums they saw success with. It's pretty unfortunate what happened to their career afterwards.

I'll be bringing a curse back...the David Lee Murphy curse! :kii:

He had a hand in writing a few of their songs, including their most recent top 5 "Everything I Shouldn't Be Thinking About" and their short-lived single pulled in favor of that teasin'-titled breakthrough we all know by now (I hope). I chose the latter for this rankdown, called "Let's Fight".



castleoblivion26 tim

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[castleoblivion26]

"Let's Fight" is a great song. Have always loved that one from them. Sad they fell off the map but hopefully they can get a comeback at some point.

[Cody Wants Out...]

One of my favorite discoveries from the '92 Country RD led me to include this one...

Confederate Railroad



Yeah, this group isn't for everyone and I was a little cautious about them beforehand but "Jesus and Mama" led me to view them through a different lens. Songs like "Queen of Memphis" and "Trashy Women" can leave a sour taste in people's mouths I'm sure, but they're indubitably guilty pleasures and great radio filler!

Here's the song that made me change my ways:



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Eli Young Band



This was another group I was into several years ago, towards the beginning of this decade to be exact. Heard great things on Pulse about Life at Best, so I gave it a listen and thoroughly enjoyed it a good bit. I also own the album before that one (Jet Black and Jealous) and the one containing their most recent, and more than likely final, #1 hit "Drunk Last Night" (10,000 Towns).

Similar to SHeDAISY and quite a few other acts that have yet to be mentioned, the Eli Young Band has also had a boatload of missed opportunities that could've led them to being bigger than they ever got imo. Their last semi-successful album 10,000 Towns has personal favorites like "What Does" and "A Lot Like Love" and Life at Best had even more! I chose my favorite track from that album, "Skeletons" for this rankdown. I really hope you give this song and these guys a chance.



*Hmmm...didn't know a music vid was made for this.

castleoblivion26 tim

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[castleoblivion26]

I love "Skeletons". Glad to see that included. Should have been a single!

[Cody Wants Out...]

The Wreckers



"Leave the Pieces" is one of my all-time favorite songs. EVER.

Oh yeah, I also liked the follow-up top 10 "My Oh My" a good bit as well.

Anyways, here's "Leave the Pieces"...again! :kii:



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Holy crap! We're almost at the halfway point! And the best songs have yet to come imo!

I may end up opening this rankdown sooner than I anticipated!

[tim]

Jun 11, 2018 22:22:24 GMT -5 Cody Wants Out... said:

Holy crap! We're almost at the halfway point! And the best songs have yet to come imo!

I may end up opening this rankdown sooner than I anticipated!

Confederate Railroad is one band I wish would've had more success going into the late 90s...the first two albums were just great. Glad to see "Jesus and Mama" selected for this rankdown as it has always been one of my favorites. My favorite song from them has always been "When and Where."

Digging back into my memories...I saw them live when they were the opening act for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Sawyer Brown! I don't know why I remember this but the first song they performed that night was "Long Gone." Their first three albums from 1992-1995 were really good. "Right Track Wrong Rain" from When And Where has always stood out as a great album track...I really enjoy these guys (they also remind me of Pirates of the Mississippi).

[Cody Wants Out...]

Okay guys, from here on out, I have a mixed bag of sorts that'll probably leave one half cheering and the other half throwing rotten tomatoes at me.

I'll reveal another 90s group before a few more modern-day ones, including a Highway discovery from last year!

[austin]

I wish Knock on The Sky had gone

Mine All Mine
I'm Lit
I Wish I Were The Rain
Repent

but had it been successful, Sweet Right Here would have been completely different, so I am more angry with the mishandling of Fortuneteller's Melody than KOTS.

Man Goin' Down is excellent!

[Cody Wants Out...]

Now where was I? Oh yes...

Sawyer Brown



These guys are pretty cool imo, despite "Some Girls Do" and "Thank God for You" being nearly inescapable in the 90s. We all know they're not to blame for this amiriteoramirite? :kii:

I originally planned on having their take on "The Race is On" for this rankdown. However, I made a nearly last-minute substitution with one of their comeback hits from the 90s that have yet to show up in a rankdown, called "The Walk", which almost topped the charts near the end of 1991.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Lady Antebellum



Wanna talk about comin' out swingin'? Well, that's what Lady A did once they were able to breakthrough as they got their very first #1 hit out of "I Run to You", their final single from their self-titled debut album...and the fun didn't stop there! "Need You Now" was a surprise cross-over hit kicking off the 2010s with an equally solid and massive-selling album to boot as well.

However, as we all got settled into the 2010s, Lady A has more-or-less become hit-or-miss with their material, including but not limited to the single choices and the lack of cohesiveness from their more present studio albums. Their last #1 hit "You Look Good" took a painstakingly long time to make it up there and the follow-up single, which is the title track from their album Heart Break, isn't looking too hot right now. :(

I've noticed quite a handful of missed opportunities from Lady A over the last few years and I wanted to highlight one of them for this rankdown. One of the standouts from the Golden album imo was "Nothin' Like the First Time", which will feature Hillary and Charles taking turns on lead during the verses and Hillary with the main melody of the chorus each time. They had plenty of standouts from this album and I suppose Capitol Nashville wasn't confident enough to push something like "Better Off Now (That You're Gone)", "Can't Stand the Rain", "Get to Me", and the title track after the underwhelming "Goodbye Town" got what it deserved (imo ofc :kii: ). Anyways, here's "Nothin' Like the First Time" from Golden:



*Please note that this track is NOT available on Spotify!

castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Smithfield



So...I occasionally listen to The Highway and I heard a ballad from these guys called "Hey Whiskey". I don't think they've taken off yet, but it'd be nice if they could imo. They have a really nice sound and both of 'em are pretty easy on the eyes as well.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Oh! And speakin' of whiskey...

Trick Pony



Wow! Does these guys know how to have fun or what?!?

Earlier this year, I found some time to listen to their first two albums and my oh my they sound stellar! I'll elaborate more later.

Although it was tough, I chose their debut single "Pour Me" for this rankdown:



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Who needs some bass?

The Oak Ridge Boys



Alright, so these guys were another fairly recent discovery for me, but I already know quite a few of their songs at this point to know that I wanted to include them here. The clue I used in the '92 RD was "Tryin' to Love Two Women", which is a song that I hear on Prime Country from time to time and also their first #1 country hit of the 80s (but not overall). Originally a gospel group, they changed directions in the mid-70s to country music where they were able to see a great bit of success from Y'all Come Back Saloon, where three out of four singles went top 3, including their very first #1 "I'll Be True to You". They've become even more prominent in the 80s and their final hit was "Lucky Moon", which peaked at #6 in 1991.

For this rankdown, I could've chosen something super-popular like "Elvira" or "Bobbie Sue", which weren't only #1 hits on the country charts, but also crossed over to peak at #5 and #12 on the Hot 100, respectively, in the early 80s. Instead, I chose one of their more radio-friendly fare (imo of course) which was also a #1 hit from 1983 called "American Made".



castleoblivion26 tim

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[tim]

While not my favorite band I do enjoy some songs by The Oak Ridge Boys with my favorite being “Gonna Take a Lot of River” which was one of their last #1s in the late 80s.This is yet another group that I was able to check off my bucket list and saw live back home in Nebraska at a county fair some years ago.

[Cody Wants Out...]

Lonestar



So...on a whim, I decided to listen to a few of these guys' albums from the beginning of their career. Now that I've had time to think about it, I was thoroughly impressed with their first three albums (yes, including the one with "Amazed" on there), but I guess when they tried to replicate the success they had with "Amazed" in their later material, I was actually left feeling underwhelmed. However, no one says that I can't enjoy a song of theirs from time to time, so I was eventually able to get into songs like "Let's Be Us Again" and "You're Like Coming Home"; I also didn't find "Mountains" that bad.

Along with LBUA and YLCH, I also considered "Running Away With My Heart" and "You Walked In", a guilty pleasure of mine, for this rankdown. However, I ended up settling on the one that broke them through completely: their first #1 single "No News". In fact, I've come around to loving that one again. Can't wait to see where I place it in the '96 RD! :kii:



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Okay, so I only like the one song from this group, but I think it needs it's time to shine...

The Lost Trailers



So "Holler Back" was everywhere in 2008 iirc, despite only barely making the top 10.

...

Jinx! I like their follow-up "How 'Bout You Don't" better! ;)
I also hear "Call Me Crazy" at work from time to time as well.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Hopefully this one'll make up for all the damage I've caused to my reputation... :kii:

Shenandoah



Man, I have a feeling these guys are gonna be under-appreciated here! Yeah, "Rock My Baby" wasn't their finest hour, but the best from them has yet to come!

Speaking of the best, I've chosen one of the best from them out of quite a handful of them. Most of their success occured when I was literally a baby! "Church on Cumberland Road", "Next to You, Next to Me", "I Got You", "I Wanna Be Loved Like That", "Darned If You Don't (Danged If I Do)", what else is there?

Oh yeah: "Two Dozen Roses", one of the most-defining songs of 90s country imo:



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Didn't these guys have a hit some time last year or somethin'?

Midland



They just broke out last year and I think I'm gonna end up becoming a fan of their sound. Haven't listened to their album yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I chose their debut hit "Drinkin' Problem" for this rankdown.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band



Another recent discovery for me, but I actually remember more than just "Fishin' in the Dark", which is what their biggest country hit was way back when. And to go back even further, they scored a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 in 1970 with "Mr. Bojangles".

To prove that I remember more than just the song name-dropped by Miranda on her album Platinum, I'll name a few more that I remember hearing: "Oh What a Love", "I Love Only You", and "I've Been Lookin'", which is what I chose for this rankdown.



castleoblivion26 tim

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[Cody Wants Out...]

Oh crap! I forgot LBTrocks was doing a rankdown on them; I haven't even got started on my list yet!

Montgomery Gentry



Yeah. These guys were around in my teens and pre-teens; even their non-#1 hits were everywhere!

Losing Troy last year was simply unfathomable and I feel sad for all those that have grieved or are still grieving. :'(

Musically, choosing a song for these guys was pretty tough imo. "My Town" is a classic; "Hillbilly Shoes" was an outstanding debut from them; "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm" is an anthem; the list goes on and on and on...

It eventually came down to two of their most popular singles from the early 2000s: "She Couldn't Change Me" and "If You Ever Stop Loving Me". Both of them are JAMS, but I ended up choosing the latter. I did have the perfect clue for the former, though. :kii:



castleoblivion26 tim

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