After Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson was the most popular male country singer of the '90s. An heir to the new traditionalist movement of the '80s, Jackson's approach was rooted in classic honky tonk yet remained comfortably within the contemporary mainstream. Jackson's hallmark was consistency -- he wrote many of his own hits, and his way with a... [+] Read More

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A country music traditionalist from Texas, Clint Black was one of the first artists to kick-start the mass-market popularity of country in the '90s. Black is also one of the first artists of a generation that was equally inspired by rock-oriented pop -- like '70s singer/songwriters and '60s rock & roll -- as well as country artists like Merle... [+] Read More

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It isn't accurate to call Glen Campbell "pure country," but his smooth fusion of country mannerisms and pop melodies and production techniques made him one of the most popular country musicians of the late '60s and '70s. Campbell was one of the leading figures of country-pop during that era, racking up a steady stream of Top Ten singles,... [+] Read More

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Neo-honky tonker John Anderson was born in Apopka, FL, in 1955 and grew up listening to rock & roll, until he discovered country music at age 15 through Merle Haggard. He moved to Nashville in the early '70s, showing up at his sister's house with no warning, and worked a variety of odd jobs (including one as a roofer for the Grand Ole Opry)... [+] Read More

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Neal McCoy's brand of neo-traditionalist honky tonk brought him a string of hits in the mid-'90s. McCoy was born Hubert Neal McGaughey, Jr. in Jacksonville, TX, to a father of Irish descent and a Filipino mother. He grew up listening to all kinds of music -- country, swing, rock, disco, R&B -- and first sang in local gospel choirs. His voice... [+] Read More

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Sammy Kershaw rode in on the new traditionalist wave in the early '90s, finding success with a penchant for ballads and a blend of updated honky tonk (especially the vocal stylings of George Jones), Southern rock, and a hint of Cajun flavor. But as his career progressed, Kershaw moved farther and farther into crossover-minded country-pop, which... [+] Read More

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When Tim McGraw debuted in the early '90s, few would have predicted that he would eventually take over Garth Brooks' position as the most popular male singer in country music. Yet that's exactly what he did, thanks to a string of multi-platinum albums, a high-profile marriage to fellow superstar Faith Hill, and Brooks' own inevitable decline.... [+] Read More

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Tracy Byrd's brand of new traditionalist country made him a star in the '90s, particularly his playful, good-time party singalongs (though he also turned in the occasional ballad success). Byrd was born in the small rural town of Vidor, TX, in 1966, and grew up listening to his family's extensive country record collection. When Byrd was 20 years... [+] Read More

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Like many new country singers of the mid-'90s, Ty Herndon fused neo-traditionalist country with a slick, rock-oriented sense of style and production. Like many of his contemporaries, his blend of genres proved commercially successful, as his first album became one of the biggest hits of 1995. Herndon was a little wilder, at least off the stage,... [+] Read More

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Vince Gill paid nearly a decade and a half of dues en route to becoming one of the most popular country stars of the '90s. Starting out as a bluegrass singer and multi-instrumentalist, he initially made his name with country-rockers Pure Prairie League, and spent the '80s as part of country's new traditionalist wing before finding massive... [+] Read More

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