When I watch music videos, I am often amazed at the intricate detail, conjuring of an atmosphere, and acting ability of the singers who are in them. One great current example is the video for Ella Langley's "You Look Like You Love Me," featuring Riley Green. I have seen it over and over and can't get enough of it. It's really a mini-movie. I love the saloon-style set, period costumes, honky-tonk music and sense of playfulness between Green and Langley. It promotes the song wonderfully. The same is true of country music videos from the 1990s. There were some real gems from back then. They are from Reba McEntire, Deana Carter, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Alan Jackson. Let's examine them again for a nice little nostalgia fest!
Videos by Wide Open Country
4 Best Country Music Videos That Make Me Nostalgic For The 1990s
'Fancy' by Reba McEntire
The legendary Bobbie Gentry ("Ode to Billie Joe") wrote and recorded this poignant and vivid story song in 1969. Decades later, Reba McEntire revived it and put "Fancy" on her 1991 album, Rumor Has It. The Queen of Country played to the hilt the role of the impoverished girl from the wrong side of the tracks who shrewdly uses her feminine wiles. Fancy uses her wits to finally emerge from squalor and woe and become rich and influential.
Per nbc.com, "The video tells the story of a now-famous Fancy as she revisits her childhood home and recounts the memories of her life. The video was directed by Jack Cole." Everybody who worked on this deserves a hearty pat on the back. Fantastic job. It showcases McEntire and the song perfectly.
'Strawberry Wine' by Deana Carter
Oh, the searing and unforgettable pain of a first love! The only thing that makes it even worse is knowing that summer is the season for brief romances that vanish as fast as the July sunset. Deana Carter's video for "Strawberry Wine" captures all of that very movingly. The visual images it strings together are exceptional, evoking the longing of the narrator for the boy she adored and ultimately lost.
Per Wide Open Country, "The music video for 'Strawberry Wine,' which featured glimpses of a young couple and showed Carter standing in the entryway to a seemingly abandoned house, only added to the song's allure."
'Achy Breaky Heart' by Billy Ray Cyrus
This video powerfully reminded me what a sensation mullet-marvel Billy Ray Cyrus was back in the day. The catchy tune was phenomenal for him, catapulting his freshman album, Some Gave All, to immortal fame. As a performer, Cyrus reminds me a little of the youthful Elvis Presley - effortlessly sexy, brash, and cocky, but in an appealing way. Was he ever hot all those years ago!
Per the boot.com, "The song was translated into more than 100 languages and helped launch the line-dancing craze that remained through the '90s."
The video starts with a scene of fan pandemonium outside a theater where Cyrus is singing. People are going insane as his limo pulls up. A gaggle of enthralled women surrounds him. One gives him flowers. The love fest continues inside, where Cyrus commands the stage. Wow! He sure was dynamite.
'Chattahoochee' by Alan Jackson
Pure fun in the sun is on full display here. Alan Jackson kicks up his heels on the water. He's having a blast. This infectious song invites us to don our shorts and sneakers to frolic right along with him. I always get a Jimmy Buffett vibe when I hear the tune - you know, casting all your worldly cares away while happily lazing in the sun.
When I watch Jackson water-skiing in the video, I think of harmless high school hijinks and forgetting about the overwhelming adult world for a while. If you view the video when it's freezing outside with snow on the ground, I guarantee you will at least have the fleeting, vicarious feel of summer.
