Grand Ole Opry to Celebrate 90s Country in 2022
You know it to be true. The 90s era in country music is quite hot at the moment, and everyone is looking to take advantage of the renewed interest in this classic era of country. Now that includes the Grand Ole Opry. Under the leadership of Executive Producer Dan Rogers, the Opry continues to make savvy moves that have put the storied country music institution on some of the most sure footing in decades, and revitalized the Opry’s standing in popular country culture. Answering the surging interest in 90s country is the latest.
“For me, the country music of the ‘90s made me want to move to Nashville and be a part of what happens in this great music community,” says Dan Rogers. “Country music fans of all ages seem to have their own ‘90s country stories, and just as the Opry did during that decade, we aim to help them celebrate those stories, create new ones and experience some of the songs that made many of us huge fans 30 years ago.”
So what will “Opry Loves The 90s” entail? It starts with a new tour exhibit that will celebrate the artists, songs, and songwriters that defined country music in the 1990, including stage clothing, artifacts, and photos from the era symbolizing Opry moments from the 90s by the likes of Grand Ole Opry members Clint Black, Terri Clark, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Lorrie Morgan, Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt, and Trisha Yearwood.
The exhibit will also have interactive digital games that will include 90s country trivia, including trying to identify songs based off of iconic musical riffs from the era. Also, running through Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2022, “Opry Loves The 90s” will be the theme of the Opry’s free plaza parties at the Opry House each Friday and Saturday, and in October during the Opry’s 97th anniversary.
And of course during the period, there will be extra emphasis on 90s country stars during the Grand Ole Opry presentations themselves. It all officially kicks off on Monday, May 16th, with the “Opry Loves The 90s” exhibit officially running until the end of 2022.
April 26, 2022 @ 8:14 am
The 90’s country was amazing. I was automatically drawn to it as a kid despite anyone showing me it. Many of the songs were fun, and the song writing was top-notch. Musically it was polished and energetic. Back when country music was still honoring the working man and singing about real life issues….not Luke Bryan saluting children in Wal-mart parking lot with his dumbass lyrics.
April 27, 2022 @ 10:08 pm
I agree 90’s country struck a perfect balance away from the old boring style country of the 60’s and 70’s while avoiding too much pop/rock like the crap nowadays. The songs were so awesome and the singers had so much personality to there styles. Take a guy like Doug Stone he was awesome and was like a James Taylor/country cross.
April 26, 2022 @ 8:42 am
It’s the thought I had when Jeff Carson died. A guy I had totally forgotten existed and was reminded oh yeah he had like 3 amazing radio singles and was like the 100th most important artist of the 90s. Cause in the 90s every song on the radio was good.
April 26, 2022 @ 9:29 am
Meh
I appreciate the good stuff stuff of nineties
But give me fifties and sixties country any day
A LOT of nineties stuff has too much ‘whoosh’ in the tracks
Like they used three rhythm guitars when one would have been enough
Plus the voices are all… meh for me
Except for Randy the nineties singers all sound too much like average joes instead of proper star singers
I know that’s hard to explain but they do! They sound less like pro country singers and more like people I know
(I type this AS I’m listening to some early nineties Marty and almost never go anywhere without my David ball thinking problem cassette)
April 26, 2022 @ 10:28 am
On it’s face I thought your comment was unfair, but I get it. There was a rise in more “mediocre” sounding vocalists (Kenny Chesney, Tracy Lawrence, Tim Mcraw) however there was Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Patty Loveless, Shania Twain, Brooks and Dunn, and others of course.
April 26, 2022 @ 8:10 pm
I’ll defend Tracy Lawrence. I don’t find his voice mediocre at all. Kenny Chesney? Oh, hell yeah! Mediocrity incarnate!
April 27, 2022 @ 3:41 pm
I’m not a Kenny Chesney fan by any means, but his voice was always unique enough where it got to the point where you knew it was him when he came on the radio. I also think it’s pleasant enough.
April 26, 2022 @ 11:13 am
Back in the mid-nineties one of my friends (who is not a country music fan…hello Pekka btw…) said that Tim McGraw is “the worst honky-tonk singer of all times”.
Let’s be diplomatic…Tim McGraw is not one of the best singers of all times.
Can’t wait for the Opry to celebrate the bro era…well…hell no.
April 28, 2022 @ 10:43 am
My uncle, (RIP), more than once stated “whoever the hell told Tim McGraw that he could sing should be shot.” While my opinion of his voice wasn’t quite that low, I do feel he was pretty overrated.
April 26, 2022 @ 11:34 am
Let me celebrate ’90s Australian country music with the stars who became household names (many are still very active & very successful):
Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Gina Jeffries, Tania Kernaghan, Lyn Bowtell, Kasey Chambers, Colin Buchanan, James Blundell, Adam Brand, Tanya Self, Darren Cogggan, Felicity Urquhart & the 2022 inductee in the Roll of Renown…the one & only Beccy Cole.
In the USA Sherrie Austin & a guy with the name Keith Urban.
April 26, 2022 @ 8:12 pm
Sherrie Austin was pretty darn cute!
April 26, 2022 @ 12:05 pm
Understanding he started in the mid 1980’s, two words. Dwight. Yoakam. This Time was a monster in the early 90’s.
April 26, 2022 @ 4:22 pm
@M/J–Another great ’90s artist with a unique voice who first hit in the ’80s was John Anderson–a potential Hall-of-Famer. “Seminole Wind,” “Straight Tequilla Night,” “When It Comes to You,” “Bend It Until It Breaks” were right up there with anyone’s best.
April 26, 2022 @ 8:14 pm
I love Mark Chesnutt. Let’s not forget ol’ Mark Chesnutt.
April 27, 2022 @ 7:30 am
Mark Chesnutt is still one of my favorite country singers, but I don’t know what he was thinking when he recorded “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”. That song is the complete opposite of his typical style.
April 28, 2022 @ 10:05 am
@D–“I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” was fine and it went to #1.
Just about every “hard country” star recorded some pop-sounding songs–Tracy Byrd, “Keeper of the Stars”; Lorrie Morgan, “Something In Red”; even George Strait, “I Cross My Heart.” And in duets, Joe Diffie, “Not to Much to Ask”; and Clint Black “A Bad Goodbye.” Chesnutt’s record was probably the most country of all of those.
I know there’s a video of Chesnutt claiming that George Jones and Waylon berated him for recording that song, but I don’t give it much credence. Chesnutt looks like a bloated wreck in that unfortunate interview, and I’m sure George and Waylon–who also experimented with different sounds in their long careers had other things on their minds than to assail another artist for what was a highly successful single.
April 27, 2022 @ 7:52 am
It was a chance at a big Hollywood payoff. It worked! Four weeks at #1!
April 27, 2022 @ 10:46 am
Really anything I have lately does not resemble country music. I am 81 and grew up in KY and blue grass. I loved Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Kitty Wells, etc, etc. I live in Florida now and cannot get a true country station. I hope it is true that “will the circle be unbroken” will be true for people like Marty Robbins, Ernest Tubb, and the Carter Family.
April 29, 2022 @ 2:10 pm
What are they gonna do about Confederate Railroad? (And the “Chicks” first gained fame in the 90’s too.)