Welcome back to Country Music 4 Ever! Today, I want to travel back in time 30 years, all the way back to 1996. The 90s was a huge decade for country music, especially for artists such as Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson. However, the 90s  was also a huge decade for women in country music, but 1996 was an incredible year for women in particular because they came very close to equal play, which is something that seems impossible now, but it was actually a reality 30 years ago.

In 1996, there were a total of 28 number one country songs consisting of 16 by male artists and 12 by female artists, which means men made up 57% of country hits and women made up 43%. This is the closest women have come to equal play in a very long time, possibly the closest they have ever come. Just to give you something to compare this to, last year men made up 91% of number one country hits, while women only made up 9%. You can see the extreme drop in female number ones. If you look back on the charts from any recent year, you will find numbers very similar to last year.

So, does this mean people don't want to hear women on country radio anymore? No, a study by Coleman Insights and CMT from 2020 showed that 84% of listeners want women to have equal play and 70% of listeners want more female artists on country radio. Women actually make up a little over half of the country music fanbase (52%), which leaves us even more confused as to why the radio wouldn't want to play female artists, knowing that's what the majority of their fanbase is.

There is a lie that has floated around the country music business for decades that says women don't want to hear women and they would much rather hear men on the radio singing love songs that make women have crushes on them. I definitely would not change the station if a Thomas Rhett or Riley Green love song came on the radio, but just because I like them doesn't mean I want less women on the radio.

I have also heard people say that maybe the reason women aren't played on the radio as much anymore is because the music they are putting out is only relatable to women and men don't want to hear about it. That is definitely true for some artists. I don't think many men can put on a Megan Moroney album and fully relate to what she's singing about. However, if the majority of the country music fanbase is women, maybe that's why so many new female artists are releasing music that isn't totally relatable to everybody because they know the fanbase they are targeting is enough to get them to the top of the charts.

So, will we ever come close to having equal play like we did 30 years ago? It's hard to say. What I do know is that there are plenty of female artists in the genre right now paving the way for the next generation to possible recreate 1996.

If you are interested in which female country songs hit number one in 1996, I have them listed below. Thanks for reading. I'll be back soon!

"It Matters to Me" by Faith Hill

"(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here" by Shania Twain

"Wild Angels" by Martina McBride

"You Can Feel Bad" by Patty Loveless

"To Be Loved by You" by Wynonna Judd

"You Win My Love" by Shania Twain

"No One Needs to Know" by Shania Twain

"Guys Do It All the Time" by Mindy McCready

"Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" by Trisha Yearwood

"Lonely Too Long" by Patty Loveless

"Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter

"One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" by LeAnn Rimes