Collin Raye songs always had this signature storytelling that touched people’s souls. His songs talked a lot about love – from the magical feeling of falling in love with ‘One Boy, One Girl’ to a love that builds intimate connections, accepts, and endures even after death with ‘Love, Me.’ He also wrote and performed Christian Gospel songs and lullabies in his nearly thirty years as a country music artist.
Last year, the 60-year-old chart-topping singer released his album SCARS which marked the first of his new songs, a record he defined as a dream he wanted to make his entire career. While Collin Raye’s songs are evolving in style, it’s still undeniable that his old songs helped define the ‘90s. As a celebration of his comeback, here are top 10 Collin Raye songs that you should definitely listen to at least once in your life.
1. Love, Me, 1991
‘Love, Me’ penned by Skip Ewing and Max T. Barnes was part of his debut studio album titled All I Can Be. The song was the album’s second single released in October 1991. It did not gain traction until January 1992 where it peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart.
In an interview, songwriter Skip Ewing revealed that the song was inspired by the story of his grandparents and a card his girlfriend back in 1988 had given him. It became one of the most popular choices for funerals that time and also earned several nominations such as the Song of the Year from the Country Music Association.
2. In This Life, 1992
Written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin, this song was released in July 1992 as the title track of his album of the same name. ‘In This Life’ debuted at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart, but a month after its release, it earned Raye his second number single on the chart.
Aside from that, it also charted at number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart. This song was covered by many different artists proving its popularity. The most prominent covers are Bette Midler’s in 1995 and Ronan Keating’s in 2000. This song was a wedding playlist favorite during the ‘90s.
3. Somebody Else’s Moon, 1993
This song which talked about the pain of having someone you love in someone else’s arm, was released as the third single from his album In This Life. ‘Somebody Else’s Moon’ was penned by award-winning songwriter and hitmaker Tom Shapiro with Paul Nelson.
It initially entered the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart at a number in April 1993 and peaked at number 5 in July of the same year. It also peaked on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart at number 11.
4. That Was A River, 1993
Another one from his album In This Life, That Was A River spoke about assurance and devotion, likening past love as a river and the present one as an ocean. This was written by Susan Longacre, and Rick Giles released in July 1993 as the album’s fourth and final single.
The song entered the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart at number 68 and managed to climb to number 4 after 20 weeks on the chart.
5. Little Rock, 1994
‘Little Rock’ was written by American country music songwriter Tom Douglas known for his Top 10 Billboard Country hits for Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, and many more. The redemptive song, which was about a recovering alcoholic trying to get his life back and the loved one he had lost, was the songwriter’s first hit.
According to Douglas, at that time of writing the song, he wasn’t thinking about having someone record it. He just wanted to validate and explain his experience as well as tell the story of what was happening in the culture back then. It was released as Raye’s second single from his album Extremes which peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart.
6. My Kind of Girl, 1994
This song talked about an ideal girl who listened to Merle, cheered for the Braves, and loved James Dean. The song was penned by Debi Cochran, John Jarrard, and Monty Powell and released in November 1994 as the fourth single for the album Extremes, including Little Rock.
For You
‘My Kind of Girl’ earned Raye his third number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country & Singles chart in 1995. The song debuted at number 61 on the chart a month after its release.
7. One Boy, One Girl, 1995
‘One Boy, One Girl’ was the first single from his 1995 album titled I Think About You. The song was written by Mark Alan Springer and Shayne Smith, which featured a simple storytelling of a boy and a girl who fell in love, married as man and woman, and ultimately became a mother and a father to another boy and girl.
The song peaked at number 2 in the US at the time of its release in July 1995. It also ranked in Canada at number 4 and also entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 87. The music video of the song where he was singing the song in a campfire setting already raked in 5 million views making it the most viewed video on his channel.
8. I Think About You, 1996
Award-winning and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer Don Schlitz wrote this song alongside sought-after singer-songwriter Steve Seskin. The uptempo song was about a man who kept being reminded of his little girl in every woman that he sees. Raye’s then 13-year-old daughter Brittany appeared in the music video of the song where he portrayed a police officer in a reenactment of the series, Cops.
The song was released in 1996 as the third single from the album of the same name and peaked at number 3 in the US. It also soared to number 2 in the Canadian chart.
9. I Can Still Feel You, 1998
‘I Can Still Feel You’ was Raye’s fourth number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and was written by Kim Tribble and Tammy Hyler. The song which was about trying to forget, was released in April 1998 as his first single for his album The Walls Came Down.
The black-and-white-themed music video featuring Raye and his leather jacket was directed by Steven Goldmann. Critics noted the strong lyricism and outstanding vocal performance of Raye for this song.
10. Couldn’t Last a Moment, 2000
Ending the top 10 list with the most vulnerable song from Raye’s catalogue before his recently released album. ‘Couldn’t Last a Moment’ was written by Danny Wells and hitmaker Jeffrey Steele for Raye’s 2000 album titled Tracks. According to Raye, he was afraid before to cut a song like this one as it mirrored his life.
Thankfully, he did try it. The song peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it his biggest crossover hit. It also went to rank third on the US Billboard country music charts and it also topped the Canadian RPM Country Tracks.
Collin Raye made a name as one of the best country music artists of his time, blessing us with the classics of the ‘90s. Collin Raye songs should definitely be included in your playlist.
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