Riley Green Wants to Teach a New Generation What ’90s Country Is Really About

Riley Green is taking his love for ‘90s country music to a new level as the host of the new weekly radio series, The ‘90s Country Show, on Apple Music Country. 

The first episode premiered this week, and Green was joined by Apple Music Radio host Kelleigh Bannen, who spoke to him about his love for this decade of country music and how it shaped him as an artist. 

“I’ve always loved the ’90s era of country music. It’s very nostalgic for me growing up, and it’s the songs that my dad and mom played in the truck and all the songs that I heard on the radio growing up,” Green, 36, explained. “And really what I think inspired me to want to be in country music was those songs and those stories.” 

He recalled covering ’90s country hits during his early years and shared a moment that made him realize some of his younger fans weren’t familiar with the genre’s iconic artists.

“I’ll never forget the moment I realized I was getting old. I played John Anderson, ‘Seminole Wind’…And it was just like they didn’t know it. The kids didn’t know it.”

With his new show, Green hopes to change that. 

“So this show is an opportunity for me to educate these kids on what ’90s country was really like,” he declared. 

The Alabama native’s love for ’90s country played a major role in shaping him as an artist. When Bannen asked which artists defined that era for him, he didn’t hesitate to name a few of his friends and longtime favorites.

“Well, when I think about defining artists, I think about people that have managed to stay around. You know what I mean? George Strait’s got to be one of them, he’s been around forever and he’s still George Strait,” he pointed out. “I loved Tracy Lawrence growing up. I got to take Tracy Lawrence on tour with me last year, which was awesome. And to see guys that have been doing it for that long and they’re still that fired up about it tells you that they’re just not only great people and have great work ethics, but they love playing country music. Tim McGraw is one of those that I probably was a little more into.” 

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Catch the premiere episode on demand anytime with an Apple Music subscription HERE. Don’t miss new episodes of The ’90s Country Show every Wednesday at 3 PM PT / 5 PM CT on Apple Music Country.

Riley Green is currently on his Damn Country Music Tour. See a complete list of upcoming dates on his official website.