At the end of the '80s, when Nashville was in danger of being taken over by poppy pretenders hiding beneath 10-gallon hats, Travis Tritt and a handful of other roots-conscious artists (Alan Jackson, Clint Black, et al.) emerged to save the day with their neo-trad take on country. Georgia boy Tritt's heavy-duty heyday was the '90s, but with a sound that was equal parts classic country and Southern-fried rock 'n' roll, he kept on scoring hits well into the '00s.