Filed under: Exclusive, Country News, Story Behind the Song

Thomas Rhett was just four years old in 1994, but having singer Rhett Akins for a dad, he was, naturally, already a music fan. One of his favorite singers at the time was country crooner Joe Diffie, who scored five No. 1 singles during the decade, including "Home" and "Bigger Than the Beatles."

Fast-forward to 2012. Thomas was in a writing session with buddies Luke Laird and Barry Dean and the three decided that rather than the slow song they were working on, they would swith their focus to penning an uptempo tune. The original was a love song about a guy and a gal in a favorite romantic spot, listening to Rhett's hero, Joe Diffie, on their boom box. The writers morphed that idea into a more upbeat number and "1994" was born. The song is Jason Aldean's current single from his Night Train album.