Reba McEntire - I'd Rather Ride Around With You

What this video is

Released in early March 1997, this video captures Reba McEntire at the commercial peak of her mid-90s run, arriving during the New Traditionalist-to-country-pop transition that defined Nashville's dominant aesthetic on CMT. The song's narrative — skipping a cousin's wedding for a spontaneous road trip with a romantic partner — tapped into a broadly relatable Southern social mythology of freedom, romance, and…

Why it matters

Represents the polished mid-budget CMT country video template at its mid-90s apex: romantic outdoor narrative fused with artist performance, rapid editing pace calibrated for broadcast, and warm cinematography evoking American heartland imagery. The single reached #2 on Billboard Hot Country…

The director

Gerry Wenner is an American director and cinematographer specializing in country music videos. His documentary 'Essie' won a Blue Ribbon Award at the American Film Festival and aired on PBS. As director and DP, his credits span Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton,…