Between 1989 and 1994, and again from 2000 to 2002, McBride was the lead vocalist and bass guitarist in the band McBride & the Ride, a country music group which recorded four studio albums, received CMA and ACM Nominations for Vocal Group of the Year, and charted more than ten singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

McBride continues to write and record solo music as well, including albums Hotels & Highways and Rebels & Angels.

Together, the trio record McBride & The Ride's debut album Burnin' Up the Road which featured five singles including "Same Old Star" and "Can I Count On You".

It produced three singles for the trio, all of which were Top Five hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts: "Just One Night", "Going out of My Mind", and "Sacred Ground", which was originally recorded by Kix Brooks (of Brooks & Dunn) on his self-titled debut album.

In September 2000, Herndon reunited with McBride and Thomas after meeting them at a party at the Handlebar-J Restaurant & Bar in Scottsdale, Arizona, to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary.

After McBride & the Ride disbanded in 1995, he found work as a songwriter, with country duo Brooks & Dunn recording more than two dozen of his songs.