After leaving Pure Prairie League, Gill briefly played guitar in Rodney Crowell's backing band the Cherry Bombs before beginning a solo career in country music in 1984.

Gill has 65 entries on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four solo number one hits: "I Still Believe in You", "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away", "One More Last Chance", and "Tryin' to Get Over You", all between 1992 and 1994.

He has also had number-one singles as a guest on Reba McEntire's "The Heart Won't Lie" in 1993, as well as Chris Young's "Sober Saturday Night" and the multi-artist collaboration "Forever Country", both in 2016.

[18] During Gill's tenure as lead vocalist, the band had a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Let Me Love You Tonight";[19][15] he also wrote its follow-up "I'm Almost Ready",[20] as well as five other songs on the corresponding album Firin' Up.

[21] By comparison, Jim Worbois wrote of Can't Hold Back on the same site, "By this time, they are [Pure Prairie League] in name only as there is no resemblance between this and the original band.

[27] Shortly before his signing with RCA, Gill also appeared as a guest vocalist on David Grisman's Here Today,[3] and sang backing vocals on Steve Wariner's "Midnight Fire", on which Brown was a producer.

[29] The project accounted for three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Victim of Life's Circumstances", "Oh Carolina", and the title track, all of which peaked just within the top 40.

[30] Word of mouth within the Nashville community towards Gill's extended play also led to him serving as a backing vocalist and session musician for a number of other country singers.

[47] AllMusic writer Thom Jurek praised the singles in particular, stating that the album "serves as the testament to Gill's arrival as a star and an enduring part of the country music legacy.

[51] The success of When I Call Your Name led to Gill touring in support of the album, which included a concert at SeaWorld San Antonio and one opening for McEntire at Caesars Palace, along with an induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

[49] The album accounted for Gill's second consecutive Grammy nomination in the category of Best Male Vocal Country Performance,[50] as well as CMA Award for Song of the Year.

[49] The title track became Gill's first number-one on Hot Country Songs in September 1992, a peak also achieved by its follow-up "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away" between December 1992 and January 1993.

[2] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly contrasted I Still Believe in You favorably against then-labelmate Trisha Yearwood's Hearts in Armor in a dual review, considering both singers to have emotive vocals and an affinity for mature lyrics.

In a review for The Orange County Register reprinted in The Orlando Sentinel, Gene Harbrecht thought the compilation showed Gill's artistic growth in the intervening years, while also noting its mix of ballads and up-tempo material.

[72] Writing for Country Standard Time, Brian Wahlert praised Gill's vocals and guitar work, but thought that some songs including "Pretty Little Adriana" and the title track were "trite" and "cliché".

[75] In addition to Loveless, other featured vocalists included Dawn Sears on "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" and Lee Ann Womack on "Kindly Keep It Country", as well as Alison Krauss, Shelby Lynne, Sonya Isaacs, Faith Hill, and Sara Evans.

[83] Similarly, in a review for Knight Ridder republished in the Ventura County Star, Howard Cohen panned the project for "stock sentiments and imagery" of love and "overly slick balladry".

He wrote its lead single and title track "Next Big Thing" with John Hobbs and former NRBQ member Al Anderson; the song would become Gill's last solo top-20 country chart entry upon release.

[2] In a 2003 telephone interview with Country Standard Time, Gill said that many of the lyrics on Next Big Thing were inspired by his increasing age and the rise of younger artists who had surpassed him commercially in the intervening years.

Among the guest vocalists on the album were Grant, McDonald, Loveless, Crowell, Del McCoury, LeAnn Rimes, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, and Trisha Yearwood.

[92] During his tenure in the band, Gill and the Time Jumpers won Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song for the track "Kid Sister" from their 2016 album of the same name.

Corenflos alternated as lead guitarists on the sessions, with other musical contributors including bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Greg Morrow, and backing vocalist Dawn Sears.

[96] Jurek thought that the album's song choices highlighted the "edgier" nature of the Bakersfield sound, while also speaking favorably of Gill's vocals and Franklin's playing.

[96] Roughstock writer Matt Bjorke also praised the musicianship and song selection, stating that "Mainstream channels may not care much for this kind of music anymore but it's still as vibrant and fantastic as it has always been and in the loving hands of Vince Gill and Paul Franklin it shines once again.

[131] Between late 2016 and early 2017, Gill was credited for his backing vocals and lead guitar on Chris Young's "Sober Saturday Night",[132] which also went to number one on the country charts.

First was "Tomorrow's World", a charity single written by Kix Brooks and Pam Tillis featuring over 20 country music singers, and released by Warner Records to honor the 20th anniversary of Earth Day.

[3] Sarah Rodman of Entertainment Weekly referred to Gill as "the Oklahoma native with the tenor kissed by angels and the guitar prowess of a man who made a deal with the devil" and stated that he "rose to become one of the most respected names in country music, often serving as a link between the classic artists that preceded him and the generation of stars that have followed in his footsteps.

"[139] Jeffrey B. Remz, writing for Country Standard Time, stated that Gill "was a fine singer with his sturdy tenor, and his guitar playing has always been considered top notch.

[143] She also thought the track "Nothing Like a Woman" from I Still Believe in You had a Motown influence due to Gill's "high, wailing chorus", while comparing both "Say Hello" from the same album and "Don't Come Cryin' to Me" from The Key to the Bakersfield sound.

[144] Additionally, Sgammato observed that Gill tended to have hits with ballads more frequently than with up-tempo material, although she cited "Liza Jane" and "One More Last Chance" as successful examples of the latter.