Music
In the 1990s the popular music of the time was teen pop and dance-pop which had orginally emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, hip hop began to grow and continued to grow on into the 2000s. Urban and contemporary R&B continued to be popular throughout the 1990s sometimes mixing with jazz, soul, funk. When these genres mixed they resulted in what was called ‘fusion genres’ such as neo-soul, g-funk, neo-swing, and new jack swing which were all very popular. Much like the 1980s rock music continued to be very popular in the 1990s such as grunge, industrial rock, Britpop, alternative rock, ska punk, nu-metal, and punk rock. Also, electronic music became incredibly popular such as house and techno also electronic dance music such as happy hardcore, trance, drum and bass, trip hop, and intelligent dance. The 1990s also consisted of a rising of contemporary country music.
Click on the music tab to have a listen of the most popular song of the 1990s.
Click on the music tab to have a listen of the most popular song of the 1990s.
Food
Throughout the 1990s many candies and snacks emerged. Bubble Tape was introduced by Wrigley in the 1980s, however it reached the height of its popularity in the 1990s. Bubble Tape was enclosed in a pink tape dispenser the looked like a shell and it offered six feet of bubble gum wrapped in a spiral. Bubble Tape was aimed for children to purchase and continues to be sold in stores today. In addition to Bubble Tape, jawbreakers or also referred to as gobstoppers were hard, tough balls composed of sugar that you cannot bite into. Jawbreakers varied in size and could wreck your teeth. Most children would suck on jawbreakers waiting for them to decrease in size. Another candy that emerged during the 90’s was the laffy taffy although it was introduced in the 70’s by the Willy Wonka Candy Company. The Laffy Taffy candies are individually wrapped, chewy, and are colorful with jokes on the wrappers.
Click on the Food tab to watch a commercial from 1991 advertising Bubble Tape.
Click on the Food tab to watch a commercial from 1991 advertising Bubble Tape.
Literature
Three of the novels from the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling were in the top three of the top ten books of the 1990s. The first of the series was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), this novel is about Harry Potter, a young wizard who finds out about his magical heritage. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he makes two best friends, Ron and Hermoine, along with a few enemies. With the help of his two best friends, Harry battles a comeback by Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who killed Harry’s parents. Coming in second and third on the top ten list were Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), the third book, and in third was the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998) which continue the ups and downs of Harry’s life as a wizard. At first these books were not a hit but in 1999 the first book topped the New York Time’s list of best-selling fiction.
Click on the Literature tab to have a listen at Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone audio book.
Click on the Literature tab to have a listen at Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone audio book.
Fashion
The fashion of the 1990s included the eruption of tattoos, body piercings, forms of body modification, branding, t-shirts, jeans, casual shic look, and trainers. The preppy look from the mid 1980s continued however, grunge and alternative rock helped emerge the grunge look by 1994.
Women wore denim button down shirts, oversized sweaters, neon colors, sweatshirts, T-shirts, baby doll dresses, black leather jackets and trenchcoats lined with fake fur. As for the bleached acid wash of matching jeans and denim jackets that began in the 1980s; were now being made in darker shades. Many females wore drainpipe jeans, tight-fitting pants with elastic boot-straps, bike shorts, colored tights, and tartan skirts. Popular female accessories of the decade included headscarves, cowboy boots, court shoes, leggings, and penny loafers which were apart of the continuing 1980s preppy look. In addition, leotards as tops with jeans was a popular fad. A typical outfit of a 1990s girl might have included dress shorts, a skirt, babydoll or minidress with black opaque tights, white slouch socks and white sneakers. Also, mothers dressed just like their daughters with white slouch socks over their black leggings or sweatpants with an oversized T-shirt, and sneakers such as converse.
As for the men of the decade, the flannel became very popular through the decade. In addition to their padded and loose fitting warm flannels men wore wool sweaters, sheepskin coats, acid wash denim jackets, corduroy, polo shirts, and anoraks.
Click on the Fashion tab to have a closer look of the fashion of the 1990s.
Women wore denim button down shirts, oversized sweaters, neon colors, sweatshirts, T-shirts, baby doll dresses, black leather jackets and trenchcoats lined with fake fur. As for the bleached acid wash of matching jeans and denim jackets that began in the 1980s; were now being made in darker shades. Many females wore drainpipe jeans, tight-fitting pants with elastic boot-straps, bike shorts, colored tights, and tartan skirts. Popular female accessories of the decade included headscarves, cowboy boots, court shoes, leggings, and penny loafers which were apart of the continuing 1980s preppy look. In addition, leotards as tops with jeans was a popular fad. A typical outfit of a 1990s girl might have included dress shorts, a skirt, babydoll or minidress with black opaque tights, white slouch socks and white sneakers. Also, mothers dressed just like their daughters with white slouch socks over their black leggings or sweatpants with an oversized T-shirt, and sneakers such as converse.
As for the men of the decade, the flannel became very popular through the decade. In addition to their padded and loose fitting warm flannels men wore wool sweaters, sheepskin coats, acid wash denim jackets, corduroy, polo shirts, and anoraks.
Click on the Fashion tab to have a closer look of the fashion of the 1990s.
TV Shows
Popular TV Shows of the decade included The Simpsons, Friends, and South Park. The Simpsons created by Matt Groening is an American adult animated sitcom. The Simpsons is a series of a humerus depiction of a middle class family which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show takes place in the fictional town of Springfield while parodying American culture, television, society, and many aspects of the human condition. Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. The show is about a circle of friends living in Manhattan, New York City. South Park is another American adult animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. This show was created for mature audiences and has gained popularity through its crude language, dark humor, and parodies a wide range of topics. The story is about four boys, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick living in Colorado adventuring together.
Click on the TV Shows tab to watch the theme song of The Simpsons, a popular television show during the era.
Click on the TV Shows tab to watch the theme song of The Simpsons, a popular television show during the era.
Leisure Activities
The number one leisure activity of the 1990s was to watch television. Most children watched television, played on their Nintendos, the first play station (video games), listened to music on their CD Players or on the radio. Adults of the decade were quite obsessed with aerobic exercise; being fit in the 1990s was of great importance to most of the American population. People bought many VHS's on aerobics workouts and danced along. In addition, people enjoyed outdoor sports and activities and going to the movies.
Click on the Leisure Activities tab to watch a commercial advertising one of the most popular consoles of the time used for leisure.
Click on the Leisure Activities tab to watch a commercial advertising one of the most popular consoles of the time used for leisure.