What we think about when we remember the 90s
They were só 90s! The series 'Beverly Hills: 90210' ran from 1990 to 2000. The entire decade.
Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Kelly (Jennie Garth) were the two leads - with permission from Brenda, Donna, Steve, David, and Dylan, of course.
Tiger Electronics launched this toy in 1998 and saw its sales rise up to 27 million worldwide in the first year. People broke into stores to get the last items available. And that for a doll - which you had to learn how to do things - that was quite scary.
Image: Alexas Fotos / Pixabay
It was launched in 1988, but in the 90s teletext had its heyday. For a decade, it was a proto-Google to go to for the latest news and sports results.
They came like a whirlwind. Their 'Wannabe' was pure strength and by 1996 they were the owners of the world. Literally. The Hot Girls had the planet in love. Geri, Mel B, Mel C, Emma and Victoria were pure 90s. They still are.
The 1990s were their heyday. There was even a Blockbuster, with its recognizable logo, on every corner. What few people know is that the company was offered to buy Netflix for 50 million dollars, and they refused. A historic business failure, as time has shown.
It arrived in 1996 and set the trend for that year. Alicia Silverstone was the actress of the moment in Hollywood. Other stars were Brittany Murphy, Stacey Dash, and Paul Rudd.
It was created by Sony in 1984, but in the 90s it definitively replaced the Walkman. We went from a rectangular hulk to a square one… How cool was that?
Coca-Cola launched its version of flavoured teas in 1994. With a marketing campaign of 30 million dollars, it expected the fruity flavors to become the fashionable drink across the world. It did not end up succeeding though, and it was withdrawn. We miss the colorful drinks.
You loved them or envied them. Everyone had a favorite. Was yours Nick, Kevin, Brian, Howie or AJ? And the best song? 'Quit playing games,' of course.
Okay, we lied in the previous slide. Not everyone paid attention to the Backstreet Boys. In Europe, and among fans of guitar music around the world, the Battle of Britpop between Oasis and Blur took center stage. Damon Albarn and his band made hit albums like 'Parklife' (1994) and 'The Great Escape' (1995), which would be among the best released in the decade.
Invented in the 19th century, this game had a glorious comeback in the 1990s. There wasn't a bar without table football and all of them ate zillions of coins to enter and play against your friends.
Image: Gabriella Clare Marino / Unsplash
Along with Brit Pop, the musical movement of reference in the 90s. Kurt Cobain and 'Nirvana' were its most visible faces, but other groups such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters or Soundgarden, are also grunge history.
The portable console that changed everything. The Gameboy arrived in Europe in 1990. Since then, it has sold more than 200 million units. Of course, the first version devoured batteries.
Image: Ravi Palwe / Unsplash
Invented in 1959, it was in 1997 when BIC acquired the white erasing paint and marketed it worldwide. Before laptops arrived, no work desk went without a bottle of Tipp Ex.
Hasbro released one of its most successful games in 1995. The winner was whoever accumulated the most money by midnight. But the best thing about the game was the ad that marvelously promoted it for years.
In 1993, Michal Crichton and Steven Spielberg made Hollywood history. 'Jurassic Park' is one of the highest grossing, spectacular and memorable films in history. We came to believe in dinosaurs thanks to them.
From 1992 to 1999, we sneaked into the coolest urbanization in Beverly Hills. Amanda and Alison were the two visible faces of a series in which there was not a single bad-looking actor.
La Macarena was the 'Despacito' of the 1990s. It stayed on number 1 on the Hot 100 Billboard USA for 14 weeks and everyone knew the little dance that went with it. Though it was released in 1994, it didn't stop circling the planet until 1997. We all ended up hating it, except for Los del Río, whom it buried in millions of profit.
At a time when MTV still played music videos, it also began to make different shows, like Beavis and B***-head. A highlight as far as music on the channel went, was the MTV Unplugged sessions.
The Australian singer was 22 years old when her tune 'Torn' stole everyone's heart. Poppy and romantic, Natalie Imbruglia's music video and her blue eyes kept everyone locked to the screen.
The bricks of the late 90s, the first mobile phones on the market, have little to do with current smartphones. Of course, the battery of some Nokia models never ran out. Also, they were unbreakable.
Image: Girl with red hat / Unsplash
'Blur' is not understood without 'Oasis' and vice versa. The Gallagher brothers from Oasis left us with several classic songs, most of all 'Wonderwall' (1995).
Image: the cover of Oasis' 1997 album 'Be Here Now'
From Windows 3.0 it was passed to this Windows 95 that changed everything. The most widely used operating system in history has made Microsoft the segment leader for decades. What remains.
The quintessential teen series. From 1998 to 2003 it left hearts broken all over the world. Joey (Katie Holmes) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) were very popular. And Dawson (James Van der Beek) himself? A crybaby.
With videogames on CD Rom, Sony changed the market of consoles. It would sell 105 million units in 10 years.
Image: Hello I'm Nick / Unsplash
It cost 18 million to make and grossed 476 million worldwide in 1990. Macaulay Culkin became an instant superstar. The sequel, in 1992, generated 376 million at the box office.
Like the Furby, this was an interactive toy. Yet, it went even further: you had to care for your Tamagotchi or it would die. The gadget made millions for Bandai after its launch in 1996, even though pirates would take a chunk of the market as well.
Image: Cosmoh Love / Unsplash
From Looney Tunes to Pokémon and Dragon Ball, they all appeared on plastic discs - tazos - that could be found in bags of crisps. As simple as addictive, they had to be collected and traded over the course of the 90s. But what did we do with them after the hype was over?
Image: Emre Turkan / Unsplash