Why the 90’s Is the Best Decade Ever

January 08, 2023

Let’s get something out of the way from the start here: yes, I was in my 20’s during the later half of the 1990’s. But this is not the reason I think the decade was the best. In fact, I’m seriously starting to doubt that my 20’s meant being in my prime.

In a nutshell, the 90’s were perfectly sandwiched between a time when toys could literally kill you, and later when the internet took over our brains. It was the last decade when people had to rely somewhat on their analog skills to survive, but could also find a decent arcade nearby. In that way, the 90’s are like the rainbow bridge between the archaic ways of the old days and the electronic distractions of the future.

So, without further delay, and in no particular order, here are some of the better things from the 1990’s that puts the decade at the top of the charts of modern history IMHO.

When a good song came on the radio, you got excited

Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash

In the 1990’s we had music. Lots of it. But there was only a couple of ways to listen to it: either from a CD, or on the radio.

Unlike the music streaming apps of today, us Gen-X’ers could not simply say a song into the air and have it play on our living room speakers. I have to admit it’s pretty damned cool to be able to do that. However, there’s also an element of surprise and elation that has become extinct.

When you were driving down the highway in your first-generation Hyundai Accent, and one the popular tunes of the time came on, it felt special. Like, it felt like the universe was somehow speaking to you through the song. It was like our very own movie soundtrack playing while we wasted inexpensive gas (compared to recent prices) driving to nowhere for no reason.

You had to actually try to see your favourite bands

Photo by Abigail Lynn on Unsplash

Okay, listen up here. When you wanted to go to a concert in the 90’s, you did not waltz up to your laptop with a coffee in hand to beat the ticket-buying bots before the show sells out. No, it was much more than the ability to get up at 8:30 a.m. and have a reliable Wi-Fi connection.

In the 90’s, we had to line up at a mall record store to get a wristband* (usually at some early time on a Saturday.) This was not a ticket to the show. Having a wristband merely meant you had earned the ability to buy a ticket, which was another line-up.

So in other words, if you wanted to see a band real bad back then, you had to work for it. But man, it made shows that much sweeter for all the effort.

Oh — I do remember one story that backs up how sought-after these wristbands were. A friend of mine who was securely wearing his concert wristband fractured his wrist (or forearm or something), and the doctors had to cut off the band to work on it. The ticket people did not honour the snipped wristband, apparently thinking he cut it off some other poor sucker.

*At least this is how I remember it. I searched the internet for a good explanation of the concert ticket-buying process of the 90’s, but could hardly find a thing. It has obviously been scrubbed by Big Music — they don’t want that stain on their record.

The music kicked ass (and new genres emerged)

Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash

Since we’re on the subject of concerts and radio music, I’d be remiss not to mention that some of the greatest music came out of the 90’s. Many of the bands of the time are still kicking (I’m supposed to see Pet Shop Boys later this year), or silently influencing new music behind the scenes.

There is great music in any generation, and yeah, a lot of “my generation has the best music” really means “this music reminds of when I could walk a mile without needing a nap.” I do enjoy some current stars like Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X, and I have developed huge respect for Lady Gaga (I think I just needed to get past the name.) Of course there are many more musicians in the current top 40 that are worth a listen.

However, the 90’s introduced a lot into the music world. It ushered in Grunge à la Nirvana (also thanks to Neil Young), a new wave of alternative thanks to Radiohead, trip-hop thanks to Massive Attack, some of the greatest R&B ever from Lauryn Hill, and the rise of Gangsta Rap thanks to the likes of Tupac. There was also “skate punk” popping up from The Offspring, blink-182, Bad Religion, and a whole bunch of others.

There was no cyber-bullying

Photo by Kaur Kristjan on Unsplash

In high school, I got bullied the old-fashioned way: people did it right to my face. But once I successfully escaped school property, I was mostly left alone by the aggressor(s).

These days, there’s a whole new layer of bullying for kids to worry about. Just getting away from a bully is not enough. Now they can tease you electronically, for everyone to see in perpetuity.

The 90’s were likely the last decade before bullying people online became a thing. No one back then left me hate mail in my Hotmail, and I sure didn’t end up as an embarrassing meme.

People did stuff for the sake of the experience

Photo by Felix Rostig on Unsplash

I’m just as guilty as the next person for setting up photos/clips that I know will be received well on social media. But with the rise of influencer culture, also came the rise of doing crazy stuff just to gain a huge following (and presumably use it to sell brands.)

I got sucked into the whole “gathering likes for dopamine spikes” thing. But fishing for likes can limit your experience. Sure, it’s fun to make something cool and have it be recognized by strangers. But I lived much more in the moment in the 1990’s. For one, I wasn’t picturing how I could edit a certain photo or what the best time to post it would be to maximize engagement. I just have a cool memory of the moment.

You could still slam the phone down with authority

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The 90’s were likely also the last decade when most people weren’t carrying around a mobile phone. There was a pleasure of slamming down a handset on an older pulse/rotary phone that kids today will never get to experience.

Nothing said “f&^%! you!!” like mashing the phone down onto its cradle after a particularly annoying phone call. These days, we hit a button that hangs up in silence. Where’s the fun in that? Someone please design a free app that makes a phone-slamming sound.

Speaking of phones, I wasn’t so adverse to talking on the phone back then because it’s really all we had. I’d talk to friends and girlfriends for hours (about what? I have no idea.)

These days any phone conversation over 4 minutes starts to make me antsy. Just text me, FFS.

We had more adventures

Photo by Daniel Way on Unsplash

I think for the majority of us in the 90’s, we were out “exploring” more often than kids today. I don’t blame them too much — the video games are way more advanced, there’s Youtube, and kids are now sometimes discouraged from going outside alone to see what they can see.

However, I will say that the term “helicopter parenting” — basically swooping in and saving your child any time they face a tiny shred of hardship — was coined in 1990. But while this over-parenting style (which is not actually healthy for development) was apparently a thing in the 90’s, it seems to have become worse. I get chills imagining my own kid riding a bike through the city, so maybe I need to chill out too.

Pandemic aside, I feel as if younger people in the 90’s couldn’t wait to get out of the house. Now it seems it’s a task to get many kids outside with all the modern comforts of the indoors. There is some research to back this up — kids are now spending about half the time outdoors compared to their parents’ generation, and that research was from about five years ago.

Seeing an R-rated film was still a thrill

Photo by Noom Peerapong on Unsplash

Listen kids, in the 90’s we didn’t have instant access to any wildly inappropriate movie like you all do today. We had to work for it. That meant we either snuck into an R-rated movie at the theatre, or we accidentally found some unmarked videotapes in our brother’s room.

I won’t go any further with this one.

There was less viral spreading of misinformation

Photo by Nijwam Swargiary on Unsplash

If we’ve learned anything the last couple of years, it’s that misinformation can go viral (pun intended) in a hurry.

Yes, sure, we had books, radio and television in our time that are all filled with logic holes. But what I mean here is that the average Joe couldn’t just believe something strongly in their gut, and then get a lot of other people to also believe the wrong thing.

This is mostly the fault of the internet, which gives unbelievable power to idiots. Not only does social media tolerate people spouting garbage, but the garbage-spouters can also get rich from sharing conspiracy theories. This is why you should beware of what famous and rich people say.

When you wanted to spread misinformation to the masses in the 1990’s, you had to go on a mainstream talk show like everyone else.

Thanks for reading this! Anything else about the 90’s that make them amazing? Leave a comment!

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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