It is pretty much agreed on that 2006 safely belongs to the core 2000's, while 2010 safely belongs to the early 2010's, which leaves 2008 right in the middle.

The debate on what 2008 was culturally is still quite divided, but not as much as it was in the past IMO. But there are still some people that would consider the early 2010's to have started during that year.

When you think about it, 2008 (especially the late part) did bring some early 2010's influence. It was the year Obama got elected, and also the year artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga became more well known. Also, 2008 was when the recession got bad.

When it comes to culture (and not just music, I mean like even politically, fashion-wise, tech-wise) would you say 2008 was more like 2006, which was still pretty core 2000's, or 2010, which was when we were firmly in early 2010's culture?

IMO When it comes to politics, aside from the economy being bad then I think it's more like 2006. George W. Bush was still president in 2006 and 2008.

When it comes to music, then I feel like this is where you kind of have to split 2008 in half. The first half of 2008 seemed a bit more like 2006, but late 2008 was when early 2010's music was starting to develop its identity. I think it's also important to note that late 2008 is numerically closer to 2010 than 2006, so that may play a part. But I do think late 2008 was more like 2010 when it comes to music.

Fashion-wise, it's most definitely closer to 2006. Even though Emo wasn't as popular in 2008 as it was in 2006, it was still there. Emo wasn't really popular in 2010 anymore. 2008 mostly had scene.

When it comes to social media, it's also definitely closer to 2006. Myspace was still popular in both 2006 and 2008. Even though 2008 was when Facebook starting taking over, it was still a year where Myspace was still popular. Myspace was completely dead by 2010.

When it comes to tech, then 2008 was a lot more like 2006. Sure, 2008 had the iPhone, but it was very expensive and most people didn't have one. It wasn't uncommon to have a flip phone. Also, a lot of people don't realize this but the app store came out in July 2008. Meaning that, even if you did own an iPhone for the first half of 2008, it's not like you could distract yourself by playing games. Phones back then were mainly used for calling people. In 2010, app games were pretty much the rage.

So overall, I'd have to go with 2006.

The fashion is definitely more like 2006 with muted colors still being popular. MySpace was more popular than Facebook. The music is a tough choice, there songs that make it closer to either of both years

Songs closer to 2006:
Sexy Can I
Bleeding Love
Got Money
I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T
No Air
Love In This Club
Don't Stop The Music
Low
If I Were a Boy
7 Things
With You
Pocketful of Sunshine
Touch My Body
When I Grow Up
I Kissed a Girl
Miss Independent
Circus
So What
4 Minutes

Songs closer to 2010:
Womanizer
Lollipop
Love Lockdown
Just Dance
Hot N Cold
Right Now (Na Na Na)
Single Ladies
Whatever You Like
I'm Yours
Disturbia
Forever

Honestly, before the recession hit and worsened near the end of the year, the culture of 2008 was pretty much near identical to 2006's. It was the peak of the Myspace era, ringtones got so ubiquitous that they got their own section on iTunes and it was still a Bush year since Obama only took office in early 2009. In fact Bush was still so infamous that the "shoe incident" became a huge meme in December 2008 on the internet.

Some of the abrasive synths of the early 2010s were increasingly introduced to the pop and dance music of 2008, but the "club boom" (which is what really shifted the ethos and production style into the early 2010s) only really happened a year after. The charts were still brimming with rock music, R&B and southern hip hop in 2008 like they were in 2006, while they were purged out of it in 2010. Timbaland was also seen as the hottest producer in the game in both '06 and '08 while faded out by the turn of the 2010s.

Movie-wise, the highest grossing movie of '08 was a sequel to a 2005 movie, the MCU was introduced in '08 but not established as it was in '10, Disney was still in the shadow of more popular studios like Paramount and Pixar and Avatar didn't exist yet. Animation was stuck in a glut in 2008 while revolutionized with Adventure Time's debut in 2010. 2008 was the last full year where the 3:4 SD format was the most widespread standard for television production before being overtaken by HD in 2010.

And lastly the "McBling" era of 2006 was still going strong in 2008 before officially ending with the recession, and you can definitely tell it from assorted video clips:
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Fashion was pretty directionless in 2008 however, and maybe the only thing closer to 2010.

The fashion is definitely more like 2006 with muted colors still being popular. MySpace was more popular than Facebook. The music is a tough choice, there songs that make it closer to either of both years

Songs closer to 2006:
Sexy Can I
Bleeding Love
I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T
No Air
Low
7 Things
With You
Pocketful of Sunshine
Touch My Body
I Kissed a Girl
Miss Independent
Circus
So What
4 Minutes

Songs closer to 2010:
Womanizer
Lollipop
Love Lockdown
Hot N Cold
Don't Stop The Music
Right Now (Na Na Na)
Single Ladies
Whatever You Like
I'm Yours
Disturbia
Forever

The songs I have in bold IMO belong more to the other list. But other than that I agree.

The songs I have in bold IMO belong more to the other list. But other than that I agree.

I Kissed a Girl had a pop rock edge that is no longer felt in 2010. Honestly, I don't even know what year DSTM is closer to, it is a dance-pop song with synths but its not loud enough. I'm Yours sounds more like 2010 imo, the song Billionaire is similar to I'm Yours. Single Ladies feels to synth-y for 2006.

I Kissed a Girl had a pop rock edge that is no longer felt in 2010. Honestly, I don't even know what year DSTM is closer to, it is a dance-pop song with synths but its not loud enough. I'm Yours sounds more like 2010 imo, the song Billionaire is similar to that I'm Yours. Single Ladies feels to synth-y for 2006.

I'll be honest, I have somewhat mixed feelings on whether that song sounds like it'd fit more into 2006 or 2010. If it wasn't a new famous artist at the time singing that song then I'd probably think it was more like a 2006 song.

2006, easily. People have a habit of overstating the 2010s influences that were present in 2008; it was a 2000s cultural year through and through. Think baggy jeans, Myspace, emo etc. All of that was still culturally relevant in 2008. Really, I think the argument could even be made that 2004-2009 was one long era. Obviously you'll find differences between any two eras/years if you look hard enough, but the Mid 2000s and Late 2000s were essentially one era in the grand scheme of things. They were very much alike.

2006, easily. People have a habit of overstating the 2010s influences that were present in 2008; it was a 2000s cultural year through and through. Think baggy jeans, Myspace, emo etc. All of that was still culturally relevant in 2008. Really, I think the argument could even be made that 2004-2009 was one long era. Obviously you'll find differences between any two eras/years if you look hard enough, but the Mid 2000s and Late 2000s were essentially one era in the grand scheme of things.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/24/f5/c6/24f5c6b6793f2f947c526e5796801e40.jpg

The songs I have in bold IMO belong more to the other list. But other than that I agree.
I'm Yours wouldn't sound out of place in 2006, but that style of music didn't really take off until about 2007 and peaked in 2008/9. I think it would sound somewhat outdated by 2010 though.

I'm Yours wouldn't sound out of place in 2006, but that style of music didn't really take off until about 2007 and peaked in 2008/9. I think it would sound somewhat outdated by 2010 though.

Yeah, I feel like there's a lot of songs from 2008 that don't really sound like either 2006 or 2010. 2008 seemed to be its own thing.

Honestly, I don't even know what year DSTM is closer to, it is a dance-pop song with synths but its not loud enough.
Those bouncy beats on "Don't Stop the Music" remind me of eurohouse and its plastic synths specifically: vIUBRgTO-g0

As a dance song, with its midtempo chorus and urban edge it's definitely closer to her "Pon de Replay" than "Only Girl (in the World)" IMO.

I swear, people on this forum get so outraged whenever someone dare lumps 2008 with 2009 or says 2008 paved the way for early 2010s culture. It's not that serious you guys. ;D

In terms of long-in-the-tooth culture like ringtone rap, Myspace, flip phones, Paris Hilton, post-cancellation Family Guy, emo, and Bush's second term, 2008 was closer to 2006. However, in terms of the fresh new culture that was popping up like Obama's election, Poker Face by Lady Gaga, Facebook's increased traffic, Iron Man kicking off the MCU, Breaking Bad, and I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry, 2008 was closer to 2010. Simple as that.

I swear, people on this forum get so outraged/p*ssy whenever someone dare lumps 2008 with 2009 or says 2008 paved the way for early 2010s culture. It's not that serious you guys. ;D


Says the person who for years believed in the ridiculous idea that there was a "Late 2006 shift". Bit rich of you to be saying that.

Says the person who for years believed in the ridiculous idea that there was a "Late 2006 shift". Bit rich of you to be saying that.

I said before I regret believing in that. :-X

2008 was definitely a doozy. A lot of core 2000s facets like flip phones/sliders and MySpace were continuous forces to be reckoned with. Bush was still president (but was losing popularity), analog TV was available, and emo and scene culture were still pretty signficant. The economy went down the toilet at this point, and the stock market crash definitely didn't make matters better. But the Recession did fundamentally change politics in the next decade (Progressives and Tea Party, for example).

2008 also had genres that would also help define 2010 with electropop (Lady Gaga, Britney, and Rihanna) and "electro"-rap/pop-rap (Lil Wayne and T.I.). Facebook was gaining steam, but didn't really dominate social media until the next year. Obama was also elected president in November and would define most of the 2010s.

I'd put 2008 closer to 2006 because of the core elements I've mentioned.

Closer to 2010 for sure lol. I don’t understand how it was culturally similar to 2006 at all. In 2008 we were in a global recession and artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry hit the scenes. Music was electro pop in 20068 while in 2006 it was synth pop.

Closer to 2010 for sure lol. I don’t understand how it was culturally similar to 2006 at all. In 2008 we were in a global recession and artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry hit the scenes. Music was electro pop in 20068 while in 2006 it was synth pop.

2008 was not culturally similar to 2006 at all? Then what about the emo fashion that was still popular in 2008. Southern rap, urban pop, R&B, and emo rock/post-grunge were the majority of the charts while they were no longer on top of the charts in 2010. MySpace was still the top of the social media world while in 2010 it was losing to Facebook. Lady Gaga only hit the scenes at very late 2008. It's your opinion if you think 2008 is closer to 2010 but saying 2008 was not like 2006 is a huge overstatement.

2008 was not culturally similar to 2006 at all? Then what about the emo fashion that was still popular in 2008. Southern rap, urban pop, R&B, and emo rock/post-grunge were the majority of the charts while they were no longer on top of the charts in 2010. MySpace was still the top of the social media world while in 2010 it was losing to Facebook. Lady Gaga only hit the scenes at very late 2008. It's your opinion if you think 2008 is closer to 2010 but saying 2008 was not like 2006 is a huge overstatement.


Emo fashion was already dead by 2007 tbh. It gave way for sc3n3 culture/fashion in the late 2000’s and early 10’s. Emo and scene are different sub cultures.

Southern rap is and will always be big, just because a rapper is from the south doesn't mean they are apart of the crunk/snap movement of the mid 2000’s. Crunk and snap music was not a thing in 2008 the way it was in 2006. Fashion started changing in 2008 as well. Clothes were becoming more tighter. Southern rappers are making hits today doesn't mean we are still in the core 2000’s

The only emo bands/singers that were really making the pop cultural charts in 2008 were Katy Perry and Paramore and calling them emo is pretty controversial. A lot of emo bands lost popularity in the late 2000’s making it apart of a sub genre.

Myspace began declining fall of 2008 and by 2009 it lost a lot of popularity. In my 2009 yearbook there was a page in there dedicated to the Myspace vs Facebook war.

In 2008 the iphone and appstore existed in 2006 there was no such thing.

I swear, people on this forum get so outraged whenever someone dare lumps 2008 with 2009 or says 2008 paved the way for early 2010s culture. It's not that serious you guys. ;D

I feel like that actually used to be a common sentiment around here tho ironically lol. People would say 2008 was the beginning of the 2010s I think.


I Kissed a Girl had a pop rock edge that is no longer felt in 2010. Honestly, I don't even know what year DSTM is closer to, it is a dance-pop song with synths but its not loud enough. I'm Yours sounds more like 2010 imo, the song Billionaire is similar to I'm Yours. Single Ladies feels to synth-y for 2006.

I think DSTM sounds closer to 2010 due to the constant beating and clappy wobbly synths.

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And yeah also in 2008 Katy Perry & Taylor Swift and other girls like Pink had visible rock-esque influence to their music.