I'd say 1991.

1992

Some of the popular '80's tv shows like  "The Cosby Show", "Growing Pains", "Mc Guyver", were canned.

Bands/artists  like The Cure, Guns N' Roses, Prince, Beastie Boys, and a couple more were still topping the charts or had their last top hit in that year. Though I also agree with 1991 with the popularity of "grunge" with bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and the Lollapalooza festival.  :) And many '80's artists like the ones mentioned were still putting out some hits. Not to mention Madonna & Micheal Jackson started to suck after releasing one or two singles from their early '90's albums. And MTV showing less and less videos since introducing shows like "Week In Rock" & "House of Style" somewhere in the late '80's, but still had video shows like "Headbangers Ball", "Yo! MTV Raps", and "Dial MTV".

1989

1991 for much the same reasons woops pointed out. i felt 1992 was the start of the 90s.

You can really make a case for any year from 1988 to 1992. Although I pick 1991 because Grunge hit at the end of the year, not to mention the numerous 80s bands and fashions still around in 1990 were around a lot less in 1991.  1990 really ties into 1989 the way 1999 ties into 2000. 

The following reasons for all the years:

1988: By then 80s slang was becoming outdated, New Wave was pretty finished, and the atmosphere was more early 90s than early 80s.  People also accepted Hip Hop for the first time this year.

1989: Gangsta Rap first got true mainstream acceptance this year, the Simpsons and Seinfeld came on TV, and Reagan was out of office.

1990: 80s music is less dominant than it was in 1989 or before, TV begins to become more controversial (although still pussy compared to now), and grunge begins to become big. Also the Gulf War starts and the Cold War ends.

1991: 80s music getting off the charts, old school Rap hits its peak, Grunge hits big for real.  The bulk of US Gulf War involvement was in 1991.  70s nostaglia comes in, 80s quickly becoming passe.

1992: Many 80s sitcoms end, Rodney King case, the controversial things from the late 80s and 90-91 become simply accepted, and Hair Metal is 100% gone.  Not to mention Bill Clinton won the presidency this year from Big Bush.

1989


Howard

1990, I think they ended once I was in high school!

Tanya

1991

So far the mean ending of the 80s in July 1990 and the mode ending is 1991.  Obviously the median doesn't matter.

For me it was 1991, the year I graduated from college.

1989

To all those who said 1989, do you mean 1989 is the last yr that counts or its more 90s and 88 is the last year of the 80s?

I think 1989 is the last year that counts...that is when I graduated.  To me the Nineties started with 1990.

I think 1989 is the last year that counts...that is when I graduated.  To me the Nineties started with 1990.

Was Grunge big by 1990?

To tell you the honest truth, I don't remember.  After high school all seems like a blur to me now.

Precisely December 31, 1989, 24:59.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 Hours ;D ;D

In terms of when did nearly all of the late 80s fashions and pop culture just completely dissappear?  Truthfully that was in 1993.  I really started to notice it happening in 1992, but 1993 was the year I remember it was all just totally gone and the 90s style had arrived in full force everywhere you looked.

But in terms of when were the 80s just dying out?  That started to happen during the second half of 1989.  I remember in 1990 and 1991, the core years of the 80s (1981-'86) felt like a world away and nothing from that time was cool anymore.  But a lot of 1988 and 1989 were still kinda cool.  See the thing is, some people were still hanging on to their late 80s fashions/music and some of the pop music was still very late 80s during 1990, 1991, and early 1992.  So if you look it at that way, you are going to think "hey 1991 was the 80s!".  The same thing happened in the early 80s.  1981 still looked 70ish, even though MTV came around.

You have to think about it, and think in real world terms how these things work. 

I still think of the core years when I hear "80s", you know 1981-'86, and '87 too I suppose.  That was the real, honest to goodness 1980s to me.  You can say with total honesty that you were around for the 80s if you remember all or most of 1981-'86 and let's be nice and include 1987 in there too.   But I realize 1988-1992 is seen as the the 80s for a lot of people.  1988-1992 wasn't the true 80s though.     

In terms of when did nearly all of the late 80s fashions and pop culture just completely dissappear?  Truthfully that was in 1993.  I really started to notice it happening in 1992, but 1993 was the year I remember it was all just totally gone and the 90s style had arrived in full force everywhere you looked.

But in terms of when were the 80s just dying out?  That started to happen during the second half of 1989.  I remember in 1990 and 1991, the core years of the 80s (1981-'86) felt like a world away and nothing from that time was cool anymore.  But a lot of 1988 and 1989 were still kinda cool.  See the thing is, some people were still hanging on to their late 80s fashions/music and some of the pop music was still very late 80s during 1990, 1991, and early 1992.  So if you look it at that way, you are going to think "hey 1991 was the 80s!".  The same thing happened in the early 80s.  1981 still looked 70ish, even though MTV came around.

You have to think about it, and think in real world terms how these things work. 

I still think of the core years when I hear "80s", you know 1981-'86, and '87 too I suppose.  That was the real, honest to goodness 1980s to me.  You can say with total honesty that you were around for the 80s if you remember all or most of 1981-'86 and let's be nice and include 1987 in there too.   But I realize 1988-1992 is seen as the the 80s for a lot of people.  1988-1992 wasn't the true 80s though.     


I agree.

I think the latter half of the 80's, '88 - '89 and even through 1992 was just a different phase of the 80's, but still 80's.

To me, any and all phases of the 1980's were completely gone, without a trace, by the beginning of 1993.  :\'(

I agree.

I think the latter half of the 80's, '88 - '89 and even through 1992 was just a different phase of the 80's, but still 80's.

To me, any and all phases of the 1980's were completely gone, without a trace, by the beginning of 1993. :\'(


I guess I was born right after the technical eighties ended and my memories start right after the abstract 80s ended.  :\'(  Does anyone here think 88 was about big, frizzy, hair, 89 was sorta between 88 and 90 in look, and 90 sorta had a cheesy old "spy/mafia" look?  (im talking fashion here) 

88 is pure 80s but still very late 80s and 89 and 90 are still very 80s in look but watered down and with occasional flannel.

I'm not sure what you mean by spy/mafia look.  I do know that by 1990, 80s slang was just very outdated, but some late 80s fashions were hanging around with certain people, especially girls/women.  Stereotypical 80s slang like "totally radical!", "fer sure", "gag me with a spoon!", etc, etc.  No kid that I knew felt safe using  1984, 1985, or 1986 slang in 1990.  You would get laughed at in school if you yelled out "radical dude!" in 1990 or actually dared to moonwalk or breakdance infront of everyone.  Many 1989 styles and late 80s styled pop songs were still refusing to die in 1990 and '91 though.

I agree.

I think the latter half of the 80's, '88 - '89 and even through 1992 was just a different phase of the 80's, but still 80's.

To me, any and all phases of the 1980's were completely gone, without a trace, by the beginning of 1993.  :\'(


Yeah 1993 was the year I remember it was all gone and the 90s were everywhere.  It was close in 1992, but 1993 is when I remember whatever was left of the late 80s just being totally gone without a trace and replaced by 90s style and overplayed grunge and gangsta rap on the radio.

But Megatron, what was the first year that was more you go girl, homey g, I'm depressed, It's all about the pentiums, etc.  than it was teased hair, "fer sure", Synth-pop this, hair metal that, etc.  ? 

I mean IF there was one year where it became more 90s than 80s, what would you say it was?  I'd say 1991. 

^If that's your criteria then you'd have a strong case for either 1990, 1991, or 1992. 

Seriously.  Yes even 1990.

'91 is a good choice though for the beginning of the "90s attitude".  The fashions didn't catch up to everyone until the second half of 1992 and like we said especially 1993.

^If that's your criteria then you'd have a strong case for either 1990, 1991, or 1992. 

Seriously.  Yes even 1990.

'91 is a good choice though for the beginning of the "90s attitude". The fashions didn't catch up to everyone until the second half of 1992 and like we said especially 1993.


So Chris, you're saying 1991 was the first yr that was more 90s and 1990 and before is eighties? (I mean IF you had to pick one year)  I've always seen 1990 and early 1991 as more eighties and late 1991 to 1992 as more nineties.  What year did you vote? 

So from what I take it you're saying this:?

1988 started the downfall of the eighties.

1989 was still very eighties but the nineties were starting to show up, like the Simpsons, dance music, gangsta rap.

1990 was still sorta synth-pop, Hair Metal, Brat Pack remnants, etc, but the 80s slang was outdated and innovative acts like Sinead o'connor, Mariah Carey and the like were considered cool.  Also the Simpsons, Seinfeld, and Baywatch were launched in 1989, but many 80s sitcoms were still on the air too.  It was like super-late 80s, not quite 90s but not the "real 1980s" that were 1981-1986.

1991 was 90s attitude and 90s music hit the airwaves, but fashion was still eighties with the teased hair and such.  Even late 80s acts like the New Kids were shunned then, but a few still were cool.  Hair Metal died to Grunge late in this year and controversial things on TV were shown more.

1992 was almost all 90s but there was still some 80s fashions and TV shows.

In 1993 there was not one whisper of eighties in the air.

1989 was still very eighties but the nineties were starting to show up, like the Simpsons, dance music, gangsta rap.




"The Simpsons" actually premiered as short comedy bits on "The Tacey Ullman Show" in 1987.

"The Simpsons" actually premiered as short comedy bits on "The Tacey Ullman Show" in 1987.


I'm aware of that but I was talking the series. :)