I think the "early '90s" are a product of the early '90s recession (1990-1992), and the late '90s a product of the dot-com boom (1996-2000).  Around 1997 there was a shift from a "grunge" culture to a "coffee" culture.

The 'Coffee Culture' was probably exemplied by sit-coms such as Frasier and Friends. A mobile, technology-based sort of lifestyle.

How would you categorize the other years 1993-1995?

Here's my '90s periods:

Mid 1989-Mid 1991: Less late '80s.
Late 1991-Early 1994: The grunge/early '90s
Mid 1994-Early 1996: The "old mid '90s"
Mid 1996-Early 1998: The "new mid '90s", or the genuinely '90s "late '90s"
Mid 1998-Early 2000: The Y2K era/"late '90s"
Mid 2000-Mid 2001: The post-Y2K year.

Nice job breaking things down velvetoneo. You could even start the 90's off in late 1988, that's when George Bush was elected and Reagan(a huge 80's icon) was on his way out. Also a lot of the 80's "sound" in music was being replaced my more modern acts such as R.E.M and Fine Young Cannibals. Also it was the beginnings of grunge in Seattle, though that didn't get huge until 1991. It all started to come together in 1988. Call it the transition years.

Nice job breaking things down velvetoneo. You could even start the 90's off in late 1988, that's when George Bush was elected and Reagan(a huge 80's icon) was on his way out. Also a lot of the 80's "sound" in music was being replaced my more modern acts such as R.E.M and Fine Young Cannibals. Also it was the beginnings of grunge in Seattle, though that didn't get huge until 1991. It all started to come together in 1988. Call it the transition years.


Yeah, you could easily add:

Mid 1988-Early 1989: The "late late '80s"

Yeah, you could easily add:

Mid 1988-Early 1989: The "late late '80s"


Call it the "80's by default" It was only the 80's figuratively because there was nothing else to take its place yet. But at that point we all knew that everything that defined the generation was old, gone, or had lost its luster somewhat.

and if Nirvana and the whole grunge thing hit it off in 89 instead of 91, I'd call 1989 the official start of the 90's, even though it was literally the 80's. We were able to get some glimpse of what the 90's were going to be in 1989 with the Simpsons on Tracy Ullman and Seinfeld premiering.

Call it the "80's by default" It was only the 80's figuratively because there was nothing else to take its place yet. But at that point we all knew that everything that defined the generation was old, gone, or had lost its luster somewhat.

and if Nirvana and the whole grunge thing hit it off in 89 instead of 91, I'd call 1989 the official start of the 90's, even though it was literally the 80's. We were able to get some glimpse of what the 90's were going to be in 1989 with the Simpsons on Tracy Ullman and Seinfeld premiering.


I've often heard people born around 1973-1975, that "Saved by the Bell" Y generation, say 1988 or so was the start of the '90s, with alt rock and rap really hitting and Regan going out. In alot of ways, I think 1987-maybe early 1988 was the last year of the true '80s.