I would say 1997.

1997.

The changes started in 1997, but didn't take effect until 1998 fully.

Late Mid-'90s/Early Late '90s/The Truly '90s Late '90s: Mid 1996-Spring 1998
Y2K/The "True Late '90s": Mid 1998-Spring 2000.

The changes started in 1997, but didn't take effect until 1998 fully.

Late Mid-'90s/Early Late '90s/The Truly '90s Late '90s: Mid 1996-Spring 1998
Y2K/The "True Late '90s": Mid 1998-Spring 2000.


I think 1997 changed things more. Early 1997 was quite old school; late 1997 was very new school. 1998 seemed sort of "frozen" in January until it thawed out in late 1998/early 1999.

1997 is when the changes started, 1998 was like '97 but less of an "old school" feel, and by very late '98 Jay-Z and Britney were out and the very beginnings of the '00s were showing up.

I think 1997 changed things more. Early 1997 was quite old school; late 1997 was very new school. 1998 seemed sort of "frozen" in January until it thawed out in late 1998/early 1999.


What do you think of my period division, though? Early 1998 still felt quite '90s, December 1998 not so much so, from my memory.

What do you think of my period division, though? Early 1998 still felt quite '90s, December 1998 not so much so, from my memory.


The end of 1998 was the beginning of the "pseudo-'90s" I'd say. Just like 1989 and 1990 don't really "feel" Eighties, even though they are.

What do you think of my period division, though? Early 1998 still felt quite '90s, December 1998 not so much so, from my memory.


I'd probably push the beginning of Y2K a few months later to November 1998 or so.

I'd probably push the beginning of Y2K a few months later to November 1998 or so.


I think the Y2K era spanned from December of 1998 to September 10, 2001.

I think the Y2K era spanned from December of 1998 to September 10, 2001.


Yeah you could push it to 9/11, though Y2K pop culture was pretty much dead by spring. Winter 2000 is the last Y2Kish period.

Yeah you could push it to 9/11, though Y2K pop culture was pretty much dead by spring. Winter 2000 is the last Y2Kish period.


The soundtrack of early 2001 was quite Y2Kish.  Later 2001 was very '00s, not crunk/emo '00s, but close.

The end of 1998 was the beginning of the "pseudo-'90s" I'd say. Just like 1989 and 1990 don't really "feel" Eighties, even though they are.


Yeah, exactly.

I think Britney Spears and Korn are what really started Y2K, along with Windows '98 and Seinfeld being cancelled. Korn revolutionized '90s rock with Follow the Leader. Suddenly, nu metal went from being a blip on the radar to the most popular rock subculture, seemingly overnight.

1988-1989 was the beginning of the "pseudo-'80s", IMO, which lasted like three cultural years. I've heard from people alive then that late 1988 felt like the beginning of the end of the '80s, with Reagan leaving and stuff.

Later 2001's soundtrack was sorta nu metal/post-grunge/JLo, if you know what I mean.

Yeah, exactly.

I think Britney Spears and Korn are what really started Y2K, along with Windows '98 and Seinfeld being cancelled. Korn revolutionized '90s rock with Follow the Leader. Suddenly, nu metal went from being a blip on the radar to the most popular rock subculture, seemingly overnight.

1988-1989 was the beginning of the "pseudo-'80s", IMO, which lasted like three cultural years. I've heard from people alive then that late 1988 felt like the beginning of the end of the '80s, with Reagan leaving and stuff.

Later 2001's soundtrack was sorta nu metal/post-grunge/JLo, if you know what I mean.


The early '00s were not hugely different from the late '90s, the way the mid '00s are.

The soundtrack of early 2001 was quite Y2Kish.  Later 2001 was very '00s, not crunk/emo '00s, but close.


Yeah there were Y2Kish songs out there in the winter, I think by the spring it definitely felt more early '00s than Y2K.

Yeah there were Y2Kish songs out there in the winter, I think by the spring it definitely felt more early '00s than Y2K.


2000 was quite Nineties in every way except music. The '00s really did start about on target, musically speaking.

2000 was quite Nineties in every way except music. The '00s really did start about on target, musically speaking.


Fall 2000 was the first time that felt a little bit '00s, with the recession, DVDs and cellphones being more common, reality TV, the election controversy, Eminem, etc.

I voted for 1998.

'97 just felt like the quintessential '90s to me... I didn't notice any great changes. I remember songs (and their videos) like "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba, "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind, "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve, "You Were Meant for Me" by Jewel, "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin, "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe, "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden.... All so, so 90s. This was the stage in my life when I could actually enjoy listening to the radio. I could watch videos on MuchMusic without being bombarded by celebrity gossip and reality TV shows that have nothing to do with music. Rap was popular, but was always avoidable if you weren't into it. I also had no harsh feelings toward the teeny-pop music at the time - stuff like Hanson, Backstreet Boys, or Spice Girls - because although it was popular, it just seemed like one other trend amongst many. There was nothing hegemonic about its popularity; music was incredibly diverse at this time, and, frankly, I took it for granted that it would always remain that way. In any case, I'm not embarrassed in the slightest to say that I thought Savage Garden was a fantastic pop duo and I enjoyed their songs in '97 and '98.

1998 was also still very '90s and there are things from that year that I remember fondly, but it was also the year when I first realized that teenybopper music was taking over...  And of course those trends paved the way for 1999, which was probably the first year that I became cynical about popular music. The rise of Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, etc., all of whom I consider '00s stars, effectively killed a lot of what I associated positively with the '90s. Of course, popular culture in '99 was still very '90s -- the pop music explosion itself was just the culmination of trends that had roots earlier in the decade -- but you can already see the culture pointing toward the '00s. It was different from what I had been used to. Everything became so glossy, polished, celebrity-obsessed, and gossipy so quickly around '98-'99-'00.... Either that, or it had always been that way and I just noticed it for the first time. Either way, I was not much of a fan, and I think that things have only gotten worse since.

By the way, I do realize that I'm focussing exclusively on popular music here. This is partly because songs take me back to specific years more than anything else, and because I think that the changes that you're referring to were most noticeable in music.

I voted for 1998.

'97 just felt like the quintessential '90s to me... I didn't notice any great changes. I remember songs (and their videos) like "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba, "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind, "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve, "You Were Meant for Me" by Jewel, "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin, "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe, "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden.... All so, so 90s. This was the stage in my life when I could actually enjoy listening to the radio. I could watch videos on MuchMusic without being bombarded by celebrity gossip and reality TV shows that have nothing to do with music. Rap was popular, but was always avoidable if you weren't into it. I also had no harsh feelings toward the teeny-pop music at the time - stuff like Hanson, Backstreet Boys, or Spice Girls - because although it was popular, it just seemed like one other trend amongst many. There was nothing hegemonic about its popularity; music was incredibly diverse at this time, and, frankly, I took it for granted that it would always remain that way. In any case, I'm not embarrassed in the slightest to say that I thought Savage Garden was a fantastic pop duo and I enjoyed their songs in '97 and '98.

1998 was also still very '90s and there are things from that year that I remember fondly, but it was also the year when I first realized that teenybopper music was taking over...  And of course those trends paved the way for 1999, which was probably the first year that I became cynical about popular music. The rise of Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, etc., all of whom I consider '00s stars, effectively killed a lot of what I associated positively with the '90s. Of course, popular culture in '99 was still very '90s -- the pop music explosion itself was just the culmination of trends that had roots earlier in the decade -- but you can already see the culture pointing toward the '00s. It was different from what I had been used to. Everything became so glossy, polished, celebrity-obsessed, and gossipy so quickly around '98-'99-'00.... Either that, or it had always been that way and I just noticed it for the first time. Either way, I was not much of a fan, and I think that things have only gotten worse since.

By the way, I do realize that I'm focussing exclusively on popular music here. This is partly because songs take me back to specific years more than anything else, and because I think that the changes that you're referring to were most noticeable in music.


Yeah, I agree...there was that change around late 1998 towards everything being glossy/polished and celebrity-obsessed, and more materialistic, though it wasn't quite '00s yet. Like, if you went into a high school, it was more like 1995 than 2006 still, I think. 1997-1998 felt like the "end of the quintessential '90s."

2000 was quite Nineties in every way except music. The '00s really did start about on target, musically speaking.


boogers...lol, that's so true! The 90s were a celebration of grossness.

Yeah, I agree...there was that change around late 1998 towards everything being glossy/polished and celebrity-obsessed, and more materialistic, though it wasn't quite '00s yet. Like, if you went into a high school, it was more like 1995 than 2006 still, I think. 1997-1998 felt like the "end of the quintessential '90s."


Yeah. To be honest, things didn't change much (if at all) in high school while I was there from '97 to '01. I have no idea what my old school is like now...

Defidently 1997.

I actually think 1996 was more changeful than 1997. The Spice Girls, BSB, and that "post-grunge altpop" style came out that year.

Yeah. To be honest, things didn't change much (if at all) in high school while I was there from '97 to '01. I have no idea what my old school is like now...


I have a pretty good idea - since I still right next to it lol. Surprisingly, kids use alot of the same slang and cute words they did when I was a tiddler.