Hi,

I've been on and off this site every once in a while since 2006 (when people were arguing that there wasn't enough of a transition from the 90s lol), recently I've become pretty interested in the look/sound of the 'Y2K' era from ~1995-2002. I started delving deep into the period, putting together an album of examples here: http://imgur.com/a/NGU9j

It's an old album at this point, I've collected 1000s more images/songs/music videos/commercials/architecture/fashion/products since then. I'm really fascinated with the optimism of the era, and how it translated to this aesthetic being so dominant for a few years (dying off for some obvious, and not-so-obvious reasons around 2001-02). Let me know what you think, I should probably post the other images I have to an updated album sometime. By the way, thanks to everyone who keeps this site going, I love thinking about this kind of stuff!

'Y2K' era from ~1995-2002.

If 1995-97 was part of the Y2K era, then 2003-05 was part of it aswell.

In my opinion, Y2K aesthetics were more around from about late 1998-2001.

I think 1998 and 1999 are a lot like the early to mid 2000s, though in fact they truly were quite a bit more old school in many ways too. But people just lump them in with the 00s because the Internet was already a force at that point. Also 90s fashion isn't nearly as weird as 70s or 80s fashion so people don't notice as much of a difference between it and current fashion.

Shiny clothing went into style in 1994. In 2002 it was no longer around and bling-bling replaced it.

Proof that shiny clothing was cool in 1994 (the year it started):
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-12-30/lifestyle/9412280708_1_short-skirts-dresses-and-skirts-slip-dresses

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/171387/Fashion-and-Dress-Year-In-Review-1994

So yep, it was all about being gussied up in 1994.

For men, it was about tailored pants, mohair sweaters, powder blue motorcycle jackets, double-breasted coats, berets, kilts, and tartan. It's surprising how experimental the year was.

I see that bluish-gray (with a bit of white mixed in) and greenish black were very common back then in music video usage. The whoosh became common in graphic design during this time, too. It clearly was the honeymoon period of how the culture has shaped up since then. It really gives off that "The Future Began" feel that the 1995 book seen in another topic discusses. It was all about being different and rebeling and IMO compares to the psyhecdelic aesthetic in the later '60s/early '70s in terms of rebelling against and finding a new paradigm.

Overall in terms of it belonging to the '90s and '00s, 10 years ago this was lumped into with the "current era", but now since some of this goes back to 1995 (just like psychedelia goes back to 1965), especially for those born since 1990, it feels very much like a part of the '90s to them, pretending like the grunge/Singles/house/new jack swing era never happened.

Overall in terms of it belonging to the '90s and '00s, 10 years ago this was lumped into with the "current era", but now since some of this goes back to 1995 (just like psychedelia goes back to 1965), especially for those born since 1990, it feels very much like a part of the '90s to them, pretending like the grunge/Singles/house/new jack swing era never happened.


That's kind of true really. I was born in the early 90s myself, and I have always seen the early 00s as being pretty much the same as the 90s, but maybe I'd think differently if I remembered the first half of the 90s more. 2001 is extremely different from 1994 in a lot of ways.

and I have always seen the early 00s as being pretty much the same as the 90s


I have always a problem with the statement that the early 00s were the same as the 90s. The early 2000s were very modern, and due to the technological development, 2000-2004 were very different from 1996-2000. Just by looking at the early 00s from today's perspective, you could say that the late 90s and early 00s had a lot in common.

I have always a problem with the statement that the early 00s were the same as the 90s. The early 2000s were very modern, and due to the technological development, 2000-2004 were very different from 1996-2000. Just by looking at the early 00s from today's perspective, you could say that the late 90s and early 00s had a lot in common.



Yeah I've changed my mind lately, there are some subtle differences. Actually they aren't really any more like the 90s, than the early 90s are like the 80s. People overrate how grungy 1991 and 1992 were, a good 50 percent of the music from those years sounds pretty similar to late 80s music and much of the fashion was the same too.

The early 00s have a lot of similarities to the mid/late 2000s too.

The economy was also hugely booming from 1995 to 2000, or something. I'm not an economist so I'm pulling it out of my butt.

The early 00s have a lot of similarities to the mid/late 2000s too.


Yes, they did. I don't think that I even noticed a clear difference in 2005, looking back at 2001 or 2002. That's probably due to the fact that your personal life does not change the same way pop culture does. If you bought technology in the early 2000s, it's pretty obvious that you still used that stuff in the mid or even late 2000s. I also used a 2000s flip phone well into the smartphone era... it's all relative.

Yeah I've changed my mind lately, there are some subtle differences. Actually they aren't really any more like the 90s, than the early 90s are like the 80s. People overrate how grungy 1991 and 1992 were, a good 50 percent of the music from those years sounds pretty similar to late 80s music and much of the fashion was the same too.



Agreed. People just don't get it, 1991 wasn't even grungy.

It was more than a good 50 percent, but I like your point.

The economy was also hugely booming from 1995 to 2000, or something. I'm not an economist so I'm pulling it out of my butt.


You're 100% correct.

The only great factor to the Clinton years WAS the economy!

Agreed. People just don't get it, 1991 wasn't even grungy.

It was more than a good 50 percent, but I like your point.


Was music grungy in 1992? 1993?

Was music grungy in 1992? 1993?


Some of it was, but a lot of it was pretty 1989 ish too. I actually think 1995-97 was the grungiest part of the 90s. It peaked after Cobain died really.

Some of it was, but a lot of it was pretty 1989 ish too. I actually think 1995-97 was the grungiest part of the 90s. It peaked after Cobain died really.


Actually it peaked the year Cobain died. Here is an article made in 1998:

http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/31/entertainment/ca-54992

Another source, but this was a book released in 2013:

https://books.google.com/books?id=iXAWAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA383&lpg=PA383&dq=when+did+grunge+peak+in+popularity&source=bl&ots=fgzIetUqei&sig=HRi8NRf75KjF2To0IdgP1TGwC1M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eXIxVYvZO429yQSHqYHQBw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=when%20did%20grunge%20peak%20in%20popularity&f=false

So it varies.

Some of it was, but a lot of it was pretty 1989 ish too. I actually think 1995-97 was the grungiest part of the 90s. It peaked after Cobain died really.


1993 was different in my opinion, but I agree with 1990-1992 having elements of 1989!

You're 100% correct.

The only great factor to the Clinton years WAS the economy!


What do you have against Clinton? What did he ever done to you? It's like you're saying that as he's a terrorist or something.

I have always a problem with the statement that the early 00s were the same as the 90s. The early 2000s were very modern, and due to the technological development, 2000-2004 were very different from 1996-2000. Just by looking at the early 00s from today's perspective, you could say that the late 90s and early 00s had a lot in common.


When people refer to the early 00s being similar to the 90s, they are mostly referring to 2000-2001. Besides, the late 90s did have more in common with the early 00s than they did with the early-mid 89s.

Some of it was, but a lot of it was pretty 1989 ish too. I actually think 1995-97 was the grungiest part of the 90s. It peaked after Cobain died really.


The fashion peaked around the mid 90s. However the music itself did not.

Agreed. People just don't get it, 1991 wasn't even grungy.

It was more than a good 50 percent, but I like your point.


It was grungy, especially with Nirvana dominating the music chartboards back in '91.