As a follow up for my 1997 thread, I said that 1997 was still part of the Core 90s, with Y2K elements coming in. Today, I just wanted to ask a lot of people if 1998 still felt like 1997, or does it lean towards the Y2K era.

Why is this being brought up?  ::)

Why is this being brought up?  ::)


Because why not

Seems like 1998 is more Y2K then, although I'd say late 1998 is when the Core 90s really ended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRVvMiZhMbM&list=PLDzh1p6qHVTo3_GLSQg_CJzkp4SICiNsI&index=22&t=0s

Y2K of course, the last year that had a core 90s feel to it was 1997

No idea, but I have some memories from 1998 or maybe even 1997 that don't flat-out feel like a spitting image of 2000 unlike my memories from 1999.

I find this a valid thread, since "to you" specifies that its a matter of opinion, and IMO as long as the responses are reasonably valid with some supporting facts mixed with the opinion, such as actual releases, should be allowed to stand.

Anyway, I remember on New Year's Eve 1998 seeing how once 1999 came down, I felt like "whoa, we're just about at a new Millennium!" The '90s as I new it was no more, and the era of skeuomorphism had arrived. That said, 1998 had a bit of the skeuomorphism starting to become popular, but it still seemed like the last year that it was cool to be a Gen Xer. That said, 1998 really only ties back with 1996 and 1997 as opposed to the "old school '90s" from 1991-1995 with things like Internet culture, post-grunge, and Jerry Springer "trash talk" shows, much like how 1978 is tied with the earlier years of the disco '70s being a bit more technologically advanced, but not the Brady Bunch/Nixon years devoid of things like early PCs and VCRs as well as the lingering Vietnam War. Still, it was pre-Euro, Columbine, and Napster, feeling more laid back compared to the hipsterness that would become a driving force of 1999 and 2000s culture. Power Rangers was still in its Zordon era, and although dwindling, it still wasn't uncommon to see Goosebumps books around. I was still in school in the same building since I was since 1990, before leaving to a new one for high school in 1999, so that personally counts for something there, meaning that my childhood was rapidly giving way towards being a young man.

I find this a valid thread, since "to you" specifies that its a matter of opinion, and IMO as long as the responses are reasonably valid with some supporting facts mixed with the opinion, such as actual releases, should be allowed to stand.

Anyway, I remember on New Year's Eve 1998 seeing how once 1999 came down, I felt like "whoa, we're just about at a new Millennium!" The '90s as I new it was no more, and the era of skeuomorphism had arrived. That said, 1998 had a bit of the skeuomorphism starting to become popular, but it still seemed like the last year that it was cool to be a Gen Xer. That said, 1998 really only ties back with 1996 and 1997 as opposed to the "old school '90s" from 1991-1995 with things like Internet culture, post-grunge, and Jerry Springer "trash talk" shows, much like how 1978 is tied with the earlier years of the disco '70s being a bit more technologically advanced, but not the Brady Bunch/Nixon years devoid of things like early PCs and VCRs as well as the lingering Vietnam War. Still, it was pre-Euro, Columbine, and Napster, feeling more laid back compared to the hipsterness that would become a driving force of 1999 and 2000s culture. Power Rangers was still in its Zordon era, and although dwindling, it still wasn't uncommon to see Goosebumps books around. I was still in school in the same building since I was since 1990, before leaving to a new one for high school in 1999, so that personally counts for something there, meaning that my childhood was rapidly giving way towards being a young man.


Ahh nice! But did 1998 seem more core 90s or Y2K to you?

Factors that make 1998 part of the Core 90s:
-Alternative Rock/Post Grunge songs like Iris, Closing Time, Pretty Fly, Slide, etc. Bands like Goo Goo Dolls, SemiSonic, Third Eye Blind, and other bands were popular during 1998
-Hip Hop/R&B songs like Too Close by Next, Hard Knock Life, All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo, Gettin Jiggy With It by Will Smith, were all popular in 1998, and they dont sound like the pop R&B songs in the Y2K era, not like Jlo or TLC, despite there are lots of Y2K Pop-R&B hits in 1997/98.
-Shows like Friends and X Files were still on their prime, and the Simpsons were still popular despite leaving the golden age in Early 1998, and Blue's Clues, Dexter's Laboratory, and Hey Arnold were also popular in 1998. Spongebob didnt exist then.
-Movies like Saving Pirate Ryan, Titanic, and the Thin Red Line dont seem Y2K, more core 90s. Even some movies from 1999 seem core 90s as well
-Early 6th generation gaming still wasnt released until November 1998 with Dreamcast, and 5th-generation consoles were dominant from 1995-2001, with PS1, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64. 5th-Generation gaming is both core 90s and Y2K, I'd say.

As far as fashion and music goes I say y2k. Like Movies like the matrix were being filmed in 1998 and Britney Spears and Nsync hit the US starting a new culture that was so different compared to true 90’s culture. We already had BSB in 1997 but the first album sounds more mid 90’s than Y2K. I feel like 1999 was true Y2k culture with the millennium bug, Mandy Moore (who remembers Candy ?) , Christina Aguilera, Girl groups like Destiny’s child, 3LW, Britney Spears, boy bands like O-town, Nsync, Westlife, BSB, etc. 1998/1999 was the start of a new time. The millennium was coming and everything was more happier.

1998 was definitely still the 90s.

1998 was definitely still the 90s.
Indeed, it said in my calendar for that year.

I find this a valid thread, since "to you" specifies that its a matter of opinion, and IMO as long as the responses are reasonably valid with some supporting facts mixed with the opinion, such as actual releases, should be allowed to stand.

Anyway, I remember on New Year's Eve 1998 seeing how once 1999 came down, I felt like "whoa, we're just about at a new Millennium!" The '90s as I new it was no more, and the era of skeuomorphism had arrived. That said, 1998 had a bit of the skeuomorphism starting to become popular, but it still seemed like the last year that it was cool to be a Gen Xer. That said, 1998 really only ties back with 1996 and 1997 as opposed to the "old school '90s" from 1991-1995 with things like Internet culture, post-grunge, and Jerry Springer "trash talk" shows, much like how 1978 is tied with the earlier years of the disco '70s being a bit more technologically advanced, but not the Brady Bunch/Nixon years devoid of things like early PCs and VCRs as well as the lingering Vietnam War. Still, it was pre-Euro, Columbine, and Napster, feeling more laid back compared to the hipsterness that would become a driving force of 1999 and 2000s culture. Power Rangers was still in its Zordon era, and although dwindling, it still wasn't uncommon to see Goosebumps books around. I was still in school in the same building since I was since 1990, before leaving to a new one for high school in 1999, so that personally counts for something there, meaning that my childhood was rapidly giving way towards being a young man.
Makes sense, I do have memories from when I was 2 which might as well be from my birth year.

Y2K took off in the second half of 1997, so it would be a fullblown Y2K year together with 99 and 00, however Infinity used to say that it was also the last year of the core 90s considering that the overall atmosphere was 90s and not to be mistaken for the 00s

people have a tendency to equal the mid 90s exclusively as "core 90s"

1998 was firmly 90s at best. While there may have been Y2K elements and all, the overall atmosphere belonged to that decade. I think too many people here underestimate the culture which wasn't Y2K central.

TV shows such as Baywatch, Boy Meets World, Sister, Sister, BH 90210, Home Improvement, Family Matters, Seinfeld (although these two ended that year), etc. were still on the air along with 7th Heaven, Friends, Dawson's Creek, Charmed and so on.

In the music business, Teen Pop may have started to become a force, but there was also still other genres such as Hip-Hop. (not all of it was pop-rap. There were songs part of the West-coast scene, East-coast scene, and the Southern scene). For R&B, it came in various forms, not just the pop version of it. There was the ballads, Neo-soul, and Hip-hop soul. Country music was still popular during this time too. I don't know why this always forgotten. Rock wasn't Alternative Rock/Post-Grunge, it was also pop-rock, skate punk, and heavy metal too. Plus, the most prominent genre of the era, adult contemporary, was still the primary in music.

Fashion: Hip-hop fashion with Baggy apparel, the Grunge appearance, Disney/Looney Tunes gear, Goth, and overalls were still kings. For hair, people even wore ponytails, bangs, box braids, bowl cuts, dookie braids, curtained hair and flattops during that year.

In video games, the 5th generation was dominant with competition between PS1 and N64. However, the 4th generation consoles still released games and were actually though in production. Plus, It was common to always find 4th generations game in stores despite the consoles were already on their way out.

In politics, Bill Clinton had the biggest scandal in his presidency involving a sex act with an intern. That's as 90s as it gets. Nothing Y2K about it.

In technology, internet use was under 40%, so it wasn't as standard as some people believe. People who did use it to connect to the web at that time, it would be at least once a week or three-five times a month. Most people still used landlines or payphones to contact family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. There was generally no way to go ahold of them if something went wrong unless one had those expensive cell phones.