For each decade, what year do you think is the culmination of everything that decade stood for?  In other words, if you were a time travel tourist and could only go back to one year to study each decade, what year do you think you could go back to if you wanted to learn EVERYTHING about that decade, its culture, and what it stood for?  Here is my list.

1960s - 1969
1970s - 1977
1980s - 1990
1990s - 1997
2000s - 2008
2010s - ????

Thoughts?

For each decade, what year do you think is the culmination of everything that decade stood for?  In other words, if you were a time travel tourist and could only go back to one year to study each decade, what year do you think you could go back to if you wanted to learn EVERYTHING about that decade, its culture, and what it stood for?  Here is my list.

1960s - 1969
1970s - 1977
1980s - 1990
1990s - 1997
2000s - 2008
2010s - ????

Thoughts?


I varies person to person. Regarding the 2010s, it's too soon. I'm guessing the culmination year is yet to happen (MY guess is 2016 or 2017, which don't exist yet). Here is my list and I will state my reasons:

1960s - 1966
1970s - 1977
1980s - 1985
1990s - 1997
2000s - 2006
2010 - To Be Determined

My Reasons:

1960s - Peak of Mod fashion in '65/'66. Peak of "Swinging Sixties". There were already political tensions, but it happened right before the big troubles began. Lots of miniskirts and go-go boots! Guys wore Cuban heels with velvet blazers and slim wool trousers!

1970s - Although I see 1976 as the quintessential year, '77 was just a year later. President Jimmy Carter entered the White House, and Saturday Night Fever came out later that year. In '76, disco co-existed on friendlier terms with other popular genres, but the phenomenon was in '77. '76 was just a year earlier. Lots of Leisure Suits and Halter Tops!

1980s - Last remnants of the early '80s (particularly 1983) and first hints of the later years. Big hair, instead of poodle perms, became de regeur. Leg warmers, leotards, tights, short shorts on guys, pleated pants, leather woven loafers, choppy hair were all the cool things. New wave had largely turned into synthpop, and hair metal started to rise.

1990s - I see 1996 as the quintessential year, and 1997 as the second. I chose '97 because it was only a year later, so '96 was still fresh in people's minds and the culture was still relevant. Music had become more mainstream, with hooks and catchy choruses (sing-alongy). Both the '60s style of the mid '90s and the '70s style of the late '90s was in. Girls looked more '60s, guys looked more '70s. R&B at it's absolute peak.

2000s - Same strategy, '05 was still relevant in '06. The '80s look was hot. Peak of crunk music, decline of rock music. Peak of Nickelback's popularity. First hints of early 2010s.

2010s - We can't decide this until the decade is over. I believe it's going to be a year hasn't occurred yet. I'm predicting 2016 or 2017? Because it's in the second half of the decade, but not too late in it. By then 2010s pop culture will be very different from what it is today.

For each decade, what year do you think is the culmination of everything that decade stood for?  In other words, if you were a time travel tourist and could only go back to one year to study each decade, what year do you think you could go back to if you wanted to learn EVERYTHING about that decade, its culture, and what it stood for?  Here is my list.

1960s - 1969
1970s - 1977
1980s - 1990
1990s - 1997
2000s - 2008
2010s - ????

Thoughts?


1990 is way to late to be a quintessential 80s year. What about 1986 or 1987? Both years had early 80s and late 80s elements.
If 1990 was the best year that represented the 80s, am I an 80s kid then? ;)


2000s - I would say 2006 aswell, or maybe 2007.

2010s - Until now, I would say 2013.

1990s - That's a difficult one, because so much changed during that decade. I'd say, 1995 had the best of both worlds ("multimedia" and last bits of old schoolness from the early 90s). "Multimedia" was "Word of the year 1995" in Germany btw.

For me, personally.

50s- 1956
60s- 1968
70s- 1974
80s- 1988
90s- 1993
00s- 2004
10s- 2016???

1950s - 1963 
1960s - 1973 or 1974
1970s - 1981
1980s - 1990 
1990s - 1998
2000s - 2008

1960s - Peak of Mod fashion in '65/'66. Peak of "Swinging Sixties". There were already political tensions, but it happened right before the big troubles began. Lots of miniskirts and go-go boots! Guys wore Cuban heels with velvet blazers and slim wool trousers!

Personally I feel the '60s peaked in 1969 with Woodstock.  That one event represented everything that the 1960s were.  The 1967 summer of love is a close second but if I was a time traveler, I could learn everything I needed to know about the '60s from 1969 alone.

1970s - Although I see 1976 as the quintessential year, '77 was just a year later. President Jimmy Carter entered the White House, and Saturday Night Fever came out later that year. In '76, disco co-existed on friendlier terms with other popular genres, but the phenomenon was in '77. '76 was just a year earlier. Lots of Leisure Suits and Halter Tops!

Agree with this.  Carter in the White House was a big reason I chose '77 instead of '76. Carter is THE quintessential '70s President.


1980s - Last remnants of the early '80s (particularly 1983) and first hints of the later years. Big hair, instead of poodle perms, became de regeur. Leg warmers, leotards, tights, short shorts on guys, pleated pants, leather woven loafers, choppy hair were all the cool things. New wave had largely turned into synthpop, and hair metal started to rise.

I am going to disagree here.  While 1985 was certainly important and a good year to exemplify the '80s, it isn't as good as 1990 in my opinion.  Many of the trends that came to define the '80s emerged in the second half of the decade.  TheEarly90sGuy did an excellent job of explaining why 1990 is the culmination year for the '80s.

1990s - I see 1996 as the quintessential year, and 1997 as the second. I chose '97 because it was only a year later, so '96 was still fresh in people's minds and the culture was still relevant. Music had become more mainstream, with hooks and catchy choruses (sing-alongy). Both the '60s style of the mid '90s and the '70s style of the late '90s was in. Girls looked more '60s, guys looked more '70s. R&B at it's absolute peak.

Agree with this.  '97 was more or less an extension of '96 in my memory.  Most of what was popular in 1996 was also popular in 1997.  It was the golden age of dial-up Internet, Windows 95, MS Encarta, and PC gaming.  N64 had dethroned Sega Genesis and SNES.  Music was still extremely varied that year in compared to 1998 and 1999, with post-grunge, hip-hop, r&b, eurodance, teen pop, and female-oriented pop ballads (Celine Dion) all sharing a seat at the table.


2000s - Same strategy, '05 was still relevant in '06. The '80s look was hot. Peak of crunk music, decline of rock music. Peak of Nickelback's popularity. First hints of early 2010s.

I am going to disagree only because everything that was happening in '05 and '06 came to a head in 2008.  2008 was the peak of emo/scene culture, bieber hair, George W. Bush, the economic crisis, MySpace, etc.  The iPhone was an expensive toy that few people had.  It was still firmly in the flipphone era. 2008 was the first year that 'Millennials' started getting major media attention because it was most of them's first election to vote in. The first hints of the early '10s didn't come into play until LATE 2008.  The first half of the year musically was still dominated by Soulja Boy and Nickelback.  Nobody had heard of Lady Gaga.  One more important thing is that in 2008 you could still be acting like its 2000 and fit in just fine.  For instance if you wanted to wear cargo pants in the winter of 07-08 you could.  In 08-09 you could no longer do it.  If I was a time traveler, I could learn everything about the 2000s in spring 2008.


2010s - We can't decide this until the decade is over. I believe it's going to be a year hasn't occurred yet. I'm predicting 2016 or 2017? Because it's in the second half of the decade, but not too late in it. By then 2010s pop culture will be very different from what it is today.


I agree with this.  I think '10s culture is still evolving and coming into its own.  My guess is it will peak at the earliest 2016 and the latest 2020.

Going back further...

1920s: 1929

Except for the final three months, most of the year was the same 1925 Charleston/Mafia-20s, and silent films were still the dominant form of cinema, while the appreciation of new items such as automobiles for the everyman, electricity to everybody, radio, and Coolige still in office at the start of the year sum up the curtain call of the Roaring Twenties. It was very similar to 2007 for the '00s.

1930s: 1938

Most people associate this decade with the Great Depression. While that is true, especially with the 1931-33 period, the reality is much of the decade was an economic stimulus similar to the early years of this decade along with further enhancements in technology. Sound movies were now the norm (even a few in color), Disney's Golden Age with Snow White a recent release, FDR, the tension building towards WWII with Hitler/Austria/Poland/Chamberlain, yet 1938 was the weakest year economically after 1933 for this decade.

1940s: 1945

The fitting conculusion to WWII via the atomic bomb, Swing Music waning but still popular with Boogie and Bebop music forming along with cabaret-type pop music such as Frank Sinatra, Hollywood still in its Golden Age, and a lot of geopolitical changes taking place. The last four years of the '40s were really similar to the first half of the '50s with the formation of the Cold War, the rise of television, suburbia, Truman, and the Baby Boom.

1950s: 1958

IMO the diner/doo wop/chrome/tailfins/poodle skirt/bobby sox '50s that most people who were kids/teens or the children of them who passed their memories down find the peak of this decade in that year. Beatniks, the beginning of the fixation with Space Travel, the Civil Rights movement building, America seen as the greatest in the world with the Commies as their rival, Elvis still in his most creative phase, and Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Fats Domino, and many other rock performers putting out their best/most prolific stuff. Teleivison's Golden Age was winding down, but around this time almost every household had a TV set, and I Love Lucy was fresh in new reruns, while you had The Honeymooners, Leave It To Beaver, big money game shows, daytime soap operas, and many local shows giving a wonder of awe to how great teleivison has changed society. Hollywood was even being experimental, 3D was past its fad but drive-in movies were near their peak, widescreen and more films in color telling people what the movies can do what TV can't. Then you have Marilyn Monroe, Jane Wyman, Ricky Nelson, James Dean still a fresh memory, and so many other talented performers. Also, plenty of brand-new suburban houses while the city is still a viable place to visit before its urban decay peaked.

1960s: 1969. Pretty obvious since Woodstock was the culmination of the hippie/rock movement that had been building, the Beatles' Abbey Road, and Apollo 11 fulfills the late JFK's mission for a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Muscle cars were at their peak, TV was in color now making black & white old and square, hair getting longer and clothing more casual/DIY, yet with Vietnam reaching a tipping point with regards to sending troops.

1970s: 1976. Being the first full post-Vietnam year, it was also the last year prior to the first New Wave hits and the release of the Apple II computer and Atari VCS (later 2600) that would pave the way for the '80s atmosphere. It was still cool to listen to early-decade stuff like progressive rock, singer-songwriters, glam rock, and soul/fuk music, yet disco (this was the year of Disco Duck BTW) and punk were starting to make a notable presence. Pet Rocks, CB Radios, Happy Days' peak, The Gong Show, the US Bicentennial celebrations, Carter elected President, 8-tracks the most popular form outside of vinyl, Pong and Breakout, Rocky, The Bionic Woman/Six Million Dollar Man, Star Wars episode IV under production, lots of live-action Saturday Morning TV shows, long, straight hair starting to give way to poodle-type hair, and most importantly, the year that the term "Me Decade" was coined. There was quite a mood of apathy though with the "Whip Inflation Now" campaign theme, and while the economy that year wasn't as bad as other years, still wasn't as good as most years of the '50s, '60s, '80s, or '90s. Cars were getting less muscular and more square, with the convertible being thought of at the time going the way of the Ford Edsel.

1980s: 1987. The yuppie materialism, preppy look, synthesized music, and Miami Vice-style fashioned music peaked that year, in which the Stock Market crash that fall began the turn towards the early '90s mood of apathy. However, in 1987 the Nintendo Entertainment System had become widely available and only started to become a runaway hit in that year. Personal computers were going stronger than ever, with many models displaying greater graphics that year, and increased memory capabilities with then-new technology such as compact floppy discs and inkjet printers. TV was now in stereo, the majority of households having a VCR and Cable TV changing the way they enjoy programming, and the made-for-TV fad by smaller home video labels peaked around then, as did independent video stores. The dark, depressing apathy of the '70s and early '80s was a distant memory with hints of the Cold War on its way out. Most peak '80s icons were still charting, along with the peak of Hair Metal, but before New Jack Swing and hip hop had become noticeably popular. 1983-85 may be the peak of "80s creativity", but the impact of it peaked in '87.

1990s: 1998. While Pokemon came out that fall, Britney Spears album dropping late, and Y2K starting to become buzzworthy, 1998 was the conclusion of what the decade stood for. The mood was more upbeat and optimistic possibly at any point in history, the biggest "tragedy" that year being JFK Jr.'s plane crashing (not by terrorist, but by accident), the biggest "controversy" being the Monica Lewinsky, low gas prices, and while quite different from the 1991-94 '90s, lots of it was still acceptable to wear except for the more ridiculous things. Nickelodeon dropped many of its early-mid '90s classics from its schedule after this year, but it was still the top network for kids. Titanic of course came out at the end of '97 but the impact was by far felt the most this year, with many first-run chains still playing it well into the summer. That said, Seinfeld's last episode sums up the '90s, despite peak shows like Friends/Fraiser being into the middle of the run. The fifth generation of gamings were at its peak, but the 16-bit era consoles were still getting good play due to their classicness and we'rent considered vintage collectibles yet. Finally, the Internet had clearly become the tool of the future, with many smaller businesses even getting a website that year. However, while DVDs and digital cameras were just coming out, you still had SDTV on tube monitors, VCRs, CDs, pagers, landline phones with cellphones still a cool minority, and most people still only had standard cable TV.

2000s: 2007. Rising gas prices, burnout from Iraq, the awareness of China's ascension, and the lingering apathy in the wake of 9/11 summed up how that decade wasn't the best. This was right before HDTV was standard, the social media explosion and proliferation of smartphones/tablets/apps, crunk/snap rap/ringtone/emo having their last big year, and shortly before Hollywood's transition from film to digital (with 3D) was complete.

2010s: Too early to tell.

1920s:1929
1930s:1938
1940s:1945
1950s:1955
1960s:1968 theres a friggin documentary on this year!!! nuff said
1970s:1977 IT would be cool to see my parents when they were 12 and 18!! This is the MOST 70s year!!
1980s:1985 this year is as 80s as it could get!!
1990s:1999 The most quentissental year of the 90s is of course 1996, BUT I would love to go back and visit this year. and see it form a more mature prescriptive
2000s:2005 My favorite year of the decade besides 2003. 2004 and 2005 were the most quintessential years of the decade IMO, I agree with arcticfox late 2006 definetly had signs of 2010s things. with the seventh generation of gamming, blu rays, new tv shows. things just begun to feel different in late 06.
2010s: too early to tell

1920s - 1925 (the great gatsby, hot jazz)
1930s - 1933 (the New Deal, FDR, beginnings of swing/big band, finger curls)
1940s - 1944 (the climax of World War 2)
1950s - 1956 (rock n roll breakout year, greasers)
1960s - 1968 (a very tumultuous year, peak of hippie counter-culture)
1970s - 1976 (disco, punk, post-Vietnam)
1980s - 1984 (morning in america, yuppies, peak of synthpop, hair metal, early rap)
1990s - 1993 (height of grunge era, gangsta rap, eurodance)
2000s - 2006 (early social media, height of ringtone rap and emo)
2010s - ? (if I had to pick now I would say 2012, that felt like the peak of the dubstep into pop trend and that has been the most distinctive music style thus far this decade).

I want to do another one.

1920s- 1928
1930s- 1932
1940s- 1944
1950s- 1957
1960s- 1969
1970s- 1977
1980s- 1988
1990s- 1999
2000s- 2004
2010s- 2016??

I often read 1999, but I don't think it's true. 1999 was rather the start of the early 2000s.

1920s - 1925 (the great gatsby, hot jazz)
1930s - 1933 (the New Deal, FDR, beginnings of swing/big band, finger curls)
1940s - 1944 (the climax of World War 2)
1950s - 1956 (rock n roll breakout year, greasers)
1960s - 1968 (a very tumultuous year, peak of hippie counter-culture)
1970s - 1976 (disco, punk, post-Vietnam)
1980s - 1984 (morning in america, yuppies, peak of synthpop, hair metal, early rap)
1990s - 1993 (height of grunge era, gangsta rap, eurodance)
2000s - 2006 (early social media, height of ringtone rap and emo)
2010s - ? (if I had to pick now I would say 2012, that felt like the peak of the dubstep into pop trend and that has been the most distinctive music style thus far this decade).


You're missing the point of this thread, focusing more on the "creative peak" that has the greatest proliferation of the cultural touchstones rather than the "culmination year", the last year that's completely respective of such a decade before it starts to obviously blead into a new one. 1993 is far from the culmination of the '90s because the Internet had not yet become widespread and it was pre-Beanie Babies, Pogs, pre-Friends, and Cheers was still on the air in the first part of the year. Your 1980s description sounds more like 1986/87 with the early rap/hair metal as being a peak touchstone as synthpop was still popular (I consider Stock Aitken Waterman stuff synthpop).

Going back further...

1920s: 1929

Except for the final three months, most of the year was the same 1925 Charleston/Mafia-20s, and silent films were still the dominant form of cinema, while the appreciation of new items such as automobiles for the everyman, electricity to everybody, radio, and Coolige still in office at the start of the year sum up the curtain call of the Roaring Twenties. It was very similar to 2007 for the '00s.

1930s: 1938

Most people associate this decade with the Great Depression. While that is true, especially with the 1931-33 period, the reality is much of the decade was an economic stimulus similar to the early years of this decade along with further enhancements in technology. Sound movies were now the norm (even a few in color), Disney's Golden Age with Snow White a recent release, FDR, the tension building towards WWII with Hitler/Austria/Poland/Chamberlain, yet 1938 was the weakest year economically after 1933 for this decade.

1940s: 1945

The fitting conculusion to WWII via the atomic bond, Swing Music waning but still popular with Boogie and Bebop music forming along with cabaret-type pop music such as Frank Sinatra, Hollywood still in its Golden Age, and a lot of geopolitical changes taking place. The last four years of the '40s were really similar to the first half of the '50s with the formation of the Cold War, the rise of television, suburbia, Truman, and the Baby Boom.

1950s: 1958

IMO the diner/doo wop/chrome/tailfins/poodle skirt/bobby sox '50s that most people who were kids/teens or the children of them who passed their memories down find the peak of this decade in that year. Beatniks, the beginning of the fixation with Space Travel, the Civil Rights movement building, America seen as the greatest in the world with the Commies as their rival, Elvis still in his most creative phase, and Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Fats Domino, and many other rock performers putting out their best/most prolific stuff. Teleivison's Golden Age was winding down, but around this time almost every household had a TV set, and I Love Lucy was fresh in new reruns, while you had The Honeymooners, Leave It To Beaver, big money game shows, daytime soap operas, and many local shows giving a wonder of awe to how great teleivison has changed society. Hollywood was even being experimental, 3D was past its fad but drive-in movies were near their peak, widescreen and more films in color telling people what the movies can do what TV can't. Then you have Marilyn Monroe, Jane Wyman, Ricky Nelson, James Dean still a fresh memory, and so many other talented performers. Also, plenty of brand-new suburban houses while the city is still a viable place to visit before its urban decay peaked.

1960s: 1969. Pretty obvious since Woodstock was the culmination of the hippie/rock movement that had been building, the Beatles' Abbey Road, and Apollo 11 fulfills the late JFK's mission for a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Muscle cars were at their peak, TV was in color now making black & white old and square, hair getting longer and clothing more casual/DIY, yet with Vietnam reaching a tipping point with regards to sending troops.

1970s: 1976. Being the first full post-Vietnam year, it was also the last year prior to the first New Wave hits and the release of the Apple II computer and Atari VCS (later 2600) that would pave the way for the '80s atmosphere. It was still cool to listen to early-decade stuff like progressive rock, singer-songwriters, glam rock, and soul/fuk music, yet disco (this was the year of Disco Duck BTW) and punk were starting to make a notable presence. Pet Rocks, CB Radios, Happy Days' peak, The Gong Show, the US Bicentennial celebrations, Carter elected President, 8-tracks the most popular form outside of vinyl, Pong and Breakout, Rocky, The Bionic Woman/Six Million Dollar Man, Star Wars episode IV under production, lots of live-action Saturday Morning TV shows, long, straight hair starting to give way to poodle-type hair, and most importantly, the year that the term "Me Decade" was coined. There was quite a mood of apathy though with the "Whip Inflation Now" campaign theme, and while the economy that year wasn't as bad as other years, still wasn't as good as most years of the '50s, '60s, '80s, or '90s. Cars were getting less muscular and more square, with the convertible being thought of at the time going the way of the Ford Edsel.

1980s: 1987. The yuppie materialism, preppy look, synthesized music, and Miami Vice-style fashioned music peaked that year, in which the Stock Market crash that fall began the turn towards the early '90s mood of apathy. However, in 1987 the Nintendo Entertainment System had become widely available and only started to become a runaway hit in that year. Personal computers were going stronger than ever, with many models displaying greater graphics that year, and increased memory capabilities with then-new technology such as compact floppy discs and inkjet printers. TV was now in stereo, the majority of households having a VCR and Cable TV changing the way they enjoy programming, and the made-for-TV fad by smaller home video labels peaked around then, as did independent video stores. The dark, depressing apathy of the '70s and early '80s was a distant memory with hints of the Cold War on its way out. Most peak '80s icons were still charting, along with the peak of Hair Metal, but before New Jack Swing and hip hop had become noticeably popular. 1983-85 may be the peak of "80s creativity", but the impact of it peaked in '87.

1990s: 1998. While Pokemon came out that fall, Britney Spears album dropping late, and Y2K starting to become buzzworthy, 1998 was the conclusion of what the decade stood for. The mood was more upbeat and optimistic possibly at any point in history, the biggest "tragedy" that year being JFK Jr.'s plane crashing (not by terrorist, but by accident), the biggest "controversy" being the Monica Lewinsky, low gas prices, and while quite different from the 1991-94 '90s, lots of it was still acceptable to wear except for the more ridiculous things. Nickelodeon dropped many of its early-mid '90s classics from its schedule after this year, but it was still the top network for kids. Titanic of course came out at the end of '97 but the impact was by far felt the most this year, with many first-run chains still playing it well into the summer. That said, Seinfeld's last episode sums up the '90s, despite peak shows like Friends/Fraiser being into the middle of the run. The fifth generation of gamings were at its peak, but the 16-bit era consoles were still getting good play due to their classicness and we'rent considered vintage collectibles yet. Finally, the Internet had clearly become the tool of the future, with many smaller businesses even getting a website that year. However, while DVDs and digital cameras were just coming out, you still had SDTV on tube monitors, VCRs, CDs, pagers, landline phones with cellphones still a cool minority, and most people still only had standard cable TV.

2000s: 2007. Rising gas prices, burnout from Iraq, the awareness of China's ascension, and the lingering apathy in the wake of 9/11 summed up how that decade wasn't the best. This was right before HDTV was standard, the social media explosion and proliferation of smartphones/tablets/apps, crunk/snap rap/ringtone/emo having their last big year, and shortly before Hollywood's transition from film to digital (with 3D) was complete.

2010s: Too early to tell.


tl;dr

You're missing the point of this thread, focusing more on the "creative peak" that has the greatest proliferation of the cultural touchstones rather than the "culmination year", the last year that's completely respective of such a decade before it starts to obviously blead into a new one. 1993 is far from the culmination of the '90s because the Internet had not yet become widespread and it was pre-Beanie Babies, Pogs, pre-Friends, and Cheers was still on the air in the first part of the year. Your 1980s description sounds more like 1986/87 with the early rap/hair metal as being a peak touchstone as synthpop was still popular (I consider Stock Aitken Waterman stuff synthpop).


There is no point I "missed":what year do you think you could go back to if you wanted to learn EVERYTHING about that decade, its culture, and what it stood for? He's asking which year most represented, most embodied the popular zeitgeist of each decade, the last year that's completely respective of the decade's feel is something I think is very gradual and does runoff into the succeeding decade, I think 1995 could be a better choice for the '90s but I think most of the years I choose for each respective decade is very accurate.

I literally change my mind every second.  ;D

I literally change my mind every second.  ;D


Then you can make another one!

Then you can make another one!


Tomorrow morning.  8)

Tomorrow morning.  8)


It's tomorrow night right now! XD

1950s- 1957
1960s- 1969
1970s- 1976
1980s- 1987
1990s- 1996
2000s- 2004
2010s- 2015???

It's tomorrow night right now! XD


It's 11:04 pm where I'm from.  8)

I would say 1967, 1977, 1986, 1997, and 2006. Couldn't speculate on the 2010s but I would put my money on 2012 actually. That year stood out for me, partially because of the Mayan calendar hype which reminded me of Y2K.

My rationales are these:

1967: Sgt Peppers and the Summer of Love. 1968 and 1969 aren't really any less definitive, but I can already see elements of the 70s in those years.

1977: Saturday Night Fever and the height of disco's popularity. Also it feels pretty removed from the late 60s.

1986: Both the new wave and hair metal music and fashion overlapped a lot at this time, and I think of Challenger and Chernobyl as really defining the decade too. Both of those happened in '86. This is also the year the Cold War started to end and when globalization and Reaganomics really started to go into effect. If you consider the "Greater 80s" to encompass the years 1980-1991 1986 is right in the middle. The Final Countdown also came out this year.

1997: The Grunge aesthetic was still strong, gangsta rap was probably at its peak with the Tupac/Biggie murders and "I'll Be Missing You", and the Bubblegum pop wave of the Y2K era began in earnest. This is also the year the dot com boom really kicked into gear even though most people weren't online yet. It's the year of Spice Girls, Hanson and Backstreet Boy's debut. I also think it's the first year that felt like a completely different era from 1989, yet it also feels noticeably different from the early 2000s. I think it's the bridge between the early to mid 90s and the late 90s/early 00s.

2006: The deepest part of the Emo and Myspace era and the first year that felt truly removed from the '90s. John Tucker Must Die is probably the 00s teen movie and it was released this year. The year Saddam was hung and also when America became disillusioned with the war on terror. The last year before the economic depression started too.

2012: Mayan Calendar, Call Me Maybe, Somebody I Used To Know, the explosion of hipster culture, Occupy Wall Street, the worst part of the depression/recession for most people (so far), the rise of the Social Justice Warrior.

I would say 1967, 1977, 1986, 1995, and 2006. Couldn't speculate on the 2010s but I would put my money on 2012 actually. That year stood out for me, partially because of the Mayan calendar hype which reminded me of Y2K.


I think both 1995 and 2012 are way too early. In 1995, a lot of important '90s events had yet to still happen. And with 2012, decades don't define themselves in their first 3-4 years, more like their last. We still have a long way to go before we can decide the 2010s.

I think both 1995 and 2012 are way too early. In 1995, a lot of important '90s events had yet to still happen. And with 2012, decades don't define themselves in their first 3-4 years, more like their last. We still have a long way to go before we can decide the 2010s.


I actually change my mind to 1997.

I think both 1995 and 2012 are way too early. In 1995, a lot of important '90s events had yet to still happen. And with 2012, decades don't define themselves in their first 3-4 years, more like their last. We still have a long way to go before we can decide the 2010s.


Also, I think it's always the last four years of a decade that are the most "recognized" or "iconic". The 1950s, 1956-1959; The 1960s, 1966-1969; and so on. Same placement, just add ten years on the third digit.

With the 1950's, they always associate the decade with Rock n' Roll and Doo-wop.
The 1960s are always associated with Woodstock and hippies and psychedelic rock.
The 1970's are always associated with disco and bell bottoms and platform shoes (for good reason).
The 1980's are always associated with big hair, hair metal, and early hip-hop.

The 1990's are too soon to say as the "decade nostalgia" isn't even close to being finished yet. We just left the 2000's not too long ago, but you get the idea. It doesn't matter what's popular in the first six years of a decade, it's all about the last four years. No matter how many huge phenomenons there were, it's all going to be forgotten.

For instance, big 2000's cultural movements such as 50 cent, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem, Ashanti, Jared the Subway Guy, Ja Rule, OutKast, American Idol, Survivor, and whale tail are going to be trivialized and mostly forgotten in favor of what was popular from 2006-2009. As a matter of fact, the first two years are going to be paired up with the '90s; this includes  Eminem, Jared the Subway Guy, OutKast, and Survivor.

So in a sense, future generations are going to recognize "The 2000's" as 2006-2011. Weird to include the first two years from the succeeding decade, but that's what I always notice. Sometimes this placing is a good thing (The '90s), and sometimes it's a bad thing (The '00s).

For the decades I've actually lived in:

90s: 1998. The internet and mobile phones were becoming popular but weren't a huge part of our lives like they were in the 2000s. VHS was still dominant, and you could still buy music cassettes. In the UK: Princess Diana had just died, Tony Blair had just become prime minister, and Eurodance was popular.

00s: 2007. Myspace was still very popular, as was Bebo in the UK. I don't think I had ever heard of Facebook at that point, let alone Twitter. Emo culture had peaked. The iPhone had only just been launched, and most people didn't have a smartphone of any kind. In order to take a decent picture, you had to use an actual camera. Music streaming didn't exist in the form it does today. The last year before the global financial crisis. The end of Tony Blair as prime minister.

1997: The Grunge aesthetic was still strong, gangsta rap was probably at its peak with the Tupac/Biggie murders and "I'll Be Missing You", and the Bubblegum pop wave of the Y2K era began in earnest. This is also the year the dot com boom really kicked into gear even though most people weren't online yet. It's the year of Spice Girls, Hanson and Backstreet Boy's debut. I also think it's the first year that felt like a completely different era from 1989, yet it also feels noticeably different from the early 2000s. I think it's the bridge between the early to mid 90s and the late 90s/early 00s.


My parents were in their early-mid 30's in 1997, and they told me that grunge fashion wasn't around anymore. They lived in southern California by the way. Did you live in the midwest? Besides, looking at family pictures, I don't see any early '90s aesthetics in 1997, with the exception of the frumps and what have you. Perhaps maybe it's where you lived...

Here is a video from a '90s Shopping Mall Thread (you can view it in the '90s board). You can see that grunge was really dying, although it was still around somewhat. It was recorded in late 1995.
b1Ilr8WpkgY

Picture from the 1996-1997 school year:
http://www.lsrhs.net/publications/historyculture/SpecialMoments/annivwalldedication2.jpg

A video capturing the entire 1996-1997 school year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF3-bAcgPLI

For the 80s, I'm stuck between 1987 and 1988.

I could see small pieces of the 90s in 1988 but at the same time, 1988 had huge hair and was still VERY 80s.

For instance, big 2000's cultural movements such as 50 cent, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem, Ashanti, Jared the Subway Guy, Ja Rule, OutKast, American Idol, Survivor, and whale tail are going to be trivialized and mostly forgotten in favor of what was popular from 2006-2009. As a matter of fact, the first two years are going to be paired up with the '90s; this includes  Eminem, Jared the Subway Guy, OutKast, and Survivor.


I rarely see anybody born before 1990 associating Eminem, Outkast, and Survivor with the '90s.  Survivor wasn't around until 2000.  Eminem and Outkast both got their start in the '90s but they blew up in 2000.  Those cultural movements definitively associated with the early '00s.

I do agree though that the last four years of a decade is usually when it gets defined.  It makes perfect sense because during the last four years, virtually all of the previous decade's culture is gone and the next decade's culture is still in infancy if it has even appeared at all. For the '10s, we have 2016-2019 to look forward to as being the definitive years of the decade. 

60s = 1967
70s = 1976
80s = 1985
90s = 1996
2000s = 2005
2010s = ?

1963
1976
1987
1996
2005

Didn't know this thread existed until now.

Starting with the 1950s...

1950s: 1955
1960s: 1964
1970s: 1978
1980s: 1986
1990s: 1996
2000s: 2004
2010s: 2013

Didn't know this thread existed until now.

Starting with the 1950s...

1950s: 1955
1960s: 1964
1970s: 1978
1980s: 1986
1990s: 1996
2000s: 2004
2010s: 2013

Chris was saying culmination years not quintessential! For example, 1996 may be the qunetissntal 90s year, but culmination probably 1997 or 1999..

I'm going to redo mine!
1950s: 1959
1960s: 1969
1970s: 1978
1980s: 1989
1990s: 1998
2000s: 2008

Chris was saying culmination years not quintessential! For example, 1996 may be the qunetissntal 90s year, but culmination probably 1997 or 1999..


Well, in that case...

1950s: 1958
1960s: 1969
1970s: 1978
1980s: 1987
1990s: 1999
2000s: 2008

1920s:  1929 - The decadence of this period ultimately built up to the Stock Market Crash and the breakthrough of talkies, though the New Deal, fascism, and the end of prohibition wouldn't be for another few years.

1930s:  1939 - This year saw the beginning of World War II in Europe, 40s hairstyles become popular, the New Deal run out of steam, the debut of Batman, and the releases of Gone with the Wind, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

1940s:  1945 - This was when World War II ended and the Cold War basically began.  From thereon out, popular culture would be caught in a very long intermediate period between the 40s and 50s.

1950s:  1959 - This year saw the passing of Buddy Holly, but also the rise of Communism in Cuba and a general revolution in jazz.  Though the early 60s still had strong 50s influences, it was really this year during which the 50s had their climax.

1960s:  1969 - Man finally landed on the moon, the golden age of rock and roll hit its peak, Woodstock took place, and lots of backlash occurred in response to the civil rights movements of the period.

1970s:  1979 - Disco was still in its peak at the start of this year but then collapsed to massive backlash late lr on.  Meanwhile, video games finally became a full-fledged industry, new wave continued to grow huge, Pink Floyd released The Wall, and The Clash came out with London Calling.  1979 was also a very important year in international politics, as it saw the Iranian Revolution and Hostage Crisis, Jimmy Carter's Malaise Speech, Margaret Thatcher become the British Prime Minister, and the USSR invade Afghanistan.

1980s:  1989 - The Cold War finally ended, Bush the Elder became President of the United States, music quickly started to become more experimental, The Simpsons and Seinfeld both aired their pilot episodes, The Little Mermaid premiered in theaters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and NES were growing more and more popular, and major sequels came out to several key film franchises.

1990s:  1999 - In addition to the Y2K scare, 1999 also had the peak of teen pop, nu-metal, Pokemon, revolutionary movies like The Matrix and Fight Club, the American release of the Dreamcast, the final Disney Renaissance movie, and the height of South Park.

2000s:  2008 - The Election of Obama, the Great Recession, and the full establishment of social media were basically what the 2000s were building up to all along.

Didn't know this thread existed until now.

Starting with the 1950s...

1950s: 1955
1960s: 1964
1970s: 1978
1980s: 1986
1990s: 1996
2000s: 2004
2010s: 2013


You obviously don't know too much about those decades. In 1955, Rock and Roll was just getting started (with Elvis unknown to all but a cult fanbase in the Memphis area), Beatniks weren't well known yet, pre-hula hoop, Leave It To Beaver wasn't on yet. 1959 is the earliest I can see any semblance of "sixties" creeping in terms of Vietnam starting to flare up overseas along with the invention of the Peace Sign.

1964 is even worse with regards for knowing what the "sixties" stood for. It was right after (or during) JFK/Beatlemania, so most would still define their Rock era as going back to Elvis. Even Vietnam involvement was just getting started and nothing like it would be in 1965 and beyond, cars were still more of a floating rather than of a muscle style, TV was still mostly in black & white, hippies/psychedelia wasn't even around yet, hair was still short and dresses were still quite common, and was before the urban riots became popular.

2004 was quite a bit more hopeful compared to most of the rest of the '00s and isn't a good year to judge the decade (2006, 2007, or 2008 are better choices). Web 2.0 was just getting started, some '90s holdovers like Friends and Frasier were still on the air, and I remember myself about a possible way to salvage the decade after its rough start with Afghanistan/recession/Iraq/terrorist attacks. If you mention 2004 as the PEAK of the '00s, then that may not be a bad choice though, being the first year that all Y2K influence is gone and before any late '00s trends such as smartphones, electropop, or social media in the mainstream came about.

2013 will likely be too early since the "3" year of a decade generally speaking is too soon to judge what a period really stood for.

I also realized there is a culmination thread! I guess I will put down my opinions
1907(Stock market crash that lead to major regulation of finances, Teddy gives the presidency to Taft but realizes it was a big mistake.)
1918(End of WWI and Spainish Flu which whiped out so many families around the world.)
1929(I still believe that the stock market crash was not the beginning of the great Depression, it couldve been prevented. Flappers and Roaring Twenties were still in style and full swing)
1939(Start of WWII, greatest year for hollywood ever, new deal policies are waived out by the Supreme Court
1948(The Marshall Plan after WWII sets us up for the modern age around the globe, the first year that the Cold War is inevitable and the split really starts.)
1958(Doo-wop music, even though the recession this year is very sharp, the 50's are still in full swing.)
1968(The year my dad was born and the most tumultous year ever recorded. MLK, Civil Rights, Vietnam protesting, Democratic Convention)
1979(Jimmy Carter is now seen as a incompetent weak president with the Iranian hostage crisis starting this year. Malaise speech, beginning of the end for disco.
1987 (new wave, yuppie culture still in place until the stock market crash, american economy at full steam that is then damaged by the stock market crash, culmination/beginning of the end of the both the Cold War and the Reagonomics era of the ecnonomy)
1999(Dot com bubble in full swing, Monica lewinsky cultimates this year with Bill Clintons impeachment and aquital in February, Columbine shootings, Dot Com Bubble at its peak and accelerates rapidly this year culminating with the Nasdaq going from 2000 to 5000 by the end of the year, the year I was born, Y2K Scare at its peak, Y2K  new economy optimism at its peak that would be damaged the next year with the bubble bursting and effectively put down in 2001 by 9/11.)
2008(HDTV, Social Media, Stock Market Collapse, Housing Bubble bursts, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Washington mutual, Culmination of the Great recession with the US government bailing out the big corporations at the cost of taxpayers, Peak of Wii)

You obviously don't know too much about those decades. In 1955, Rock and Roll was just getting started (with Elvis unknown to all but a cult fanbase in the Memphis area), Beatniks weren't well known yet, pre-hula hoop, Leave It To Beaver wasn't on yet. 1959 is the earliest I can see any semblance of "sixties" creeping in terms of Vietnam starting to flare up overseas along with the invention of the Peace Sign.

1964 is even worse with regards for knowing what the "sixties" stood for. It was right after (or during) JFK/Beatlemania, so most would still define their Rock era as going back to Elvis. Even Vietnam involvement was just getting started and nothing like it would be in 1965 and beyond, cars were still more of a floating rather than of a muscle style, TV was still mostly in black & white, hippies/psychedelia wasn't even around yet, hair was still short and dresses were still quite common, and was before the urban riots became popular.

2004 was quite a bit more hopeful compared to most of the rest of the '00s and isn't a good year to judge the decade (2006, 2007, or 2008 are better choices). Web 2.0 was just getting started, some '90s holdovers like Friends and Frasier were still on the air, and I remember myself about a possible way to salvage the decade after its rough start with Afghanistan/recession/Iraq/terrorist attacks. If you mention 2004 as the PEAK of the '00s, then that may not be a bad choice though, being the first year that all Y2K influence is gone and before any late '00s trends such as smartphones, electropop, or social media in the mainstream came about.

2013 will likely be too early since the "3" year of a decade generally speaking is too soon to judge what a period really stood for.

You realize he corrected his mistake right! ;D

For the 2010s, its too early to know for sure what year was the culmination or even the quintessential year.  I highly doubt it was 2013.  I think this year, 2016, may be a contender with the Presidential election.

I notice that a lot of these culmination years seem like the quintessential years for the late part of the decade's culture.

I'd say:

1960's: 1968 - The 'White Album' by the Beatles is released, The Ground breaking success of 2001: A Space Odyssey, The MLK Assassination & subsequent riots, Peak of Antiwar Movement, Hippie Movement reaches peak, peak of Vietnam War, Richard Nixon beats Lyndon Johnson in 68' Election, Baby Boomer Kid Centric Culture transitions into Gen X Kid Centric Culture

1970's: 1979 - Peak of Disco Craze, Oil Crisis, Emergence of New Wave, The Iran Hostage Crisis, Jimmy Carter fatigue, Conservative Resurgence

1980's: 1989 - Peak of New Jack Swing, Hair Metal, 'Turtlemania', Start of Bush 41' Presidency, The Ground Breaking success of Batman which set the stage for movies in the 1990's, Personal Computers start to become a viable option for most people, The Launch of The Simpsons & Seinfeld, Fall of the Berlin Wall, the highly awaited sequel of the Back to the Future series, peak of Late 1980's Recession, Gen X Kid Centric Culture transitions into Millennial Kid Centric Culture

1990's: 1999 - Peak of Teen Pop, Nu Metal, 'Pokemania', Groundbreaking films like The Matrix which sets the stage for movies in the new millennium, The Internet starts to become a viable option for most people especially with Windows 98', the launch of Napster, launch of the Sega Dreamcast, launch of Family Guy & Spongebob, Post Lewinsky Scandal, Columbine Atrocity, peak of Late 90's Tech Bubble, Y2K Scare

2000's: 2008 - Peak of Snap Rap, Emo, 'Hannahmania', Groundbreaking films like The Dark Knight which sets the stage for Superhero movies in the 2010's, the Internet is officially a necessity with the popularity of Myspace & YouTube, HDTVs rise in popularity, launch of Breaking Bad, Peak in Oil Crisis, Iraq War Backlash, Late 00's Great Recession, Election of Barack Obama, Millennial Kid Centric Culture transitions into Homelander Kid Centric Culture

1990's: 1999 - Peak of Teen Pop, Nu Metal, 'Pokemania', Groundbreaking films like The Matrix which sets the stage for movies in the new millennium, The Internet starts to become a viable option for most people especially with Windows 98', the launch of Napster, launch of the Sega Dreamcast, launch of Family Guy & Spongebob, Post Lewinsky Scandal, Columbine Atrocity, peak of Late 90's Tech Bubble, Y2K Scare

2000's: 2008 - Peak of Snap Rap, Emo, 'Hannahmania', Groundbreaking films like The Dark Knight which sets the stage for Superhero movies in the 2010's, the Internet is officially a necessity with the popularity of Myspace & YouTube, HDTVs rise in popularity, launch of Breaking Bad, Peak in Oil Crisis, Iraq War Backlash, Late 00's Great Recession, Election of Barack Obama, Millennial Kid Centric Culture transitions into Homelander Kid Centric Culture


Peak of late 90's culture and peak of late 2000's culture, and for 2008, you make a good point about The Dark Knight which was on DC's side, but don't forget Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk giving birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well!

however, for 2008, what do you mean by millennial kid centric culture transitions into homelander kid centric culture ???

Peak of late 90's culture and peak of late 2000's culture, and for 2008, you make a good point about The Dark Knight which was on DC's side, but don't forget Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk giving birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well!

however, for 2008, what do you mean by millennial kid centric culture transitions into homelander kid centric culture ???


In the case of the years 68', 89', & 08', they were the years when the previous generations Kid's culture would fully transition into the following generation's kid culture. So in the case of the 2000's, the last pure Y Kid Culture year would be 2004 while the first pure Z Kid Culture year would be 2008, and the years from 2005-2007 would be the transition. The 2004-2005 school year leaning Y, 2006-2007 Leaning Z, & 2005-2006 Being equally split. By the time you get to the 2007-2008 school year, almost all of Y Kid culture was gone, and by mid 2008 we were officially in the Z Kid culture era

In the case of the years 68', 89', & 08', they were the years when the previous generations Kid's culture would fully transition into the following generation's kid culture. So in the case of the 2000's, the last pure Y Kid Culture year would be 2004 while the first pure Z Kid Culture year would be 2008, and the years from 2005-2007 would be the transition. The 2004-2005 school year leaning Y, 2006-2007 Leaning Z, & 2005-2006 Being equally split. By the time you get to the 2007-2008 school year, almost all of Y Kid culture was gone, and by mid 2008 we were officially in the Z Kid culture era


I can get that 2008 was the last pure '00s year, but how is it the first pure Z kid year?

I'd say:

1960's: 1968 - The 'White Album' by the Beatles is released, The Ground breaking success of 2001: A Space Odyssey, The MLK Assassination & subsequent riots, Peak of Antiwar Movement, Hippie Movement reaches peak, peak of Vietnam War, Richard Nixon beats Lyndon Johnson in 68' Election, Baby Boomer Kid Centric Culture transitions into Gen X Kid Centric Culture

1970's: 1979 - Peak of Disco Craze, Oil Crisis, Emergence of New Wave, The Iran Hostage Crisis, Jimmy Carter fatigue, Conservative Resurgence

1980's: 1989 - Peak of New Jack Swing, Hair Metal, 'Turtlemania', Start of Bush 41' Presidency, The Ground Breaking success of Batman which set the stage for movies in the 1990's, Personal Computers start to become a viable option for most people, The Launch of The Simpsons & Seinfeld, Fall of the Berlin Wall, the highly awaited sequel of the Back to the Future series, peak of Late 1980's Recession, Gen X Kid Centric Culture transitions into Millennial Kid Centric Culture

1990's: 1999 - Peak of Teen Pop, Nu Metal, 'Pokemania', Groundbreaking films like The Matrix which sets the stage for movies in the new millennium, The Internet starts to become a viable option for most people especially with Windows 98', the launch of Napster, launch of the Sega Dreamcast, launch of Family Guy & Spongebob, Post Lewinsky Scandal, Columbine Atrocity, peak of Late 90's Tech Bubble, Y2K Scare

2000's: 2008 - Peak of Snap Rap, Emo, 'Hannahmania', Groundbreaking films like The Dark Knight which sets the stage for Superhero movies in the 2010's, the Internet is officially a necessity with the popularity of Myspace & YouTube, HDTVs rise in popularity, launch of Breaking Bad, Peak in Oil Crisis, Iraq War Backlash, Late 00's Great Recession, Election of Barack Obama, Millennial Kid Centric Culture transitions into Homelander Kid Centric Culture

I agree with all of this, only one thing to point out. The economy did not enter a recession until 1990, so it was not the late 80s recession, it was the early 90s recession. However an argument could be made that the recession became inevitable in 1989.

I notice that a lot of these culmination years seem like the quintessential years for the late part of the decade's culture.


Yeah, it is pretty confusing, actually.  In all too many cases, certain primary movements of a decade hit their peak early on, while others are only significant during the middle or end.  During the 90s, for example, the Dot Com Boom didn't really coincide with the grunge or gangsta rap revolutions.  The closest you could get would be 1997, during which Biggie was murdered and a few mid-90s-style gangsta rap albums like Warren G's Take a Look Over Your Shoulder and Scarface's The Untouchable achieved chart success during the early months of the year, while the rise of the Internet was becoming more and more apparent towards the end of the year.  I personally went with 1999 as the culmination year of the 90s because it was pretty much the last time that 90s culture made a significant mark on popular culture, like it was the chapter that capped its legacy, but as far as learning about "EVERYTHING about that decade, its culture, and what it stood for," 1999 feels like an incomplete representation because the spirit of the earlier parts of the decade, which were just as important as the whole Y2K zeitgeist, were basically long gone by that point.  To be fair, though, you could stretch the definition by mentioning how grunge eventually paved the way for Creed's Human Clay, the gangsta rap movement ultimately led to The Chronic 2001, and the Sega Genesis eventually brought us to the Sega Dreamcast, all in 1999.  I just don't want to have to view major icons of one period as simply leading us to offspring of a completely different generation and substance, The Early 90s Guy-style.

It's because of this that I personally prefer referring to quintessential years in getting a full grasp of what a decade stood for.  In that case, I would definitely travel back either to 1994 or 1995 in order to learn about the 90s.  I think basically everything at the heart of 90s culture existed in some form back then, with the most important elements still in their prime.  1994 was the commercial peak of grunge and the last year that Kurt Cobain was alive, and it was also one of the biggest years for gangsta rap, but even though things like Y2K-style boybands and rap-rock hadn't hit their stride yet, they already had their primary foundation in 1994.  Boybands like the Backstreet Boys were inspired by groups such as Boyz II Men and All-4-One (both of whom dominated the charts in 1994), and even Color Me Badd and Eternal had big hits during the first half of the year in the United States (teen pop was popular elsewhere for the entirety of the decade, not just the early 90s or the Y2K era), while nu-metal had its first major release with KoRn's self-titled debut, while rap-rock had already been established through groups like Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Rage Against the Machine.  Both 1994 and 1995 were gigantic years for movies, but unlike 1999, which was most influential in setting the stage for 2000s cinema, 1994 and 1995 ran the whole gamut of what 90s movies were all about, from cinematic masterpieces like Pulp Fiction and Se7en, to iconic animated features like The Lion King and Toy Story, to comedies like Clerks, The Mask, and Clueless.  Although 1994 and 1995 certainly didn't have the Dot Com Boom yet, they were both groundbreaking years for the development of the Internet, with 1994 seeing the debut of Netscape, while 1995 had the release of Internet Explorer and the Internet's entrance into the mainstream.  Ultimately, pretty much everything that defined the 90s that wasn't just buildup to the 2000s could be found in some form during 1994 and 1995.

I LOVE these articles from city data!
http://www.city-data.com/forum/history/1032139-cultural-decades-20th-century.html 
http://www.city-data.com/forum/history/1915773-american-cultural-eras-1940s-today.html

I LOVE these articles from city data!
http://www.city-data.com/forum/history/1032139-cultural-decades-20th-century.html 
http://www.city-data.com/forum/history/1915773-american-cultural-eras-1940s-today.html


Interesting how they seem to weigh in a lot more on global politics as opposed to popular media, fashion, slang, etc., than most people on this board seem to do.  It seems like a ton of people here, for example, make these huge points about 2002 and 2003 still having a lot of 90s culture or at least still feeling like the "Y2K era," with things like the end of Friends and Frasier (well beyond their peak years, mind you) or the rise of core 2000s trends like MySpace as marking the true beginning of the 2000s instead of 9/11 or the election of George W. Bush.  Of course, social attitudes are a major factor as well, but they're largely contingent with political events, anyway.  I can definitely understand, say, why somebody wouldn't want to call 1982 part of the same era as a typical core 80s year because of its numerous ties to the late 70s and lack of a fully developed 80s atmosphere (I suppose the same logic applies to the early 2000s' connections to the late 90s, even though I don't think they're as different from the core 2000s as people seem to think), but I also think global social landscapes are at least a bit closer to an objective perspective of cultural eras and don't depend quite as much on somebody's personal tastes to be relevant.

I notice that a lot of these culmination years seem like the quintessential years for the late part of the decade's culture.


Would make sense, being that the late part of a decade's culture generally has the most relevant culture from that decade.

In 2008, you pretty much had everything that represented the 2000s relevant all at once.  Emo/scene, MySpace, Web 2.0, George W. Bush, Iraq, ringtone rap, post-grunge, 7th gen gaming, etc as well as stuff left over from the early '00s like A&F, American Eagle, 6th gen gaming, and the macho male culture.  All of this was far more prominent than the incoming '10s culture that began that year.

Would make sense, being that the late part of a decade's culture generally has the most relevant culture from that decade.

In 2008, you pretty much had everything that represented the 2000s relevant all at once.  Emo/scene, MySpace, Web 2.0, George W. Bush, Iraq, ringtone rap, post-grunge, 7th gen gaming, etc as well as stuff left over from the early '00s like A&F, American Eagle, 6th gen gaming, and the macho male culture.  All of this was far more prominent than the incoming '10s culture that began that year.


I know I've said this many times before, but I think 7th generation gaming is a hybrid of the 2nd half of the 2000's and the 1st half of the 2010's. 7th generation gaming's peak could either be the Wii & DS being predominantly popular from 2006-2009 or the XBOX 360/Kinect & PS3 being predominantly popular from 2010-2013. Maybe if you change that to the 1st half of 7th generation gaming it be more accurate.

I know I've said this many times before, but I think 7th generation gaming is a hybrid of the 2nd half of the 2000's and the 1st half of the 2010's. 7th generation gaming's peak could either be the Wii & DS being predominantly popular from 2006-2009 or the XBOX 360/Kinect & PS3 being predominantly popular from 2010-2013. Maybe if you change that to the 1st half of 7th generation gaming it be more accurate.

7th generation gaming is a late 2000s and early 2010s thing. It can't really claim one particular era.

Here's my take on it:

1960's - 1969
1970's - 1977
1980's - 1988
1990's - 1997
2000's - 2008
2010's - 2016

For quintessential years, however:

1960's - 1967
1970's - 1976
1980's - 1984
1990's - 1995
2000's - 2004
2010's - 2015

Culmination years

1950's- 1958
1960's- 1969
1970's- 1978
1980's- 1989
1990's- 1997

1964 is even worse with regards for knowing what the "sixties" stood for. It was right after (or during) JFK/Beatlemania, so most would still define their Rock era as going back to Elvis. Even Vietnam involvement was just getting started and nothing like it would be in 1965 and beyond, cars were still more of a floating rather than of a muscle style, TV was still mostly in black & white, hippies/psychedelia wasn't even around yet, hair was still short and dresses were still quite common, and was before the urban riots became popular.


Well actually 1964 was the year long hair first became popular with the Beatles popularising the mop top, and that year also had the 1964 Chevrolet Impala and the introduction of the Ford Mustang, two of the most famous muscle cars of all time. I agree though, that 1964 definitely wasn't the culmination year for the 60's.