Years that felt like pop culture was at the peak of its own era and not in transition...

69: Peak of Hippie culture.
78: Peak of Disco culture.
84: Peak of 80's/MTV culture
93: Peak of early 90's culture
99: Peak of late 90's culture

The 00's and 10's? not completely sure, seeing that pop culture isn't as great as it once was. What do y'all think?

When was the peak for "New Age" music?

Peak of Doo-wop: 1957?
Peak of Rockabilly/surfing music/British Invasion period: 1964
Peak of Hippie/psychedelic pop period: 1968
Peak of Southern Rock period: 1973
Peak of Disco: 1977
Peak of New Wave: 1981?
Peak of Synthpop: 1984
Peak of Glam Metal: 1988
Peak of Grunge: 1993
Peak of Teen Pop/Nu Metal: 1999
Peak of Crunk: 2004?
Peak of Emo: 2006
Peak of Electropop: 2009
Peak of Dubstep: 2012
Peak of Hipster era: 2014?

? = not sure

In my opinion pop culture peak years are pretty difficult to decipher. Eras are much easier to define.

September 1991 - March 1994: The Early '90s
April 1994 - June 1997: The Mid '90s
July 1997 - September 1998: The Late '90s (ridiculously short, I know)
October 1998 - 9/11: The Y2K Era
September 12, 2001 - December 2003: The Early Aughts
January 2004 - October 2006: The Mid Aughts
November 2006 - October 2008: The Late Aughts
November 2008 - June 2011: The Recession Era
July 2011 - March 2014: The Early 2010's
April 2014 - present: The Mid 2010's

core 90's

late 1992-mid 1993: transition from early 90's to mid 90's

late 1993-mid 1996: mid 90's
quintessential year: 1994-1995 season/school year

late 1996-mid 1997: transition from mid 90's to late 90's


millennial era

late 1997-mid 2000: late 90's
quintessential year: 1999

late 2000-mid 2001: transition from late 90's to early 00's

late 2001-mid 2003: early 00's
quintessential year: 2002


core 00's

late 2003-mid 2004: transition from early 00's to mid 00's

late 2004-mid 2006: mid 00's
quintessential year: 2005

mid/late 2006: transition from mid 00's to late 00's

late 2006-mid 2008: late 00's
quintessential year: 2007-2008 season/school year


electropop era

late 2008-mid 2009: transition from late 00's to early 10's

late 2009-mid 2012: early 10's
quintessential year: 2010-2011 season/school year

late 2012-mid 2013: transition from early 10's to mid 10's


core 10's

late 2013-present: mid 10's
quintessential year: 2015

Autumn 1990 to Winter 1991/1992:  Transition from Bush '41 era/late 80s to early 90s
Spring 1992 to Summer 1993:  Quintessential early 90s period
Autumn 1993 to Winter 1994/1995:  Transition from early 90s to mid-90s
Spring 1995 to Summer 1996:  Quintessential mid-90s period
Autumn 1996 to Summer 1997:  Transition from mid-90s to late 90s
Autumn 1997 to Summer 1998:  Quintessential late 90s period
Autumn 1998 to Spring 1999:  Transition from late 90s to millennial era
Summer 1999 to Summer 2000:  Quintessential millennial period
Autumn 2000 to 9/11:  Transition from millennial era to early 2000s
9/11 to Autumn 2002:  Quintessential early 2000s
Winter 2002/2003 to Winter 2003/2004:  Transition from early 2000s to mid-2000s
Spring 2004 to Autumn 2005:  Quintessential mid-2000s
Winter 2005/2006 to Autumn 2006:  Transition from mid-2000s to late 2000s
Winter 2006/2007 to Summer 2008:  Quintessential late 2000s
Autumn 2008 to Winter 2009/2010:  Transition from late 2000s to early 2010s
Spring 2010 to Summer 2012:  Quintessential early 2010s
Autumn 2012 to Summer 2013:  Transition from early 2010s to mid-2010s
Autumn 2013 to present:  Quintessential mid-2010s (it's possible we're already transitioning into the late 2010s, thanks to the success of The Force Awakens, the election season being in full swing, and rising hype about virtual reality)

Decades wise! From 60s to now.
60s: 1968/1969
70s: 1976/1977
80s: 1985/86
90s: 1995/96
00s: either 2004/05 or 2006/07
10s: not sure!! ;D

I'm curious why you guys don't talk about anything before the 90s! ???  Give it a shot! ;D ;)

It's just what I think! ;)
Early 60s(1960-late 1963): 1963
Transition(1963-1964 school year)
Mid 60s(mid 1964-spring 1967): 1966
Late 60s(summer 1967-early 1970): 1968


Early 70s(1970-mid 1974): 1972
Mid 70s(August 1974-early 1977): 1976
Late 70s(1977-early 1980): 1977
Transitional(1980-81 school year)


Early 80s(1981- early 1984): 1982
Mid 80s(1984-early 1987): 1985
Late 80s(1987-until 1990): 1988


Early 90s(1990-early 1993): 1991/92
Mid 90s(late 1993-mid 1996): 1995/96ish
Late 90s(late 1996-mid 1998): 1997 (Basically both school years were transitioning from core 90s to Y2K)


Millennium/Y2K period(Late 1998-2001): 1999/00

Early 2000s:(Late 2001-early 2004): 2002/03
Mid 2000s: (Late 2004-mid 2006): 2005
Late 2000s:(Late 2006-mid 2008): 2007/08ish

Recession era(Late 2008-2011): 2009/2010 (Transitional period)

Early 2010s: (2011-mid 2013): 2012
Transition from early-mid(2013-14 school year)
Mid 2010s: (2014-present): so far 2015 unfortunately

I'm curious why you guys don't talk about anything before the 90s! ???  Give it a shot! ;D ;)


I only started with the 90s because it seems like hardly anybody here cares about the 80s and earlier, sadly.

Here's my take on previous decades:

April, 1945 to August 15, 1945:  Transition from mid-40s to early post-war decade/late 40s (NOTE:  I see the period spanning the end of World War II through the birth of rock & roll and decline of McCarthyism as its own full cultural decade that just happens to be sandwiched between the 40s and 50s.)
August 15, 1945 to Winter 1946/1947:  Quintessential early post-war decade/late 40s
Spring 1947 to Spring 1950:  Transition from early post-war decade/late 40s to mid-post-war decade/early 50s
June 25, 1950 to March 5, 1953:  Quintessential mid-post-war decade/early 50s
March 5, 1953 to Spring 1955:  Transition from mid-post-war decade/early 50s to late post-war decade/mid-50s
Summer 1955 to May 2, 1957:  Quintessential mid-50s/late post-war decade
May 2, 1957 to Summer 1957:  Transition from mid-50s/late post-war decade to late 50s
Autumn 1957 to Winter 1958/1959:  Quintessential late 50s
Spring 1959 to Summer 1962:  Transition from late 50s to early 60s

Autumn 1962 to November 22, 1963:  Quintessential early 60s
November 22, 1963 to February 8, 1964:  Transition from early 60s to mid-60s
February 9, 1964 to Spring 1966:  Quintessential mid-60s
Summer 1966 to Spring 1968:  Transition from mid-60s to late 60s
Summer 1968 to Summer 1969:  Quintessential late 60s
Autumn 1969 to Spring 1970:  Transition from late 60s to early 70s

Summer 1970 to Autumn 1972:  Quintessential early 70s
Winter 1972/1973 to August 8, 1974:  Transition from early 70s to mid-70s
August 9, 1974 to Autumn 1976:  Quintessential mid-70s
Winter 1976/1977 to Summer 1977:  Transition from mid-70s to late 70s
Autumn 1977 to Summer 1979:  Quintessential late 70s
Autumn 1979 to Summer 1981:  Transition from late 70s to early 80s

Autumn 1981 to Spring 1983:  Quintessential early 80s
Summer 1983 to Winter 1983/1984:  Transition from early 80s to mid-80s
Spring 1984 to Summer 1986:  Quintessential mid-80s, part I (Brat Pack & Wham! era)
Autumn 1986 to Autumn 1987:  Quintessential mid-80s, part II (ALF & new school hip hop era)
Winter 1987/1988 to Winter 1988/1989:  Transition from mid-80s to late 80s/Bush '41 era
Spring 1989 to Summer 1990:  Quintessential late 80s/Bush '41 era

I only started with the 90s because it seems like hardly anybody here cares about the 80s and earlier, sadly.

Here's my take on previous decades:

April, 1945 to August 15, 1945:  Transition from mid-40s to early post-war decade/late 40s (NOTE:  I see the period spanning the end of World War II through the birth of rock & roll and decline of McCarthyism as its own full cultural decade that just happens to be sandwiched between the 40s and 50s.)
August 15, 1945 to Winter 1946/1947:  Quintessential early post-war decade/late 40s
Spring 1947 to Spring 1950:  Transition from early post-war decade/late 40s to mid-post-war decade/early 50s
June 25, 1950 to March 5, 1953:  Quintessential mid-post-war decade/early 50s
March 5, 1953 to Spring 1955:  Transition from mid-post-war decade/early 50s to late post-war decade/mid-50s
Summer 1955 to May 2, 1957:  Quintessential mid-50s/late post-war decade
May 2, 1956 to Summer 1957:  Transition from mid-50s/late post-war decade to late 50s
Autumn 1957 to Winter 1958/1959:  Quintessential late 50s
Spring 1959 to Summer 1962:  Transition from late 50s to early 60s

Autumn 1962 to November 22, 1963:  Quintessential early 60s
November 22, 1963 to February 8, 1964:  Transition from early 60s to mid-60s
February 9, 1964 to Spring 1966:  Quintessential mid-60s
Summer 1966 to Spring 1968:  Transition from mid-60s to late 60s
Summer 1968 to Summer 1969:  Quintessential late 60s
Autumn 1969 to Spring 1970:  Transition from late 60s to early 70s

Summer 1970 to Autumn 1972:  Quintessential early 70s
Winter 1972/1973 to August 8, 1974:  Transition from early 70s to mid-70s
August 9, 1974 to Autumn 1976:  Quintessential mid-70s
Winter 1976/1977 to Summer 1977:  Transition from mid-70s to late 70s
Autumn 1977 to Summer 1979:  Quintessential late 70s
Autumn 1979 to Summer 1981:  Transition from late 70s to early 80s

Autumn 1981 to Spring 1983:  Quintessential early 80s
Summer 1983 to Winter 1983/1984:  Transition from early 80s to mid-80s
Spring 1984 to Summer 1986:  Quintessential mid-80s, part I (Brat Pack & Wham! era)
Autumn 1986 to Autumn 1987:  Quintessential mid-80s, part II (ALF & new school hip hop era)
Winter 1987/1988 to Winter 1988/1989:  Transition from mid-80s to late 80s/Bush '41 era
Spring 1989 to Summer 1990:  Quintessential late 80s/Bush '41 era

Pretty damnded good summary! :)

When it comes to the '80s until the '10s, the years ending in 4 are the peak years.

When it comes to the '80s until the '10s, the years ending in 4 are the peak years.


No, that is way too soon. Although they are important years, they're not the definitive. There is no way that a decade "winds down" starting in the sixth, seventh, or even eighth year.

No, that is way too soon. Although they are important years, they're not the definitive. There is no way that a decade "winds down" starting in the sixth, seventh, or even eighth year.

Yeah I think either 5 or 6.

Peak of ‘70s culture: 1969
Peak of ‘80s culture: 1978
Peak of ‘90s culture: 1990
Peak of ‘00s culture: 1999
Peak of ‘10s culture: 2011