There is a period which no-one ever mentions, and I have my own name for it - the Neighties!
This is a phase between 1988-1992. Culturally (music, TV etc.) it's not quite 80s, not quite 90s, but a curious blend of the two. 1988 saw songs like Buena Vida/Good Life (Inner City), Ride On Time (Black Box) and Doctorin' The Tardis (KLF) all become big hits, essentially heralding in the rave scene that would dominate the 'Neighties', as well as giving an early indication of the classic 'piano house' sound that would rule 90s dance music. A lot of house music had a certain sound to it that it is very distinctive of this particular period.
Other examples would be 'Rythm Is A Dancer' (Snap). Although made in 1992, both the song and video are clearly 80s influenced, yet with a distinct 90s production style. 'The Bodyguard' film is essentially the last hurrah of this period - it's a very 80s-style film, and its soundtrack sounded quite dated even at the time, but it's from 1992. A lot of dance music in particular was still 'echoey' in a cod-80s style, as was grunge, but all of that was gone by 1993 (with the exception of Oasis's 'Definitely Maybe' in 1994, which still had quite a grungey sound).
The children's series 'Press Gang' ran from 1989-1993, but was filmed in that entire 'Neighties' period from 1988-1992. The difference in style from the first episode of PG to the last (all episodes on YouTube, by the way!) is really quite staggering. A lot more changed in that five year period than say, 1993-1997. Nowadays, you could hear a song from five years ago and it wouldn't sound that old. But in 1993, with new jack swing very much the 'in' sound, the likes of Bros or Yazz would've sounded prehistoric!
I agree with this, the 90s only really got going about halfway through the decade. You notice it by watching old TV or music videos from around 1994-5, fashions seems to have suddenly changed quite a bit. And since then the pace of change seems to have slowed.
I agree with this, the 90s only really got going about halfway through the decade. You notice it by watching old TV or music videos from around 1994-5, fashions seems to have suddenly changed quite a bit. And since then the pace of change seems to have slowed.
I totally agree. For me the 90s really began when 2 Unlimited topped the charts with 'No Limit' (don't judge me! ). Although 2U had been around since 1991, they didn't particularly stand out as anything special in the rave scene, perhaps a bit more mainstream. But the sort of harder, more melodic and techno sound of 'No Limit' was a real progression of dance music that many acts copied in the years that followed, but most prominently in 1993 and 4.
I also agree that the rate of change does seem to have slowed a lot. 1993, 1996, 1999 - all very different. But is there really much difference between years recently? With the exception of the constantly evolving iPhone, I think the most significant changes in this decade so far are the coalition government, the emergence of ISIS and the growing awareness of transgender issues.
Fair enough, but with the greatest respect, the BIB is more about your personal life than pop culture.
Which is why I wrote it's a matter of perspective. The pop culture was the same for us all, it was there, but diffeent age groups perceive and define periods differently, generally according whatever stage of life that age group is experiencing at the time.
Perception really is a funny thing. I agree that the world and indeed culture hasn't changed that dramatically in the last ten years. Things have slowed down more than they seemed to done in previous eras. Maybe in the future we will see the difference.
To be honest the world doesn't seem that much different to what it was back in the late 90s. If you transported me back in time to 1997, it would probably take me a while before I would start to notice major differences from now.
Which is why I wrote it's a matter of perspective. The pop culture was the same for us all, it was there, but diffeent age groups perceive and define periods differently, generally according whatever stage of life that age group is experiencing at the time.
To be honest the world doesn't seem that much different to what it was back in the late 90s. If you transported me back in time to 1997, it would probably take me a while before I would start to notice major differences from now.
It'd be the big blocky black mobiles with small screens, and how relatively few there were, you'd be likely to notice first, then relatively few and expensive laptops, and non-flatscreen computers and televisions. Floppy disks and stand alone word processors would still be in some use!
It really depends on which photos you look at and compare. Not every photo from the 60s looks that different from the 70s, and that from the 80s, and so on.
Pictures between respective decades in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s all have distinct differences across eras - fashion, home decoration, buildings etc.
But aside from the advances in technology, a photo taken in 2005 could easily pass for 2015, provided no-one is standing next to an old TV or computer monitor. Why is this?
I think about things like this too.
The other night when an episode of 'Friends' was on, one from the last series I think, it struck me that from the 'look' of it, the clothes the actors were wearing and the sets etc that it could easily pass for an episode that was made today.
However, when you watch a Friends episode from the first few series there is a distinct 90's look and feel to it.
It can work the other way too. I recently used a basic Ohnar slide duplicator (you put a colour slide in the end and copy it to digital with your camera) and the photos were from the mid 1950's. The ones with blokes leaning casually outside a bar in Tripoli looked absolutely fresh - the fact that the Kodachrome film had no grain or colour loss added to the illusion. The place who printed them out for me asked where I had been on holiday!
Whilst there's always going to be a degree of offish perspective whilst your experiencing a particular decade, I do think that the Noughties will in time have a reputation as the dullest, blandest, least innovative, least creative and least colourful decade in living memory (so approximately the last 90 years given how long people live for these days). I think there are various reasons for that...
Globalisation
International integration has been bigger than ever since the turn of the century. As such there is far more variety than ever within western society, to the point it is hard to pinpoint which particular aspects could be considered as defining. These days things have leveled out a little bit more, especially as certain parts of the world deal with the realistic difficulties of embracing and adapting to a global world. But there is something of an identity crisis as a result of globalisation.
Nostalgia-thru-Terrorism
Something else that has been bigger than ever has been the issue of terrorism. Sadly and somewhat inevitably it's a problem that's continued into the 10's, but the 2000's were so often shaped and defined by terrorism. The September 11th attacks on America are probably the biggest and most defining moments of the decade, whilst other attacks in London, Madrid, Pakistan and India were among the tragic headlines that made the news.
Such attacks change the mindset of people, and there's an undercurrent of fear. That doesn't seem likely to influence culture in and of itself, but as these issues and the threat of the so-called Islamic State persevere into the current decade we get all driven by nostalgia. There's possible subconscious reasons as to why superhero films are all the rage right now, and why classic films of the 80's and 90's such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and classic 90's shows like The X Files and Twin Peaks keep getting revived. Society enjoys the nostalgia, but by doing so you limit the exposure to new ideas, new ways of thinking, new styles. They're out there, but they're pretty niché and cannot be considered defining aspects of a decade.
Technological Advances
It's hard to see it now, but 2015 is a far cry from 2005 when it comes to what technology enables us to do. I feel that the Noughties were something of a middle ground between the far more technology-free 1990's and the technology-driven 2010's. All of our innovation seemed to be poured into a world inside a screen... a new feature for Facebook was bigger news than a new musuem opening in a world city. These days I feel that technology has advanced further still but in doing so has become ever more integrated with other aspects of life that enable it to be less of a blockade against culture. But the 00's weren't quite there yet... and so we were all so busy looking at our screens that we left the real world somewhat ill-defined.
The '10's Perspective
It's hard to say for sure as it's impossible to define a decade when you're only half way through it, but I do feel that the 2010's have got tonnes more character and style to them than the decade before.
Again, I feel that is in part due to the technological leaps from the 2000's paying off. Social networking is now far more convenient, affordable and accessible. Nearly everyone can now use the likes of Facebook in public, so technology no longer feels like an incentive to stay indoors. Blogs such as Tumblr are also very popular, and a fantastic outlet to inspire people to see and experience the world again. Phones now come with highly competent and efficient cameras that can snap and share moments so quickly that we can get back to experiencing those moments in real life. And it's little things like this that afford society the time to let a culture take shape. We now have a more realistic view on where technology is going, and a more realistic view about the propspects of a global world - so we try harder to safeguard things like our national identity and so on.
I think the '10's have become a lot more colourful and vibrant than the grey and monotone years of the last decade (which is perhaps how they'll best be remembered and defined). Outside of the UK, I feel that people are generally a lot happier than they were 10 or even 5 years ago, even if they don't realise it. I feel that music has somewhat improved from the repetitive pop-scene of the 00's, as a wider array of genres has been embraced into the norm and so we hear a lot more unique sounds. With hope, and a lot of work I also hope we begin to move away from the financial struggles that defined the last decade (though for many it has gotten worse and we need to see that change) and the west needs to find more certain ground in regards to how it deals with terrorism. The UK itself needs to find its identity, whatever that may mean... at the moment we've come off the back of a referendum that would have seen the country divided and we may be sitting in front of another that determines our future role within Europe. All of these little things contribute to the mindset of the people, which in turn determines how a decade is rememebered.
Put simply, I feel that the 2000's lack of identity is perhaps its identity. And the 2010's so far seem to be a bit of a mix of nostalgia and new ideas all at once... it's a small step in the right direction though I feel the current decade will ultimately be remembered more fondly than the last.
At a push, I'm guessing things like remote controls, shopping/scanning and bus/train/plane tickets!
That's already happening now. Some airlines are using mobile boarding passes and NFC and contactless pay are becoming more widespread, plus some shops have phone apps. I'm sure there are remote control apps too
That's already happening now. Some airlines are using mobile boarding passes and NFC and contactless pay are becoming more widespread, plus some shops have phone apps. I'm sure there are remote control apps too
Absolutely, but what I meant was they'll be absolutely normal in ten years time. I also think physical cash might be gone by 2030 as well!
Comments
I agree with this, the 90s only really got going about halfway through the decade. You notice it by watching old TV or music videos from around 1994-5, fashions seems to have suddenly changed quite a bit. And since then the pace of change seems to have slowed.
I totally agree. For me the 90s really began when 2 Unlimited topped the charts with 'No Limit' (don't judge me!
I also agree that the rate of change does seem to have slowed a lot. 1993, 1996, 1999 - all very different. But is there really much difference between years recently? With the exception of the constantly evolving iPhone, I think the most significant changes in this decade so far are the coalition government, the emergence of ISIS and the growing awareness of transgender issues.
To be honest the world doesn't seem that much different to what it was back in the late 90s. If you transported me back in time to 1997, it would probably take me a while before I would start to notice major differences from now.
Fair enough.
It'd be the big blocky black mobiles with small screens, and how relatively few there were, you'd be likely to notice first, then relatively few and expensive laptops, and non-flatscreen computers and televisions. Floppy disks and stand alone word processors would still be in some use!
This photo of Harrison Ford in 1978 illustrates that point.
The other night when an episode of 'Friends' was on, one from the last series I think, it struck me that from the 'look' of it, the clothes the actors were wearing and the sets etc that it could easily pass for an episode that was made today.
However, when you watch a Friends episode from the first few series there is a distinct 90's look and feel to it.
Globalisation
International integration has been bigger than ever since the turn of the century. As such there is far more variety than ever within western society, to the point it is hard to pinpoint which particular aspects could be considered as defining. These days things have leveled out a little bit more, especially as certain parts of the world deal with the realistic difficulties of embracing and adapting to a global world. But there is something of an identity crisis as a result of globalisation.
Nostalgia-thru-Terrorism
Something else that has been bigger than ever has been the issue of terrorism. Sadly and somewhat inevitably it's a problem that's continued into the 10's, but the 2000's were so often shaped and defined by terrorism. The September 11th attacks on America are probably the biggest and most defining moments of the decade, whilst other attacks in London, Madrid, Pakistan and India were among the tragic headlines that made the news.
Such attacks change the mindset of people, and there's an undercurrent of fear. That doesn't seem likely to influence culture in and of itself, but as these issues and the threat of the so-called Islamic State persevere into the current decade we get all driven by nostalgia. There's possible subconscious reasons as to why superhero films are all the rage right now, and why classic films of the 80's and 90's such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and classic 90's shows like The X Files and Twin Peaks keep getting revived. Society enjoys the nostalgia, but by doing so you limit the exposure to new ideas, new ways of thinking, new styles. They're out there, but they're pretty niché and cannot be considered defining aspects of a decade.
Technological Advances
It's hard to see it now, but 2015 is a far cry from 2005 when it comes to what technology enables us to do. I feel that the Noughties were something of a middle ground between the far more technology-free 1990's and the technology-driven 2010's. All of our innovation seemed to be poured into a world inside a screen... a new feature for Facebook was bigger news than a new musuem opening in a world city. These days I feel that technology has advanced further still but in doing so has become ever more integrated with other aspects of life that enable it to be less of a blockade against culture. But the 00's weren't quite there yet... and so we were all so busy looking at our screens that we left the real world somewhat ill-defined.
The '10's Perspective
It's hard to say for sure as it's impossible to define a decade when you're only half way through it, but I do feel that the 2010's have got tonnes more character and style to them than the decade before.
Again, I feel that is in part due to the technological leaps from the 2000's paying off. Social networking is now far more convenient, affordable and accessible. Nearly everyone can now use the likes of Facebook in public, so technology no longer feels like an incentive to stay indoors. Blogs such as Tumblr are also very popular, and a fantastic outlet to inspire people to see and experience the world again. Phones now come with highly competent and efficient cameras that can snap and share moments so quickly that we can get back to experiencing those moments in real life. And it's little things like this that afford society the time to let a culture take shape. We now have a more realistic view on where technology is going, and a more realistic view about the propspects of a global world - so we try harder to safeguard things like our national identity and so on.
I think the '10's have become a lot more colourful and vibrant than the grey and monotone years of the last decade (which is perhaps how they'll best be remembered and defined). Outside of the UK, I feel that people are generally a lot happier than they were 10 or even 5 years ago, even if they don't realise it. I feel that music has somewhat improved from the repetitive pop-scene of the 00's, as a wider array of genres has been embraced into the norm and so we hear a lot more unique sounds. With hope, and a lot of work I also hope we begin to move away from the financial struggles that defined the last decade (though for many it has gotten worse and we need to see that change) and the west needs to find more certain ground in regards to how it deals with terrorism. The UK itself needs to find its identity, whatever that may mean... at the moment we've come off the back of a referendum that would have seen the country divided and we may be sitting in front of another that determines our future role within Europe. All of these little things contribute to the mindset of the people, which in turn determines how a decade is rememebered.
Put simply, I feel that the 2000's lack of identity is perhaps its identity. And the 2010's so far seem to be a bit of a mix of nostalgia and new ideas all at once... it's a small step in the right direction though I feel the current decade will ultimately be remembered more fondly than the last.
That's already happening now. Some airlines are using mobile boarding passes and NFC and contactless pay are becoming more widespread, plus some shops have phone apps. I'm sure there are remote control apps too
Absolutely, but what I meant was they'll be absolutely normal in ten years time. I also think physical cash might be gone by 2030 as well!