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9 0 s
Arguably the best decade of the 20th century, the ’90s had
it all – fantastic music, iconic movies, timeless TV shows, the
best (and worst) of fashion, and some of the greatest toys
and games ever created. Packed full of passionate tributes
and stunning photography, the Ultimate 90s Collection is a
celebration of the decade that brought us Friends, Jurassic
Park, Harry Potter, the Super Nintendo, Britpop, the Spice Girls
and so much more. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane
and revisit the films, albums, videogames, tech, toys, TV shows
and clothes that made the ’90s so special.
9 0 s
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Part of the
bookazine series
CONTENTS
8 THE SIMPSONS
Discover how a cartoon family evolved into an
iconic TV show, won hearts around the world,
042
Friends
and became a ’90s pop-culture phenomenon
18 90 FILMS
THAT DEFINED
THE ’90s
36 WWE
38 THE FRESH PRINCE
OF BEL-AIR
40 TAMAGOTCHI
080
42 FRIENDS Polly Pocket
46 DREAM PHONE
48 FURBY The
50 HARRY POTTER AND
THE PHILOSOPHER’S
STONE
Simpsons
52 CAPTAIN PLANET
AND THE
08
PLANETEERS
54 ATMOSFEAR
56 BAYWATCH
58 THE GOLDEN AGE
OF GAMING
60 GAME BOY
64 MEGA DRIVE
68 SNES
72 N64
76 PLAYSTATION
038
The Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air
80 POLLY POCKET
82 TELETUBBIES
84 SUPER SOAKER
86 APPLE IMAC
036
WWE
6
018
90 films
that defined
the ’90s
88 MIGHTY MORPHIN
POWER RANGERS
90 BOP IT
92 THE INTERNET
94 POKÉMON
TRADING CARD
090 GAME
Bop It
088 96 FASHIONS OF
Mighty Morphin THE ’90s
Power Rangers
100 SOUTH PARK
102 THE DVD
REVOLUTION
104 SUPERTED
106 THE X-FILES
110 MIGHTY MAX
112 REN & STIMPY
114 BEANIE BABIES
116 CROCODILE DENTIST
118 BEAVIS AND
082 BUTT-HEAD
Teletubbies
120 SAVED BY THE BELL
122 MINIDISC
124 BUFFY THE
106 VAMPIRE SLAYER
The X-Files 126 GOOSEBUMPS
128 BEVERLY HILLS,
90210
130 THE SOUNDS
OF THE ’90s
132 BATTLE OF BRITPOP
136 GIRL POWER VS
Sounds BOY BANDS
7
8
SIMPSO
ONS How a hastily sketched cartoon family
evolved into an iconic TV show, won
hearts around the world, and became a
pop-culture phenomenon
9
he Simpsons is the greatest TV show
TV SHOW
the beehive-sporting anxious mother; Bart,
the troublemaker; his smart and socially
conscious sister Lisa; and the pacifier-
sucking baby, Maggie. On the fly, Groening
had created The Simpsons. The cast would
eventually expand and the family would evolve
in look and personality after leaving Tracey
Ullman behind, but the core of what we now
What made us fall in love with a dysfunctional
know and love as The Simpsons was there.
The Simpsons debuted on The Tracey
family from Springfield?
Ullman Show in 1987. It was then picked hen trying to put your finger on
up by Fox and developed into a full half-
hour series, which premiered on TV in the
December of 1989. The show quickly became
W what it is that makes The Simpsons
such a great TV show, it’s hard to
look past its characters as the starting point.
a phenomenon. The series’ early success There tended to be a veneer of fakeness about
was centred around the popularity of Bart, the sitcom families we were exposed to when
the world’s favourite delinquent. Millions of the show debuted. Despite being bright-yellow
T-shirts, lunchboxes and other memorabilia cartoon characters, the Simpsons, in contrast,
featuring Bart were sold, and controversy was felt uncompromisingly real. Every member
generated as schools started banning T-shirts of the family is flawed. Their relationships are
featuring the character due to debates about troubled and the resolutions they reach to
him being a bad role model. overcome their problems often feel patchwork
Bartmania would soon die down, and other and makeshift. Precisely because the
Simpson family members were allowed to Simpsons aren’t idealised, precisely because
drift into the spotlight as the show grew in their relationships are messy and difficult, we
sophistication and ambition. The Simpsons can identify with them. We can see their flaws
found its groove, and its undeniable quality in ourselves and our family members. We
quietened the volume of criticism as the can laugh at the way The Simpsons brilliantly
series evolved into the decade’s greatest exposes the reality of family dynamics,
television success. without being judgmental, and draw heart
The Simpsons is still going today, but will from the way that the Simpsons’ genuine love
always be inextricably linked to the decade for each other keeps them going despite their
that gave us its Golden Age: the 1990s. obvious issues.
10
THE SIMPSONS
TOP 5
FAMOUS
FACES
Krusty Gets Busted
Kelsey Grammer
Making the transition from one huge
’90s sitcom to another, Kelsey Grammer
jumped over from Frasier to provide the
voice for Sideshow Bob, who has ended
up being a popular returning character,
usually out to get revenge on Bart for his
arrest in the episode Krusty Gets Busted.
“A savage satire it may be, but let’s not forget The Springfield
Files
that The Simpsons is also just very funny. It’s Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny
11
“You can find
a Simpsons
version of
pretty much
every famous
board game”
TOYS
Memorabilia madness brings The
Simpsons to toy-store shelves and
high-street racks
12
THE SIMPSONS
iven that early Simpsons fever was available through cross-brand promotional Simpsons merch extends well beyond
13
MEDIA
Conquering the entertainment world, from
The Simpsons: Bart
& the Beanstalk
received mixed
reviews when it
was released on
he swift success
T
on Radioactive Man, transforming a fictional
of The Simpsons comic book hero within the Simpsons universe
led to the series into a comic book hero in the real world.
branching out into other media. A slew of As we’ve mentioned Bartman, we should
Simpsons books were published in the early also touch on the series’ brief flirtation with the
’90s, kicking off with Greetings from The music industry. In 1990, a Simpsons album
Simpsons, The Simpsons Xmas Book and called The Simpsons Sing the Blues was
The Simpsons Rainy Day Fun Book. These released, featuring songs performed by Homer,
books ranged from those that let you delve Marge, Bart and Lisa. Do the Bartman was
deeper, like The Simpsons Uncensored Family released as a single from the album, making it
Album – which featured family trees of the to Number 1 in the UK, New Zealand, Norway,
Simpson and Bouvier families, baby photos Ireland and Australia.
of Homer and Marge, and the documenting of As if conquering TV, publishing and music
the lives of their children – to books aimed at a wasn’t enough, The Simpsons also delved
younger audience, like Maggie Simpson’s Book into the world of videogames. The first game
of Animals. based on the series remains one of the better The Simpsons took to the arcades as well as
In 1993, creator Matt Groening founded a Simpsons games: The Simpsons: Bart vs. home consoles. The Simpsons arcade game
comic book company called Bongo Comics to the Space Mutants, released on NES, Master was a side-scrolling beat ’em up released in
publish Simpsons-themed comics. Obviously, System and a variety of other systems. The 1991 where up to four players could take control
this includes a comic book series based on game was a 2D side-scrolling platformer where of Homer, a hoover-wielding Marge, a skipping
The Simpsons, but there was also an Itchy & you, playing as Bart, had to thwart an alien rope-swinging Lisa and a skateboard-riding
Scratchy series, a Bartman series based on invasion using Bart’s X-ray specs to spot aliens Bart, to battle against enemies and save the
Bart’s superhero alter-ego, and even a series hiding in human form. kidnapped Maggie. It was a brilliantly vivid re-
14
THE SIMPSONS
15
as been
t ’ McNall h
Travis ‘Bar em orabilia
impsons m
collecting S s.
30 year
for nearly
THE
SIMPSONS
SUPERFAN
Simpsons fan Travis ‘Bart’ McNall talks us through his
colossal collection of Simpsons memorabilia
How did you first get into The Simpsons? drug store that sold some toys. It was a Bart Yes. The number-one item that I’m looking
I first saw The Simpsons as shorts on The Simpson doll from DanDee. For Christmas for to add to my Simpsons collection is a
Tracey Ullman Show on 19 April 1987. I’m not 1990, Simpsons items are pretty much all the Bart Simpson theme park costume. The very
sure if I’ve seen them all. Then I heard that material gifts that I got that year. one used at Universal Orlando Resort
they were having a Christmas special on 17 or Universal Studios Hollywood. Also, I’d
December 1989. I watched it then. Then I What are some of your favourite items like to get an actual Simpsons animation
heard that they were having regular episodes in your collection? cel, with the whole family or just Bart in a
airing. I did what most people would do and My current favourite item is a life-sized decent pose. I’d like to be in a Simpsons
watched a few episodes to see if it was worth plush Bart Simpson doll. One of the other episode as a big fan and collector of the
it to keep watching. By that March, I got favourite items that I have (that I can think ‘I didn’t do it boy’, and actually talk to
hooked. I like The Simpsons for the humour. of) is a reproduction animation cel from the Bart himself.
Bart Simpson has and always will be my 100th episode. Only 2,500 were made. I
favourite Simpsons character. have some Bart Simpson T-shirts that I Do you think you’ll ever run out of
really like, some of which I wear today and Simpsons items to collect?
How did you get into collecting some I keep in mint or near-mint shape. Right now, I’m not sure. I only collect the
Simpsons merchandise? Also, I have some unopened Bart Simpson clean Simpsons items. I won’t collect
When I got hooked on the show, I saw some action figures and some Simpsons books in anything that’s dirty [rude]. If they still make
Simpsons merchandise in stores. I really different languages. and release anything clean, I plan to collect
wanted to buy them. But, at the time, I was it. Right now (in the US) I haven’t really seen
too young to be working. I’m thinking I got Are there rare items missing from your anything new except for some comics and
one of my first items at a local pharmacy/ collection that are tricky to get hold of? some T-shirts; nothing big.
16
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17
90
FILMS
FILMS THAT
DEFINED
THE ’90S Take a trip down memory lane with the
very best films that defined a generation
ox office became a big deal in crime capers, while Dances with Wolves
went one better, earning over $1.843 billion. ’80s, they still managed to make an impact
Money wasn’t the only thing that was with films like Terminator 2 and Cliffhanger.
Century Fox; Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc; Getty
changing: audiences’ tastes were, too. Ultimately, however, it was Tom Hanks and
Horror movies that had been hugely Tom Cruise who would become some of
popular during the ’80s began to fade, only the biggest stars of the decade, with Hanks
returning later in the decade, while gross- winning two best actor Oscars back to
out comedies like There’s Something About back, a feat that hadn’t been achieved in the
Mary and Dumb and Dumber found new category since Spencer Tracey in 1938.
audiences. The runaway success of Quentin So join us as we look at some of the
Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs reignited interest decade’s most enduring films.
19
Ghost Léon
1990 1994
1 2
The highest-grossing film of Luc Besson’s unlikely tale
1990 made Patrick Swayze of a hitman who takes in an
and Demi Moore mega orphaned girl works largely
stars, and even earned Whoopi thanks to sensational
Goldberg an Oscar for best performances from Jean Reno
supporting actress the following as the childlike hitman, Gary
year. Its iconic potter’s-wheel Oldman’s unhinged dirty cop,
scene has been parodied countless and a powerhouse debut from a
times over the decades, while its then 12-year-old Natalie Portman.
theme tune, Unchained Melody, Oozing style, the available
turned out to be a big hit for the director’s cut further explores
Righteous Brothers 35 years after it the main characters’ complex
was first recorded. relationship, which is fascinating.
3
Who would have thought a group of unlikely unemployed men
becoming strippers would have performed so well at the box
office? Made for a paltry $3.5 million, it netted $258 million at the
box office, kickstarted the career of Mark Addy, and led to a play and
Broadway musical.
4 7
Kevin Smith’s debut film He wasn’t able to topple
was shot in the convenience Thieves About Mary Spielberg’s dinos, but Robin
1991 1998
store where he actually Williams’ performance of
5 6
worked, and was made for a Never mind the fact that The highest-grossing comedy a failing actor who dresses up as
meagre $27,525. It cemented this is another dubious of the year catapulted Ben the curmudgeonly Mrs Doubtfire
him as one of the leading indie Hollywood portrayal of Stiller and Cameron Diaz in order to see his children
directors of the ’90s, though, the popular English folk hero; to the top of Hollywood, and still did gangbusters at the box
and helped to create the View let’s remember Alan Rickman’s proved the Farrelly brothers had office. While a sequel was still
Askewniverse – the fictional hilariously hammy portrayal of the no bounds when it came to the in development as late as 2014,
universe that would link many of Sheriff of Nottingham and Bryan pursuit of comedy. Amazingly, Bill Williams’ tragic death that same
Smith’s later films. A sequel was Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It Murray was originally considered year inevitably means it is now
released in 2006. For You. for the sleazy role of Pat Healy. permanently cancelled.
20
FILMS
10 11
Jackie Chan’s first big After a six-year break,
western blockbuster Martin Campbell was
saw him teaming up tasked with rebooting
with the smart-mouthed Chris James Bond. It turned out to be
Tucker for a fairly formulaic take a very smart move, generating
on the buddy action genre. Despite more than $350 million at the box
some rather lacklustre reviews, it office. Pierce Brosnan shines as the
still made $244 million off a $33 sultry spy, while Dame Judi Dench
million budget, leading Newline becomes the perfect foil for him as
to commission two sequels in his new boss, M. It’s only real let
2001 and 2007. A fourth movie is down by Sean Bean’s somewhat
allegedly in the works. weak villain.
Boogie Unforgiven
Nights 1992
13
1997 Clint Eastwood’s love
letter to the Westerns
12
Paul Thomas Anderson’s
focus on the porn that made him so iconic
industry of San Fernando scored big at the Oscars, winning
Valley reinvented Marky Mark four awards, including best picture,
as a serious actor, and featured director and supporting actor
a career-defining role from Burt for Gene Hackman’s frightening
Terminator II: Reynolds. It has arguably got the performance as ‘Little’ Bill Daggett.
Judgment Day best ensemble cast of the decade Eastwood himself plays brilliantly
against type, until the final
1991 (with Magnolia possibly just edging
showdown turns him into every
8
James Cameron’s second pairing with Arnold Schwarzenegger it), and a killer soundtrack that
spawned two albums. violent character he’s ever played.
generated over $523 million to become the year’s top hit.
While it’s remembered for its (then) cutting-edge visuals,
Arnie’s clever role-reversal and the introductions of Edward Furlong
and Robert Patrick, it’s the transformation of Linda Hamilton into a
highly trained killing machine that leaves the biggest impression.
9
Guy Ritchie’s comedy crime caper
led to a marriage with Madonna,
turned Jason Statham into one of
Hollywood’s biggest action stars, and
launched the unlikely acting career of
footballer Vinnie Jones. It’s an excellent
crime story, which convinced Sting it was
worth returning to acting (it wasn’t).
21
Speed The Muppet
1994 Christmas Carol
14
Described on release 1992
15
as ‘Die Hard on a bus’, If you only ever watch
the directorial debut one Christmas film
of cinematographer Jan de Bont starring muppets and
remains an epic action movie Michael Caine, then make sure
today. Speed features a crazy turn it’s this one. While it didn’t do
by Dennis Hopper, helped further big business at the box office Wayne’s World
the blossoming career of a then upon its release, Brian Henson’s 1992
16
largely unknown Sandra Bullock, movie has become a real Mike Myers’ Saturday Night Live sketch show became a
and of course had everyone Christmas favourite thanks to monstrous cinematic hit that had everybody schwinging and
talking about Keanu Reeves’ sexy some killer jokes and a ‘bah hurling upon its release. Notable for a huge number of cameos,
new haircut. A true classic from humbug’ performance which included Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper and Jimmy DeGrasso, its box-
the decade. from Caine. office success led to a less-than-impressive sequel the following year.
20
1999 1998 1994 This fine effort from the
17 18 19
This chilling horror Eerily predicting Nobody plays a lovable, Coen brothers earned
was notable for the world’s current bumbling buffoon like them an Oscar for
numerous reasons. It obsession with trashy Hugh Grant does. Mike best original screenplay. Frances
made ‘recovered footage‘ films reality TV, The Truman Show Newell’s romantic comedy was McDormand also won an Oscar
popular, and was arguably the proved that Jim Carrey was more not only a massive success on for her portrayal of a pregnant
first example of viral marketing, than capable of simply gurning both sides of the Atlantic, but also police officer who investigates the
with many being led to believe it his way through a film, and is led to Wet Wet Wet’s cover of brutal murders that take place in
was a true story thanks to clever arguably his finest performance. The Troggs’ Love Is All Around, a sleepy Minnesota town. A TV
websites available on its release. Ed Harris shines too, as the which topped the UK charts for series set in the same universe was
It’s plagued by poor sequels. creator of Truman’s fake universe. 15 consecutive weeks. released in 2014.
22
FILMS
Goodfellas
1990
21
Martin Scorsese’s
best film of the ’90s
works thanks to the
excellent source material (it’s
based on Nicholas Pileggi’s
Wiseguy) and three powerful
performances from Joe Pesci,
Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta.
Oh, and it’s got one of the
coolest tracking shots of all
time. So there!
Sleepless
in Seattle
1993
22
This romantic comedy-
drama by Nora Ephron
was a surprise hit at the
cinema, and further cemented Tom
Hanks as an increasingly bankable
actor. It also marks the second of
three times he would team up with
his co-star, Meg Ryan. The first
was Joy Verses the Volcano; the
third being You’ve Got Mail, also
by Ephron.
23
“Anthony Hopkins won an Twister The Lion King
Oscar for his sinister portrayal 1996 1994
24 25
Jan de Bont’s tale of Loosely based on
of Hannibal Lecter, while Jodie idiot storm chasers Hamlet, this was
makes for rather another box-office
Foster picked up her second spectacular viewing, and features success for Disney, and featured
best actress Oscar” a somewhat surprising lead the vocal talents of Matthew
performance from the late Bill Broderick, James Earl Jones,
Paxton. Although it lost out on Jeremy Irons, Rowan Atkinson
a best visual effects Oscar to and many others. Elevated by
Independence Day, it did win a an excellent soundtrack from Sir
Golden Raspberry Award for the Elton John, even a string of terrible
worst written film grossing over sequels can’t tarnish its incredible
$100 million. Ouch! reputation and stunning animation.
26 27
Notable for introducing Arguably the nuttiest
the public to Renée plot of the ’90s,
Zellweger, Jerry Maguire Face/Off features John
works thanks to a fantastic Travolta’s Sean Archer swapping
performance from Tom Cruise as faces with Nicholas Cage’s Caster
the titular character, and Cuba Troy so that he can find a bomb
Gooding Jr, who won an Oscar that is supposedly going to level
for his portrayal of Maguire’s Los Angeles. John Woo’s film
remaining sole client, Rodney shouldn’t work on any level
‘Rod’ Tidwell. Audiences showed whatsoever, but it does thanks to
him the money, and Cameron tight action sequences and the
Crowe’s film netted more than magnificent one-upmanship of its
$270 million worldwide. two leads.
The Silence of
the Lambs
1991
23
Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his sinister
portrayal of Hannibal Lecter. It was Oscars all
round in fact, with the chilling psychological drama
also winning Jodie Foster her second best actress Oscar, the
best picture, and a best director gong for Jonathan Demme.
Audiences agreed, and it grossed $272 million at the box office.
24
FILMS
29
1990 Godzilla must have
made perfect sense
28
If you are a child of the
’90s, chances are you at the time. Spielberg
begged and pleaded with had proven that dinosaurs were
your parents to take you to see this popular, and Godzilla was even
on the big screen. Based on the bigger. Clearly a movie would be
popular ’80s comic and fuelled by amazing. Alas, it wasn’t, and while
Partners In Kryme’s top-ten single, it admittedly has some decent
Turtle Power, TMNT became the special effects, it is a mess of a
ninth highest-grossing film of the film thanks to Matthew Broderick’s
year, and led to two sequels in unconvincing lead and a bored
1991 and 1993. Jean Reno.
Titanic
1997
30
James Cameron’s fascination with shipwrecks led to the
biggest-grossing film of all time (well, at least until his
own Avatar surpassed it in 2009). It might not be super
accurate, but Titanic does feature astonishing special effects, great
turns from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and that bloody song
by Canadian warbler Celine Dion.
31 32 33 34
Is there any superhero Curtis Hanson’s Harold Ramis directed Horror films failed to
movie that has a better scintillating adaptation fellow Ghostbuster make much impact
opening scene than of James Ellroy’s Bill Murray in this during most of the
Blade’s bloody rave club? Wesley classic crime thriller launched excellent romantic comedy about 1990s, but Wes Craven’s Scream
Snipes is effortlessly cool as the the Hollywood careers of Russell an arrogant weatherman who finds changed all that. Scream was so
eponymous vampire hunter, and Crowe and Guy Pearce, earned a himself continually stuck covering successful thanks to a very clever
made a big enough impact that best supporting actress Oscar for Punxsutawney’s Groundhog Day. script from Kevin Williamson,
two further sequels followed in Kim Basinger, and the best Murray arguably delivers one of which continually messes with
2002 and 2004. Not bad for a adapted screenplay for Brian his finest performances, but Andie the audiences’ conception of
low-tier Marvel character from the Helgeland. A planned TV series MacDowell is also on fine form as standard horror tropes. Several
early ’70s. The original film was a featuring Kiefer Sutherland never the news reporter who (initially) sequels and a TV series of the
huge commercial success. made it past its pilot. rebuffs his continued advances. same name followed.
25
Men in Black Dances
1997
with Wolves
35
While everyone likes 1990
to focus on all the sci-fi
36
After headlining
in this film, it can be numerous films in
easy to forget just how funny Men the late ’80s, Kevin
in Black actually is. Will Smith Costner’s directorial debut not only
effectively channels the Fresh cemented his status as a leading
Prince, but it is Tommy Lee Jones man for most of the remaining
who is the surprising heart of Barry decade, but also scored big at the
Sonnenfeld’s film, playing a wicked Oscars, winning seven awards,
straight man to Smith’s mouthy including best picture. It’s now
rookie agent. It also includes one cited as reigniting Hollywood’s
of the catchiest songs of the ’90s. interest in Westerns.
38
1991 Astonishingly, Arnold
Schwarzenegger starred
37
Inspired casting is just
one of the reasons Barry in two of the highest-
Sonnenfeld’s movie grossing top-ten films in 1990,
became such a monster at the box however, we are ultimately
office. While Anjelica Huston, Raúl picking Total Recall over
Juliá and Christina Ricci are all Kindergarten Cop to go in our
on-point as Morticia, Gomez and selection. The film was adapted
Wednesday, it’s an unrecognisable from the Philip K Dick short story
Christopher Lloyd who steals the We Can Remember It for You
show as Uncle Fester. A sequel, Wholesale, and directed by Paul
Verhoeven. It is a magnificent slice
Clueless
Addams Family Values, followed 1995
of sci-fi-tinged ultraviolence.
39
in 1993. Alicia Silverstone shines as the superficial rich girl
who eventually realises she’s a lot more clueless
than she actually thought she was. Loosely based
on Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless works thanks to its young
actors firing on all cylinders and a surprisingly excellent
soundtrack. A TV series not starring Silverstone appeared in
1996 and ran for three years.
26
FILMS
Toy Story
1995
40
Pixar’s first movie
was a smash success,
topping the box office
by making more than $373
million, and highlighting what
was possible from a computer-
animated film. While the story
largely riffs off Jim Henson’s The The Shawshank
Christmas Toy, we still love it due
to the constant banter between
Redemption
1994
Tom Hanks’ Sheriff Woody and
41
Despite critical acclaim,
Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear. Frank Darabont’s
adaptation of Stephen
King’s short story failed to do
big numbers at the box office.
Word of mouth spread, though,
and it’s gone on to become one
of the most celebrated films of
its generation, largely thanks to
the on-screen chemistry of Tim
Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
42 43 44 45
Made for just $26 Originally written in Two asteroid movies Tony Scott’s romantic
million, the Airplane! the ’70s, The tussled for dominance crime caper was
team of Zucker, Bodyguard became in 1998. While Deep written by Quentin
Abrahams and Zucker set their another colossal hit for Kevin Impact starred Elijah Wood Tarantino, and has a script
sights on spoofing Top Gun and Costner, and proved that the and Téa Leoni, Michael Bay’s that still sizzles today. Patricia
countless other movies, earning late Whitney Houston could act preposterous blockbuster Arquette and Christian Slater have
$181 million in the process. as well as sing. Its soundtrack, featured a team of deep-sea never been better, while they’re
Charlie Sheen proves surprisingly which features Houston’s cover oil drillers led by Bruce Willis. surrounded by an incredible
comedic, and stars alongside of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Audiences fell for it hook, line ensemble cast, including Dennis
his future Two and a Half Men Love You remains the bestselling and sinker, allowing the farcical Hopper, Christopher Walken,
co-star, Jon Cryer. A sequel did soundtrack of all time, with 28.4 film to make more than $550 Brad Pitt, and Gary Oldman as
equally well in 1993. million copies sold. million at the box office. the pimp, Drexl.
27
Mission: Heat Saving Private Ryan
Impossible 1995 1998
47 48
Michael Mann’s Its famous opening scene has
1996
crime thriller drew been outdone many times since,
46
Brian De Palma’s
much expectation but Ryan’s assault on Omaha
reboot of the classic
on its release, mainly because Beach was a shocking revelation at the time,
television series of
it was the first time that Robert apparently moving real war veterans to tears
the ’60s and ’70s spawned five
De Niro and Al Pacino had ever because of its authenticity. It made more
sequels and became the third
appeared on screen together. It than $481 million at the box office, and
highest-grossing film of the year.
was a big moment. While the earned Steven Spielberg his second best
Tom Cruise is superb as Ethan
much-anticipated scene proved director Oscar.
Hunt, doing all of his own stunts
and surrounding himself with as good as everyone had hoped
an excellent supporting cast that for, it’s undoubtedly the final
includes Jean Reno, Ving Rhames dramatic gunfight that lingers in
and Jon Voight. the memory the most.
50
1998 Although it also
suffered from a rather
49
Although it received a
rather mixed reception troubled production,
upon its release, Toy Story 2 managed to outperform
history has taught us that The Big the excellent original, both at the
Lebowski is in fact amazing. Filled box office and as a movie in itself.
with unconventional dialogue, It’s filled with tremendous gags,
a strong ensemble cast and a has an interesting story at its
hopelessly complex plot, the Coen core, and has markedly improved
brothers’ film is held together effects. And to think it was
masterfully by Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey originally planned to be a direct-to-
‘The Dude’ Lebowski. video release…
Home Alone
1990
51
Made for just $18 million, Home Alone took more
than $476 at the box office, turning its young lead,
Macaulay Culkin, into one of the decade’s biggest stars.
The riotous comedy may not be very believable, but it’s constantly
entertaining, and led to three additional movies (although Culkin
only returned for the sequel).
28
FILMS
52 55
Will Smith punching Christopher McQuarrie’s
out an alien with the as the fraud exorcist somewhat during deliciously twisting tale
punchline “welcome to who sends his ghostly mates the ’90s, but Cliffhanger proved of deceit won him an
Earth” is just as good as watching into people’s houses so that he that he was still brutally efficient Academy Award, and proved an
the White House blow up. Roland can charge exorbitant fees in at killing bad guys, particularly effective calling card for director
Emmerich’s CGI-fuelled sci-fi romp order to exorcise them. Peter ones with English accents. The Bryan Singer. Made for just $6
is great fun thanks to insane special Jackson’s horror comedy can still actual mountaineering isn’t very million, it features an excellent
effects and fun performances from be enjoyed today thanks to great authentic at all, and the dialogue is ensemble cast that includes
Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Randy special effects and a rather creepy laughable, but no one punches like Gabriel Byrne, and led to one of
Quaid. Just don’t mention the god- performance from Jeffrey Combs Stallone does, and he gets to do it the most mysterious on-screen
awful sequel. as an eccentric FBI agent. in Cliffhanger. A lot! villains of all time, Keyser Söze.
The Crow
1994
57
As enjoyable as Alex
Proyas’ dark fantasy
is, it is somewhat
overshadowed by the tragic death
of its lead, Brandon Lee. The only
son of Bruce Lee had been killed
The Matrix by an accidental gunshot wound
1999 on 31 March the previous year,
56
The Wachowski while filming a pivotal scene
brothers took in the movie. The scene was
their love of sci-fi remade using computer graphics.
and anime and effectively Numerous sequels (naturally with
reinvented action movies new leads) followed.
thanks to incredible wire-fu
combat scenes and the use of
‘bullet time’, which allowed
Keanu Reeves and the rest of
the cast to perform incredible
superhuman moves. Just
ignore the incredibly bad
sequels that followed.
29
Beauty and Reservoir Dogs Forrest Gump
the Beast 1992 1994
59 60
1991 Quentin Tarantino’s Tom Hanks’ portrayal of the slow-witted Gump
directorial debut was earned him his second best actor Oscar, straight after
58
The third film of
Disney’s ‘renaissance a massive hit at the winning it the previous year for Philadelphia. Despite
period’ generated Sundance Film Festival. The being a drama, there are lots of clever CGI effects happening
more than $425 million at the movie itself remains superb in the film, which director Robert Zemeckis used to integrate
box office, finishing in third place thanks to some exceptional Hanks into numerous key scenes of American history.
behind Terminator 2 and Robin performances from the likes of
Hood. Originally planned in the Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth and
’30s and ’50s, it finally powered Harvey Keitel, as well as
through production under the Michael Madsen’s gruesome
guidance of Michael Eisner. It was torture scene/dance to Stealers
the second Disney film to use Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle
computer-generated imagery. with You.
61 62
Harrison Ford is Simon West’s hi-octane
absolutely superb as the blockbuster features
doctor who is wrongly one of the best
convicted of killing his wife, and mullets in cinematic history.
is pursued by a doggedly efficient It also includes a delightfully
US marshal played by Tommy unhinged performance from John
Lee Jones. The set pieces are Malkovich as Cyrus ‘The Virus’
really excellent and still parodied Grissom, who intends to hijack
today, while Jones’s performance a plane filled with dangerous
was so strong that it earned him convicts. Thankfully Nicholas
an Oscar and his own spin-off Cage and his outrageous mullet
film, U.S. Marshals. are also on board to stop him.
63
The adventures of William ‘Bill’ S
Preston and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan
continue with this delightfully nutty
sequel. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves excel as
the lovable losers destined to unite the world and
find time to play chess with Death, meet God and
create a world-changing song in the form of Kiss’s
God Gave Rock and Roll to You II.
30
FILMS
67
Jay Roach’s fantastic
came out in the ’90s, hitmen who go to their director and original mockery of James
but this is the (slightly) better high-school reunions so they screenplay meant he became Bond features two
movie thanks to the bickering can also attend a convenient the youngest director and first performances from Mike Myers,
interplay of Bruce Willis and hit, which is a shame. George African American to ever be one as the titular spy; the other as
Samuel L Jackson as Zeus Carver. Armitage’s deliciously dark nominated. While Cuba Gooding his adversary, Dr Evil (who was
Adapted from a screenplay comedy works thanks to a great Jr excels as protagonist Tre, it’s going to be played by Jim Carrey).
called Simon Says, it also features ’80s soundtrack and dynamic an astonishing performance from It was a surprise success for
Jeremy Irons as the brother of performances from John Cusack rapper Ice Cube, and an insanely Newline, which led to a sequel in
Hans Gruber. and Dan Aykroyd’s rival hitmen. good supporting cast. 1999 and a third movie in 2002.
Jumanji
1995
69
If you were a certain
age in the ’90s, this
adaptation of the Chris
Van Allsburg book is probably
your Goonies moment. It was
mainly such a huge success
Schindler’s because of two things: some
List very fun special effects, and of
1993 course Robin Williams, who plays
68
Spielberg’s moving Alan Parrish, a child who has
adaptation of been trapped in a magical board
Schindler’s Ark game for 26 years. A sequel was
(which was first released in released 22 years later in 2017.
1982) wasn’t an easy watch,
but it did lead to a long-
overdue best director
Oscar for the acclaimed
director. It performed
incredibly well at the box
office, too, and catapulted
Liam Neeson and Ralph
Fiennes into the limelight.
31
The Nutty Sister Act Pretty Woman
Professor 1992 1990
71 72
1996 Whoopi Goldberg’s Only Hollywood could take a relationship with a high-flying
Oscar win for Ghost businessman and a low-class prostitute and turn it into a fairy
70
Eddie Murphy began
moving into more opened many doors, tale blockbuster. While it’s Richard Gere’s least favourite movie
family-orientated movies leading to this rather over-the- (according to an interview in The Telegraph) it helped turn Julia Roberts
in the ’90s, scoring big at the box top caper that sees her going into one of the highest-paid actresses of all time.
office with this remake of the 1963 undercover as a nun after
Jerry Lewis vehicle. In addition to witnessing a killing by a local
playing the lead and of course his mobster. Goldberg is as watchable
alter ego, Buddy Love, Murphy as ever, but Maggie Smith and
also found time to play five other Kathy Najimy are excellent, too. A
characters in the movie. A sequel less successful sequel appeared the
arrived in 2000. following year.
Tremors Starship
1990 Troopers
73
If there’s a better pair- 1997
up in the ’90s than
74
Paul Verhoeven’s satirical
Kevin Bacon and Fred take on war features
Ward, then we can’t remember gigantic bugs, atrocious
what it was. The duo are simply dialogue and Doogie Howser MD
superb as two handymen who in full Nazi regalia. Verhoeven
find themselves battling for made the film with the intention
survival against gigantic space that “war makes fascists of us all,”
worms in the backwater town of and while the message is just as
Perfection. Just forget all of the relevant today, it’s the action scene
awful sequels that followed. that will linger in the memory.
32
FILMS
Aladdin
1992
75
A showcase for the
comedic talents of the
late Robin Williams
(much of his improvisations were
in fact kept in the final film),
Aladdin became the first fully
animated Disney movie to reach
the top of the charts since the Pulp Fiction
1937 release of Snow White and 1994
76
the Seven Dwarfs. A fallout with Quentin
Disney unfortunately meant that Tarantino’s
Williams didn’t return for the second movie
direct sequel, though. was an epic crime caper,
which cleverly appeared
out of chronological order.
It not only reignited John
Travolta’s languishing
career, but also did
wonders for Samuel L
Jackson, who steals the
film from under the noses
of Travolta and Bruce
Willis as god-fearing
hitman Jules Winnfield.
79 80
Tim Burton’s ridiculous You may have forgotten
Jones, and makes a liberties, but this lively gothic fairy tale largely that Bruce Willis once
rather engaging lead in this loose sports comedy from Jon Turteltaub works thanks to Johnny played a washed-up
reboot of Universal’s 1932 film is still an enjoyable underdog story. Depp’s stoic portrayal of a lonely detective who teamed up with
of the same name. Its impressive Based on the events of the 1988 boy with scissors for hands. It’s Damon Wayans’ disgraced
$415 million take at the box Winter Olympics, which featured notable for being one of the last quarterback, but we haven’t. Shane
office inevitably led to two a surprising entry from Jamaica, films to feature Vincent Price (in a Black’s tight screenplay is full of
sequels, an animated series and a it’s saved thanks to endearing role that was written specifically sharp one-liners, and there’s a
spin-off, The Scorpion King, performances from leads Leon, for him), and inspiring the naming great back and forth between the
which starred The Rock (as he Doug E Doug and John Candy’s of an extinct arthropod called two leads, but that couldn’t stop it
was then known). last good on-screen performance. Kootenichela deppi. flopping at the box office.
33
Jurassic Park
1993
81
Universal scored
a colossal hit with
Steven Spielberg’s
adaptation of Michael
Crichton’s popular novel about
a dinosaur theme park that
goes awry. Astonishing special
effects (a mixture of CGI and
puppet work) and exhilarating
action pieces turned it into
the highest-grossing film of its
time, with a final gargantuan
haul of $914,691,118.
Batman Returns
1992
82
Tim Burton’s sequel
saw Michael Keaton
continue his role as the
caped crusader, and introduced
two new villains, Michelle Pfeiffer
as Cat Woman and Danny DeVito
as the Penguin. Far darker than the
original, the change in direction
was too much for Warner Bros,
who dropped Burton and Keaton
for Joel Schumacher and Val
Kilmer. Val Kilmer!
34
FILMS
86
was this interesting adaptation Sharon Stone’s knowledge), Basic in Mel Gibson’s directorial debut. Universally scorned by
of an obscure comic series that Instinct generated controversy on Despite that, it makes for some die-hard fans, the return
cemented Jim Carrey’s position release due to graphic depictions epic cinema thanks to gorgeous of Star Wars was huge.
as the ’90s’ comedy king. It’s also of violence and its negative sweeping vistas, intense battle It kick-started a new generation of
notable for being the breakout attitudes towards homosexuals. scenes and a spiteful performance toys and videogames, became the
role for Cameron Diaz. Despite Despite this, it performed strongly from Patrick McGoohan as King first indication that Liam Neeson
its big box-office success, Carrey at the box office and turned Edward I. Hollywood didn’t care would turn into an unlikely action
turned down $10 million to star in Sharon Stone into a sex symbol for about its inaccuracies, awarding hero, and boasts the coolest
a sequel. the rest of the decade. Braveheart five Oscars. lightsabre of all time.
87 88 89 90
There’s no denying David Fincher’s first This charming Haley Joel Osment
that very few films film after the divisive family adventure never gives a rather
sum up the culture of Alien 3 proved exactly gets enough love, so tremendous
the ’90s as well as Trainspotting what he was capable of in terms we’re doing our bit here. Set in performance as the child who is
does. Ewan McGregor shines as of movie directing. It’s an excellent the ’30s, and based on a popular capable of seeing dead people,
heroin addict Mark Renton, and thriller with one of the most talked comic book character from the in M Night Shyamalan’s excellent
the role arguably led to his star about endings of the ’90s. Kevin ’80s, it’s a loving homage to the horror movie The Sixth Sense.
rising in Hollywood. For a film Spacey (who was unnamed in matinee heroes of the ’30s and Bruce Willis is on equally fine form
that relies so heavily on music, promotional material) absolutely ’50s. Audiences didn’t agree, as a troubled child psychologist,
it should come as no surprise steals the movie as the serial killer though, and unfortunately it while the movie’s surprise twist
to learn that it spawned two who is obsessed with the seven struggled to make back its $40 has lost none of its impact all these
great soundtracks. deadly sins. million budget. years later.
35
WWE
Information
Biggest event of the decade: The Legacy
WrestleMania XV There were times in the ’90s when WWE
Most profitable year: 1999 – was close to going bust. The Attitude Era
$68,973,000
saved it from that fate, and set it on the
Rival federation: WCW
path to becoming the public-traded, multi-
million-dollar company it is today. However,
wrestling has never been as popular since
the Attitude Era ended in 2001. While it’s
great to see the back of the era’s problematic
portrayal of women and the concussion-
inducing chair shots, many fans would love
to see its spontaneous feel return.
restling fans of the ’90s may approach. Before you knew it, WWE (WWF at antics struck a chord with fans, and he
36
W WE
The popularity of early WWE stars, such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior
and the Legion of Doom, as well as their colourful personalities and outfits,
spawned a host of toys and action figures that are still sought-after today.
© Alamy
37
THE FRESH
PRINCE OF
BEL-AIR nyone who watched The Fresh Prince Cue lots of humour in this classic NBC
38
THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR
According to The New York Times in 1990, the producers, ‘The Fresh Prince’ had been Will Smith’s stage name from
writers and actors wrestled with how much rap culture the late 1980s. Back then, he formed part of a hugely
they should insert into the show. They feared alienating successful hip-hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff (who starred in
the mass audience they were targeting. Co-writer Susan the TV show as Smith’s best friend, Jazz). The pair received
Borowitz said the focus was on exploring cultural a Grammy for best rap performance in 1989 for the song
differences and bringing the characters to the fore. Parents Just Don’t Understand.
The Legacy
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the
first to show a truly wealthy African-
American family on television, and
it also cemented hip-hop in pop
culture. Will Smith became a
major star: his single Summertime
in 1991 was his most successful,
and he began to make movies
while still filming Fresh
Prince. He broke out in Six
Degrees of Separation
in 1993, starred in
Bad Boys in 1995, and
thumped an alien in
Independence Day in 1996,
before appearing in Men in
Black in 1997, the year he began
his musical solo career.
Information
Created by: Andy and
Susan Borowitz
First aired: 1990
Number of seasons: Six
(148 episodes)
39
TAMAGOTCHI
he idea behind the Tamgotchi was small pet. Using the three buttons under the well you looked after it, though it wasn’t
40
TA M AGOTCHI
The Legacy
The Tamagotchi caused a mini-storm due to
kids bringing them to school to keep their
digital pets happy and healthy, to the point
that many schools banned them to cut down
on distractions. They needn’t have worried
too much, because the Tamagotchi craze
died down after a few years, though Bandai
has continued to release new iterations,
including a limited edition run of the original
Tamagotchi in 2017. In 2018, Bandai Namco
released a mobile version for Android and
iOS called My Tamagotchi Forever.
© Getty
41
42
FRIENDS
43
BEST
being less keen (và’ fà a Napoli, as Joey would Chandler. An original pilot had also included
say). That, however, worked very well, with a middle-aged man called Pat The Cop who
LeBlanc perfectly playing up the dim element was supposed to be an older voice lending
of the much-loved character that made him
such a success.
relationship advice – something the network
deemed important because they feared too
EPISODES
The series was also fortunate to get few viewers would be interested in a show
Jennifer Aniston, since she had been about people in their 20s. Pat The Cop never
contracted to the CBS show Muddling made it to the screen, however.
Through but it failed and freed her to join Instead, the six-strong ensemble cast were
Friends. Meanwhile, Craig Bierko almost left to forge their own way, mistakes and
became constant joker Chandler instead all. Filmed mostly before a live audience at
of Matthew Perry. However, Lisa Kudrow’s Warner Bros’ studios in California (except for
excellent audition and role as Ursula in Mad cliffhanger episodes), and carrying a laughter
About You saw her take the part of Phoebe as track, most of the action took place in Monica
first choice. The scriptwriters also wrote the and Rachel’s West Village apartment, the
part of Ross with David Schwimmer in mind. hub of the show, and in Joey and Chandler’s
The One with the Prom
All six would become firm household names flat across the hall. It would take around five
Video Season 2: Episode 14
Considered one of, if not the best Friends
within months. hours to shoot each episode, each of which episode, this gem introduced ‘Fat Monica’ in
lasted about 20 to 22 minutes. Within that an undiscovered senior prom video. It also saw
GOING GLOBAL time would be lots of jokes, much energy Joey gift a bewildered Chandler a gold, engraved
The first episode premiered on NBC on and a good dollop of drama. Phrases such as bracelet, and Phoebe declaring Ross and Rachel
22 September 1994, introducing fashion Joey’s “How you doin’?” as well as “We were “lobsters” – falling in love and mating for life.
enthusiast Rachel, her childhood best on a break,” and “friend zone” became part
friend Monica, Monica’s paleontologist of the show’s easy, reliable charm.
brother Ross, quirky self-taught musician In many ways, it really did put the ‘situation’
and masseuse Phoebe, struggling actor into ‘situation comedy’, because the laughs
Joey and the acidly witty statistical analyst came from the innovative scenarios the
Rachel’s haircut
As well as being one of the most iconic comedy characters of the
1990s, Rachel Green also turned heads because of her bouncy, The One with the Embryos
smooth, full-bodied, layered hair. Created by celebrity stylist Chris Season 4: Episode 12
McMillan, and sported over the first couple of seasons, ‘The Rachel’ A personal quiz ends in a tie and goes into a
became a classic cut and a star in its own right, and it was aped by Lightning Round – “30 seconds, all the questions
women the world over. you can answer.” Monica puts up the girls’
Jennifer Aniston, however, was no big fan. The actress said the apartment to the boys’ birds but they come
hairdo was far too high maintenance, and it was actually just one unstuck when trying to figure out Chandler’s job.
of 29 haircuts worn by Rachel over the course of the ten seasons, “Transpondster,” shouts Rachel.
according to Cosmopolitan magazine. Its popularity has endured, “That’s not even a word,” Monica screams.
though: it even made a comeback towards the end of 2017.
44
FRIENDS
45
Dream Phone was designed to be played by two
to four players, but forming teams was also a
popular option. The winners would have to fight
over their newfound crush themselves, however.
46
DREA M PHONE
DREAM PHONE
I
f you ever played Dream Phone, there
Information was no forgetting it. The board game
had the Dream Phone itself as the
Original Manufacturer Milton Bradley centrepiece, a giant bright pink phone in the
First Released 1991
middle of the table. The board was anchored
Expect to pay £25 (for an original set)
around the phone, as was all the action.
But what was its purpose? The idea of
the game is that one of 24 guys fancies
you, and you need to find out who. Each
player has photo cards with a guy on and
his phone number. By calling each number
on the Dream Phone, you’d get a clue as
to who the guy is. Clues would range from
useful (“He doesn’t like pizza”) to vague
(“He looks cool in whatever he wears”) to
unhelpful (“I know who it is… but I’m not
telling! Ha ha!”).
Using the clues, you eliminate potential
guys one-by-one until you’re confident
enough to guess who the actual guy who
fancies you is. The guys themselves range
from geeky nerds to blond-haired jocks,
who all have distinguishing features such
as playing baseball or listening to music or
eating popcorn. This makes it easier for the
player to eliminate them.
Even though Dream Phone seemed like
a throwaway concept for a game, it actually
required brainwork to narrow down the list
of guys, making it surprisingly challenging.
The Dream Phone itself also meant that
there was some impressive technology at
the heart of it all, making for a talking point
(of course) for those playing it.
The Legacy
Dream Phone was released around the
same time as Guess Who, another board
game by Milton Bradley. It was the latter
that would go on to have a lasting impact,
thanks to its broader appeal (Dream
Phone was quite clearly targeted at girls).
Even so, you can buy a modern, updated
version of Dream Phone, which still uses
a phone as its centrepiece – albeit not a
bright pink one any more!
47
FURBY he 1990s brought us toy prototype, and while it had a few
48
FURBY
The Legacy
While it’s never managed to rekindle the
magic of its late ’90s original run, Furby
has made a handful of comebacks over
the years. Hasbro bought the rights to the
brand in 2003, and launched a new one two
years later. Another attempt to reboot them
was orchestrated in 2012, with a brand-
new redesign helping it reassert itself as
an electronic toy with a decent amount of
selling power and brand recognition.
Information
Creator: David Hampton
First released: Autumn 1998
Expect to pay: £10-20
49
The book was published under JK Rowling to keep
the author’s gender ambiguous. The editor at the
time thought the book would appeal more to boys
than girls and, as such, boys preferred books by
male authors.
The Philosopher’s
Stone was changed
to Sorcerer’s Stone
for US audiences,
although JK Rowling
expressed regret
at agreeing to this
some years later.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
First released: 26 June 1997
Expect to pay: £4.60
50
HARRY POT TER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
HARRY POTTER
AND THE
PHILOSOPHER’S
STONE
nspiration really can come from anywhere, Dumbledore and Hagrid – setting the stage for
The Legacy
Collectible first-edition, hardback
copies of Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone can be found
with the dust jacket, but they are rare
– one sold for just over £60,000 at a
US auction in 2017.
In order to check whether you
have a first edition, the publisher
must be Bloomsbury, the latest
date on the copyright page must
be 1997, and the print line on the
page must read: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
Check page 53 too: ‘1 wand’ appears
twice on the list of school supplies.
51
CAPTAIN
Information
Manufacturer: DIC Enterainment
First Released: 1990
PLANET
Expect to pay: £19.99
(import DVD)
AND THE
and she’s especially
compassionate for marine
life. It’s never revealed
exactly where she’s from
– she’s just described as
PLANETEERS
being from Asia in the
cartoon – although the
creators would later say Gi
is from Malaysia.
n an era of brightly coloured, super-sized heroes, on the planet. The five Planeteers were drawn from
52
CAPTAIN PL ANET
The Legacy
Captain Planet has been absent from
our screens for a while, but he’s not
completely forgotten. The Mother
Nature Network, the biggest website in
the world dedicated to sustainability,
hosts episodes and unseen footage.
53
The Gatekeeper
remained one of
the longest-running
characters in the series,
but plenty of other ghouls
and creatures appeared
on screen to guide (and
usually terrify) would-be
players. These included
the witch, Anne de
Chantraine; the voodoo
zombie, Baron Samedi;
and serial killer
Elizabeth Bathory.
54
ATMOSFEAR
ATMOSFEARy the beginning of the ’90s, board combination made it a smash hit, with its some ominous music in the background, but
Information Atmosfear: The Gatekeeper (the 2004 reboot) was in development for nine
years, and eventually went on to sell 600,000 copies worldwide, thanks
Creators: Brett Clements and
Phillip Tanner mainly to its vastly overhauled playing board, new ruleset, enhanced
First released: 1991 DVD setup and better effects for the Gatekeeper itself. Its randomised
Expect to pay: £5-10 programming made it much more enjoyable on repeat visits.
The Legacy
The original version of Atmosfear/
Nightmare came boxed with a
VHS tape, but an updated version
with a DVD was released in
2004 – known as Atmosfear: The
Gatekeeper – making the experience
far more interactive and dynamic
(the titular Gatekeeper also looked
a lot scarier). It spawned plenty of
sequels and expansions over the
years as well, including Nightmare
II-IV, The Harbingers and Khufu the
Mummy. Of all the later versions, the
revamped 2004 version proved the
most popular and memorable to a
new generation of players.
55
BAYWATCH n paper, a show about lifeguards an investment it was. With new star and
Information
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Zac Efron
headlining an attempt to turn the once-powerful
brand into a cinematic franchise. It exchanged
Creators: Michael Berk,
the corny melodrama for comedy, and ultimately
Douglas Schwartz and
Gregory J Bonann proved itself to be a flop with an 18 per cent
First broadcast: Rotten Tomatoes rating.
22 September 1989
Number of episodes: 242
56
BAY WATCH
The Legacy
Baywatch ran from 1989 to 1999 before a
© Photo credit: Frank Masi; (2017) Paramount Pictures; Getty
57
58
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
THE
GOLDEN
AGE OF
GAMING
How the greatest systems in gaming history conquered
the world, broke new ground and captured our hearts
he ’90s was arguably the most It wasn’t just Nintendo and Sega churning mid-’90s, 3D gaming exploded, changing the
59
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAMING
GAME BOY he Game Boy was far more basic than Red and Blue gave the console a boost that saw
60
GA ME BOY
TECH
SPECS
RAM: 8kB
Processor: 8-bit Sharp LR35902
at 4.19MHz
Audio: 2 pulse wave generators,
1PCM 4-bit wave sample,
1 noise generator
Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels
Media: Cartridges
Graphics: 8kB video RAM
Information
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Year: 1990
Expect to pay: £69.99
(launch), £20-50 (today)
61
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
GAME BOY
PERFECT TEN GAMES
There’s a worrying number of licensed platformers on Nintendo’s handheld, but also a lot
of genuine gems. If you’re thinking of buying a machine or adding to an existing collection,
make sure you at least own the following
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT
LINK’S AWAKENING GAME BOY ADVENTURE
» RELEASED: 1993 » RELEASED: 1991
» PUBLISHER: NINTENDO » PUBLISHER: LJN
» CREATED BY: NINTENDO » CREATED BY: BEAM SOFTWARE
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: F-ZERO » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA
03 04 05
62
GA ME BOY
06 07 08
METROID II: THE TETRIS FACEBALL 2000
RETURN OF SAMUS » RELEASED: 1989
» PUBLISHER: NINTENDO
» RELEASED: 1991
» PUBLISHER:
» RELEASED: 1992
» PUBLISHER: NINTENDO » CREATED BY: BULLETPROOF SOFTWARE
» CREATED BY: INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS BULLETPROOF SOFTWARE » CREATED BY: XANTH SOFTWARE F/X
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: GATO
08
ADVANCE WARS YOSHI’S COOKIE What do you get when you
63
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAMING
MEGA DRIVE
he Mega Drive was a powerhouse at The series most strongly associated with
Information
big sprites in vibrant scenes. Using those tools, also served as a mascot for Sega, his attitude
the system offered incredible graphics that had contrasting with the more genial Mario as part
never been seen in the home before, delivering of a strategy to position the Mega Drive as the
Manufacturer: Sega
an impressive library of arcade ports such as cool console for teenagers, and its rival, the Year: 1990
Golden Axe and Altered Beast. SNES, as a kids’ toy. Expect to pay: £189.99
(launch), £30-80 (today)
The system also enjoyed strong support Sega made several mistakes with the Mega
from third-party publishers, most notably the Drive as the ’90s rolled on, most infamously
first entries in EA’s juggernaut sports series, with its two ill-fated Mega Drive add-ons, the
FIFA and Madden, the latter of which was Sega 32X and the Sega CD. But that hasn’t
important in helping the console gain traction in stopped the Mega Drive going down in history
the US, where it was known as the Genesis. as one of the greatest consoles of all time.
units sold
28 x 21.2 x 7cm
worldwide
64
MEGA DRIVE
TECH
SPECS
RAM: 72kB
Processor: Motorola 68000 at
7.6MHz and Zilog z80
Audio: Yamaha YM2612 FM
Synthesizer and Texas Instruments
SN76489 PSG
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
Media: ROM Cartridges
Graphics: Sega VDP
65
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
MEGA DRIVE
PERFECT TEN GAMES
Sega’s succcessful console is home to dozens of great titles, but here are ten of the very best
from this classic 16-bit machine from the ’90s.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 GUNSTAR HEROES
» RELEASED: 1992 » RELEASED: 1993
» PUBLISHED BY: SEGA » PUBLISHED BY: SEGA
» CREATED BY: SONIC TEAM » CREATED BY: TREASURE
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: DYNAMITE HEADDY
03 04 05
66
MEGA DRIVE
06 07 08
DESERT STRIKE: SHINOBI III: ECCO THE DOLPHIN
RETURN TO RETURN OF THE » RELEASED: 1993
08
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: Delightful underwater
JUNGLE STRIKE THE REVENGE OF SHINOBI adventure that sees
10
ALIEN CRUSH
While it essentially features the same combat
67
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAMING
TECH
SPECS
RAM: 128kB
Processor: Custom 65C816
at 3.58 MHz
Audio: 8-channel ADPCM
Resolution: 256 x 224 – 512 x
448 pixels
Media: Cartridges
Graphics: 16-bit PPU with
64kB RAM
68
SNES
SNES eleased in Japan two years after there’s no denying that it had the edge the genre-defining Super Metroid, and
49.10
copies of Launched with only
million Super Mario games in
units sold World sold 3 Japan
69
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
SNES
PERFECT TEN GAMES
This has been one of the hardest top tens to put together, a fitting tribute to the fact that
Nintendo’s SNES had a phenomenal amount of great games available for it. Join us as we
run down the best games for arguably the greatest console of the ’90s. 01
02 03 04
THE LEGEND OF
ZELDA: A LINK TO
SUPER MARIO THE PAST
KART CONTRA III: THE
SUPER METROID » RELEASED: 1992
» RELEASED: 1993
» PUBLISHED BY: NINTENDO » RELEASED: 1994
» PUBLISHED BY: NINTENDO
» CREATED BY: NINTENDO
ALIEN WARS AXELAY
» PUBLISHED BY: NINTENDO » RELEASED: 1992 » RELEASED: 1993
» CREATED BY: NINTENDO » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
» CREATED BY: INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS » PUBLISHED BY: KONAMI » PUBLISHED BY: KONAMI
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:
SUPER MARIO BROS » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: THE OCARINA OF TIME » CREATED BY: KONAMI » CREATED BY: KONAMI
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
01 03
BADVANCE WARS DS
We’ve been playing the There’s no denying the
70
SNES
05 06 07
08 09 10
SUPER MARIO
ALL-STARS
» RELEASED: 1993 CHRONO TRIGGER STREET FIGHTER
» PUBLISHED BY: NINTENDO » RELEASED: 1995 ALPHA II UMIHARA
» RELEASED: 1996 PILOTWINGS
» CREATED BY: NINTENDO
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
» PUBLISHED BY: SQUARESOFT
» CREATED BY: SQUARESOFT » PUBLISHED BY: CAPCOM » RELEASED: 1993 KAWASE
» CREATED BY: CAPCOM » PUBLISHED BY: NINTENDO » RELEASED: 1994
SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
» PUBLISHED BY: NHK
06 What’s better than three FINAL FANTASY X » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » CREATED BY: NINTENDO
» CREATED BY: TNN
07
classic Mario NES outings SUPER GHOULS ‘N GHOSTS » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
It would have been all too
08
on one cartridge? Why, three easy to go with Squaresoft’s Capcom’s second Alpha DONKEY KONG » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
09
Mario NES games with improved Secret Of Mana, so we’ve decided title was released late SHIJOU SAIKYOU LEAGUE SERIE A:
The Mode 7 chip was used
aesthetics and a fourth exclusive to focus on this little beauty in the SNES’s life, and as a ACE STRIKER
in countless numbers of
title that had only originally
appeared in Japan of course!
All-Stars’ triple whammy of Super
instead. While Squaresoft’s epic
RPG borrows plenty of ideas from
the Final Fantasy series, you just
result, was sadly overlooked
by a great many gamers who had
moved on to the newer, flashier
SNES games, but never was its
appearance more noticeable than 10 It seems only fair to put
at least one quirky
Japanese title in the top ten, so
in the wondrous Pilotwings. Taking
Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3 made it can’t help but be impressed by the consoles. Their loss was our gain control of a budding pilot, all the our vote goes to the delightful
incredible value for money and sheer amount of love that has gone however, as it’s easily one the game required you to do was Umihara Kawase. Taking control of
were great examples of taking old into crafting this astonishing RPG. best brawlers on Nintendo’s 16-bit master licences for four different an adorably cute little girl, the aim
games and updating them for a Although the central storyline is wonder. Great looking sprites, a events: Skydiving, Rocketbelt, Light of each stage is simple – avoid the
newer platform. Add in Super Mario fairly predictable, it soon begins to solid roster of characters, new Plane and Hang Glider. While some bizarre fishy enemies and reach the
Bros: The Lost Levels, which was twist and turn all over the place and moves, plenty of additional of Pilotwings’ events could be tricky door on each exit. Of course, said
effectively a tougher version of the introduces plenty of memorable animation and thumping good to get to grips with, the elation you exit is often out of reach, and with
original game and allowed you to characters and sub plots. The gameplay made Alpha II a winner. felt when they were finally mastered your little tyke not being that great
choose from either brother and you combat system is a joy to use We’ve no idea why the first game more than made up for it. Thanks a jumper she has to rely on a handy
had an amazingly comprehensive and the use of sound throughout didn’t appear on the SNES, but to the excellent Mode 7 effects the elastic rope to get her around. Think
package. Finally, if you bought the is outstanding. It all combines to Capcom more than made up for sense of scale you encountered as Bionic Commando but with some
version that came boxed with a create one of the most engrossing it with this excellent sequel. An you flew through the air was breath- decent rope physics thrown into
SNES you received Super Mario RPGs we’ve ever played. outstanding fighter that deserves to taking, and wait until you finally get the mix and you have a good idea of
World on the cartridge. Bargain! Utterly essential. be in everyone’s SNES collection. to use the hang glider… Marvellous. what to expect.
71
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAMING
NINTENDO 64
o back to the early days of 3D gaming 3D gaming. That wasn’t the only influential was also the release of the Rumble Pak, an add-
Information
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Year: 1995
Expect to pay: £250
(launch), £50 (today)
72
NINTENDO 64
million
units sold with Expansion Pak 4 controller
slots TECH
SPECS
RAM: 4MB
Processor: NEC VR4300
Audio: 64-bit DSP
Resolution: 320 x 240 –
640 x 480 pixels
Media: Cartridges
Graphics: Reality
Coprocessor
73
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
N64
PERFECT TEN GAMES
Nintendo followed the success of the SNES with the world’s first 64-bit machine,
which featured some of the best 3D games ever created for a home console.
Here are ten of the N64’s standout releases.
03 04 05
74
N64
06 07 08
BANJO KAZOOIE WAVE RACE 64 SUPER SMASH BROS
» RELEASED: 1998 » RELEASED: 1996 (1997 UK) » RELEASED: 1999
» DEVELOPED BY: RARE » DEVELOPED BY: IN-HOUSE » DEVELOPED BY: HAL LABORATORY
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: F-ZERO » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
07
DIDDY KONG RACING KIRBY’S DREAM LAND
Wave Race 64 was
09
MISCHIEF MAKERS
Rare’s second N64 title was a game of such twisted
brilliance that we’re surprised a sequel to it has never
appeared. When an out-of-control missile is set to destroy
the world, you have to clear a path for it by jumping into a
10 Treasure may have only released three games
for the Nintendo 64, but we consider every single
one of them to be a work of art that deserves to be played
variety of different machines (including two giant robots) again and again. For the Perfect Ten we’ve decided to go
and destroying as much of the landscape as possible. The with the superb Sin & Punishment though. Released in
sheer destructive nature of the game harks back to the old 2000, it pushed the machine like no other game before
arcade games of old, while Rare further fuelled the nostalgia it had done. A simple on-rail shooter at heart, Sin &
buds by offering a variety of bonus levels that mimicked Punishment is nevertheless a giddying rollercoaster of a
everything from Pac-Man to Defender. A refreshing, unique ride that instantly grabs you by the balls and doesn’t let
title that proved just what a powerhouse the N64 could be in them out of its vice-like grip until the whole dizzying
capable hands. experience is over.
10
75
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAMING
76
PL AYSTATION
PLAYSTATION
ony’s PlayStation was an upstart Using discs meant that the PlayStation could
77
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GA MING
PLAYSTATION
PERFECT TEN GAMES
The original PlayStation brought us a massive number of franchises that have become part of
the gaming landscape today. Just take a look at the list below…
03 04 05
78
PL AYSTATION
06 07 08
TEKKEN 3 EINHÄNDER FINAL FANTASY VII
» RELEASE: 1998 » RELEASE: 1997 » RELEASE: 1997
» PUBLISHER: NAMCO » PUBLISHER: SQUARE » PUBLISHER: SCE
» CREATOR: IN-HOUSE » CREATOR: IN-HOUSE » CREATOR: SQUARE
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: SOUL BLADE » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: » BY THE SAME DEVELOPER:
10
» BY THE SAME DEVELOPER: PROJECT OVERKILL One of the most ambitious role-playing games of
79
POLLY POCKET
or many a girl and boy in the early later, Swindon-based company Bluebird Toys heads (known at the time as ‘Doom Zones’
Information
Creator: Chris Wiggs
First released: 1989
Expect to pay: £10-20
While we’re long past the days where Polly Pocket was
a must-have toy on many a girl’s (and boy’s) Christmas
list, the franchise still took a huge chunk out of the ‘90s’
toy market. The brand has reportedly shifted more than
10 million units over the years, so there’s no surprise it’s
getting a modern reboot.
80
POLLY POCKET
81
TELETUBBIES
he ’90s saw plenty of children’s had the unenviable task of filling the slot
82
TELETUBBIES
83
SUPER Information
Manufacturer: Larami/Hasbro
First released: 1990
SOAKER
Expect to pay: £20-50 used,
$100-200 new in box
n the early 1990s, two words were absolutely finally catching a break with promising toy It turns out that – and to borrow language
Some of the first Super Soaker water guns released were the
SS30 (orange and yellow), the SS100 (blue and yellow) and the
bestselling SS50 (yellow and green), which every kid in existence
seemed to own. It was this last model that earned Super Soaker
an official nomination for the National Toy Hall of Fame.
84
SUPER SOAKER
85
The all-in-one design
allowed all of the
components to reside at the
back of the display. Techies
were delighted by the Power PC
750 233MHz central processing
unit, ATI Rage Iic graphics card
and 4GB hard drive. There were
also two USB sockets, a couple
of mini-jacks for headphones and
built-in stereo speakers.
The Legacy
Steve Jobs was right when he told a crowd in 1998: “We
think iMac is going to be a really big deal.” After all, Apple
continues to make iMacs today, with the top-end model
being the £4,899 iMac Pro. The iMac G3 was eventually
pulled after five years in favour of the ground-breaking flat-
panelled iMac G4. The iMac G5 was launched in 2004,
two years before Apple ditched PowerPC processors in
favour of Intel, while the style of iMac we’re familiar with
today was introduced in 2007.
86
APPLE IM AC
Information
Manufacturer: Apple
First released: August 1998
Expect to pay: £80 to £100
APPLE IMAC
t is becoming hard to remember the time when statement, and unlike any other computer on the
© Getty
87
MIGHTY
MORPHIN
POWER
RANGERS hen Israeli-American TV producer When the show premiered in 1993, it
Information
Creator: Haim Saban
First broadcast: 28 August 1993
Number of seasons: Three
(original series)
88
MIGHT Y MORPHIN POWER R ANGERS
The show may have been popular between 1993 and 1995, but nothing
compared to the popularity of its toy ranges. Lines consistently sold out
in 1993, with Power Rangers figures – including the must-have original
Megazord – proving the toy to own in 1994. By the following year, PR
toy sales reached $1 billion.
When Saban acquired the
rights to Super Sentai in the
West, he didn’t just straight
up make his own version.
To save money (and make it
more attractive to eventual
investor Fox Kids), the show
used the fight scenes from the
Japanese version and reshot
the scenes where the rangers
were in normal clothing with
their Western cast.
The Legacy
The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
ran for three seasons – from 1993 to 1995 –
before being rebooted as Mighty Morphin
Alien Rangers. A further 23 seasons have
followed in various guises (including a brief
attempt to fully reboot the show in 2010),
and it continues to bring in decent ratings
on kids’ channels around the world (as well
The original show’s reliance on the Japanese incarnation for its
as selling toys by the dozen). A cinematic
Ranger-based fight scenes led to a number of issues over the years,
reimagining was also made in 2017, but it
including the fact the Yellow Ranger was played by a woman in the
failed to rekindle the magic of its heydey.
West, but a man in the East. The Green Ranger died in the Japanese
version, eventually forcing the West to turn him into the White Ranger.
89
BOP IT et’s be honest, the ’90s was the and older audiences, mainly because it
90
BOP IT
Information
“These were the years Manufacturer: Hasbro
when the strange and First released: 1996
Number of commands: Three
addictive toy that was (bop it, twist it, pull it)
The Legacy
The Bop It was updated in the ’00s
and beyond. The Bop It Extreme 2
arrived in 2001 with a new mode,
volume control and redesigned
inputs, while a Bratz-themed version
dropped in 2004. In 2005, Bop It
Blast introduced a higher score cap,
and both male and female announcer
voices. The series was overhauled in
2010 into the forms you see today.
91
THE INTERNET
W
e take the internet for granted
today. It is, after all, an ever-
present constant within our lives.
It allows us to communicate better (arguably
at least) and it lets us conduct research, buy
items and have lots of fun. Yet in the early
’90s, the world wide web was a virtual land
of mystique and infinite possibility.
Time magazine summed it up in April
1993 as ‘the info highway’ that was ‘bringing
a revolution in entertainment, news and
communication’. Indeed, a year later, the
web browser Mosaic Netscape 0.9 was
launched, achieving three quarters of the
market after just four months. It evolved into
Netscape Navigator, and anyone using it will
remember how slowly pages loaded on the
wheeze-sounding dial-up connections of
those pre-broadband times. You would have
to tell people to stop using the phone to let
you connect.
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer followed
in 1995, but early websites were primitive.
Everybody seemed to produce their own
sites, based on their personal lives or
hobbies. They’d add garish backgrounds,
dazzling gifs, hit counters and stacks of
hyperlinks to basic HTML page creations.
Many hosted them on GeoCities where
masses of fonts, lines of fire and dancing
baby gifs proved very popular.
Yahoo!, which bought GeoCities in 1999,
was, for many, the search engine of choice.
It was more of a directory, letting you peruse
categories to find useful websites. Some
preferred Ask Jeeves, typing questions
in the hope that a character based on PG
Wodehouse’s fictional valet would provide
the answers. Others ventured into chat
rooms, communicated on MSN Messenger,
or fired messages using Hotmail addresses
bearing embarrassing names.
92
THE INTERNET
The Legacy
The world wide web, as invented
by English scientist Tim Berners-
Lee in 1989 (who also produced
the first browser a year later), has
indeed proven to be revolutionary.
Email continues to thrive, but social
media has also become an effective
communication tool. Professional
web design is an important job, and
HTML, CSS and JavaScript are even
familiar terms to ‘non-nerds’. The
catalyst for the major advances has
been broadband, which took off in
the 2000s, bringing faster speeds
and paving the way for better quality
images, video and music streaming.
Information
Key figure: Tim Berners-Lee
First website: December 1990
Biggest company in 1995:
Netscape
93
POKÉMON
TRADING
CARD Information
GAME
Manufacturer: Nintendo/
Creatures Inc
First released: October 1996
(Japan), December 1998 (US)
Number of sets (’90s): Three
(Base set, Jungle, Fossil)
f you happened to be a child or same year. With the launch of the brand’s
94
POKÉMON TR ADING CARD GA ME
By the end of the ’90s, the Pokémon Trading Card Game was at its
peak. The brand as a whole was so big that even Time magazine ran
a story in late 1999 called ‘Beware of the Pokemania’. Pokémon had
arrived and was the toy that every boy and girl wanted.
95
THE FASHIONS
OF THE ’90S From the deconstructed flannel power of grunge to the rise
and fall of denim, these were the threads that made the ’90s
hen we think of the ’60s, ’70s such as grunge – became the norm. A the times, with everything from piercings
96
THE FASHIONS OF THE ’90S
Goth
Goth rose to
prominence in the ’80s
on the back of the New
Hip-hop Wave music scene, but it
With the evolution of hip-hop in the early transitioned from outlier fashion
’90s came a new wave of fashion – fans began dressing like their choice to a worldwide style trend
favourite rappers from the East Side and beyond. Snapback caps were thanks to a slew of hit teen flicks
in (Raiders, naturally), as were gold chains, baggy jeans, sneakers such as The Craft. The style brought
and loose-fitting clothes (tying into the ‘casual chic’ memo that was leather jackets back into fashion for
circulating across multiple fashions at the time). both men and women, saw black hair-
dye selling by the bucketload, and a new
love for fishnet tights.
97
Skate punk Flattops
The skate scene – which found Finding popularity from the ’50s
plenty of inspiration from rising onwards, the squarish haircut
pros such as Tony Hawk, as well that was the flattop briefly came
as the ska punk music scene – back into fashion during the late
also saw parallels with the likes ’80s and early ’90s. The style also
of hip-hop and grunge. It too was segued into the hi-top fade, a
casual, with a big focus on cut- haircut that rose to prominence in
down high-tops (air pockets were the US hip-hop scene in the early
huge, too), sweatpants and big years of the decade. A certain
Tommy Hilfiger jackets. Fresh Prince also rocked one.
Shellsuits Denim
For a while, denim was king in the ’90s. It wasn’t just for jeans
A brightly coloured hangover from the
– which became huge thanks to Levi’s iconic mid-90s advert
’80s, the shellsuit continued to be a
campaigns (Spaceman, anyone?) – but a whole wardrobe
popular style choice in the early
experience. Denim jackets were must-have items for both
’90s – thanks mainly to the fact that
men and women, with everyone from Rachel on Friends
garish colours and a loose fit were
rocking denim dungarees to supermodel icon Kate Moss
both very in at the time. They may
modelling them in global campaigns.
have technically been sportswear,
but the elasticated bottoms and
zip-up jacket combo was an
everyday choice when the
decade was still in its youth.
98
THE FASHIONS OF THE ’90S
Timberland boots
Originally launched way back in 1973, the ‘Original Yellow
Boot’ had a strong revival in the ’90s when they became
popular with hip-hop artists and groups such as Wu-
Tang Clan, DMX and Mobb Deep. Along with
a raft of ‘sneakers’, Timberland saw profits
skyrocket as fans scrambled to grab a pair.
Bucket hats
An accessory that saw
popularity on both sides of the
Pond, the bucket hat wasn’t just for
keeping your head shaded from the
sun – it was a bonafide fashion craze
in itself. In the UK, the likes of Oasis and
The Stone Roses made them their own,
while Damon Dash, Ghostface Killah and
Rakim owned them in the US.
The middle
parting
Hairstyles were just as
representative of the times as
clothes and accessories, and Converse
few things said ‘young person Sometimes known as ‘Chuck
in the ’90s’ like a parting in Taylors’ in the US, Converse has actually
the middle of your hair. From been around since the 1920s in one form or another.
long hair to bowl haircuts, The All Stars range saw plenty of popularity in the
a pair of curtains was a ’90s, especially with the fashions spinning out of the
common sight in schools, grunge and hip-hop scenes. They’re one of those
colleges and universities few items that have popped back into fashion
across the US and the UK. during multiple decades.
99
SOUTH PARK hen Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman town. No controversial topic is off limits, which makes for
The Legacy
Even after two decades, South Park
continues to push boundaries. Its
revised, six-day production time
means plots are topical. The team
has only missed the deadline once,
causing the studio to lose power.
Its dedication to causing the most
offense possible has no doubt inspired
other adult cartoons such as Rick and
Morty and BoJack Horseman.
Information
Original network: Comedy Central
First released: 1997
Seasons: 21
100
SOUTH PARK
101
THE DVD
REVOLUTION
fter the furore in the 1980s over single-layer storage limitations meant that able to watch and pause films with
Information
Manufacturer: Toshiba, Philips, Sony,
Pioneer, Panasonic and others
First Released: 1996
Expect to pay: £500
102
THE DVD REVOLUTION
The Legacy
By the late ’90s, high-definition
(HD) technology had finally arrived,
and with it two new rival formats
to usurp DVD. HD-DVD (led by
Toshiba) and Blu-ray (Sony) both
contained technology that allowed
for even higher capacity, ergo further
improved picture and sound. The
lesson from DVD was not learned,
however, as the rivals clashed,
making consumers reluctant to move
up from their current players. Today,
a clear winner has emerged in Blu-
The first DVD player was the Toshiba SD-3000, ray, but DVD’s biggest threat comes
released late in 1996 in Japan. Western models from the advent of digital streaming
were first released in the United States the following services that offer an unparalleled
year. Other notable early models include the Sony ease of accessibility.
DVP-S7000, Panasonic DVD-A100 and Pioneer DVL-
©Getty
103
SUPERTED here were some pretty strange in all kinds of crazy schemes, including
Information
Manufacturer:
DIC Enterainment
First Released: 1990
Expect to pay: £19.99 (import DVD)
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SUPERTED
The Legacy
SuperTed became the first British cartoon series to be
shown on the Disney Channel, in 1984. A new series,
The Further Adventures of SuperTed, was created in 1989
in collaboration with Hanna-Barbera; the UK version of
this show was redubbed, with the original voice actors
returning to their roles. Mike Young has been working on
a reboot for the character since 2014, and rumours of a
new series starting soon have been swirling.
Spotty Man
This mysterious alien landed on Earth and used his magical cosmic dust to bring a
teddy to life. He now travels around with SuperTed, stopping the evil trio of Texas
Pete, Bulk and Skeleton from completing their dastardly schemes.
Texas Pete
The leader of the three villains, Texas Pete is a cowboy who has
all kinds of crazy plans. Whether he is trying to take over a new
galaxy and make it his own, or stealing treasure, his plans are
always foiled at the last minute by SuperTed.
Skeleton
The very cowardly Skeleton often falls apart – literally – when
SuperTed and Spotty Man try to stop the group’s plans. However,
he can be put back together again without too much trouble. He
wears pink slippers, and was described as “flamboyantly gay”
by the show’s creator, Mike Young.
Bulk
Bulk is a very stupid baddie who is always saying foolish things in response to Texas Pete’s
© Alamy
plans. He’s very fat, and serves as the muscle in Pete’s gang – creator Mike Young recently
said he would likely make changes to the character if the show was rebooted.
105
THE X-FILES
The X-Files was a cornerstone of TV viewing in the ’90s, and
has recently been resurrected by Fox. Take a look back at how
the adventures of Mulder and Scully started
I
t’s easy to forget just how phenomenally studio was less than impressed with the
successful The X-Files was on its original 24-year-old actor. It wanted someone who
release. Chris Carter’s creation elevated was either well known, or was ideally ‘leggier,
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson into the breastier or blonder’, but Carter fought hard
stratosphere, spawned two films and a spin- for Anderson, and was eventually rewarded
off TV show, and led to endless merchandise when she won several awards for her
that ranged from books to videogames, portrayal of the sceptical agent, including
playing cards and everything in between. an Emmy and a Golden Globe. There would
Countless actors, including Jack Black and be a lot more acclaim in store for the show,
Seth Green, as well as Jane Lynch and Aaron though, and it would become one of the
Paul, all had fresh-faced appearances on cultural cornerstones of the ’90s.
the show before they hit the big time, while
Mark Snow’s incredibly creepy theme tune GOING GLOBAL
reached second place in the UK singles chart, Despite the fact that the pilot episode of
staying there for three weeks. At one point in The X-Files attracted 12 million viewers, and
the ’90s, Chris Carter’s show seemed to be the final episode drew 14 million, it certainly
everywhere. So it’s mind-boggling to learn wasn’t enough to consider the show a success
that Carter’s original script was actually at first. In fact, it was actually ranked 105th out
rejected by Fox executives. of 128 shows for its television season, which
wasn’t the best of starts. It continued to climb
A NEW CONCEPT in the ratings, though, season by season. By
Tired of the numerous comedies he had its third season, it was ranked 55th, but more
worked on for Disney, Carter came up with importantly to Fox, was scoring well with the
a new concept that was inspired by what he 18-49 age advertising demographic, and the
had read about the Watergate scandal of merchandise began to flow as a result. By
the ’70s, and the fact that nearly four million the fifth season, the show hit its peak with an
Americans believed they had been abducted opening of more than 27 million, and a Super
by aliens. Carter also drew on his experiences Bowl special that was viewed by 29.1 million.
of ’70s cult TV show Kolchak: The Night The series ended as the 11th best-ranked
Stalker, which featured a newspaper reporter show of the year overall, and Fox’s highest
who investigated mysterious crimes that rated show in general.
were typically linked to science fiction or the By this point The X-Files was a cultural
supernatural (Darren McGavin who starred phenomenon. A crossover episode with The
in the show would eventually appear in two Simpsons called The Springfield Files was
X-Files episodes). Other influences that would a huge success, and also roped in another
shape the direction of The X-Files included sci-fi stalwart, Leonard Nimoy, to frame the
The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks, but one episode, while the show’s impact became
of the most important was perhaps The so big that Fox commissioned a movie for
Silence of the Lambs, as Carter felt it was release in cinemas in 1998. The X-Files: Fight
plausible that FBI agents would be interested the Future bridged the gap between seasons
in investigating the unusual cases that would five and six, and made nearly $190 million off
form the basis of the show. a $66 million budget. In true X-Files fashion, it
Casting proved problematic for Carter, posed as many questions as it answered, but
particularly when it came to casting Agent it went down well with fans, and proved the
Scully. While he was instantly impressed show could find success outside of its core
with the chemistry Gillian Anderson had audience. In fact, a follow-up film, The X-Files:
alongside the already cast Duchovny, the I Want to Believe, arrived in 2008, six years
106
THE X-FILES
“Carter fought
hard for Anderson,
and was rewarded
when she won
several awards for
her portrayal of the
sceptical agent”
107
after the final episode of season nine ended, after one season. By the ninth and then final
BEST although it did far worse at the box office.
Merchandise was another example of the
season, viewing figures were at an all-time
low, with just ten million tuning in for the
One Son
This fantastic episode concludes the original
Syndicate story and follows on directly from
the previous episode, ‘Two Fathers’. It not only
satisfyingly clears up most of the ongoing story
arcs from the previous five series, including the
abduction of Mulder’s sister, Samantha, but also
highlights just how evil the Cigarette Smoking
Man actually is.
Bad Blood
As early as season two, The X-Files proved its
leads were adept at comedy with ‘Humbug’.
One of the funniest, however, is this excellent
offering from season five, which features Mulder
and Scully giving very different versions of events
to an exasperated Skinner after Mulder kills a
suspected vampire during the episode’s opening.
108
THE X-FILES
directors, who all gave the show a different Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani is a huge celebrity
tone and feel, is also commonplace today. In fan who has made countless podcasts
fact, shows like Game of Thrones regularly about the show, and even wrote The Big
reveal its directors as part of a season’s Sick based on his love for the season two
reveal (one of which is long-time X-Files episode ‘One Breath’. The pop culture for
director David Nutter). The X-Files is deep, and can be found in
And then of course there are shows like countless TV shows and films. American
Breaking Bad, which might not have even Dad, The Simpsons, The Big Bang Theory,
existed if creator Vince Gilligan hadn’t Independence Day, Monsters vs Aliens and
received his big break on The X-Files and even House MD have mentioned the show or
became an acclaimed writer in the process. featured its stars, highlighting just what an
Shows like Supernatural owe a huge debt impact Chris Carter’s show had on countless
to the groundwork laid by The X-Files, with aspiring writers, directors and producers.
its Monster-of-the-Week episodes and The X-Files was a watermark moment for
the complex relationship between its two TV, both in its quality and in its execution,
leads, and let’s not forget the likes of Fringe, and its influence stretches far and wide.
Miracles, Warehouse 13, American Horror The truth might still be out there for its
Story, Dark Skies, Freaky Links, Grimm and characters, Mulder and Scully, but we’ve
countless other TV shows that have followed known the truth for a very long time now
in the show’s wake. and it’s this: The X-Files is one of the most
The X-Files inspired Catatonia to write a important television events of all time. May
song entitled Mulder and Scully, while Silicon its legacy continue.
© Getty
109
MIGHTY
MAX ith Polly Pocket proving that
Cancelled prematurely during the
prototype phase, Into the Battle
Zone was an abandoned wave of
Mighty Max products that never
quite made it to store shelves. It
included vehicles, light-up figures,
Information
Manufacturer: Bluebird Toys
Distributor: Mattel/Irwin Toy
Expect To pay: $10-50 per loose
playset, up to $100 for MOC
110
MIGHT Y M A X
The Legacy
Unfortunately, the miniature horror revolution that
Mighty Max pioneered hasn’t exactly carried over
into modern times. While the toys managed to spawn
other micro 1990s’ playsets from big franchises like
TMNT, Godzilla, Star Wars and even Primal Rage, the
fad eventually passed. Chalk it up to changing market
trends or choking hazard liability, the closest thing
we currently have to Mighty Max might be Moose’s
Grossery Gang. Rumours of a proper reboot have
circulated for years, all without official confirmation.
Information
Studios: Spumco/Games
Animation/Nickelodeon
First released: 1991
Number of episodes: 52
112
REN & STIMPY
The Legacy
In many ways, Ren & Stimpy was
a pioneering precursor to other
offensive animated endeavours like
South Park, Family Guy and Rick
and Morty. Although it was largely
marketed to children, the show was
arguably the first mainstream mature
cartoon for adults, one that proved
how pandering to an audience with
hamfisted niceties and goofy morals
wasn’t necessary for maintaining
a modern viewership. Its far-
In September 1992, Ren & Stimpy creator John The characters of Ren Hoek and Stimpson J Cat were
reaching influence can still be seen
Kricfalusi was fired from his own show due to actually conceptualised almost a decade before
in the bizarre details and general
growing tensions between the controversial animator the show’s pilot officially went into production for
irreverence of today’s hit kid programs
and Nickelodeon. Billy West, who originally only Nickelodeon in 1989. During their college years in
like SpongeBob SquarePants and
voiced Stimpy, subsequently took over vocal duties Canada in the late 1970s, John Kricfalusi and his
Adventure Time.
for Kricfalusi’s Ren after the fallout, an ongoing point friends created the infamous duo. Why? Mostly for
of contention between the two. laughs and personal enjoyment.
113
BEANIE BABIES
oday, Beanie Babies are as ubiquitous The Beanie Babies craze reached its peak Babies boom’ as it became known at the time
Information
Creator: Ty Warner
First released: 1993
Most expensive model:
Princess the Bear ($500,000)
114
BEANIE BABIES
The Legacy
With creator Ty Warner famously retiring
certain Beanie Babies throughout its
peak, it shouldn’t have come as much of
a surprise when he announced in 1999
that he would be retiring the entire brand
itself. He even released a commemorative
bear called ‘The End’ to mark the occasion.
Fans reacted negatively to the decision, and
following a public survey, Warner decided
to revive the brand in 2000. The next toy
produced was called ‘The Beginning’, but
the boom had already gone bust.
With any big toy craze comes the inevitable knock-offs, and The Beanie Babies brand had plenty of sought-after and
Beanie Babies had plenty at the height of their popularity. uber-popular models, including the tie-dyed Garcia the
Counterfeit versions started surfacing around 1997, with the Bear, Princess the Bear (created in memoriam for the
productions and transport of fake Beanie Babies becoming a big late Princess Diana), the copyright-infringing Tabasco
business on the black market. Thousands of counterfeit plushies the Bull and the incredibly popular (and very rare)
were confiscated during the late ’90s. Peanut the Royal Blue Elephant.
115
CROCODILE
Information
Manufacturer: Milton Bradley
First released: 1990
DENTIST
Creator: Robert B Fuhrer
The Legacy
American board game publisher Winning Moves
and toy giant Hasbro eventually acquired the rights
to Crocodile Dentist, seeing the game through a
number of iterations right through into 2018. The
modern version of the game dropped the use of
plastic pliers and instead opts for the pushing down
teeth method used for the ’90s pocket version.
Much like Buckaroo before it, Crocodile Dentist
has become one of those enduring mainstays in the
family board game market.
116
CROCODILE DENTIST
The success of Crocodile Dentist saw creator While Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos,
Robert B Fuhrer continue the crocodilian theme Mouse Trap and Buckeroo were the hits
with the release of Gator Golf in 1994. The idea that dominated the board game market in
of the game was to navigate a golf course set the ’60s and ’70s, it would be the likes of
inside the mouth of a motorised alligator. It also Crocodile Dentist and Bop It that would
got a reboot and was re-released back in 2008. define the market in the ’90s.
117
BEAVIS AND
BUTT-HEAD
Information
Directed by: Mike Judge
First shown: 1992
Number of seasons: 8
ome viewers couldn't get past the brave, if not without controversy. They made neighbour Tom Anderson. There were also
118
Both Beavis and Butt-Head were
voiced by the series’ creator,
writer and director Mike Judge,
who spent his early career in
Silicon Valley working for tech
startups and touring in a blues
band. He would improvise a
lot of the comments made by
the feckless pair as they sat and
watched music videos.
“The first season was so successful Beavis was given a pronounced underbite and obsessive stare while
that it had to be halted soon after it Butt-Head had receding gums. Judge says he based these on the facial
characteristics of his school friends and neighbours. He also named Beavis
premiered because Judge and his team
©Alamy; Thinkstock
after a friend from college called Bobby Beavis, and Butt-Head from a kid
who had the same nickname.
couldn't keep up with the demand”
119
SAVED BY The theme tune for Saved by the
Bell was as memorable as the show
itself. Written by composer Scott
THE BELL
Gale, it included the words ‘saved
by the bell’, which was against the
wishes of producer Peter Engel,
who hated the fact the show was
even called that. With more than
50 per cent of US teenage girls
watching the show, however, it
hen the students of Bayside lit up Berkley); and the token jock AC Slater
W
was certainly well heard.
the small screen in 1989 with their (played by Mario Lopez). Together, they
high-school high jinks and comedy embarked on a four-season run spanning
adventures, there was a sense of familiarity 86 episodes, covering mostly light-hearted
for many viewers. After all, actors Mark-Paul topics and the ups and downs of high-school
Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies life, but sometimes looking at issues such as
and Dennis Haskins had appeared together homelessness and drug use.
on a previous show called Good Morning, Created by Sam Bobrick, who had written
Miss Bliss. But it was the hit US kids’ sitcom for Bewitched and The Flintstones, and
Saved by the Bell that made household filmed before a live studio audience, Saved
names of their characters, Zack Morris, by the Bell’s action also took place at the cafe
Samuel ‘Screech’ Powers, Lisa Turtle, and hangout, The Max. Typically, Zack would
the beloved principal Mr Richard Belding. set up a prank or get involved in an extreme
Disney had decided not to recommission situation that he needed to get out of, while
Good Morning, Miss Bliss, so NBC stepped Screech would be his bumbling partner in
in, axing all but the aforementioned four, and crime. Slater would vie with ‘preppy’ Zack for
bolstering them with Zack’s love interest, Kelly’s attention, while much-teased Screech
Kelly Kapowski (played by the all-American would seek Lisa’s love. Jessie, Zack’s
gal Tiffani-Amber Thiessen); the strong, neighbour, was the studious girl who had an
perm-haired, feminist brainbox Jessie Spano on-off relationship with Slater. The chemistry
(played by the talented actress Elizabeth between all of them worked so well.
The Legacy
Saved by the Bell was so popular, NBC sought
to keep it going after the original teenage cast
One of the most popular
members left. This led to Saved by the Bell: The
characters, Screech, was the
New Class, with Dennis Haskins continuing as
ultimate high-school dork, yet
Mr Belding, and Dustin Diamond’s Screech later
he could so easily have been
becoming his administrative assistant. The series
denied the part. Unknown to
ran from 1993 to 2000 with a revolving cast, but it
producer Peter Engel at the
was never as popular as the original. Bayside! The
time, Dustin Diamond was
Musical!, however, includes the original characters,
aged just 12 when he was cast,
and it has enjoyed a stage run since 2013.
making him a couple of years
younger than the other actors.
120
SAVED BY THE BELL
Information
Developed by: Peter Engel
First Shown: 1989
Number of seasons: 4
121
MINIDISC
t’s hard to imagine life before the iPod, feature that portable CD players just could
122
MINIDISC
The Legacy
Sony’s portable MiniDisc player
offered skip-free music on the
move, so in that sense it very
much helped to pave the way for
MP3 players, such as Apple’s iPod.
Features such as a rechargeable
battery, visible track listings and
volume control on the headphone
attachment became standard fixtures
of portable music players.
123
BUFFY THE
VAMPIRE
SLAYER he mid to late ’90s may have been the
Information
Creators: Joss Whedon
First released: 10 March 1997
Number of seasons: 7
124
BUFFY THE VA MPIRE SL AYER
Joss Whedon did indeed write the script for the original 1992
film, but eventually parted ways with the studio behind it
midway through production. Whedon
stated the change in the film’s tone, a
removal of some key scenes, and star
© Getty; Alamy
Donald Sutherland’s ad-libbing as
some of the main issues.
125
GOOSEBUMPS hen RL Stine sat down to pen
The Legacy
While it doesn’t generate nearly the fevered demand it did in the early ‘90s,
Goosebumps is still enduring today. After the original 62-entry series ended,
RL Stine kept the terror train rolling via continuations like Goosebumps 2000,
Goosebumps HorrorLand, and most recently, Goosebumps SlappyWorld.
Arguably late but fun nonetheless, a feature film based on the books starring Jack
Black as a fictional Stine, was released in 2015. A sequel is currently in the works.
126
GOOSEBUMPS
127
Information
Creators: Darren Star, Aaron
Spelling and E Duke Vincent
First released: 4 October 1997
Number of episodes: 293
BEVERLY HILLS,
90210
L
ong before teen dramas and teen
comedies took over the big screen in
the early 2000s, one TV show brought
young angst and the transformative time of
Sure, it did have cast members that were
far too old to play students attending high
school (those wrinkles and receding hairlines
look even more cringe-worthy today), but it
AIDS. It looks cheesy to 21st century eyes,
but at the time, it shed light on issues few
programmes would even consider.
The show also made a household name of
high school to life like no other. Broadcast really did break the mould when it came to many of its stars (even if some lost their place
from 1990 to 2000, Beverly Hills, 90210 portraying some incredibly taboo subjects in the zeitgeist after the show). It put Jason
set the blueprint for all the big teen-based on prime-time US TV. It openly portrayed Priestley and Luke Perry on many a bedroom
shows that followed, from Dawson’s Creek sexual awakening, but also dealt with rape wall in poster form, and was a launch pad
to The OC. It even got a soft reboot in 2008, and teenage pregnancy. It tackled domestic for Shannen Doherty (who went on to star in
but this new iteration was a far cry from the violence, homophobia and racism, and even fantasy series Charmed) and Hilary Swank
trailblazer that was its original. had storylines involving teenage suicide and (who went on to win two Academy Awards).
128
BEVERLY HILLS, 90210
The Legacy
In 2008, a soft reboot of the series – using its original premise
of a family moving to Los Angeles from out of state – premiered
on The CW network in North America. In this version, a family
from Kansas moves to Hollywood to be with their alcoholic
grandmother, with Jennie Garth, Shannen Doherty and Tori
Spelling reprising their roles as Kelly Taylor, Brenda Walsh and
Donna Martin, respectively. It ran for five seasons until May 2013.
129
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
THE SOUNDS
OF THE ’90s
Moving away from the glitz and glamour of the 1980s, music
became angst-ridden and more reflective of society
oc Martens. Parkas. Dungarees. In The Stone Roses amazing crowds on a man- from Take That and East 17 to Boyzone and
EVENTS
Death of
Freddie Michael
Mercury Birth of
1991 Jackson Trainspotting Napster
Just 24 hours after he confirmed marries 1996 Candle in 1999
he had been diagnosed with 1994 Right in the midst of Britpop, the Wind Set up by two teenagers, Napster
AIDS, Queen’s extravagant lead Michael Jackson signed a record- Manchester film director Danny 1997 struck fear into the heart of music
singer, Freddie Mercury, died breaking $65 million deal with Boyle helmed Trainspotting, a Originally written in 1974 in industry executives who, for so
at the age of 45. He’d suffered Sony in March 1991, and his black comedy set in Edinburgh. honour of Marilyn Monroe, Elton long, had been watching the
bronchio-pneumonia as a result eighth album, Dangerous, went It made a star of Ewan McGregor John penned a new set of lyrics impact of the internet with some
of his condition, and he was the on to sell 30 million copies. But and was widely acclaimed but its for Candle in the Wind following trepidation. The file-sharing
first major rock star to die from his reputation was battered over soundtrack was also applauded the death of Diana, Princess of application allowed people to
the disease. The following year, accusations of child sexual abuse for championing Britpop while Wales. Released as the B-side to download music from other
the remaining members of the in 1993 (the case was settled placing techno-dance music on Something About the Way You people’s computers, building up an
band – famous for hits such as out of court), which meant his a par with rock. As such, bands Look Tonight, the ballad struck enviable record collection of MP3s
Bohemian Rhapsody – organised marriage to Lisa Marie Presley including Sleeper, Blur, Pulp and a chord with the British public without even whiffing a traditional
The Freddie Mercury Tribute (daughter of Elvis) was a welcome, Elastica rubbed shoulders with and it reached Number 1 in the store or cluttering up space with
Concert for AIDS awareness, positive relief for fans. The pair Underworld, Bedrock and Ice charts of many countries across anything as old fashioned as CDs.
which took place at Wembley appeared in Jackson’s video for MC. Underworld’s Born Slippy the world. Elton John also sang the Napster eventually faded, but the
Stadium, London. A crowd of You Are Not Alone but they got .NUXX became a hit on the back song at Diana’s funeral, describing idea didn’t – as any music lover
72,000 attended. divorced in 1996. of the movie, selling a million. the experience as “surreal.” today will know.
131
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
BRITPOP
It really, really did happen: the glorious soundtrack of the ’90s was a
heady mix of guitars and confidence
he Britpop era did not last very long, tradition of contemporary pop. This was a by the writers of Select magazine, with
132
BAT TLE OF BRITPOP
Oasis played a huge gig at Maine Road, the former home of its beloved Manchester
City, in 1996, with Noel sporting his iconic Union Flag guitar.
133
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
Verve and Supergrass were rising from the “It was as much a battle between identity
local pub venues to the pages of NME. Once
marginalised (Suede only got dropped in to and culture as anything”
perform Animal Nitrate on the Brit Awards
in 1993 following accusations the organisers up between the working-class boys from Country House to clash with it. Blur’s upbeat
were failing to champion new music), Britpop Burnage, Manchester, and the wry middle- song sold 274,000 copies to Oasis’s 216,000,
was now mainstream. class London boys Blur. It was as much and it stoked the rivalry.
a battle between identity and culture as But Oasis arguably had the last laugh that
WHAT’S THE STORY? anything, one fought amid hurtling insults. year. The album (What’s the Story) Morning
With Oasis, sometimes the fists rather This came despite Damon (who was dating Glory? shot to the top slot in October, bringing
than the music did the talking. It meant the Justine Frischmann of Elastica) declaring the world Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back in
tabloid showbiz editors who had, for so long, their 1995 Brit Award for Best Group should Anger. It became the second fastest-selling
favoured production-line popstars, began be shared with Oasis. Before long, the gloves album in British history behind Michael
to sit up and take notice. Frontman Liam were off. Jackson’s Bad.
Gallagher was newspaper box-office, mined At its height, it turned into a contrived Blur’s The Great Escape, meanwhile, was
for quotes and followed for his behaviour. Battle of the Bands that, if not a fight for a widely acclaimed, but although it shot to
Noel had his fair share of controversy too, generation, was at least a distracting spat Number 1, it failed to sell as many as Oasis’s
once saying taking drugs was “like getting up that even made it onto the BBC Nine O’Clock (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?. The
and having a cup of tea.” News. By that point, Oasis had followed following year, Oasis played two nights at
But it was the quality of their songs that Definitely Maybe and its popular roster Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire before a
kept them at the top, and they almost of songs from Supersonic to Live Forever, combined audience of 250,000. More than
became separated from the whole Britpop with the release of Some Might Say – the 2.6 million people had applied for tickets.
scene, such was their immense pulling power Oasis single to get to Number 1. The band
(their management team saw Britpop as was getting ready to release Roll With It SOMETHING CHANGED
parochial, and felt Oasis to be an international on 14 August 1995, but Blur (on Damon’s But Britpop wasn’t just Oasis and their
band). Despite that, a homegrown rift opened suggestion) moved their original date of Beatles fixation, drug habits, parkas and
134
BAT TLE OF BRITPOP
penchant for singing with the microphone of Noel’s Union Flag guitar were coming to
too high, just as it wasn’t the posh southern an end, and even efforts by Spice Girl Geri
kids of Blur, who were as tainted with Halliwell to flaunt the colours on a mini-dress
hedonism as the rest of them. Pulp’s seedy, started to appear desperate. It was also
righteous and awakening Different Class the year Liam Gallagher and his wife, Patsy
brought a much-needed cynicism in songs Kensit, had appeared on the front cover of When Noel
such as Mis-Shapes, Sorted for E’s & Wizz Vanity Fair in the US – suddenly British bands met Tony
and the anthemic, era-defining Common wanted to be accepted by Americans. Cool Although the photographs show Tony
People. Bespectacled Jarvis Cocker was Britannia, as it was now being dubbed, was Blair in an amiable conversation with
a quirky, witty, wry frontman, cementing feeling hijacked. a smiling Noel Gallagher, the invitation
Sheffield on the Britpop map. That he Even so, it was an utterly glorious period to Downing Street for the song-writing
invaded the stage at the 1996 Brit Awards while it lasted, and let’s not forget some of brain behind Oasis was as much a
and showed his backside in protest at Michael the true gems that 1997 also brought us, surprise for the prime minister as it was
Jackson’s Christ-like performance of Earth including Radiohead’s OK Computer and for everyone else. Taking place in 1997,
Song was the icing on the cake for a British The Verve’s Urban Hymns. It had created the PM’s spokesman, Alistair Campbell,
movement that had been born from a desire new optimism and a fresh mood in the later said Blair was worried Gallagher
would trash the place. He didn’t, but
to dismiss the US. country, which Labour leader Tony Blair had
he later claimed he took cocaine in
By 1997, however, Britpop was about to looked to capitalise on in the general election
the toilet reserved for the Queen. Such
wane. Oasis launched Be Here Now, and that year. revelations failed to dampen the dismay
critics – stung by their scorn of (What’s Britpop was also fun and adventurous, with over the visit, however: many felt then
the Story) Morning Glory? – praised it a feeling that new bands were emerging with (and still do) that Noel’s hobnobbing
wholeheartedly. But then TV presenter Chris a bang each week, and that a group of men attendance at the glitzy ’Cool Britannia’
Evans labelled the album a stinker on Channel or women, or even a combination of the two, reception was a step too far. Mixing
4’s TFI Friday, and there appeared to be a could get together and achieve. It was, for so with the political elite was viewed as a
concerted effort to push the flag-waving many people, as good as it could have been. If nail in the coffin for Britpop.
©Getty
Britpop label aside by other bands. The days only it could have lived forever.
135
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
Recalling how boy bands rose to prominence during the 1990s, and
how girl power beat them at their own game
he screams of anticipation as a boy
136
GIRL POWER VS BOY BANDS
GIRL POWER!
But success wasn’t solely confined to the
boys. In 1991, the all-girl trio TLC had burst
onto the scene with the sexually edgy Ain’t
2 Proud 2 Beg, and they went on to sell more
Walthamstow. Viewed as grittier and more than 65 million records and win five Grammy
political, lead singer Brian Harvey ended up Awards in a career that ran throughout the
Destiny’s Child took girl power
being sacked for saying he had once taken 12 decade with hits including Creep, Waterfalls
further in 1998, with powerful
ecstasy tablets and then driven. Yet with so and No Scrubs.
songs and a stunning line-up of
Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland
much money invested in such manufactured Meanwhile, the American R&B vocal
and Michelle Williams. groups, there was always a worry that trouble group En Vogue was in its stride, conceived
could be financially damaging. of as a modern-day Supremes by the
5 ESSENTIAL ’90S
GIRL/BOY BAND ALBUMS
137
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
production and writing duo Denzil Foster and and bold, and able to talk directly to a female latter included sisters Nicole and Natalie
Thomas McElroy. They formed the template audience. It appears Geri was the engine Appleton, and they had chart success
for other female R&B groups of the 1990s, room of the band, unafraid to speak out, from 1997 with the likes of Never Ever,
with Cindy Herron-Bragg, Dawn Robinton, which encouraged the other four to do the Under the Bridge and Lady Marmalade.
Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones selling more same. At the same time, each band member Meanwhile, Destiny’s Child made a star of
than 20 million albums. was equal, and they knew what they wanted Beyoncé Knowles (Bills, Bills, Bills being
The biggest all-girl group of all, however, to do and where they wanted to be. the breakthrough). The music industry was
included Victoria Adams, Geri Halliwell, They wrote their own songs, constructed suddenly confident that it could aim all-girl
Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton and Melanie the melodies, the videos and the dance bands, as well as boy bands, at females.
Chisholm, aka Posh, Ginger, Scary, Baby routines, and sold 85 million albums across
and Sporty – the Spice Girls. They arrived in the world (Spice, Spiceworld and Forever). BYE BYE BYE
the midst of Britpop and the Cool Britannia Some of the clothes they wore – such as That’s not to say that the boy bands faded
movement and, while heavily marketed, they Geri’s Union Flag dress – became iconic, away – far from it. The Backstreet Boys
had the personalities and the looks to endear and the band was unafraid to explore released their debut album in 1996, a year
them not to a market of lusting teenage boys merchandising and spin-off opportunities,
(although there were many) but to millions of such as the movie Spice World, commercials
admiring girls. and documentaries. Not bad for a group
The Spice Girls – the biggest girl group that had originally been deemed derivative
ever – were more than about the music, as and talentless, cynically created as a female
catchy as Wanabee, 2 Become 1, Spice Up counterpart to Take That.
Your Life, Too Much, Stop and all the rest Indeed, the Spice Girls inspired a girl
proved to be. They may have been managed band revolution. There were B*Witched,
by a man, Simon Fuller, but they were brash Atomic Kitten, Hepburn and All Saints. The
Ginger leaves
the Spice Girls
The Spice Girls had released their
Take That in 1991 (from left to debut Wannabe in 1996 but, two
right): Robbie Williams, Jason years later, Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger
Orange, Mark Owen, Gary Spice, confirmed speculation that she
Barlow and Howard Donald. was going to walk away, leaving the
other four band members behind. As
blows go, it was on a par with Robbie
Williams quitting Take That in 1995,
and a statement from the remaining
quartet said they were “upset and
saddened,” although they vowed to
carry on. Geri said she had suffered
from exhaustion and, as if to underline
The all-girl band All Saints that, she did not start her solo career
(Nicole Appleton, Shaznay until a year later, debuting with the
Lewis, Natalie Appleton and catchy single Look at Me.
Melanie Blatt) was launched by
the 1997 single Never Ever.
138
GIRL POWER VS BOY BANDS
139
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
140
HIP HOP
or Biggie, died on 9 March 1997. The whole first self-titled debut: a relaxed, fun and soulful
industry and its fans mourned their loss. spin on hip hop. Its style, while remarkable and
Outside this rivalry, though, other artists distinct, harked back to the early, more carefree
emerged and took the hip-hop world by days of the genre – no doubt inspired by De La
force. Missy Elliott’s first album Supa Dupa Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.
Fly, marked a huge change for female
representation in the industry. Not only was THE REAL SLIM SHADY
her style effortlessly cool, but her music was As the decade came to a close, the
edgy and intelligent too. Early work saw her powerhouse that was Dre’s Aftermath record didn’t stop there: on 16 November 1999, he
collaborate with artists including Timbaland, Li’l label introduced something new to hip hop released his second studio album 2001. His
Kim, Aaliyah, Busta Rhymes and even Eminem. fans: Eminem. Slim Shady EP combined collaborations with Eminem, Snoop, Xzibit
The Beastie Boys continued to have massive Marshall Mathers’ distinct vocals and lyrical and more reminded the industry – as if it was
success with their albums Ill Communication talent with the production genius of Dr Dre. necessary – that he was a true creative force
and Hello Nasty, while Jurassic 5 shared its While Mathers won a Grammy award for it, Dre to be reckoned with.
ever billionaire. hop genre as a whole. doesn’t get much better. source material. ’60s and ’70s.
141
THE SOUNDS OF THE ’90s
THE BIRTH
OF GRUNGE
How this raw, unpolished sound helped to define a generation
runge started out of the Seattle were also beginning to find success with their scuffed-up DMs. Described as ‘the elegantly
142
THE BIRTH OF GRUNGE
Like many of the best grunge bands of the Mixing heavy metal elements with
’90s, Pearl Jam dealt with a range of issues and the ’Seattle sound’, Alice in Chains
subjects, both social and personal, in their lyrics. had two Number 1 albums in the US
during the ’90s.
143
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