From Grungy to Groundbreaking: Reliving the ’90s in Iconic Photos

The 1990s might just be the last decade to have its own truly unique, recognizable style. Whether or not we were into the music, most of us went through even just a little grunge phase—and embraced the look that came with it.

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There’s a joke that some kids today think Nirvana is a brand, not a band. But the ’90s were about more than grunge—they had a style all their own.

In 1999, Apple unveiled five new iMac colors and lowered the price Steve Jobs announced the company’s remarkable comeback.

The ’90s: A Slower Era on the Brink of Rapid Change

In many ways, the 1990s were the last pre-HD era, a time when everything wasn’t instant. Images on “internet” (watch below for reference) took ages to load, TV shows aired on a set schedule, and packages didn’t arrive with the click of a button.

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The ’90s felt like a decade where time sped up the closer you got to Y2K. Dial-up internet revolutionized the way we communicated (though it feels laughably quaint now), and Friends reshaped TV comedy. And let’s not forget—everyone wanted the Rachel haircut.

THE ‘RACHEL’: This photo was probably ripped from many magazines and handed to millions of hairstylists.

OPPOSITES: Grunge and Bubblegum Pop

It was also a decade of contradictions, too. Grunge dominated fashion and music, yet bubblegum pop and boy bands ruled the charts. If you weren’t on TRL in the late-’90s, could you even call yourself famous?

⬇️ Keep scrolling for the iconic ’90s photos. ⬇️

But the ’90s were about more than entertainment, fads, and fashion. It was a time of major milestones and change. The 1995 O.J. Simpson trial ushered in the relentless 24-hour news cycle, while the (say it out loud) World Wide Web began connecting the globe in ways we never imagined.

So, let’s “be kind and rewind” to a time of Tamagotchis, Titanic, beepers and boy band battles.