The Biggest Pop Culture Moments Of The '90s

Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains are some of the quintessential bands for the notorious 90s grunge movement! Most notable of course goes to Nirvana, the heavy grunge and metal group that really set a precedent for the sound of the decade.

Grunge went on to be a major movement, and when Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994, the world was absolutely devastated. Grunge and Kurt Cobain specifically will remain one of the most influential pop-culture movements of the decade.

It's hard to believe that once upon a time Steve Jobs and Bill Gates worked in cahoots with one another, considering that Microsoft and Apple are major competitors in the tech world, but believe it or not, Bill Gates actually saved Apple from collapse! 

In 1997, Apple was about to go bankrupt, and in an effort to save the major tech advancement, Gates invested $150 million dollars and subsequently saved Steve Jobs from failure. Jobs said at the time, as reported by Time, "We have to let go of a few notions here. We have to let go of the notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft needs to lose."

There was one time in the '90s that O.J Simpson was praised and looked up to, but all that came crashing down in 1994 when it was alleged that Simpson murdered his wife, Nicole. What made it such a poignant trial, however, was the drama leading up to it! Not only was there a huge car chase when Simpson attempted to flee from custody, but mysteries surrounding evidence made it a high-profile investigation.

In 1995, O.J took the stand to claim innocence, and his attorney Robert Kardashian even showed some doubt! It was reported that the live T.V airing of the event had more viewers than any daytime scheduled shows could even dream of, and it became so sensationalized that before the innocent verdict hit the newsstands, people were buying t-shirts, and courtroom paraphernalia to show support for either the defendant or the victim.

Before 1990, reality TV wasn't really a thing. But, in 1992 all that changed when MTV came out with the notorious Real World series. The series followed a group of young 20-somethings living it up in New York City! What made the show a huge success was choosing people with real problems and struggles, and the differences in social groups.

The Real World season 1 was also a huge moment for its coverage of homosexuality, a topic that for the time was still taboo, as well as touching on racial inequalities. 

Anyone who's a fan of rap can thank Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur for it! The two rappers made some of the most famous rap songs ever and kicked off a huge movement in pop culture. What's more, the East Coast vs. West Coast beef ultimately ended both of their lives, which catapulted major gang violence. 

Now almost three decades late, the beef has mostly been squashed, and Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur have remained icons in the hip-hop world, and are still credited to this day and being one of the greats.

We don't need to explain why Princess Diana was a huge pop-culture icon around the world, as everyone remembers Lady Di as the kind, funny, and brave philanthropist that she was. Her willingness to help those that society had cast aside, made her one of the most loved Royals of all time.

Unfortunately, it was because of this soft gentleness that drew in millions of followers and fans, and the press just had a field day capturing her in every moment. The paparazzi was so intense and cruel, it ultimately lead to her death in 1997, which devastated nations around the world. 

In 1992, everything changed in Los Angeles when Rodney King was beaten to death by LAPD on camera. The innocent life loss sparked a major controversy, and like George Floyd's death in 2020, a new conversation took hold of the media. 

The Rodney King riots, unfortunately, took a turn for the worse, and multiple people died, as well as over $1 billion lost to property damage and vandalism. The riots may have turned ugly, but the larger conversation around police brutality was finally at the forefront, and paved way for the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Another major pop-culture phenomenon was the birth of the American sitcom Friends. The TV series ran for a decade, and it was one of the most-watched shows on TV. 

Furthermore, the TV series paved the way for more like it, and the American sitcom was a popular TV format for the entire decade, and well into the 2000s. 

Yes Bill, you actually did have sexual relations with that woman! Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky were at the center of every paper and news outlet in 1998 when it came to light that the, ahem, married president fraternized with a White House intern. 

Surprisingly enough, Clinton's approval ratings actually went up following the affair, but sadly it wasn't enough to save him from being impeached, marking him the second-ever president to face such a consequence.

Nothing could prepare J.K Rowling for the craziness that was about to ensue when she released her first Harry Potter novel! The book was a sensation and quickly launched into a film series that made millions. 

J.K Rowling went from sleeping in her car, to being a billionaire, and the author went on to write seven more novels and multiple side stories. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of the most translated books in history, next to the Bible.