Things that stopped being a product and became a period. Playground crazes, record-breaking films, boy bands and one franchise that never went away.
1PokemonThe Japanese monster franchise that reached the West in 1998 and turned into a card, cartoon and playground economy at once.
2TamagotchiBandai's 1996 keychain pet that had to be fed every few hours or it died.
3Beanie BabiesTy's understuffed plush toys that turned into a full speculative bubble.
4FurbyThe 1998 talking robot toy that learned English and was banned from some offices.
5TitanicJames Cameron's 1997 film that held the box-office record for twelve years.
6Jurassic ParkSpielberg's 1993 dinosaur film that changed what computer effects could do.
7The Spice GirlsThe British group whose 1996 debut made girl power a marketing language.
8FriendsThe 1994 sitcom whose haircut and coffee shop defined a decade of television.
9Nirvana and grungeThe Seattle band whose 1991 album pushed alternative rock into the mainstream.
10Michael Jordan and the BullsThe Chicago team whose second three-peat made basketball a global product.
11Tickle Me ElmoThe 1996 Christmas toy that caused fights in shop aisles.
12The MacarenaLos del Rio's 1996 dance track that became a wedding and stadium standard.
13Harry PotterThe book series that began in 1997 and made children's publishing a blockbuster business.
14The X-FilesThe 1993 series that made conspiracy television mainstream.
15Backstreet BoysThe Florida group at the centre of the late-1990s boy band wave.
16Nintendo 64 and GoldenEyeThe 1996 console and the 1997 shooter that made four-player split screen a ritual.
17The MatrixThe 1999 film whose bullet time was copied for a decade.
18Beavis and Butt-HeadMTV's 1993 animated series that defined the channel's attitude.
Comments 1
Beanie Babies became a speculative market and then nothing. Pokémon cards ran that 1999 playbook, school bans included, and kept a business: https://youpick.best/articles/pokemon-ranked-many-ways
YP
ypb-teamAug 21
