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[[caption-width-right:350:EXTREME PHOTO COLLAGE!! [[note]]''Let's Party Like It's the '90s'' by [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/78646744@N00/4254866895 Espinal Photography]][[/note]]]]
->'''Bart:''' Nothing you say can upset ''us!'' We're the Creator/{{MTV}} generation!\\
'''Lisa:''' We feel neither highs nor lows.\\
'''Homer:''' Really? What's that like?\\
'''Lisa:''' Meh. ''[shrugs]''
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E11HomersTripleBypass Homer's Triple Bypass]]"
''[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere I'm only Describing The '90s Here ironically.]]''
The Nimble Nineties: The UsefulNotes/ColdWar had come to an end and people were starting to fear [[MillenniumBug Y2K]]. All of the kids (of whom the older ones were of the cynical and disaffected Generation X) listened to {{grunge}} bands, wore [[UsefulNotes/TheOtherRainforest flannel]] or a Creator/JenniferAniston haircut while watching ''Series/{{Friends}}'', ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' and ''Series/TheXFiles''. Or they listened to GangstaRap, wore their baseball caps [[GangstaStyle sideways]] paired with ridiculously baggy cargo pants and routinely "capped" people who "dissed" them, or they were beaten up by police and taped. ''[[RuleOfThree Or]]'' they were the early ravers dressing in even baggier JNCO jeans, kandi beads, and pacifiers (to help out with teeth gnashing from ecstasy) and listened to [[ElectronicMusic electronica]]. Everything was neon, colorful, and TotallyRadical. Cowabunga!
The world at this time was awash in radical changes and catastrophes on a global scale. The [[UsefulNotes/UnionOfSovietSocialistRepublics Soviet Union]] collapsed[[note]]resulting in more than a couple ethnic wars between the newly-independent states.[[/note]], Nelson Mandela was finally freed from prison, [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Iraq invaded Kuwait]], and UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher hung up her handbag.
[[UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars Yugoslavia,]] [[RuthlessModernPirates Somalia,]] and [[Film/HotelRwanda Rwanda]] exploded into savage sectarian genocide, while {{UsefulNotes/Liberia}} and UsefulNotes/SierraLeone faced deadly civil wars that were frustratingly difficult for other nations to stop, provided that they even cared. Radicals revolted against corporations in UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} at the beginning and end of the decade. UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} reunited after decades of post-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII division, Czechoslovakia split up and UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} came within a hair's breadth of doing the same[[note]]The leader of the separatist movement promptly shot off his mouth in a SoreLoser tirade at the failure, blaming big money and "the ethnic vote", ensuring that the "winning conditions" for a third referendum wouldn't arise for a while[[/note]]. Japan came to terms with the end of its economic bubble and settled in for the long, frustrating stagnation of "The Lost Decade". "Made in Japan" was replaced by RedChina as [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld the big outsourcing villain]]. HIV awareness grew, with disgust towards its victims gradually being replaced with sympathy upon Music/FreddieMercury[='s=] death from pneumonia exacerbated by AIDS in 1991. Additionally, the notorious spread of the virus among the heterosexual population of Africa finally killed off the "Gay Plague" stereotype of HIV, even as effective drug regimes were at long last developed. Meanwhile, Anita Hill would expose the social blight of sexual harassment that too many women endure in the workplace and elsewhere in the US Congress and thus the popular world at large. There were riots in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles and the OJ Simpson chase/trial/media circus. The younger tropers might have been born at this time -- possibly in the back of a white [=SUV=].
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan pressured Mullah Omar's Afghanistan to extradite a dissolute Saudi nobleman, UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden, who was holed up in the newly radicalized Afghanistan. It was [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror almost as if he was planning something big...]] At this time, Bin Laden was not yet a household name, so when Bill Clinton dropped a bomb on an alleged Bin Laden hideout, many questioned the President's motives. Some critics suggested he was merely trying to distract the public from his many scandals, à la ''Film/WagTheDog''. Of course, this suggestion may appear HarsherInHindsight.
The conservative-dominated Reagan/Bush/Thatcher/Gorbachev era ended with a bang as "greed is good" got replaced by the 1987 Wall Street Crash and postwar recession ennui through the early '90s; the violent polarization of the '70s finally culminated in a return to centrism among the general populace as moderate liberals swiftly replaced the hard left and hard right of the preceding decades. In the U.S., Ross Perot led a political revolution of pissed-off independent voters; dissatisfaction with "The Man" became the norm, and Rush Limbaugh-inspired ConspiracyTheorist talk radio became the rage. UsefulNotes/BillClinton got elected thanks to UsefulNotes/GulfWar Syndrome, and remained popular during and after his presidency, even and especially during his impeachment trial in 1998. The right would eventually return to prominence during the latter half of the decade though, with born-again-Christian conservatives eventually sweeping away the secular, Clinton-led left in 2000. The opioid crisis started in the U.S., mainstreaming negative attitudes towards PredatoryBigPharma (both for accurate reasons and conspiracy theories). Meanwhile, Seattle coffee culture was all the rage as a Starbucks opened up on every street corner, driving fear into the hearts of {{Hipster}}s everywhere, who sought solace in PostHardcore, PostModernism, and other things with "post-" and "-core" in it. In the U.K., Tony Blair and his 'New Labour' swept to power on a landslide, hailing a new era of optimism and 'Cool Britannia', fueled by an explosion of bands like Music/TheSpiceGirls, Music/{{Blur}}, and Music/{{Oasis}}, and the transformation of Premier League football into an international spectacle, sport mingling with celebrity culture -- most notably with the marriage of UsefulNotes/{{David|Beckham}} and Victoria "[[Music/SpiceGirls Posh Spice]]" Beckham.
Modern culture's obsession with electronics was born in The80s and became dominant in the TurnOfTheMillennium, but it really came of age in the last half of this decade as people switched out computer models every other year. Dolly the sheep was cloned. GPS became operational. Cell phones became smaller and more common. Home computers that were actually easy to use instead of requiring a degree in programming became cheap enough to be affordable to everyone, and this, coupled with the invention of the World Wide Web [[note]]Invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee[[/note]], inevitably led to the explosion of the Internet [[note]][[MemeticMutation Invented by]] UsefulNotes/AlGore[[/note]], which opened the floodgates. [[TheInternetIsForPorn Porn]], [[WebOriginal/LOLCats gifs of kittens]], [[Rule34 porn]], jokes about the [[UsefulNotes/BillClinton Clinton]] sex scandal and [[EvilOverlordList evil overlords]], and [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment porn]] [[Rule34 involving Clinton]] were widely accessible for the first time. [[MessageBoard Bulletin Boards]] hooked up, moving from dial-in systems to the web. People began to band together to discuss their opinions of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' on Platform/{{Usenet}}, the original "message board" system. [[UsefulNotes/EternalSeptember Soon, other people joined in]] to talk about other shows, too, and thus the seeds for the birth of [[Website/TVTropes this wiki]] were planted. So while in 1990 teenagers who "spent time on computer message boards" were nerds, by 1999 it was a social stigma among teenagers if you didn't have an e-mail address.
On the business side of the internet sensation came the Dot-Com Bubble of the late-'90s, powering the biggest economic boom of the 20th century and putting even the best years of TheRoaring20s, The50s, and The80s to shame, meaning people had more money than ever to spend on all the exciting new technology while at the same time ironically having less cash in their pockets than ever thanks to another exciting new technology: digital banking. [=ATMs=] appeared on every street corner and allowed people to withdraw as much money from their accounts as they needed anywhere at anytime 24/7 without having to deal with asshole bank employees. In store debit often eliminated the need for cash at all, and the credit card was never more widely used (partly because more places than ever were accepting them, and partly because [[CreditCardPlot people didn't quite grasp the long term consequences of their overuse and abuse yet]]). [[NoPaperFuture Some even predicted the end of paper money all together.]] As the Web Browser was invented, garage entrepreneurs sold [[VaporWare content-free websites]] for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Nineties also saw the largest government budget surplus in American history.
The Ford Explorer became the first SUV[[note]]unless you count the original Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wagoneer, Chevy Suburban, Land Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Pathfinder, Suzuki Samurai and/or the Ford Bronco as [=SUV=]s[[/note]], and the GM EV-1 became the first (production, consumer) modern electric car. The Explorer would be successful, while the EV-1 would not for the same reason as the Sega Platform/GameGear of the same decade, as indeed was a problem for many of the decade's portable devices, [[UsefulNotes/BatteriesNotIncluded the incredible new technology drained batteries too fast]], as [[ExecutiveMeddling GM insisted it be fitted with the same lead-acid batteries as all its cars]]. The Lithium batteries that would power the cars and electronics of future decades were still in their infancy, and still far too expensive and unproven for most manufacturers or consumers to bother with. The gas crisis of [[TurnOfTheMillennium the next decade]] had its origins in the shortsightedness of a decade when gasoline was much cheaper. Cars from this decade are easy to spot thanks to a [[EverythingIsAnIpodInTheFuture cartoonishly curvy]] look, moving beyond the unaerodynamic box-on-wheels design that dominated The70s and The80s, thanks to computer-aided drafting and design, but still not quite like the more aerodynamic angular cut corners look that dominated in the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNew10s.
Electronics underwent a similar change in design from depressingly boxy to cartoonishly curvy, culminating in the first iMac, and from analog to digital for exactly the same reason. In terms of media technology, this was the decade of [[CableSatelliteMudslinging Cable TV and the first emerging direct-broadcast satellite TV services.]][[note]]The latter seems to have taken off much more in the UK than in the US...[[/note]] Movies ran on VHS or in Multiplex theaters with digital sound systems. DVD emerged at the end of the decade, but was in its infancy and ridiculously expensive. Music came on [=CDs=] or cassette tapes in the very early '90s, to a more CD dominated culture until the invention of Napster.
Internet dollars gentrified the inner city, turning what had been viewed as an [[UrbanHellscape irredeemable wasteland]] into a [[FriendsRentControl playpen for the rich]]. Every building, sneaker, and coffee shop was painted in pastel colors with the black lights at the rave club making them all glow, along with that mustard stain you thought you got out weeks ago.
Everyone attended music festivals like Lollapalooza or Lilith Fair -- or at least, claimed to their friends that they did, as they were just as likely doing either "[[MatingDance Lambada]]" or "[[DanceSensation The Macarena]]". In the US {{Grunge}} dominated the [[LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn real life soundtrack]] for five years, before collapsing into an [[ItsPopularNowItSucks identity crisis]]. Music/KurtCobain continued chart-topping for two years [[PosthumousPopularityPotential after his death]], alongside Music/AlanisMorissette and Music/AliceInChains, eventually replaced by pop music, which had managed to [[BackFromTheDead reinvent itself]] following the Music/MilliVanilli lip-syncing scandal (which itself played a partial role in Grunge's rise), during the latter half of the decade. Across the pond, meanwhile, {{Britpop}} and the Cool Britannia movement soared; Music/{{Oasis}} and Music/{{Blur}} had their famous chart war, while the Music/SpiceGirls became cultural icons. In academia, modernism was out and relativism was in; the magazine ''Social Text'' published a [[WordSaladPhilosophy word salad hoax]] by an angry physicist as the "Culture Wars" smoldered between scientists, anti-abortionists, and radical academicians. AlternativeRock took over rock music, along with the PerishingAltRockVoice. {{Boy band}}s and [[RiotGrrrl girl groups]] began to dominate the market, and two major GangstaRap stars were killed within months of [[Music/TupacShakur each]] [[Music/TheNotoriousBIG other]] following a war of egos between the east and west coasts. ElectronicMusic continued to refine itself over this decade, spawning numerous different genres (and sub-genres) and growing massive fan scenes across the globe (except [[AmericansHateTingle in the USA]] which took longer to catch on), with all-night dance parties, AKA "raves", becoming the new target of [[MediaScaremongering moral panic]] among politicians and moral guardians (not helped by the deep associations with drug use).
CGI completely changed what you could see on the silver screen. Blockbusters like ''Film/JurassicPark'' and ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' made full use of cutting-edge visual effects on their way to record-smashing box-offices. The first animated films created entirely in CGI also began their slow but steady takeover of the animated marketplace. On the other side of the spectrum, indie films became hot commodities as young, self-made filmmakers like Creator/QuentinTarantino, Creator/KevinSmith and Creator/RichardLinklater used the advances in filmmaking technology to create unique, edgy films on shoestring budgets. For a whole year, America lost its collective mind [[Film/TheBlairWitchProject in the woods of Maryland]] over a film made on handheld cameras. ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', after a shaky start in 1989, shot to wild popularity. ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' redefined both animation and the family SitCom. RealityTelevision started. The millennial decade's comedy superstars were getting themselves known on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', including future (now-retired) senator Creator/AlFranken. ''Series/{{Mystery Science Theater 3000}}'' [[GrowingTheBeard got really good]], then was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork canceled twice]]. After people got the answer as to [[Series/TwinPeaks who killed Laura Palmer]], [[Series/TheXFiles Special Agents Mulder and Scully]] chased aliens, monsters, and other creepy creatures, [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy Summers]] chased vampires, demons, and vampire boyfriends, while [[Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys Hercules]] and Xena fought the tyranny of the gods in ancient Greece. Surfing and going to the beach became even more popular thanks to ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'', which became the most popular syndicated television show on the planet and turned Creator/PamelaAnderson into probably the most famous sex symbol since Marilyn Monroe. This was also the heyday of modern-era ''Franchise/StarTrek'', with ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'', ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]'' and ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' all airing in the same decade. Furthermore, that franchise finally got real competition from ''Series/BabylonFive'' and ''Series/StargateSG1''. The UK, meanwhile, would be at a bit of a loss, what with [[Series/DoctorWho their most famous science-fiction series]] getting canned in 1989 and not returning for 16 years, save for an American-produced telemovie in 1996. This did, however, give enough time for ''Doctor Who'' to reclaim a sizeable enough following on both sides of the pond (partly thanks to its syndication on PBS) as people began to reflect on the factors that led to the show's downfall in the late '80s, eventually culminating in the show's return in 2005.
{{Adventure Game}}s hit it big in the mid-1990s; [[{{RTS}} Strategy]] [[SimulationGame Sim]] games with orthographic landscapes were invented. People bought games in boxes with elaborate supplements and funky [[{{Chiptune}} midi music]]. Or pirated off their neighborhood [[MessageBoard BBS]], along with the {{copy protect|ion}} page. "The 3D revolution" meant vector graphics, which meant "[[{{Cyberspace}} virtual reality]]" and ''[[VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D Wolfenstein]]''. ComicBook/{{Superman}} [[DeathIsCheap came back]] (albeit with a [[VideoGame/{{Superman 64}} horrible game]]). ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and]] ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' scared the MoralGuardians.
Games like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', and the ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuest Dragon Warrior]]'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series introduced Western gamers to the concept of the JapaneseRolePlayingGame, and with the arrival of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' in the latter part of the decade, the genre went mainstream: ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' became a worldwide phenomenon of unprecedented scale, while Creator/SquareSoft became a household name for any video game enthusiast, and their games came to exemplify the cutting edge of innovation in graphics, sound and storytelling in games for years to come.
Kids and adolescents played ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' in the arcade leading to a FightingGame boom led by Capcom, SNK, Sega and Namco. On the PC side of things, ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' helped make the FirstPersonShooter mainstream and ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' was starting to conquer Korea.
However, when it comes to gaming in the 1990s, nothing defines it better than one phrase: "Genesis does what Nintendon't". Created for the Platform/SegaGenesis[='s=] initial North American ad campaign in 1989, this would mark the first spark in the inferno that was the fourth-generation MediaNotes/ConsoleWars, with Sega's new 16-bit system butting heads with the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, an attempt by Creator/{{Nintendo}} to stay relevant after having their late-'80s domination crushed by competition from evolving technology. With Sega's ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and crass ad campaign preaching to teens that Nintendo was nothing more than a washed-up kiddie company, Nintendo would fight back with full-force, as both companies repeatedly attempted to outdo each other with various advertisements, technological marvels, and blockbuster titles as their fanbases picked fights on the playground over whether they were loyal to the slick black Sonic system or the boxy gray Mario machine. Despite a decade of brisk competition from Sega, Nintendo would end up winning this battle, with the SNES outselling the Genesis by 50%, or roughly 15 million units. However, both Nintendo and Sega would end up being blindsided by the sudden success of the Platform/PlayStation, Sony's fifth-gen revenge against both companies for backstabbing the consumer electronics company (itself another lengthy story detailed on the [=PlayStation's=] own page). Sega would find themselves in a mountain of debt with the failures of the [=32X=] (a 32-bit stopgap add-on for the Genesis) and the Platform/SegaSaturn (the result of [[RightHandVsLeftHand internal feuding]] and [[ExecutiveMeddling mismanagement]]); they'd release [[Platform/SegaDreamcast one last console]] at the very end of the decade before the inability to recoup their losses forced them out of the hardware business in 2001. As for Nintendo, while they remained persistent with the Platform/Nintendo64 and the Platform/NintendoGameCube, not until [[Platform/{{Wii}} 2006]] would they be the kings of the hill again, partly due to their adherence to cartridges when [=CDs=] had already become the dominant physical medium in the industry. Overall, the '90s marked both the golden and dark ages for the two biggest names in the console market.
[[Toys/{{Tamagotchi}} Virtual pets]], [[AnyoneRememberPogs Pogs]], yo-yos, laser pointers and Beanie Babies were all the rage with kids. The Razor scooter and roller blades were invented and quickly considered two of the must have items, and the Discman began to replace the Walkman. In Japan, we saw a farewell to the DarkerAndEdgier ''Series/MetalHeroes'' and ''Franchise/KamenRider'' as well as ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' as they went through an ice age while ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' prospered and was beginning to be adapted for western audiences as ''Franchise/PowerRangers''.
UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan reigned, retired, and returned. Mark [=McGwire=] and other beefy dudes beat out Roger Maris as home-run king, [[BlatantLies totally legitimately]]. The [[TheEvilEmpire New York Yankees]] "dream team" inspired Americans with good old-fashioned teamwork from 1997-2001. David Beckham became a star. [[UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague The NHL]] introduced a ridiculous new rule which they would abolish after it brought extreme controversy in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. Creator/{{Fox}} Sports, after a sudden establishment following their snatching of the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] rights from CBS (resulting in a DisasterDominoes situation when they upgraded their affiliate base), introduced a glowing puck for American audiences. This also crashed and burned. The game's greatest player, UsefulNotes/WayneGretzky, retired at the close of the decade. ''Series/AmericanGladiators'', having debuted at the tail-end of the 80s, came out of nowhere and became a cultural icon with their superhero-esque Gladiators and determined contenders, as well as the frankly-bizarre events (dueling with giant Q-tips, rushing around inside giant metal hamster balls, etc.), with a [[Series/{{Gladiators}} British version]] becoming even more successful.
MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks was going strong, and Creator/RobLiefeld was at his peak of popularity as comics became gradually DarkerAndEdgier, before hitting the brick wall of [[MediaNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 the comics crash]], while the likes of ''Comicbook/KingdomCome'' killed the "Grim and Gritty" mid-decade.
''Manga/{{Akira}}'', originally released in Japan in 1988, became a surprise [[CultClassic cult hit]] on home video in the West, ushering in an entire generation of {{anime}} fandom and helping, along with ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', to mount a serious offensive against the AnimationAgeGhetto. Following in its footsteps, ''Anime/GhostInTheShell1995'', ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', and ''Anime/PerfectBlue'' would go on to grab the attention of serious film critics the world over and signal the arrival of adult-oriented animation as an artistic presence. Meanwhile, ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' redefined "CashCowFranchise" for millions of children (and [[PeripheryDemographic adults]]) around the world. ''Anime/SailorMoon'' gave girls strong female heroes to idolize besides ComicBook/WonderWoman;[[note]] while introducing many a young boy to ''*ahem*'' "mature" sensibilities. From Music/BarenakedLadies: "Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon, 'Cause that cartoon has got the 'boom;' anime babes, that make me think the wrong things." [[/note]] on the flipside, ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' redefined "action cartoon", and would be responsible for more kids taking martial arts than anything since ''Film/TheKarateKid'';[[labelnote:*]] while also introducing many a teenage girl to ''*ahem*'' "mature" [[HoYay sensibilities]]. [[MrFanservice Buff, handsome, sweaty men]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything slamming into each other]] every episode... this series alone could be cited for the rise of {{Yaoi}} in the US.[[/labelnote]] ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' became the most famous and funniest show to [[NotSafeForWork never be able to be shown on US Television]].[[labelnote:*]] [[Creator/AdultSwim [adult swim] ]] once stated, when they said fans could request shows, "And before you ask... NO RANMA! THAT WILL NEVER BE SHOWN HERE! EVER!!!"[[/labelnote]] ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'' and ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'' showed the D&D community that Japan was [[JustForFun/OneOfUs just as nerdy as we are]]. The Creator/{{Toonami}} Creator/CartoonNetwork block was launched, bringing {{Anime}} to the viewing options of The Nineties children en masse. Even though it took almost a decade for it to be widely accepted as "mainstream" media in the United States (it was already mainstream in UsefulNotes/LatinAmerica before that), [[{{Animesque}} and its influence should be obvious by now.]]
Back in Japan, the surprise breakthrough of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' shook the anime world with its dark {{Deconstruction}} of the medium; its unexpected success proved not only a GenreTurningPoint but an outright ''Medium'' Turning Point, changing the landscape of televised anime forever. TV anime had up until ''Evangelion'' been a very mainstream affair, consisting pretty much exclusively of family-oriented shows and adaptations of popular manga, with only the more niche OriginalVideoAnimation market trying to push the medium's artistic limits. In ''Evangelion''[='s=] wake a torrent of [[FollowTheLeader imitators]] sprung up, attempting (with varying degrees of success) to copy its visceral mecha combat, [[MindScrew trippy]] [[KudzuPlot plot]], and [[FauxSymbolism unconventional]] use of Judeo-Christian symbolism. But more importantly, ''Evangelion'' also proved that more mature AnimeFirst properties could be profitable on the TV circuit, leading to more original, experimental, and darker shows starting to appear throughout the last half of the decade, the most successful examples of which were ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'', ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'', ''Anime/TheBigO'', and ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere''. Still, the new era of more experiential TV-anime started by ''Evangelion'' would first truly kick into high gear in the early years of the next decade, and the show's influence would continue to be felt as a constant background hum throughout it. Some argue that ''Evangelion''[='s=] shadow even still looms over the anime industry in TheNew10s.
The US saw what amounted to a [[MediaNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation cartoon revolution]] in this decade. The 80s has seen a somewhat increase in quality from the 60s and 70s, especially on TV, but there were still a lot of issues like AnimationAgeGhetto and LimitedAnimation at play (not to mention that most tv cartoons were MerchandiseDriven, thanks to 80s deregulation). Towards the end of the decade, movies like ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' in 1988 and ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' in 1989 showed the world an unprecedented return to form, and reminded them that cartoons could be a serious art form. Disney also started releasing TV shows based on their classic characters, like ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' and ''WesternAnimation/ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'', which contained a level of quality never seen on TV before. With this in mind, the 90s saw both Disney and Warner Bros. get back to their roots. Disney started producing lavishly animated films again, like ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''. Their success was more mixed in the latter half of the decade, but still, there’s a reason people tend to call this the Disney Renaissance. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. decided to mostly stick to TV, meaning they made some of the most influential tv shows in history during this time. Under Creator/StevenSpielberg himself, ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' saw a [[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures big revival]], and their zany style of humor carried over to the insanely popular ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''. On the other end of the spectrum, Creator/BruceTimm and Creator/PaulDini started work on grim and gritty ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Not only did it defy the age ghetto through its amazing writing and dark tone, but it was so popular that it started a whole animated universe of [[Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse spin-off shows!]] Finally, as mentioned previously, Pixar came in to its own in the 90s after previously sticking to commercials and special effects. The success of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'', as well as the hit shows ''WesternAnimation/{{Reboot}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' by Mainframe Entertainment, proved that CGI was the future of animation. The departure of Jeffery Katzenberg from Disney after ''The Lion King'' to found Creator/DreamWorksAnimation only further solidified this idea, not to mention started a rivalry that lasts to this very day.
The Nineties politically started with the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall on November 9, 1989 and the Soviet Union dissolving on December 26, 1991, and ended with both the 2000 Presidential election which saw the victory of UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush and the [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror terrorist attacks]] on September 11, 2001 which left people so [[WhamEpisode stupefied]] that it functioned as something of a cultural reset button. Pop-culturally, it started with the release of Music/{{Nirvana}}'s "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on September 10, 1991, and in 1992 with both the rise of {{Grunge}} and the emergence of the heroin chic fad and ended with the increased rise of online sharing and when the [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror September 11 terrorist attacks]] happened making this one of the longest cultural decades. To distinguish the era from the "Turn Of The Millennium", look for the twin towers of the original World Trade Center in establishing shots or title sequences of [[http://www.allcinemamovies.com/tv-shows TV shows and films]] set in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. Of course, this is also true for the 1970s, 1980s, and the very early 2000s. One could argue though that the cultural 1990s instead ended with the rise of [[Main/BoyBand Boy Bands]] in 1997, the premiere of ''Total Request Live'' on Creator/{{MTV}} in 1998, the quashed [[AnarchyIsChaos Seattle rebellion]] of November 30, 1999, the bursting of the Dot-Com Bubble on March 11, 2000 and subsequent 2001-2002 recession (which marked a jobless turning point for the new generation) or in 2002 when Creator/{{MTV}} [[NetworkDecay stopped playing music videos]].
Because most media is TwoDecadesBehind, Fictionland ended up being set in this decade in TheNewTens, and at the start of TheNewTwenties this decade still looms large in pop culture.
The word "Nineties" means [[UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia a very different thing]] in post-Soviet Russia, a thing much more cynical on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism.
Not to be confused with TheGay90s, which were a century earlier. But these Nineties were probably [[HaveAGayOldTime just as gay]].
See Also: The70s, The80s, the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNewTens.
Now has a [[TotallyRadical totally fresh]] [[UsefulNotes/The90s Useful Notes page]]!
[+[[labelnote::]]\\\
[[Music/MCHammer Hammertime]].[[/labelnote]]+]
----
[[foldercontrol]]
!!Tropes associated with the 1990s:
Naturally, a lot of technology tropes due to the rapid pace of technology and the Internet:
[[folder:Tropes]]
* The70s: Nothing says the '90s more than nostalgia for the '70s.
** Bellbottoms came back in style for a brief moment. ''Film/DazedAndConfused'', ''Film/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'', ''Series/That70sShow'', ''Film/TheBradyBunch'' movies, ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' jokes, etc. The '90s itself, alongside with the '80s, subsequently became the nostalgic decade of TheNew10s.
** N-Trance basically built their career around sampling old Disco songs ([[PopularityPolynomial now that America had gotten over]] the intense hatred of the genre that existed in The80s) and remixing them with HipHop and Electronic Dance.
** A lot of {{Grunge}} acts were inspired by '70s hard rock bands like Music/LedZeppelin and Music/BlackSabbath.
** Earth tones became popular again in interior design and fashion.
* SeventiesHair: Long male hair made a comeback in the '90s thanks to {{Grunge}}.
* NinetiesAntiHero: This era and many of its comics are the TropeNamer.
* NinetiesHair: Exemplified by long hair that fits the {{Grunge}} look, or bald shaven heads to go clubbing, or with curtains. In the case of African-Americans, hi-top fades and box braids were the style.
* ActionGirl: Arrived with a bang in this decade. ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' saw Sarah Connor undergoing {{Xenafication}} to become a huge paragon of feminism in the public eye. On television we got ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}'', as well as the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' increasing the female presence by [[ShesAManInJapan adapting the male Yellow Ranger to a female]] to make it TwoGirlsToATeam, while the ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' anime became one of the Toonami block's flagship shows. Starting with Ariel in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', Disney heroines became more proactive and the majority of them were now {{Action Girl}}s too. It didn't necessarily translate well to film -- as ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'' was a flop, as were ''Film/TankGirl'' and ''Film/BarbWire'', but ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'' turned the franchise's FinalGirl Laurie Strode into one. The love interest in action movies usually would get in on the action too, even if only in a DesignatedGirlFight or ActionSurvivor sort of way.
* AllAnimationIsDisney: Re-established by the "Creator/{{Disney}} [[WinBackTheCrowd Renaissance]]" lasting from 1989 to 1999, which returned the company to prominence over the animation industry.
* AllCGICartoon: The earliest ones that are still remembered today were made during this decade, with ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' as the pioneer for future CGI feature films.
* AnimatedShockComedy: Almost every animated series aimed for adults, even the ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', commonly used shock value to gear themselves towards older audiences. This genre is popularized by ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', which debuted in 1997.
* AnimeAndMangaOfThe1990s: Even with Japan experiencing an economic bubble burst during this decade, and a moral backlash against anime with ultraviolent and hypersexual content after the "Otaku Killer" incident, the Japanese animation industry still upped the ante with [[Anime/SailorMoon lunar-powered]] or [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura card-wielding]] {{Magical Girl}}s, {{mind screw}}ing child-powered [[strike:angel-]] [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion alien-fighting mecha]], [[Anime/GundamWing multinational peacekeeping mecha pilots]], [[Anime/DragonBallZ hair-raising-powered cosmic guardians]], [[Manga/RanmaOneHalf genderbending martial artists]], [[Anime/CowboyBebop spacefaring bounty hunters]], [[Manga/SlamDunk high school basketball]], [[Manga/YuYuHakusho high school spirit detectives]], [[Manga/CaseClosed a high school sleuth in a kid's body]], [[Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne a teenage seer sucked into a war torn planet]], [[Anime/FushigiYuugi two girls trapped in an old Chinese book]], [[Manga/FlameOfRecca a fire-wielding ninja]], [[Manga/{{Berserk}} a giant sword-wielding demon slayer]], and [[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries a kid destined to be a master by catching monsters]].
* AwardBaitSong: Creator/{{Disney}} just loved this about this time. And who could ever forget [[Music/CelineDion "My Heart]] [[Film/{{Titanic1997}} Will Go On"]]?
* AxesAtSchool: This was the first time school shootings received national media coverage and was seen as an actual issue. While there had been school shootings in the United States every year since The60s, it wasn't until the tragedies at Paducah, Springfield, and especially UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}}, that it was considered a real issue by the public.
* BadassLongcoat: Became really popular towards the end of the decade and leading into the first few years of the 2000s.
* BareMidriffsAreFeminine: It was in this decade that crop tops became less a specific, intentionally sexy look, and more shorthand for 'teenage girl'.
* TheBardOnBoard: The decade was noticeable with adaptations of Shakespeare's works, such as artistic takes of ''Film/{{Hamlet}}'' by Creator/KennethBranagh and Film/WilliamShakespearesRomeoAndJuliet by Creator/BazLuhrmann, both in 1996; derivations like ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' (based on ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''), and ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'' (based on ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew''); and even historical fiction him like ''Film/ShakespeareInLove''. No coincidence that much of his plays [[MilestoneCelebration passed the 400-year milestones]].
* BlaxploitationParody: It became acceptable in the Nineties to make fun of (and occasionally homage) the {{Blaxploitation}} films of the Seventies.
* BoyishShortHair: Pixie cuts were quite popular, and some daring women in the rave scene would shave their heads completely.
* BreatherEpisode: This decade is often portrayed as such [[CreatorProvincialism in American works]]. With the Cold War finally ending in 1991, the United States was left to enjoy the longest-lasting period of economic expansion in its history (at the time), while suffering few-to-no disasters or military conflicts. As such, the '90s are [[NostalgiaFilter nostalgically]] remembered in America as being a peaceful, affluent and overall ''nicer'' period of history, especially compared to what came [[The80s before]] or [[TurnOfTheMillennium after]].
* {{Chupacabra}}: Although reports of farm animals drained of blood began in the 1970s, the term "Chupacabra" and the description of the creature as we know it originated in 1995, probably inspired by ''Film/{{Species}}''.
* CollectibleCardGame: Started with TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering in 1993, and now ''everything'' has a CCG (no matter how short-lived).
* CoveredInGunge: Showed up in kids' shows and cartoons a lot in this era. Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} was famous for its green slime in these days.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: A favorite theme of pop culture of the decade (particularly science-fiction). Many of the decade's most popular films -- like ''Film/FightClub'', ''Film/EyesWideShut'', ''Film/MulhollandDrive'', ''Film/TheGame1997'', ''Film/ABeautifulMind'', ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', ''Film/OfficeSpace'', ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', ''Film/DarkCity'' and ''Film/TheMatrix'' -- dealt with the artificiality and mundanity of middle-class life, [[MundaneHorror and the implicit horror of seemingly perfect worlds]]. Notably, this came crashing down in a big way at the beginning of [[TurnOfTheMillennium the following decade]]. After the one-two punch of [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror the 9/11 attacks]] and the 2007 recession, artificiality and mundanity suddenly seemed like a nice alternative to terror and poverty.
* CyberPunkIsTechno: Every cyberpunk film got a techno soundtrack during this era. ElectronicMusic and rave culture entered the popular lexicon throughout Europe, North America, and other scattered loactions throughout the world.
* CyclicNationalFascination:
** With the growing popularity of the Grunge scene, a brewing coffee culture, and a rising tech and video game industry, Seattle becomes the forefront of pop culture starting throughout the decade.
** {{Oireland}}, in response to the cool down after the UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, and owing to [[UsefulNotes/TheCelticTiger the economic boom]], and a blossoming Celtic revival, became a center of cultural attention starting in the second half of the decade. Music acts of a myriad of genres were everywhere such as Music/SineadOConnor, Music/TheCranberries, B*Witched, Music/TheCorrs, Music/{{Westlife}}, and Boyzone.
** Chinoiserie becomes a hot topic in two waves. The first wave came in 1993 following the premiere of ''Film/TheJoyLuckClub'' and the death of Brendan Lee that also triggered the nostalgia of kung-fu films, and also brought forth Hong Kong stars like director Creator/JohnWoo and actor Creator/JackieChan to Hollywood. The second wave came with Hong Kong's handover in 1997 and the premiere of Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' in 1998 with odangos, mini-qipaos, yin-and-yang, tiger and dragon motifs, and sometimes [[EmbarrassingTattoo embarrassingly inaccurate tattoos]] of Chinese characters, becoming fashionable.
** The 90s was also the decade of the anime boom, slowly gaining a growing fandom through sales of VHS tapes, then exploding into mainstream popularity in 1996 with ''Anime/SailorMoon'', ''Manga/DragonBallZ'', and ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'', followed by Creator/{{Toonami}} bringing other shows to promenence. By the end of the decade over 80% of young people between the ages of 14 and 35 watched at least one hour of anime a week.
* DanceSensation:
** Vogueing, coming from the black and Latin LGBT community in Harlem, became mainstream after the release of Madonna's "Vogue" in 1990.
** The release of Music/BillyRayCyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" put western style line dancing into dance floors everywhere.
** The Macarena. ''Everyone'' danced to it, ''everywhere'', and no other dance craze has arguably come close to it since.
* DarkerAndEdgier: The early part of the decade could be best described for many like a bad hangover, with many disillusioned former yuppies finding emotional emptiness and the rest suffering from the ailing economy, and a new generation coming into adulthood with an appropriately pessimistic outlook. Pop culture also reflected this, with ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', for one, reflecting upon familial dysfunction, and the frivolous HairMetal subgenre was driven out by the rise of darker sounding AlternativeRock in the mainstream.
* DelinquentHair: The trend of young men's hairstyles combining spikes and dye. "Frosted tips", or spiked hair with the ends bleached-blond, became as much of a style icon of the late '90s as big hair was in the '80s.
* DenserAndWackier: Art and animation styles and techniques became more surreal and deconstructive in this era. Animated shows produced by Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} like ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken'' and ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'' respectively, with its [[WildTake exaggerated reactions]], [[DerangedAnimation distorted art styles]], LargeHam voice acting, and {{Gainax Ending}}s, became popular in this era. Other examples were Creator/{{MTV}}'s ''Liquid Television'' block with experimental avant-garde animation projects such as '"WesternAnimation/AeonFlux'' and ''Creator/KlaskyCsupo introducing EasternEuropeanAnimation techniques to mainstream TV, exemplified by grotesque, crude and surreal cartoons such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters''.
* EdutainmentShow: If kids shows in this decade were not about slime and grossouts, then they were these. In contrast to the [[AnimatedAdaptation celebrity-based animated shows]] and [[MerchandiseDriven 30 minute commercial cartoons]] of the previous decade, and taking advantage of the certain laws such as the American [[https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/1677 Children's Television Act of 1990]], which limited advertisements on kids shows, this decade focused on shows about teaching kids and teens on topics ranging from science to literature to morals to the environment to dinosaurs while also not losing the zaniness.
* ExtremeSportsPlot: Ever since extreme sports like skateboarding, motorcross, surfing, snowboarding, and rock climbing became popular in the decade, shows that never done this before or don't necessarily need this got on with it due to its themes of new hobbies, passion, physical activity, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
* EverythingIsOnline: "If it exists you'll find it on the Internet" became a popular slogan.
* FiveTokenBand: In this decade, more and more kids from different nationalities would group together in different shows or advertisements.
* GyaruGirl: Famous Japanese youth subcultures such as ''ganguro'' took off during this decade, which featured tans, bleached hair and heavy chalky makeup as a TakeThat towards traditional Japanese beauty standards.
* HideYourGays: Was becoming more of a {{discredited trope}} in this decade as more LGBT people started coming out, some of the most famous including Creator/EllenDegeneres (who did it in an episode of her self-titled sitcom) and singer Melissa Etheridge, leading to a slow but certain wider acceptance of LGBT people. It wasn't all positive though -- the majority of society still disapproved of gays marrying, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was established, and homophobic bullying reached brutal heights, culminating in the murder of Matthew Shepard (though on the positive side, his killers were sentenced to life behind bars).
* {{Hipster}}: {{Trope codifi|er}}cation of early-'90s geek-chic, emulating {{beatnik}}s and the [[UsefulNotes/TheOtherRainforest Seattle culture]].
* HollywoodActionHero: Basically the same action heroes from the decade before, with one newcomer, Creator/BruceWillis.
* HollywoodThin: Thin was in for women this decade, as shown with the svelte supermodels in the first half and the nearly emaciated "heroin chic" look in the next half.
* HoodFilm: The genre began in the 1980s but was codified in the early 1990s.
* TheInternetIsForPorn: The '90s may very well be the 2nd Sexual Revolution because of this!
%%* ItsASmallNetAfterAll
* KidsLoveDinosaurs: When ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' became a box office success and after ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' and ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' in 1992 and 1993 respectively, became massive hits with kids, everything from toys and books to underwear and television shows featured dinosaurs. This got so big that when the NBA expanded into Canada in 1995, one of the new teams was named the Toronto Raptors.
%%* KidsWildernessEpic
* LighterAndSofter: In America, due to the end of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar and being before UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror and the general affluence of the era, Nineties nostalgia tends to remember this decade as a relatively more stable and peaceful time, in contrast to the decades before and after it.
* LingerieScene: The underwear-as-outerwear trend started in this decade, with articles like slips, bras and panties designed for everyday use much to the chagrin of MoralGuardians and the delight of rappers and eager men and women.
* LittleBlackDress: Especially popular in this decade.
* MerchandiseDriven: All those toy-centered franchises in The80s were nothing compared to Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'s sheer amount of commercialization; the '90s were all about this at this point.
* MemeticMutation: Thanks to TheInternet, it could flourish.
* MillenniumBug: In which people considered New Years 1999-2000 a set date for TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt until it actually (failed to have) happened.
* {{Minimalism}}: This style became the aesthetic force after the last [[The70s two]] [[The80s decades]] of over-detail and excess.
* MusicOfThe1990s: Despite Creator/{{MTV}} [[NetworkDecay going off-track in the decade]], music remained a powerful force of expression after the turbulence of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar and the excesses of [[The80s 1980s consumerism]], with an angsty, no-nonsense attitude and voice (though that didn't mean lighthearted fun was out of fashion). Here we have the genres that originated and/or popularized in this decade:
** AlternativeRock: Burst to the mainstream thanks to the success of {{Grunge}}.
** BritPop: Bands like Music/{{Oasis}}, Music/{{Blur}}, Music/TheSpiceGirls tried to create a second British Invasion.
** CountryMusic: "The Class of '89" consisting of Music/GarthBrooks, Music/AlanJackson, Music/ClintBlack, and Music/TravisTritt brought alternative elements to country music, Music/BillyRayCyrus brought forth line dancing whiled tuned in to "Achy Breaky Heart" to the dancefloor, and later in the decade, female acts such as the Music/DixieChicks, Music/LeAnnRimes, and Music/ShaniaTwain had crossed over country, rock, and pop over to an international scale.
** EuroPop: Continental bands, mostly Scandinavian bands, like Music/{{Roxette}}, Music/AceOfBase, and Music/{{Aqua}}, with their sugary WordSaladLyrics became popular in this era.
** GangstaRap: TheNewRockAndRoll of the early nineties, causing quite a moral panic, most memorably when Creator/CharltonHeston protested "Cop Killer" at the Time Warner shareholders' meeting.
** GirlGroup: Girl groups almost out numbered {{Boy Band}}s in this decade. To name a few: Music/{{TLC}}, SWV, Music/SpiceGirls, and En Vogue.
** MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHipHop: Arguably started in the 1980s but its biggest impact was the '90s overall. Multiple styles started to emerge from different regions outside of the east coast. A large array of indie hip-hop labels found success and countless highly regarded albums came out in these years.
** {{Goth}}: Became mainstream in the '90s thanks to ''Franchise/TheCrow'', [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]], Creator/TimBurton, Music/MarilynManson, Creator/AnneRice, and Music/DeadCanDance.
** {{Grunge}}: Exploded onto the scene in the early Nineties, then quickly collapsed onto itself and became PostGrunge by the end of the decade. ''[[Music/{{Nirvana}} Nevermind]]'' was the biggest and most influential album of the decade.
** HouseMusic: Popularized by Music/{{Madonna}} in her single, "Vogue", the genre remained popular throughout the decade, spawning sub-genres like deep house, rave, and acid house.
** IntercourseWithYou: Many of the biggest hits of the '90s had sexual lyrics that were more explicit than earlier decades. The music videos themselves also featured more and more scantily clad women moving their breasts and buttocks around.
** MelodicDeathMetal: Crystalized into the Metal Scene around 1994 by the bands from UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}} and UsefulNotes/{{Finland}} as well as the English band Music/{{Carcass}}.
** NewAge: Taking advantage of the post-Cold War era sentimentality and of the new experimentations of electronic music, "New Age music" that fuses elements of {{Ambient}} and WorldMusic became en vogue during the decade.
** {{Reggae}}: Regained popularity during the decade. Adding elements of pop, rock, RAndB, and electronic, it formed reggae fusion. Panama and Puerto Rico gave their own spin by combining dancehall with Latin American and Caribbean music, forming reggaeton.
** RAndB: A more pop-flavored version became popular, spawning "urban pop".
** {{Scatting}}: Always around, but it got a little boost in popularity.
** {{Techno}}: While developed in UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} in the mid-80s, the genre would really begin to hit its stride in this decade, finding popularity in the European club scene.
** {{Trance}}: Originated in Europe in the early years of this decade and spread all over the world, spawning subgenres such as Goa trance in India and psychedelic trance in Israel. Some of the genre's biggest artists began their careers in this decade and are still going strong.
* MustHaveCaffeine: While coffee culture had its [[PopularityPolynomial waves of impact]] [[OlderThanYouThink since]] TheMiddleAges, this decade gave coffee culture a massive boost on an international level with shows such as ''Series/{{Friends}}'' and coffeehouse franchises such as Starbucks making you want to crave a cup of espresso.
* NostalgiaFilter: For Western millennials, this decade's clear demarcation as "pre-[=9/11=] times" means that it will probably never lose its luster for this generation in hindsight.
* ParodiesForDummies: The "...For Dummies" book series became popular and thus a subject for parody.
* {{Postmodern|ism}} {{Irony}}: The '90s were when irony went from an [[The80s unheard-of]] artistic stance to becoming a DeadHorseTrope.
* RealIsBrown: For an eclectic decade, the color palette of the 1990s went for a laid-back approach.
** If any color palette in the early to mid '90s wasn't garishly neon, or a holdover from the '80s Memphis style, it was dingy shades of brown, gray, forest green, and rust, especially within the Grunge subculture.
** Incidentally, shades of brown became en vogue due to coffee and the coffee culture prevailing on it.
** Aside from brown and tan, muted jewel tones such as garnet red, mustard, teal, denim blue, electric indigo, and raspberry became the rage, while candy colors and fluorescent colors are picked by the rave scene.
** As the new millennium was fast approaching, grunge colors were pushed aside in favor of shiny metallics like silver and chrome, pearlescents, bubblegum pinks, sunset oranges, icy blues, and digital greens.
** In actuality, for the entire '90s, Real is ''Teal''. From [[https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/537646-a-closer-look-at-the-uniforms-and-logos-of-the-90s sports teams]] to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_(design) paper cups]], and from the default wallpapers of [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Windows_95_at_first_run.png Windows 95]] and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/windows/images/4/4b/300px-Windows98.png Windows 98]] to the [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/IMac_G3_Bondi_Blue%2C_three-quarters_view.png translucent casing]] of the [=iMac=] G3, teal, with the occasional accents of purple, was everywhere.
* RealityTV: Really took off in this decade, with reality itself (thanks to 24 hour news cycles, media circuses, and scandals) providing entertainment to the masses.
* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: Probably one of the most infamous things about the mid-90s, coinciding with Bill Clinton's first years in office. Having a progressive (for the time) president in office at a time when gay rights, government-sponsored healthcare, and gun control became hot button issues meant that there was a significant backlash from conservative groups.
* SatanicPanic: The final years of panic around Devil worship and perceived "counterculture".
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Though the decade is remembered today in places like America as a happier and simpler time, the actual tone of the decade often slid back and forth between the two extremes.
* SleevesAreForWimps: Was a male fanservice trope during the first half of the decade with the [[WalkingShirtlessScene shirtless vest look]].
* SoulCrushingDeskJob: After the '80s romantic portrayals of yuppies and corporate fun, media in the '90s focus on disgruntled and disassociated white collar workers, with movies being called "Cubicle films". 1999 alone is filled with cubicle films such as ''Film/TheMatrix'', ''Film/AmericanBeauty'', ''Film/OfficeSpace'' and ''Film/FightClub'', that deal with themes of monotony in the workplace, cynicism of corporate life, and escapism.
* TropeMaker: Along with TropeCodifier, with TheInternet and {{Video Game}}s becoming a force in media, and [[ItWillNeverCatchOn not just mere fads]], new ideas and concepts were brought by and catered to the members of Generation X and the Millennials growing up with it. {{Stock parod|y}}ies include:
** ISeeDeadPeople: Popularized by ''Film/TheSixthSense''.
** KidHero: While not a new trope, Macaulay Culkin as Kevin in ''Film/HomeAlone'' really got the ball rolling. The character and the film itself [[FollowTheLeader spawned other films]] that empowered children to do decent grown-up activities, or [[KidsWildernessEpic venturing into the great outdoors]] by saving the environment or the places around them. The films usually end with the kids stopping the villains by [[GuileHero using their wits]] or [[ThePowerOfFriendship with teamwork]]. Video games got in on the action with [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Ness]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Red]].
** TheMenInBlack: These [[BadassInANiceSuit badasses in their nice black suits]] were popularized as heroes by ''Film/MenInBlack'' and as villains by ''Film/TheMatrix''.
** MissionImpossibleCableDrop: Popularized by ''Film/MissionImpossible'' (1996).
** {{NOT}}: The way to sarcastically end all jokes, popularized by ''Film/WaynesWorld''.
** RagingStiffie: Following the creation of Sildenafil, better known by its genericized name Viagra in 1989, which was originally created to alleviate hypertension only to find out it alleviated erectile dysfunction, men were delighted, and sex comedies, and internet porn, followed suit when the drug was approved using the side effect in 1998.
** SeinfeldianConversation: Popularized not just by [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} the trope namer]], but also Film/PulpFiction.
** TheVerse: This is the decade where works with a SharedUniverse started getting traction. ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', ''WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries'', ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourTheAnimatedSeries'', and ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' had plenty of {{Crossover}}s, making them predecessors to Creator/MarvelComics adaptations with such concept (which would ''really'' take-off the [[Film/XMenFilmSeries following]] [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse decade]]). ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' introduced the concept of having the CrisisCrossover between the current and previous year's team during the middle of the decade. The very end of the decade was when ''Series/{{Angel}}'' premiered, officially launching the ''Franchise/{{BuffyVerse}}''. Concurrently, the ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' franchise's [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit very first]] SpinOff also premiered.
** YouCantHandleTheParody: Popularized by ''Film/AFewGoodMen''.
* UncannyValleyMakeup:
** While not as bold and wild as '80s makeup, makeup in the '90s, with its matte foundation, no blush, and eyes and lips dark shades of browns, purples, and burgundys, can have this effect with the "heroin chic" style, with some styles even made purposely runny to achieve the look.
** With the rave and techno explosion in the late '90s, party makeup became loud with bright neon colors and adding glitter and rhinestones on their face
** In Japan, the ganguro subculture shocked the mainstream, with the ganguro girls rebelling against traditional East Asian beauty standards by tanning their skin and having white eye makeup and lips.
* UnkemptBeauty: At the other extreme end, there's the '70s trend that returned big after women spent the previous decade wearing heavy amounts of make-up and donning ozone-tearing big hair.
* VaporWear: Another '70s trend that returned. Many women went braless or wore bras with material thin enough for nipples to be visible. Some even used fake nipples!
* VideoGamesOfThe1990s: As video games became more sophisticated, more [[MediaNotes/The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames techno]][[MediaNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames logically]] and [[VideoGame3DLeap visually]] appealing, and more widespread; ranging from the arcade platform, to [[Platform/{{SNES}} the]] [[Platform/SegaGenesis home]] [[Platform/{{Nintendo64}} con]][[Platform/PlayStation sole]], to the [[Platform/GameBoy hand]][[Platform/GameBoyColor helds]], to the personal computer; the industry became an inevitable force of media, spawning new genres and tropes with it. The era gave us:
** FourX: The genre was popularized by the first installment of ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' in 1991.
** {{Adventure Game}}s: All the rage prior to ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' and the triumph of the FirstPersonShooter. Though really a carryover from The80s.
** AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Developed in the '90s.
** MediaNotes/ConsoleWars: Practically began in earnest with Sega Genesis vs. Super Nintendo. Genesis Does What Nintendon't, anyone?
** FightingGame: Popularized by ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''Franchise/MortalKombat''.
** FirstPersonShooter: Pioneered by ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'' and ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
** MascotWithAttitude: Every annoying video game character made was this. Some of the best remembered include VideoGame/CrashBandicoot, VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit, Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, and Franchise/SpyroTheDragon.
** PopUpVideoGames: Video games introduced pop-ups in this decade.
** RealTimeStrategy: Although the genre originated in the 80s, games such as ''VideoGame/WarCraft'', ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', and ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'' wouldn't have been popular if not for ''VideoGame/DuneII'' in 1992.
** RhythmGame: ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' revolutionized this genre.
** SimulationGame: The genre in its modern form came to be with ''VideoGame/SimCity'' in 1989.
** SurvivalHorror: ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' coined the term in 1996.
* WesternAnimationOfThe1990s: Coincided almost precisely with this decade, with the debut of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' which catered adult-oriented entertainment in 1989, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s debut of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' in 1991, the launching of Creator/CartoonNetwork in 1992, and Creator/{{Disney}} starting their "Disney Renaissance" with ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' in 1989 and finishing with ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' in 1999.
* WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell: After the USSR officially dissolved in late 1991, many factions in the West were left without a common enemy to unite against, and the value of UsefulNotes/{{NATO}} (originally formed to combat the Soviets) was soon called into question. Over in Eastern Europe, meanwhile, the newborn Russian Federation and the former members of the Soviet Bloc were left to pick up the pieces of the Soviet Union's downfall, leaving many people in the older generations [[NostalgiaFilter nostalgic for the "good old days"]]. [[RippedFromTheHeadlines Naturally]], several works of fiction in the 1990s tackled the end of the Cold War: ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' (which follows the drama of the Federation and Klingon Empire sueing for peace) went into production around the time the Iron Curtain was falling, and was released mere days before the Soviet Union dissolved. ''Film/JamesBond'' films made after 1991 picked up a CentralTheme of 007 and secret agents like him feeling increasingly irrelevant now that the Reds were gone.
* XMakesAnythingCool: Alongside XtremelyKoolLetterz, media in this decade totally milked this naming convention to appeal towards the Generation '''X'''.
* {{Zeerust}}: With the new millennium fast approaching and computer tech accelerating by the minute, consumerist visions of the future in the late '90s and very early '00s were dominated by metallic or pearlescent paintjobs, CoolCodeOfSource or MatrixRainingCode, rounded and organic-looking plastic (often [[TransparentTech transparent]] to show off the complicated electronics inside), and CGI renders of reflective materials like glass, bubbles or water. Retroactively, this style of zeerust is called the "[=Y2K=]" aesthetic, after the infamous MillenniumBug.
[[/folder]]
!Many things were created or existed in the 1990s:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[index]]
* AnimeAndMangaOfThe1990s
* ComicBooksOfThe1990s
* FanficsPre2000
* FilmsOfThe1990s
** FilmsOfThe1990sFranchises
** FilmsOf19901994
** FilmsOf19951999
* LiteratureOfThe1990s
* SeriesOfThe1990s
* MusicOfThe1990s
* TheatreOfThe1990s
* VideoGamesOfThe1990s
** VideoGamesOf19901994
** VideoGamesOf19951999
* EarlyVisualNovels
* WesternAnimationOfThe1990s
[[folder:Advertising]]
* Advertising/AbsolutelyRoseStreet
* Advertising/BigBillHells
* Advertising/CartoonsOnChildrensRights
* Advertising/ChickFilACows
* Advertising/CompaniesCommittedToKids
* Advertising/TheCrashDummies. Campaign began in 1985.
* Advertising/DontCopyThatFloppy
* Advertising/DrRabbit
* Advertising/EnergizerBunny
* Advertising/FosterImposters
* Advertising/GotMilk
* Advertising/ItsHappyBunny
* Advertising/ItsThinking
* Advertising/JackInTheBox
* Advertising/JayBushAndDuke
* Advertising/JulieKnewHerKiller
* Advertising/MrDelicious
* Advertising/NintendoPowerPromoVideos
* Advertising/ObeyYourThirst
* Advertising/OperationBlueLine
* Advertising/{{Pepsiman}}
* Advertising/ThePizzaHeadShow
* Advertising/SegataSanshiro
* Advertising/ASneakPeekAtPokemon
* Advertising/{{Spacix}}
* Advertising/UFOKamenYakisoban
* Advertising/UltramanNice
* Advertising/ViveSinDrogas
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* ''Animation/ThreeThousandWhysOfBlueCat''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio''. Series began in 1938.
* ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske''. Series began in 1945.
* ''ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer''. First appeared in September, 1946.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Nero}}'' . Series began in 1947.
* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke''. Series began in 1947.
* ''ComicBook/PietPienterEnBertBibber''. Series began in 1951. Ended this decade, in 1995.
* ''ComicBook/{{Jommeke}}''. Series began in 1955.
* ''ComicBook/JanJansEnDeKinderen''. Series began in 1970.
* ''ComicBook/DeGeneraal''. Series began in 1971.
* ''ComicBook/DouweDabbert''. Series began in 1975.
* ''ComicBook/DeKiekeboes''. Series started in 1977.
* ''ComicBook/{{Urbanus}}'' Series started in 1982.
* ''ComicBook/GillesdeGeus''. Series began in 1983.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' (started in 1970) and ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' (started in 1979) both underwent CerebusSyndrome in this era, signaling the rise of depressing comic strips. Doonesbury even did a strip about the sobering end of the 1980s for New Year's day, 1990.
** ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' had a 1993 ComingOutStory for character Lawrence Poirier. Readers were upset enough to send hate mail and death threats to the creator.
* ''ComicStrip/ZippyThePinhead''. First appeared in 1971, went from 1980s UndergroundComics to become a mainstream comic strip in the 1990s, suitably enough.
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' started in the 1985 and continued its run to 1995.
* ''ComicBook/PierreTombal''. First published in 1986, still continued in this decade.
* ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot''. Started in April, 1988. Continued its run through the decade.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' strips seemed to be taped on every cubicle in Corporate America. Debuted in 1989 and continued throughout and beyond the 1990s.
* ''Outland'', the Sunday-only 1990s ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'''s {{Spinoff}}. Both it and the 1980s strip were created by Berkeley Breathed. Debuted in 1989 and lasted to 1995.
* ''ComicStrip/TheWackyAdventuresOfPedro''. Character created in January 1947, started appearing in this comic in January 1990.
* [[ComicStrip/BabyBlues Baby Zoe]] was born Sunday, January 7, 1990.
* ''ComicStrip/BigNate''. Started in January, 1991.
* ''ComicStrip/MadamAndEve''. Started in July 1992.
* ''ComicStrip/MigraineBoy''. Started in 1992.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Pluggers}}''. Started in February, 1993.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Mutts}}''. Started in 1994.
* ''ComicStrip/OverTheHedge''. Started in June, 1995.
* ''ComicStrip/LibertyMeadows''. Started in March, 1997.
* ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks''. Started in April, 1999.
* ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy''. Started in September, 1999.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Eastern Animation]]
* ''Animation/CaptainPronin''
* ''Animation/HisWifeIsAHen''
* ''Animation/{{Krisztoforo}}''
* ''Animation/TheSeventhBrother''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/DevilsDiary''
* ''Fanfic/DinobotsOldTechnology''
* ''Fanfic/DrunkardsWalk''
* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheManOfUnknown''
* ''Fanfic/HeartsOfIce''
* ''Fanfic/TheHeartTheSoul''
* ''Fanfic/{{HERZ}}''
* ''Fanfic/HopeSpringsEternal''
* ''Fanfic/ImHereToHelp''
* ''Fanfic/MarissaPicard''
* ''Fanfic/TheMiserySenshiNeoZeroDoubleBlitzkriegDebacle''
* ''Fanfic/TheMoreThingsChange''
* ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionIIDeltaInvasion''
* ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionR''
* ''Fanfic/TheNowakverse''
* ''Fanfic/TheOneILoveIs''
* ''Fanfic/OzmaSeesHerself''
* ''Fanfic/PhoenixRising'' Concluded in 2000.
* ''Fanfic/PokemonMaster''
* ''Fanfic/RainbowBriteAndTheWarOfDarkness''
* ''Fanfic/RevengeRoad''
* ''Fanfic/RhymeAndReason''
* ''Fanfic/TheRodSquad''
* ''Fanfic/RolePlayingEvangelion''
* ''Fanfic/SaintIreneEvangelion''
* ''Fanfic/ShinjiTheCasanova''
* ''Fanfic/SithAcademy''
* ''Fanfic/SlayersTrilogy''
* ''Fanfic/TheStoryOfSilverKetchum''
* ''Fanfic/SupermanAndMan''
* ''Fanfic/ThisTimeRound''
* ''Fanfic/TriumphOfTheRetart''
* ''Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures''
* ''Fanfic/TheUnfantasticAdventuresOfBizarroNo1''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Magazines]]
* ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures''. Launched in October, 1990.
* ''Magazine/{{Loaded}}'', first of the lad-mags in 1994.
* ''[[Magazine/TopSecretMagazine Top Secret]]''
* ''Magazine/NickelodeonMagazine''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pinball]]
* ''Pinball/TheAddamsFamily'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/TheAdventuresOfRockyAndBullwinkleAndFriends'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/{{Apollo 13}}'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/AttackFromMars'' (1995)
** ''Pinball/RevengeFromMars'' (1999)
* ''Pinball/BackToTheFuture'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/BatmanDataEast'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/BatmanForever'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/BattleDome'' (1994)
** ''Pinball/{{Doraemon}} Battle Dome'' (1999)
* ''Pinball/{{Baywatch}}'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/BlackRose'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/BramStokersDracula'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/{{Breakshot|1996}}'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/BugsBunnysBirthdayBall'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/CactusCanyon'' (1998)
* ''Pinball/TheChampionPub'' (1998)
* ''Pinball/{{Checkpoint}}'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/CirqusVoltaire'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/{{Congo}}'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/{{Corvette}}'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/CueBallWizard'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/DemolitionMan'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/{{Diner}}'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/DoctorWho'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/DrDude'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/FishTales'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/TheFlintstones'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/FlipperFootball'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/{{FunHouse|1990}}'' (1990)
* ''[[Pinball/HighSpeed The Getaway: High Speed 2]]'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/GilligansIsland'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/{{Gladiators}}'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/GodzillaSega'' (1998)
* ''Pinball/GoldenEye'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/GunsNRosesDataEast'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/{{Hook}}'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/{{Hurricane}}'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/IndianaJonesThePinballAdventure'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/{{Indianapolis 500}}'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/JohnnyMnemonic'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/JudgeDredd'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/JunkYard'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/JurassicParkDataEast'' (1993)
** ''Pinball/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/{{Kingpin}}'' (unreleased; 1996)
* ''Pinball/LastActionHero'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/LethalWeapon3'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/TheMachineBrideOfPinbot'' (1991)
** ''Pinball/JackBot'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/MaverickTheMovie'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/MedievalMadness'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/MonsterBash'' (1998)
* ''Pinball/NBAFastbreak'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/NoFearDangerousSports'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/NoGoodGofers'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/OperationThunder'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/ThePartyZone'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/PinballMagic'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/PopeyeSavesTheEarth'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/RedAndTedsRoadShow'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/{{Rescue 911}}'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/{{Rollergames}}'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/SafeCracker'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/ScaredStiff'' (sequel to ''Elvira and the Party Monsters''; 1996)
* ''Pinball/TheShadow'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/ShaqAttaq'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/TheSimpsonsDataEast'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/SouthPark'' (1999)
* ''Pinball/SpaceJam'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/StarTrekDataEast'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' {1993)
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekPinball'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/StarWarsDataEast'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/StarWarsEpisodeI'' (1999)
* ''Pinball/StarWarsTrilogy'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/{{Stargate}}'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/StarshipTroopers'' (1997)
* ''Pinball/StreetFighterII'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/SuperMarioBros'' (1992)
** ''Pinball/SuperMarioBrosMushroomWorld'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/TalesFromTheCrypt'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/TalesOfTheArabianNights'' (1996)
* ''Pinball/TeedOff'' (1993)
* ''Pinball/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesDataEast'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' (1991)
* ''Pinball/TheatreOfMagic'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/TwilightZone'' (1992)
* ''Pinball/{{Whirlwind}}'' (1990)
* ''Pinball/WhiteWater'' (1993)
* ''[[Pinball/WhoDunnit1995 WHO dunnit]]'' (1995)
* ''Pinball/TheWhosTommy'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/WorldCupSoccer'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/WWFRoyalRumble'' (1994)
* ''Pinball/TheXFiles'' (1997)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Wrestlers ]]
* [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]]: Debuted in the 1980s, became one of the top high flyers in wrestling in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher
* Wrestling/{{Abyss}}: Debuted in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/BrianAdams Brian Adams/Crush]]: Debuted in 1986, arrived in WWE in 1990.
* Wrestling/ChrisAdams: Competed in various Texas promotions and had a small run in WCW.
* Wrestling/GeneralSkandorAkbar: Continued managing in Texas indies.
* Wrestling/CaptainLouAlbano: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1996.
* Wrestling/GaryAlbright
* Wrestling/BillAlfonso
* Wrestling/ArnAnderson
* Wrestling/KenAnderson: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/AndreTheGiant: Retired in 1992, died the following year which eventually led to him being the inaugural Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame inductee.
* Wrestling/KurtAngle: Made his WWE TV debut at ''Survivor Series 99.''
* Wrestling/YojiAnjo: Debuted in the 80s, became truly popular in the 90s.
* Wrestling/BradArmstrong
* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin: Peaked in 1996 and became unarguably WWE's breakout star for the duration of the decade.
* Wrestling/MikeAwesome: Debuted in 1989, made his career in Japan in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/GiantBaba: Retired in 1998, died almost two months later in 1999.
* Wrestling/BobBacklund
* Wrestling/BuffBagwell: Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/TheBarbarian
* Wrestling/OutlawRonBass. Retired in 1991.
* Wrestling/{{Batista}}: Started as "Kahn" in 1997.
* Wrestling/PaulBearer: The gimmick debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/BrutusBeefcake
* Wrestling/ChrisBenoit
* Wrestling/BigShow: Debuted as The Giant in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in 1995, winning its world title shortly after and became the company's youngest world champion at 23.
* Wrestling/BamBamBigelow: Debuted in the 1980s, competed throughout the 1990s.
* Wrestling/EricBischoff: Started in the [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation AWA]] in the 80s, rose to power in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in 1993.
* Wrestling/SteveBlackman: Started as a jobber in the 1980s. Officially launched his career in WWE in 1997.
* Wrestling/FreddieBlassie: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1994.
* Wrestling/MattBloom: Debuted in 1997, debuted in WWE in 1999.
* Wrestling/TheBlueMeanie: Debuted in March 1994, the gimmick debuted in November 1995.
* Wrestling/BookerT
* [[Wrestling/TomBrandi Tom Brandi[=/=]Johnny Gunn[=/=]Salvatore Sincere]]
* Wrestling/BoboBrazil: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1994. Died in 1998.
* Wrestling/DLoBrown: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/DumpMatsumoto
* Wrestling/MikeBucci: Debuted as Super Nova in 1992.
* Wrestling/KingKongBundy
* Wrestling/ColtCabana: Debuted in 1999.
* [[Wrestling/DonCallis Don "The Jackyl"[=/=]"Cyrus" Callis]]: Debuted in Canada in 1989, arrived in WWE in 1997.
* Wrestling/ChrisCandido: Started in the 1980s, first made his name in ECW and SMW in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/CarlitoColon: Made his wrestling debut in WWC as "Carly" during 1999.
* [[Wrestling/StacyCarter Stacy "Miss Kitty"/"The Kat" Carter]]: Debuted in 1999.
* [[Wrestling/CheerleaderMelissa Cheerleader Melissa/Raisha Saaed/Alissa Flash]]: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Christian}}: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/{{Chyna}}: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/{{CIMA}}: Debuted in 1997.
* [[Wrestling/BryanClarke Bryan "Adam Bomb"[=/=]"Wrath" Clarke]]: Debuted in 1990.
* [[Wrestling/AllenCoage Allen Coage[=/=]Bad News Allen[=/=]Bad News Brown]]: Continued competing in Japan and Canada and also worked as a TV announcer.
* Wrestling/MichaelCole: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/RobConway: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/JimCornette: Ran SMW from 1991 to 1995 and made his WWE debut in mid-1993.
* Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels: Debuted in 1993.
* Wrestling/BryanDanielson: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/BarryDarsow
* Wrestling/DawnMarie. Debuted in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/BillDeMott Bill [=DeMott=][=/=]Hugh Morrus]]. Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/JamesJDillon
* [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Nick Dinsmore[=/=]Eugene]]: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/DoinkTheClown: Gimmick debuted in October 1992.
* Wrestling/ShaneDouglas
* Wrestling/TommyDreamer: Debuted in 1989, best known for his time in ECW in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/KaraDrew: Debuted in 1999, arrived in WWE as Cherry in 2007.
* Wrestling/SpikeDudley: Debuted in 1994, arrived in ECW in 1996.
* Wrestling/HacksawJimDuggan
* Wrestling/DynamiteKid: Finished out his career in Japan, with his final match taking place in 1996.
* Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}}: Debuted in 1992, came to the WWF in 1998.
* Wrestling/PaulEllering
* [[Wrestling/NelsonErazo Nelson Erazo[=/=]Homicide]]. Debuted in 1993.
* [[Wrestling/SidEudy Sid Eudy/Sid Vicious/Sycho Sid]]
* Wrestling/TheFabulousMoolah
* [[Wrestling/EdFarhat Ed "The Sheik" Farhat]].
* Wrestling/HowardFinkel
* Wrestling/RicFlair
* Wrestling/MickFoley: Peaked in the final years of the decade, competing in the iconic Wrestling/HellInACell match in 1998 and winning the WWF Championship three times in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Francine}}: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/KazuyukiFujita. Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/MinoruFujita. Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/JimFullington: Debuted in 1989, best known for his time in ECW in the 1990s as the Sandman.
* Wrestling/MasakatsuFunaki: Debuted in the 1980s, gained his fame in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/DoryFunkJr
* Wrestling/TerryFunk
* Wrestling/JustinGabriel: Debuted in his native South Africa in 1997 at the age of 16.
* Wrestling/NickGage: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/GiantGonzalez: Debuted in 1990 as El Gigante, retired in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/GiantHaystacks Giant Haystacks[=/=]Loch Ness]]: Continued competing in Europe and had a 1-month run in WCW in 1996.
* Wrestling/EddieGilbert
* [[Wrestling/GlennGilbertti Glenn Gilbertti[=/=]Disco Inferno]]: Debuted in 1991, arrived in WCW in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/{{Gillberg}} Duane Gill[=/=]Gillberg]]: Debuted in 1990, started the "Gillberg" gimmick in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Glacier}}: Started in the late 1980s, gimmick debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/TheGobbledyGooker: Debuted, and died out, at ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 1990''
* Wrestling/{{Goldberg}}: TV debut on September 22, 1997.
* Wrestling/{{Goldust}}: Started the gimmick in 1995.
* Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr: Debuted in 1994, arrived in WCW in 1996.
* Wrestling/EddieGuerrero. Started off his U.S. career in Wrestling/{{ECW}} in 1995.
* Wrestling/JillianHall: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/ScottHall: Started in 1984, made his career with the Razor Ramon gimmick in 1992.
* Wrestling/BillyGunn: Started in 1989, debuted in the then-WWF and became Billy Gunn in 1993.
* Wrestling/VolkHan: Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/StanHansen
* Wrestling/JeffHardy: Debuted in 1993.
* Wrestling/MattHardy: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/BretHart
* Wrestling/JimmyHart
* Wrestling/OwenHart: Died in 1999.
* Wrestling/ShinyaHashimoto
* [[Wrestling/DavidHeath David "Vampire Warrior"[=/=]"Gangrel" Heath]]
* [[Wrestling/BobbyHeenan Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]] Worked as a commentator for WWE until 1993 and then in WCW until it closed.
* [[Wrestling/GregoryHelms Gregory Helms[=/=]Shane Helms[=/=]The Hurricane]]. Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/CurtHennig
* Wrestling/MarkHenry: Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/HerculesHernandez. Retired in 1999.
* Wrestling/ChrisHero: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/PaulHeyman
* Wrestling/IkutoHidaka: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/BrianHildebrand
* Wrestling/HulkHogan
* Wrestling/BobHolly
* Wrestling/CrashHolly: Debuted in 1989, arrived in WWE in 1999.
* Wrestling/MollyHolly: Made her national TV debut on ''[[{{BShow}} Sunday Night Heat]]'' in 1998.
* Wrestling/BarryHorowitz
* Wrestling/KingCurtisIaukea. Had his last run as The Master of the Dungeon of Doom in WCW in 1995.
* Wrestling/{{Ivory}}
* Wrestling/JimmyJacobs: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}}
* Wrestling/MickieJames: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/MartyJannetty
* Wrestling/JeffJarrett
* Wrestling/JasonTheTerrible. Gimmick turned up in Puerto Rico, Japan, and various independents.
* Wrestling/ChrisJericho: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/AhmedJohnson: Debuted in 1989, arrived in WWE in 1995, left in 1998.
* Wrestling/PaulJones: Retired in 1991.
* Wrestling/JunkyardDog: Retired in the early 1990s, died in 1998.
* Wrestling/LeilaniKai
* Wrestling/{{Kamala}}: Very active in Memphis, as well as Japan and in Wrestling/{{WCW}}.
* Wrestling/{{Kane}}: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/HiromitsuKanehara: Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/KojiKanemoto: debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/{{Kanyon}}: debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/KendoKashin: debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/FrankieKazarian: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/StacyKeibler: Debuted in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in late 1999 as Nitro Girl Skye.
* Wrestling/TysonKidd: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/BillyKidman: Debuted in 1994, arrived in WCW in 1996.
* Wrestling/RonKillings: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/TsuyoshiKohsaka: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/SatoshiKojima: Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/AjaKong
* Wrestling/{{Konnan}}: Helped establish Wrestling/{{AAA}}, later going on to Wrestling/{{ECW}} and Wrestling/{{WCW}}.
* Wrestling/AndreiKopylov: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}}: Debuted in 1989, competed a lot in Japan, Canada and elsewhere before arriving in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in 1997.
* Wrestling/LaParka
* Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis
* Wrestling/JerryLawler
* Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/JushinThunderLiger
* Wrestling/LionessAsuka
* Creator/TinyLister: Retired in 1996.
* Wrestling/{{Lita}}: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Lodi}}. Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/SteveLombardi
* Wrestling/LowKi: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/LexLuger
* Wrestling/JerryLynn
* Wrestling/{{Madusa}}
* Wrestling/MagnumTOKYO: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/BallsMahoney: Earliest confirmed matches were in 1992.
* Wrestling/DeanMalenko
* Wrestling/TonyMamaluke. Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/LittleGuidoMaritato.: Debuted in 1991, arrived in ECW in 1996.
* Wrestling/DebraMarshall: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/RickMartel
* Wrestling/SherriMartel
* Wrestling/TruthMartini: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/BeulahMcGillicutty: Debuted at ''ECW Hostile City Showdown'' on April 15, 1995.
* Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon: Debuted as an on-screen character in 1999, though he had been an anonymous ref going back to 1990.
* Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon: Officially debuted as an on-screen character in 1999.
* Wrestling/VinceMcMahon
* Wrestling/{{Meng}}
* Wrestling/MarcMero. Debuted in 1991, left wrestling in 1999.
* Wrestling/HackMeyers. Debuted in 1990
* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels: Peaked in 1996 after winning the WWE Championship, then became the first ever Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion a year later. Seemingly retired in 1998, he came back to the ring in 2002.
* Wrestling/TAKAMichinoku: Debuted in 1992.
* [[Wrestling/ErnestMiller Ernest "The Cat" Miller]]: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/MitsuharuMisawa
* Wrestling/MissElizabeth
* Wrestling/MrFuji
* [[Wrestling/JamesMitchell James "The Sinister Minister" Mitchell]]: Debuted in 1989, first break came in SMW.
* Wrestling/MasaakiMochizuki: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1994. Died in 1999.
* Wrestling/TheFabulousMoolah: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/CarleneMoore Carlene "Jazz" Moore]]: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/ShannonMoore: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/PedroMorales: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1995.
* Wrestling/DonMuraco: He was a 2x NWA ECW Heavyweight Champion.
* Wrestling/ReyMysterioJr: Debuted in AAA in 1992, worked in ECW for about a year before beginning his WCW run from 1996 until the company's demise.
* Wrestling/YujiNagata: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/ChigusaNagayo
* Wrestling/ManabuNakanishi: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/BullNakano: Debuted in the 1980s, had runs in North American promotions WWF and WCW between 1994 and 1996.
* Wrestling/KevinNash: Debuted as Master Blaster Steele in September 1990.
* Wrestling/NecroButcher. Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/JimNeidhart
* Wrestling/NewJack: Debuted in 1992
* Wrestling/JohnNord
* Wrestling/ScottNorton
* Wrestling/NaoyaOgawa: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/MeanGeneOkerlund
* Wrestling/TheOneManGang
* Wrestling/PaulOrndorff
* Wrestling/BobOrtonJr
* Wrestling/ShinjiroOtani: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/FredOttman
* Wrestling/AlexanderOtsuka: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage: Started his in-ring career in 1991.
* Wrestling/IcemanKingParsons
* Wrestling/PatPatterson: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1996, and experienced a rebirth as one of Vince [=McMahon=]'s Stooges with Jerry Brisco.
* Wrestling/MaxxPayne
* Wrestling/BrianPillman: Died in 1997.
* Wrestling/RoddyPiper
* [[Wrestling/TerriPoch Terri "Terri Power"[=/=]"Tori" Poch]]: Debuted as a valet in 1988, made her in-ring debut in 1990.
* Wrestling/LannyPoffo
* [[Wrestling/AlPoling Al Poling/911]]: Debuted in ECW in 1994.
* Wrestling/MadManPondo
* Wrestling/BrucePrichard
* Wrestling/PrinceNana. Debuted as a wrestler in 1997.
* Wrestling/{{Psicosis}}: Debuted in 1989, first made his name in [=AAA=].
* Wrestling/CMPunk: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/MikeQuackenbush: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/HarleyRace: Worked as a manager in WCW until 1995.
* Wrestling/{{Raven}}: Started in the 1980s, gimmick debuted at the end of 1994.
* Wrestling/RecklessYouth. Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/WilliamRegal: Made his US debut in WCW in 1993.
* [[Wrestling/RonReis Ron Reis[=/=]The Yeti[=/=]Reese]]: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/BradRheingans: Retired in 1993.
* [[Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} Rhyno[=/=]Rhino]]: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/StevieRichards. Debuted in the first-ever ECW match on February 25, 1992.
* Wrestling/ScottyRiggs. Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/{{Rikishi}}
* Wrestling/RoadDogg: Made his WWF debut in 1994 as "The Roadie" before eventually finding true success in the late 1990s by forming one of the most successful tag teams in WWE history, The New Age Outlaws, with Billy Gunn, winning the WWF World Tag Team Titles 5 times.
* Wrestling/JakeRoberts
* Wrestling/AntoninoRocca: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1995.
* [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]]: Debuted in 1996, peaked in 1998, and then became one of the most celebrated wrestlers of all time.
* Wrestling/JohnnyRodz: Working as a trainer and officially retired in 1999.
* Wrestling/BuddyRogers: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1994.
* Wrestling/PlayboyBuddyRose
* Wrestling/JimRoss
* [[Wrestling/MikeRotunda Mike Rotunda/Irwin R. Schyster]]
* Wrestling/JacquesRougeau
* [[Wrestling/RickRude "Ravishing" Rick Rude]]
* Wrestling/TerriRunnels: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/VinceRusso: Started writing for Wrestling/{{WWE}} in 1997.
* Wrestling/{{Sable}}: Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/{{Sabu}}: Debuted in the 1980s, became an icon in Wrestling/{{ECW}} and Japan in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/WataruSakata. Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/SumieSakai: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/SamoaJoe: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/TheGreatSasuke: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/TitoSantana
* Wrestling/PerrySaturn: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/RandySavage
* Wrestling/TonySchiavone: WCW's lead announcer.
* Wrestling/DanSevern: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/KenShamrock: Debuted in 1989, wrestled until he went to [=MMA=] in 1993, returned to wrestling in 1997.
* Wrestling/SharkBoy: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/IronMikeSharpe
* [[Wrestling/MikeShaw Mike Shaw[=/=]Norman The Lunatic/Bastion Booger]]
* Wrestling/KatsuyoriShibata: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/JinseiShinzaki: Debuted in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/GiantSilva: Debuted in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/SilverKing
* Wrestling/RonSimmons
* Wrestling/SinCara: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/SgtSlaughter
* Wrestling/ElixSkipper: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/{{Slick}}
* Wrestling/NormanSmiley
* [[Wrestling/DaveyBoySmith "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith]]
* Wrestling/AlSnow
* Wrestling/JimmySnuka: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1996.
* Wrestling/DanSpivey: Debuted in the 1980s, was a regular in Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling and had a brief career revival in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in 1995 as Waylon Mercy.
* Wrestling/RickySteamboat
* Wrestling/ScottSteiner
* Wrestling/GeorgeSteele: Inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1995.
* Wrestling/{{Sting}}
* Wrestling/DevonStorm: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/LanceStorm: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/AJStyles: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/JoeyStyles: Debuted in 1993.
* Wrestling/KevinSullivan
* Wrestling/SuperCrazy
* Wrestling/RobertSwenson: Had his last match in 1996 before dying the following year.
* Wrestling/TammyLynnSytch: Debuted in 1993.
* Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada: Got his fame peak in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/YoshihiroTakayama: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/KiyoshiTamura: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/MasatoTanaka: Debuted in 1993.
* Wrestling/MinoruTanaka: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/{{TARU}}: Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/{{Tatanka}}: Started in the Carolina indies in the late 1980s, had his one significant run in WWE from 1992-1996.
* Wrestling/{{Tazz}}
* Wrestling/GenichiroTenryu
* Wrestling/JohnTenta
* Wrestling/HiroyoshiTenzan: Debuted in 1991.
* Wrestling/SylvesterTerkay: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/{{Test}}: Debuted in 1994.
* Wrestling/BruceTharpe: Wrestled breifly in the early '90s.
* Wrestling/SurvivalTobita: Debuted in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/ManamiToyota
* Wrestling/TripleH: Debuted in 1992.
* Wrestling/JumboTsuruta
* Wrestling/UltimateWarrior
* Wrestling/UltimoDragon
* Wrestling/{{Umaga}}: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/TheUndertaker
* Wrestling/DaffneyUnger: Debuted in November 1999.
* Wrestling/LunaVachon
* Wrestling/{{Vader}}
* Wrestling/RobVanDam: Debuted in 1990.
* Wrestling/ValVenis: Debuted in 1995.
* Wrestling/{{Virgil}}
* Wrestling/NikolaiVolkoff
* Wrestling/SeanWaltman: Debuted in 1992.
* [[Wrestling/KimonaWanalaya Kimona Wanalaya[=/=]Leia Meow]]: Debuted in 1996.
* [[Wrestling/JimmyWangYang Jimmy Wang Yang[=/=]Akio[=/=]Yang]]: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/KokoBWare
* Wrestling/MikeyWhipwreck: Debuted in 1994.
* [[Wrestling/DelWilkes Del "The Trooper"[=/=]"The Patriot" Wilkes]]
* Wrestling/DrDeathSteveWilliams
* Wrestling/TorrieWilson: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/BarryWindham
* Wrestling/HarveyWippleman: Debuted in the 1980s, arrived in WWF in 1991.
* Wrestling/AlexWright: Debuted in 1994
* Wrestling/CharlesWright: When he was Papa Shango and The Godfather.
* Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}}: Debuted in the 1980s, gimmick debuted in October 1992.
* Wrestling/EricYoung: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/MaeYoung: Debuted in the WWF in 1999 after a sixty-year career.
* Wrestling/TomZenk: Retired in 1996.
* Wrestling/BorisZhukov: Left WWE in 1991.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Tag Teams and Stables ]]
* Wrestling/TheAPA: Debuted in 1998 as The Acolytes.
* Wrestling/TheBushwhackers: As the Bushwhackers in WWE and various other promotions.
* Wrestling/TheCorporation: Debuted in 1998.
* Wrestling/DGenerationX: Debuted in 1997.
* Wrestling/TheDangerousAlliance: Debuted in 1991, disbanded in 1992.
* Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys: Gimmick debuted in July 1995.
* The Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom: Debuted in 1995, disbanded in 1997.
* Wrestling/TheEliminators: Formed in 1993, split up in 1997.
* Wrestling/TheFourHorsemen: Briefly reformed in 1993, then reformed in 1995 and continued together until disbanding for good in 1999.
* Wrestling/TheHeadbangers: Formed in 1994 as The Spiders.
* Wrestling/TheHeadshrinkers: Debuted in 1985, arrived in WWE in 1992.
* Wrestling/TheJOBSquad: Formed in 1998, disbanded in 1999.
* Wrestling/TheKliq: Formed in 1993-1994.
* Wrestling/TheMegaPowers: Re-formed in 1994, disbanded again in 1996. Hogan and Savage would occasionally team together throughout 1997 and 1998 as part of the [=nWo=].
* The Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness: Debuted on the January 11, 1999 ''Raw.''
* Wrestling/TheMoondogs: Were very successful in Memphis.
* Wrestling/TheNastyBoys: Debuted in the 80s, were very successful in mid-90s Wrestling/{{WCW}}.
* Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination: Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/TheNaturalDisasters. Formed in 1991, broke up in 1993.
* Wrestling/TheNewAgeOutlaws. Formed in 1997.
* The Wrestling/NewWorldOrder: Debuted in 1996.
* Wrestling/TheOddities. Debuted in 1998, disbanded in 1999.
* Wrestling/ThePowersOfPain: Were split up in WWE in 1990, briefly reunited in WCW in 1995-1996.
* Wrestling/ThePublicEnemyTagTeam: Team debuted on September 18, 1993.
* Wrestling/RavensNest: Debuted in 1995, disbanded in 1997.
* Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors
* Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress
* Wrestling/TheVarsityClub. Originally broke up in 1989, reformed briefly in December 1999.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Promotions ]]
* Wrestling/{{AAA}}: Established in 1992.
* Wrestling/{{CZW}}: Established in 1999.
* Wrestling/DragonGate: Established in 2004.
* Wrestling/DramaticDreamTeam: Established in 1997.
* Wrestling/{{ECW}}: Established in 1992.
* Wrestling/{{FMW}}: Debuted in 1989, but made their biggest impact in the 1990s.
* Wrestling/JuggaloChampionshipWrestling: Debuted in 1999.
* Wrestling/KaijuBigBattel: Established in 1996.
* Wrestling/MichinokuProWrestling: Established in 1993.
* Wrestling/{{SMW}}: Established in 1991.
* Wrestling/{{Toryumon}}: Established in 1997.
* [[Wrestling/HerbAbramsUWF UWF (Herb Abrams)]]: Debuted in 1991
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Events ]]
* ''Wrestling/ArmageddonWWE'': First event was held in December 12, 1999.
* ''Wrestling/AttitudeEra'': Started in 1997, it was a period when the then-WWF began to go with a bolder and more mature direction with their content, causing a resurgence in ratings after WCW had beat them to the punch for years.
* ''Wrestling/{{Backlash}}'': First event was held in April 25, 1999.
* ''Wrestling/BadBlood'': First event was held in October 5, 1997.
* ''Wrestling/DecemberToDismember'': The original ECW version was held on December 9, 1995.
* ''Wrestling/TheGreatAmericanBash'': After WCW seceded from the NWA, the first event was held in July 14, 1991.
* ''Wrestling/JudgmentDay'': First event was held in October 18, 1998.
* ''Wrestling/KingOfTheRing''
* Wrestling/MassTransitIncident. November 23, 1996.
* ''Wrestling/MondayNightWars'' between Wrestling/{{WCW}} and Wrestling/{{WWE}}
** ''[[Wrestling/WWERaw WWF/E Monday Night Raw]]'': Debuted on January 11, 1993.
** ''Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro'': Debuted on September 4, 1995.
** ''The Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob'': November 9, 1997 at that year's ''Survivor Series''.
** ''[[Wrestling/WWESmackDown WWF/E SmackDown!]]'': Debuted on April 29, 1999.
* ''Wrestling/NoMercy'': Took place at a UK event in May 16, 1999; officially debuted in October 17, 1999.
* ''Wrestling/{{No Way Out|WWE}}'': First event was held in February 15, 1998.
* ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'': Three wrestlers became two-time winners in this decade, in all cases back-to-back: Hulk Hogan (1990 and 1991), Shawn Michaels (1995 and 1996), and Stone Cold (1997 and 1998); Austin would eventually break the record in 2001.
* ''Wrestling/SummerSlam''
* ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries''
* ''Wrestling/{{Unforgiven|WWE}}'': First event was held in April 26, 1998.
* ''Wrestling/WrestleMania''
* ''Wrestling/WWEBrawlForAll''
* ''Wrestling/WWEGoldenAgeEra'': Officially ended in the 1993 ''King of the Ring''.
* ''Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame'': Launched in 1993 and held until 1996. Relaunched in 2004 and continued since.
* ''Wrestling/WWENewGenerationEra'': Circa 1993-1997.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Miscellaneous ]]
* Wrestling/BigGoldBelt: Was mainly used as NWA[=/=]WCW's World Title. It made its debut in the WWF on September 1991 when then champion Ric Flair took it with him after having a fallout with NWA, though WWF won't use it until a decade later. The original Cordovan brown strap would be replaced with a new black strap in 1999 (even though, by that point, the original strap had turned black anyway.)
* Wrestling/GrandSlamChampion: Shawn Michaels became the first ever wrestler to achieve this feat in 1997, both in the WWF/E and pro wrestling in general.
* Wrestling/HellInACell: The match debuted during the main event of the aforementioned ''Bad Blood'', but the most famous match is considered to be the one from the 1998 ''King of the Ring''.
* Wrestling/TripleCrownChampion: A lot of wrestlers achieved this feat in the decade.
** For the WWF/E, Bret Hart became the first wrestler to achieve this feat in 1992. He is then followed by Diesel (1994), Shawn Michaels (1996), Steve Austin (1998) and The Rock (1999).
** For WCW, Ric Flair became the first wrestler to achieve this feat in January 1991. He is then followed by Lex Luger (also in 1991, July to be precise), Sting (1992), DDP, Goldberg and Bret Hart (all in 1999).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Radio]]
* See RadioOfThe1990s.
* It was during this time that ''Radio/TheHowardSternShow'' started to become nationally syndicated and eventually became the highest-rated nationally syndicated morning radio show in most major radio markets the United States.
* Chris Evan's (in)famous BBC Radio One Breakfast Show from 1995 until 1997. Initially credited with "saving" the station (the hugely popular national station had suffered a drop in listeners following a serious shake-up under Matthew Bannister starting in 1993 in his attempt to re-position Radio One as a "youth" network following two decades of it being a "housewife's favourite"; Evan's show coincided with an upturn in listener numbers) he increasingly became egotistical, dismissive of BBC and general broadcasting guidelines and often took what many thought was a bullying attitude to his on-air colleagues. Things eventually came to a head when he and the rest of his staff refused to come in for a Friday morning show leading to someone else having to cover for him. Evans was subsequently sacked and his career took a long, very slow nosedive which culminated in several flopped attempts at TV "comebacks" in the 2000s. He has now reached middle age, has regained much (if not all) of his former popularity, and hosts the Radio Two Breakfast Show. He apparently regrets many of his past mistakes and behaviour.
* During this time, Radio/RushLimbaugh became a nationally syndicated star of talk radio who gave the medium an ideological bent that was unchallenged until the middle of the next decade. (Limbaugh also was popular in the mainstream media for a period in this decade, including being given a television show that aired during President Clinton's first term.)
* This was the decade in which ShockJock Creator/HowardStern became the "King Of All Media" from his radio base in New York; he set the way for many imitators. (The radio show was also broadcast on TV for a time; something which even Limbaugh could not claim.)
* Radio/NealBoortz began his show in 1993.
* ''Radio/SherlockHolmesBBCRadio'', which began in 1989, continued until 1998.
* The third installment of the ''Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas'', adapting ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', aired in 1996 after spending a decade in DevelopmentHell thanks to [[UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan Reagan-era]] cuts to Creator/{{NPR}}'s funding.
* ''Radio/SaysYou'' began in 1997.
* ''Radio/WaitWaitDontTellMe'' began in 1998.
* ''Manga/Phoenix1954''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rides and Attractions]]
* ''Ride/TheAmazingAdventuresOfSpiderMan'' (1999)
* ''Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide'' (1991)
* ''Theatre/BeetlejuicesGraveyardRevue'' (1992)
* ''Ride/TheCatInTheHat'' (1999)
* ''Theatre/ADayInTheParkWithBarney'' (1995)
* ''Ride/{{Dinosaur}}'' (1998)
* ''Ride/DoctorDoomsFearfall'' (1999)
* ''Ride/Doomsday1999'' (1999)
* ''Theatre/DougLive'' (1999)
* ''Ride/DudleyDoRightsRipsawFalls'' (1999)
* ''Ride/DuelingDragons'' (1999)
* ''Ride/DungeonOfTerror'' (1991)
* ''Ride/EarthquakeTheBigOne'' (1990)
* ''Theatre/TheEighthVoyageOfSindbad'' (1999)
* ''Ride/EllensEnergyAdventure'' (1996)
* ''Ride/ETAdventure'' (1990)
* ''Ride/ExtraTERRORestrialAlienEncounter'' (1995)
* ''Theatre/{{Fantasmic}}'' (1992)
* ''Ride/TheFuntasticWorldOfHannaBarbera'' (1990)
* ''Theatre/GhostbustersSpooktacular'' (1990)
* ''Ride/HellsHigh'' (1998)
* ''Ride/HellsKitchenUniversalStudios'' (1994)
* ''Theatre/{{Horrorwood}}'' (1994)
* ''Ride/HotelHell'' (1997)
* ''Ride/TheIncredibleHulkCoaster'' (1999)
* ''Ride/IndianaJonesAdventure'' (1995)
* ''Ride/{{Insanity|1999}}'' (1999)
* ''Ride/ItsToughToBeABug'' (1998)
* ''Ride/{{JAWS}}'' (initially opened in 1990, then shut down, reworked, and re-opened in 1993)
* ''[[Ride/JourneyIntoImagination Journey into YOUR Imagination]]'' (1999)
* ''Ride/JurassicParkRiverAdventure'' (1996)
* ''Ride/{{Kongfrontation}}'' (1990)
* ''Theatre/LaNouba'' (1998)
* ''Theatre/MidwayOfTheBizarre'' (1995)
* ''Ride/MuppetVision3D'' (1991)
* ''Ride/TheMummy'' (1999)
* ''Ride/ThePeopleUnderTheStairs'' (1992)
* ''Ride/PopeyeAndBlutosBilgeRatBarges'' (1999)
* ''Theatre/PoseidonsFury'' (1999)
* ''Ride/ThePsychoPathMaze'' (1992)
* ''Ride/RogerRabbitsCarToonSpin'' (1994)
* ''Ride/TheSlaughterhouse'' (1993)
* ''Ride/SSFrightanic'' (1998)
* ''Ride/Terminator23DBattleAcrossTime'' (1996)
* ''Film/TheTimekeeper'' (1992)
* ''Ride/TombsOfTerror'' (1997)
* ''Ride/ToyHellNightmareInTheScreamFactory'' (1996)
* ''Ride/TheTwilightZoneTowerOfTerror'' (1994)
* ''Ride/TweetsieRailroad'' launched its ''Ghost Train'' festival in 1990, and it became a smash success and an annual favorite
* ''Ride/TwisterRideItOut'' (1998)
* ''Theatre/UniversalsHorrorMakeUpShow'' (1990)
* ''Ride/UniversalsHouseOfHorror'' (1995)
* ''Theatre/WaterworldALiveSeaWarSpectacular'' (1995)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Alternity}}''. Released in 1998.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Atmosfear}}'' (1991)
* ''TabletopGame/AKlingonChallenge'' (1993)
* ''TabletopGame/CastleFalkenstein'' Released in 1994.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}'': (1997)
* ''TabletopGame/HeavyGear'' (1997)
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Released in 1993.
* ''TabletopGame/MillenniumsEnd''. Released in 1993.
* ''TabletopGame/RapRat'': Released in 1992.
* ''TabletopGame/SettlersOfCatan'': Released in 1995.
* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Redefined the RPG industry in the early and mid-'90s.
** ''TabletopGame/ChicagoByNight'' was its most famous supplement after ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines''.
** ''TabletopGame/VampireTheEternalStruggle'': CollectibleCardGame based on the aforementioned RPG, released in 1994.
* TabletopGame/Werewolf1997 (1997)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* Ride/DisneyThemeParks:
** Disneyland Paris opened on April 12, 1992.
** Blizzard Beach, Walt Disney World's third water park, opened on April 1, 1995.
** Disney's Animal Kingdom, the fourth theme park of Walt Disney World, opened on April 22, 1998.
* Ride/ActionPark continued until 1996.
* The Theatre/HowlOScream event first began at Ride/BuschGardens in 1999.
* [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Orlando Resort]]:
** Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990.
** [[Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights Universal's Halloween Horror Nights]] had its first year in 1991.
** Universal's Islands of Adventure opened on May 28, 1999. [=CityWalk=] Orlando also opened on the same year.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Toys]]
* Toys/BeanieBabies were introduced in 1993.
* WesternAnimation/BitsyBears
* Toys/{{Furby}}, the scourge of the 1998 Holiday shopping season.
* Toys/GigaPets
* Toys/GoGosCrazyBones: Introduced in 1996.
* Toys/LEGOSpace, the evolution of the Toys/ClassicLEGOSpace line, started on the tail end of the '80s but came into its own early in the new decade.
* Toys/LittlestPetShop. Introduced in 1992.
* Toys/MightyMax and Toys/PollyPocket miniature playsets.
* Creator/PlaymatesToys' ''Franchise/StarTrek'' toyline. Notable for covering ALL of the franchise up to that point and for the sheer number (and detail) of the figures.
* Toys/{{Tamagotchi}} and related virtual pets.
* Tickle Me Elmo, a cackling effigy of ''Series/SesameStreet'''s rising star, was to Christmas 1996 what Furby was to 1998.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:TV Documentary]]
* Creator/DavidAttenborough released four series in this decade: ''The Trials of Life'' (1990), ''Life in the Freezer'' (1993), ''The Private Life of Plants'' (1995) and ''The Life of Birds'' (1998).
* ''Film/TheKidsGuideToTheInternet'' (a "How To" guide for using the Internet) was released in 1997.
* ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs'' was released in 1999.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/TheBananaSplits1999''. One of the first series of ''Web Premiere Toons'' added to Creator/CartoonNetwork's website in the summer of 1999.
* ''WebAnimation/BHappy''. One of the first series of ''Web Premiere Toons'' added to Creator/CartoonNetwork's website in the summer of 1999.
* ''WebAnimation/TheGodAndDevilShow''. Debuted in 1999.
* ''WebAnimation/TheGoddamnGeorgeLiquorProgram'', a 1997 cartoon series created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi that was the ''very'' first cartoon made exclusively for the internet, and the very first to be made using MediaNotes/AdobeFlash.
* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends''. Debuted in 24 December, 1999.
* ''WebAnimation/HiddenCelebrityWebcam''. Debuted in 1998.
* ''WebAnimation/StarshipRegulars''. Debuted in 1999.
* ''WebAnimation/WeekendPussyHunt'', a 1999 MediaNotes/AdobeFlash cartoon parody of the FilmNoir genre, created by Creator/JohnKricfalusi.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* {{Webcomics}} ''period'', as the Internet first saw widespread use in the middle of this decade.
* Webcomic/KevinAndKell. Started in September, 1995.
* Webcomic/SabrinaOnline. Started in September, 1996.
* Webcomic/{{Goats}}. Started in April, 1997.
* Webcomic/SluggyFreelance. Started in August, 1997.
* Webcomic/{{Newshounds}}. Started in November, 1997.
* Webcomic/{{Roomies}}: Started on September 10, 1997. In-story it takes place from 1997 to 1999.
* Webcomic/UserFriendly. Started in November, 1997.
* Webcomic/CoyoteVille. Started in December, 1997.
* Webcomic/TheCyantianChronicles. The setting and original strip were created in 1998.
* Webcomic/TheClassMenagerie. Started in January, 1998.
* Webcomic/PokeyThePenguin. Started in February, 1998.
* Webcomic/{{Freefall}}. Started in March, 1998.
* Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures. Started in 1999.
* Website/WomenInRefrigerators. Started in 1999.
* Webcomic/NeglectedMarioCharacters. Started in 1997.
* ''Webcomic/RealLifeComics''. Started on November 15, 1999.
* ''Webcomic/{{Avalon|1999}}''. Started in 1999.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* Literature/AtheistProfessorCopypasta: Originated in 1999.
* Website/{{Claus}}. Launched in 1995.
* Website/FunBrain. Launched in 1992.
* ''WebVideo/TheFundayPawpetShow''. Started in 1999.
* The Literature/LegionOfNetHeroes, a superhero parody shared universe which is one of the oldest and longest-running online fiction projects.
** The LNH also led to the creation of the rec.arts.comics.creative newsgroup for superhero comics-inspired online fiction. It hosted several other shared worlds such as the Patrol, Omega and ''Literature/AcademyOfSuperheroes''. Other writing fora from this period include alt.cyberpunk.chatsubo and alt.pub.dragons-inn
* Website/{{Neopets}}. First discussed in 1997, launched on November 15th, 1999.
* Website/StarDestroyerDotNet. Launched in 1998.
* ''Diary of a Camper'' (1996). The first {{Machinima}} ever.
* ''WebOriginal/IllBethisad'' started in 1997.
[[/folder]]
!!Works set, but not made in the decade:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
[[index]]
* The first and second parts of ''Anime/FiveCentimetersPerSecond'' takes place over the course of the 1990s, the movie aired in 2007.
* ''Anime/SixteenBitSensationAnotherLayer'' was made and is set in 2023, but the main character frequently [[TimeTravel travels back in time]] to various points during the 90s, when [[RomanceGame bishoujo games]] were just taking off and becoming popular.
* ''Anime/AkibaMaidWar'': Released in 2022, set in 1999.
* ''Literature/{{Another}}'': Originally published in 2009, anime aired in Winter 2012, begins in spring 1998.
* ''Manga/{{Ayashimon}}'', started in 2022, is set in 1992.
* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'': Manga started in 2002, anime aired in 2006, set in the early and mid 1990s.
* ''Manga/BlueDrop'': Begins in 1999, manga started in 2004, anime aired in 2007.
* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Chapter 75 reveals that the story takes place in an [[AlternateHistory alternate version]] of the year 1997. The manga itself began in 2018, with the anime debuting in 2022.
* ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'' takes place in 1999. It was mentioned that in 1995, the very peace conference that caused the Earth-Baam war took place, and this is further emphasized with the UN setting.
* ''Manga/DestroyAllHumankindTheyCantBeRegenerated'' began serialization in 2018 but takes place in 1998; its main focus is the two main characters bonding over ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', which was becoming popular during that year.
* ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'': The seven chapters of the anime film series were produced from 2007 to 2009, and set in a time-lapse from 1995 to 1999. It's not meant as a period piece, as the original light novel was published online between October 1998 and August 1999.
* ''Anime/FutureRobotDaltanious'': Dr. Earl stated that him and Prince Harlin arrived to Earth during 1945, and set his cryo-sleep device to wake them 50 years later. By then, Earth has fallen to the Zaal's ConqueringAlienPrince, Kloppen, and is a shell of its former self.
* ''Anime/GodMars'': 1981-1982 series set in [[{{Zeerust}} a futuristic 1999]].
* ''Manga/HighScoreGirl'' began serialization in 2010; the story is set in the nineties, beginning in 1991 when ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII '' was released in arcades.
* ''Manga/KoiKaze'': In one of the last episodes, a note on a 20-year-old says she was born in 1975. The technology in the show also doesn't appear to correspond to when the anime adaptation aired (2004).
* ''Anime/ThePlacePromisedInOurEarlyDays'' is set in an alternate 1999 where the Soviet Union never dissolved and it and the United States partitioned Japan after World War II. The short film itself released in 2004.
* ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'': Made in 1982, set in [[{{Zeerust}} a futuristic 1999]].
* ''Anime/VoltesV'' takes place in the 90s, with an AlienInvasion significantly reshaping history on Earth, and our main character's efforts to stop them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/BlueMonday'' is set in the early 90s (1991-93), but published in the 2000s and 2010s.
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFourLifeStory'': The fourth part of the 2021 mini-series is set in 1994, 1996, and 1999.
* The fourth part of ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'' (published in 2019) is set in 1995.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fanfic]]
* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': Most of the stories are set during the events of the actual books, except the ones which explicitly put the Animorphs in a different setting (like "What if the series was set in modern times?" and "What if they were all pirates?").
* [[Recap/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeriesS1TVM1CalvinsBatmanAdventure "Calvin's Batman Adventure"]], a MadeForTVMovie from ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'', is set in a 1992 Batman comic, which Calvin deliberately picked due to his belief that [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks the series went downhill after Robin was replaced.]]
* ''Fanfic/CosmicWarriors'': Begun in 2013, set in the early 90s.
* ''Fanfic/DearJournalImCrazy'': The fic was written in 2020, but it takes place between the months of February and August 1994, though no mention is made to the popular culture around that time.
* ''FanFic/LightAndDarkTheAdventuresOfDarkYagami'': "It was the nineties in America. Everyone was watching Series/{{Friends}} and listening to {{Music/Nirvana}} and [[Music/BackstreetBoys Backseat Boys]] on [[DecadeDissonance records]] and [[Film/{{Grease}} driving motorbikes and wearing lever jackets everywhere and being all slick]] and watching films like [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} Ghostbusters]] and [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Lord of the Rings]]! There was no thing as the internet yet so peeps had to download stuff from their TV instead."
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10254189/1/Day-of-the-Broken-Fang Day of the Broken Fang]]'', a prequel to ''Fanfic/TheElementsOfHarmonyAndTheSaviorOfWorlds'', set in 1994 then TimeSkip to 1999.
* ''Fanfic/{{Kitsune}}'': [[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/forum/fabrication-lab/139-kitsune-complete#1629 Chapter 13]] has a scene set in 1996.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* The intro scene of ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' consists of photos taken mostly in the 90s the first of which is specifically from 1994. In one of the deleted scenes the setup of that aforementioned photo is shown.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/SevenDaysInHell'': Made in 2015, the two protagonists' backstory are tied to the 1996 UsefulNotes/{{Wimbledon}}.
* ''Film/EightMile'': Made in 2002, set in 1995.
* ''1990: The Bronx Warriors'': Made in 1982, set in 1990.
* ''Film/AllEyezOnMe'': Made in 2017, with most of the movie taking place between 1990-1996.
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'': The flashbacks to Peter Parker's childhood and his parents' DeathByOriginStory are set in 1999.
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2''
* ''Film/AmericanGangster'': Made in 2007, the very last shot of the film set in 1991.
* ''Film/TheApple'': Made in 1980, set in 1994.
* ''Film/Aquaman2018'': Made in 2018, flashback to the eponymous protagonist's teenage years set in 1998.
* ''Film/AsOne'': 2012 film about the first time ever North and South Korea competed as one team during the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships, plus the prologue taking place a year earlier and the epilogue in 1993.
* ''As You Are'': Made in 2017, set from the fall of 1993 to the summer of 1994.
* ''Film/AugustRush'': Made in 2007, prologue set in 1995.
* ''Film/ABeautifulDayInTheNeighborhood'': Made in 2019, set in 1998.
* ''Film/TheBestOfMe'': The 2014 film is set in ThePresentDay but also alternates to 1992.
* ''Film/BillyClub2013'': Released in 2013, set in 1994.
* ''Film/BlackChristmas2006'': Made in 2006, last part of the prologue set in 1991.
* ''Film/BlackHawkDown'': Made in 2001, set in 1993 (sets the mood with a Music/StoneTemplePilots song).
* ''Film/BloodDiamond'': Made in 2005, set in 1999.
* ''Film/{{Blow}}'': Made in 2001, parts of the story takes place in 1990 and 1994.
* ''Film/BPMBeatsPerMinute'': Made in 2017, set in the early ‘90s.
* ''Film/{{Bully}}'': Made in 2001, set in 1993.
* ''Film/CanYouEverForgiveMe'': Made in 2018, set in 1991.
* ''Film/{{Carrie 2002}}'': Made and set in 2002, titular protagonist gets AMinorKidroduction set somewhere in the earliest part of the decade.
* ''Film/{{Carrie 2013}}'': Made and set in 2013, the film opens with the titular protagonist's birth in 1995.
* ''Film/CastAway'': Made in 2000, story set from 1995-1999.
* ''Film/{{Chopper}}'': Made in 2000, the epilogue is set during 1992.
* ''Film/{{Click}}'': Made and set in 2006, the protagonist travels back to his first meeting with his wife and the their dating years.
* ''Film/ComeSunday'': 2018 film set in 1998.
* ''Film/{{Creed|2015}}'': Made in 2015, the prologue is set during 1998.
* ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'': Made in 2008 and is set from The40s up until the early 2000s, but the important parts of the film happens from 1990 to 1997.
* ''Film/DallasBuyersClub'': Made in 2013, most of the film is set in this decade after beginning in the mid-80s.
* ''Film/DarkPhoenix'': Released in 2019, but set in 1992.
* ''Film/TheDeal2003'', partially (made in 2003, set between 1983-1994)
* ''Film/TheDebt'', partially (made in 2007 [[ForeignRemake and 2010]], set in 1965 and 1997)
* ''Film/DefinitelyMaybe'', partially (made in 2008, but the movie is told during the events that transpired in 1992, 1994, and 1998)
* ''Film/DestroyAllMonsters'': Made in 1968, set in 1999.
* ''Film/{{Detainment}}'': Made in 2018, set in 1993.
* ''Film/TheDirt'': 2019 {{Biopic}} of Music/MotleyCrue, the final parts of the film before its DistantFinale in 2015 set from 1990-1995.
* ''Film/TheDisasterArtist'': Made in 2017, story kicks off in 1998.
* ''The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'': Made in 2007, set in 1995-1997.
* ''Film/DriveAwayDolls'': Made in 2022, set in 1999.
* ''Film/Elvis2022'': 2022 Music/ElvisPresley BioPic set in 1997, with a FramingDevice that tackles events from 1947-1977.
* ''Film/ErinBrockovich'': Made in 2000, set in 1993.
* ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'': Made in 1981, set in 1997.
* ''Film/{{Everest|2015}}'': Made in 2015, set in 1996.
* ''Film/TheEyesOfTammyFaye'': 2021 Tammy Faye Messner BioPic.
* ''Film/{{Fanboys}}'': Made in 2009, set during the lead-up to the premiere of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' in 1999.
* ''Film/FearStreet Part One: 1994'': Made in 2021, set in 1994.
* ''Film/TheFighter'': Made in 2010, set in 1993-2000.
* ''Film/{{Foxcatcher}}'', partially (made in 2014, set mostly in The80s but the conclusion happens in 1996).
* ''Film/GetOnUp'': Made in 2014, the film BookEnds in 1993.
* ''Film/GhostsOfGirlfriendsPast'': Made and set in 2009, the protagonist time travels to a pivotal moment in his life set in the first part of the decade.
* The Janjira incident in ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'' takes place in 1999.
* ''Film/{{Gotti}}'': 2018 John Gotti BioPic.
* ''Film/GreenLantern2011'': Made and set in 2011, but has flashbacks to the protagonist's adolescence set in 1993.
* ''Film/HarryPotter'' films:
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'': Made in 2001, set in mid 1991 to mid 1992 for majority of the story except for the opening, which is set ten years prior.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': Made in 2002, set in 31 July 1992 – 29 May 1993.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'': Made in 2004, set in 31 July 1993 – 12 June 1994.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': Made in 2005, set in 4 August 1994 – 25 June 1995.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': Made in 2007, set in 2 August 1995 – 17 June 1996.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Made in 2009, set in 1 August 1996 – 10 June 1997.
** ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': Made in 2010 and 2011 for Part 1 and 2, respectively; set in July 1997–2 May 1998 for majority of the story, except for the epilogue which is set in 2017.
* ''Film/HotelRwanda'': Made in 2004, set in 1994.
* ''Film/HouseOfGucci'': 2021 film set in 1995.
* ''Film/IAmSam'': Made in 2001, story begins in 1994.
* ''Film/ImNotAshamed'': Made in 2016, set in 1999.
* ''Film/TheInformant2009'': Made in 2009, set in 1992-98 -- although the ads made it look like it was set in The80s or even The70s.
* ''Film/IntoTheWild'': Made in 2007, set in 1990-1992.
* ''Film/{{Invictus}}'': Made in 2009, set in 1995.
* ''Film/TheIronClaw'': 2023 Wrestling/VonErichFamily BioPic mainly set from 1979-1993, with the epilogue set sometime after Kevin Von Erich's retirement in 1995.
* ''Film/ITonya'': Made in 2017, set mostly during the lead-up to the 1994 Winter Olympics following Nancy Kerrigan's attack.
* ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'': Made in 2005, set during the UsefulNotes/GulfWar.
* ''Film/{{Jobs}}'': Made in 2013, partially set in 1996-97.
* ''Film/Joy2015'': Made in 2015, set in 1990.
* ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'': Made in 2017, prologue set in 1996 (which was a year after the original ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'' was released).
* ''Film/KillBoksoon'': Made and set in 2023, the protagonist and the BigBad's backstory set in 1998.
* ''Film/Kings2017'': Made in 2017, set during the L.A. Riots in 1992.
* ''Film/{{Knockout}}'': Made in 2000, mostly set in 1990.
* ''Film/LordsOfChaos'': Music/{{Mayhem}} Biopic set from their formation in 1987 to their downfall in 1993.
* ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'': Made in 2010, set in 1996 during the conception and hayday of Viagra.
* ''Film/TheMachine2023'': 2023 film set in 1999.
* ''Film/MagicBeyondWordsTheJKRowlingStory'': 2011 Creator/JKRowling BioPic detailing her childhood up to the release of [[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone the first]] ''Film/HarryPotter'' movie in 2001.
* ''Film/MammaMia'' is rather squishy about the dates (the reference to "flower power" in "Our Last Summer" is particularly awkward, and Hippy!Sam and Headbanger Harry would have been separated by approximately ten years in the real world), but Donna's vaguely confused reference to Sky's website for the inn places it pretty solidly in the late 90s, when the Internet had become popular but a lot of people were still unfamiliar with it.
* ''Film/ManOfSteel'': Made in 2013, flashbacks to the eponymous protagonist's teenaged years happened in 1993 and 1998.
* ''Film/MarleyAndMe'': Made in 2008, starts in the early 1990s and goes on to 2001.
* [[/index]]''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' films:[[index]]
** ''Film/IronMan3'': Made in 2013, prologue is a flashback to 1999 in the eve of the new millennium.
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': Made in 2016, flashbacks to Howard and Maria Stark's last minutes leading to their murder happened specifically in December 16, 1991.
** ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': Made in 2018. Prologue is a flashback to King T'Chaka confronting his brother in UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}} over cooperating with an ArmsDealer to steal [[AppliedPhlebotinum Vibranium]] from their home of Wakanda in late April or early May 1992, during the LA riots.
** ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'': Made in 2018, flashback to one of the BigBadEnsemble's StartOfDarkness happened somewhere during the middle or latter part of the decade.
** ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'': Made in 2019, set in 1995.
** ''Film/BlackWidow2021'': Made in 2021 and set in 2016, prologue set in 1995.
** ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'': Made in 2021 and set in 2023, part of the prologue set from 1996-1999.
* ''Film/MemorialDay'': 2012 film set mainly in 1993.
* ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'': Made in the 1920s and set in the year 1999. As could be expected, there's plenty of ZeeRust.
* ''Film/{{Monster}}'': Made in 2003, the climax of the film is set in 1990.
* ''Film/Mid90s'': Made in 2018, set in 1995.
* ''Film/TheMiseducationOfCameronPost'': 2018 film set in 1993.
* ''Film/NoTimeToDie'': Made in 2019 (released in 2021), part of the prologue is set in the 90s.
* ''Film/Notorious2009'': Made in 2009, but Biggie's last years was set in the 90s.
* ''Film/MyDinnerWithHerve'': Made in 2018, set in 1993.
* ''Film/TheOldManAndTheGun'': 2018 Forrest Tucker BioPic.
* ''Film/{{Oldboy 2013}}'': Made in 2013, prologue set during 1993.
* ''Film/OnTheBasisOfSex'': 2018 biopic of [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg Ruth Bader Ginsburg]].
* ''Film/OurLadies2019'': Released in 2021, set in 1996.
* ''Literature/ThePerksOfBeingAWallflower'': Made in 2012, set during 1991.
* ''Film/ThePerfectStorm'': Made in 2000, set during the lead-up to the eponymous storm in 1991.
* ''Film/ThePlaceBeyondThePines'': Made in 2012, set in 1997.
* ''Film/TheQueen'': Made in 2006, set during the aftermath of Princess Diana's death in August 1997.
* ''WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut'': Made in 2000, released in 2001, and takes place in the summer of 1998.
** The DTV sequel, ''WesternAnimation/RecessTakingTheFifthGrade'' was released in 2003 and takes place in fall 1998.
** The DTV prequel, ''Recess: All Growed Down'' was also released in 2003 and takes place in 1997 or 1998 for the framing material and 1993 for the kindergarten flashback segment.
* ''Film/RememberMe'': Made in 2010 and is set in 2001, but the film's prologue is set during 1991.
* ''Film/ResidentEvilWelcomeToRaccoonCity'': Made in 2021 and is set on September 30th, 1998.
* ''Film/RichardJewell'': Made in 2019, set in 1996.
* ''Film/TheRookie2002'': Made in 2002, set during Jim Morris' UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball career during the 1999-2000 season.
* ''Film/ShatteredGlass'': Made in 2003, story starts off in the middle of the decade concluding in Stephen Glass' [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor fall from glory]] in 1998.
* ''Film/ShesDatingTheGangster'': Made in 2014 and is set in that year, but most of the film takes place during the early 90s.
* ''Film/{{Shiri}}'': Made in 1999. Initially set in 1992 before the rest of the movies goes to 1998.
* ''Film/SteveJobs'': Made in 2015, the film's third act takes place in 1998.
* ''Film/StraightOuttaCompton'': Made in 2015, second half of the film takes place from 1990-1995.
* ''Film/{{Sunny}}'': The Past Arc of the Japanese (2018), Indonesian (2019), Chinese (2021), and Philippine (2024) remakes take place in the middle to later part of the decade.
* ''Film/SuperDarkTimes'': 2017 film set in 1996.
* ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'': The 2019 film's controversial prologue is set in 1998.
* ''Film/AThousandAndOne'': Released in 2023, the first hour is set in 1994.
* ''Film/TickTickBoom'': 2021 film set in 1990 and 1992.
* ''Film/TheToDoList'': Made in 2013, set in 1993.
* ''Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts'': Made in 2023, set in 1994.
* ''Film/TheTurning'' is set in spring 1994 with the prologue featuring a news report on the suicide of Music/KurtCobain.
* ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'': Made in 2021, prologue set in 1996.
* ''Film/{{Vice 2018}}'': Made in 2018 and set from 2001-2009, plus flashback during UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar.
* ''Film/TheVoid'' does not mention a specific decade, but most of the background details (boxy cathode ray computer monitors, a reliance on paper records and a mention that the hospital has only just started to convert all of its records to digital, a complete absence of mobile phones, and Carter's late-80s Crown Victoria cruiser, as the town had likely not gotten new cruisers in over a decade) would suggest either the late 1990s or very early 2000s.
* ''Film/VoxLux'': The 2018 film's prologue is set in 1999.
* ''Film/TheWackness'': Made in 2008, set in 1994.
* ''Film/AWalkAmongTheTombstones'': 2014 film set during 1999, with the prologue set in 1991.
* ''Film/AWalkToRemember'': Made in 2002, set mostly in 1998 (except for the epilogue which matches the film's release date).
* ''Film/TheLittleThings'': Made in 2021, set in October 1990.
* ''Film/TheWife'': Made in 2017, middle part set in 1992.
* ''Film/{{Wild}}'': Made in 2014, set in 1995.
* ''Film/TheWolfOfWallStreet''
* ''WesternAnimation/WonderPark'': Made in 2019, set during the late-1990s.
* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': Made in 2012, the prologue briefly shows 1997.
* ''Film/{{Zodiac|2007}}'': Made in 2007, epilogue set in 1991.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AmericaIsNotTheHeart'': published 2018, its main plot begins in 1990 and progresses until around 1993, but it has frequent flashbacks and detours that show its characters' past lives going back into The60s and The70s.
* ''Literature/BreakingPoint2002'': Published in 2002 and set in the 90s, as evidenced by the mention of dial-up internet.
* ''Literature/TheCinderellaMurder'': The novel is set in 2014 outside of the first few chapters and a flashback, though the decade is significant to the plot. Susan, the titular murder victim, attended UCLA in the early 90s and was murdered on Saturday, May 7th 1994. There's some emphasis on the then-budding World Wide Web and associated technology, especially given Susan was studying computer programming at UCLA. Dwight Cook founded REACH the same year Susan died, which was originally built around a revolutionary search engine that made finding information on the internet much easier (although it was later surpassed by more advanced engines like Google).
* ''Literature/TheElectricState'' takes place in an alternate 1990s where the United States has fallen due to the overuse of VR technology.
* The last few chapters of ''[[Literature/TheAnderssons Fyra systrar]]'' by Solveig Olsson-Hultgren.
* ''Literature/FateZero''
* ''Literature/{{Fraternity}}'': Released in 2022, set in the school year of 1991-1992.
* ''Literature/TheGhostWriter'' (Starts in 1960s, ends in 1990s)
* The ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books (set in 1991-1998). Although only the last four books fit the "Works set, but not made in the decade" category. They are:
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': Made in 2000, set in 4 August 1994 – 25 June 1995.
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': Made in 2003, set in 2 August 1995 – 17 June 1996.
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Made in 2005, set in 1 August 1996 – 10 June 1997.
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': Made in 2007, set in July 1997–2 May 1998 for majority of the story except for the epilogue, which is set in 2017.
* ''Literature/TheHoleWereIn'': Released in 2010, the first section of the book is set from the early 1990s to 1999.
* ''Literature/IThinkILoveYou'': The second half is set in 1998.
* ''Literature/JackyHaHa'', published in 2016 and set in 1990.
* ''Literature/LittleFiresEverywhere'', published in 2017, set in 1997.
* ''Literature/NeverLetMeGo'': Made in 2005, the buildup towards the story's end starts in 1994.
* Large parts of ''Literature/SongOfSusannah'', and ''Literature/TheDarkTower2004'', the last two books of Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' series, both released in 2004, are set in 1999.
* ''Literature/TheSouthernBookClubsGuideToSlayingVampires'': Published in 2020, and is set from 1989 to the mid-1990s.
* ''Literature/TomorrowAndTomorrowAndTomorrow'': Published in 2022, main characters Sam and Sadie spend most of the decade in high school and college and meet after a long time apart in 1998.
* ''Literature/{{Ubik}}'' (made in 1969, set in 1992) A case of IWantMyJetpack.
* ''Literature/{{Unimaa}}'': Completed in 2021, set in December 1999.
* ''Film/WeNeedToTalkAboutKevin'': Book-only (the film seems to be set contemporaneously to its release in the 2010s, although it's not made clear.) The book was released in 2003 and Eva writes letters in 2000, but they primarily look back on Kevin's childhood and adolescence, starting in the mid-1980s through to the late 1990s.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/AmericanCrimeStory:''
** ''Series/ThePeopleVOJSimpson''
** ''Series/TheAssassinationOfGianniVersace''
** ''Series/{{Impeachment}}''
* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryMurderHouse'': Made and set in 2011, flashback to Tate Langdon's death happened in 1994.
* ''Series/AnswerMeNineteenNinetySeven'': Made and set in 2012, half of the story takes place [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in 1997]].
* ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'':
** [[Recap/ArrowS3E12Uprising A Season 3 episode]] of ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' is dedicated to [[TokenEvilTeammate Malcolm Merlyn's]] StartOfDarkness by showing flashbacks to his wife's murder in 1994.
** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': The main characters [[TimeTravel traveled]] to this decade quite a few times; twice (1990 and 1993) during the first season to prevent two of their members from being RetGone. Twice in Season 3, first to rectify Zabesi's sacking around 1991-1992, then during the filming of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' trilogy in 1999. They returned in Season 4, visiting 1995.
** [[Recap/TheFlash2014S3E2Paradox The second episode of Season 3]] of ''Series/TheFlash2014'' has the eponymous hero and his mentor Jay Garrick have a heart-to-heart talk in 1998 during when the latter stopped the former from attempting yet another CosmicRetcon.
** ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': The second season has a flashback to Lena Luthor's inclusion into the Luthor family in 1997.
** ''Series/SupermanAndLois'': Several flashbacks to Superman's youth are set throughout the decade.
* ''Series/BirdsOfPrey2002'': Prologue set in 1995.
* ''Series/{{Blackbird}}'' begins in November 1996 and continues throughout 1996 and presumably 1997.
* ''Series/BrandNewCherryFlavor'' is set in the early 90s, although a specific year is never stated.
* [[Recap/CharmedS3E17PreWitched A Season 3 episode]] (aired in 2001) of ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' a WholeEpisodeFlashback to events six months prior to the series premiere.
* ''Series/TheCrown2016'': Season 4 ends in late 1990. Season 5 covers 1991 to 1997, and Season 6 opens in 1997 and covers the late 1990s before moving into the 2000s.
* ''Series/CruelSummer'': Season 1 was made in 2021, but is set between 1993-1995.
* ''Series/DahmerMonsterTheJeffreyDahmerStory'' opens in 1991 with a series of Dahmer's murders and with his arrest. His trial takes place throughout the 1990s, and it ends in 1994 with his death.
* ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'': The first season had flashbacks to the eponymous protagonist's childhood and SuperHeroOrigin that happened somewhere during the middle or latter part of the decade.
* ''Series/DerryGirls'', which started in 2017 and ended in 2022, is set in the '90s.
* ''Series/{{Dopesick}}'' aired in 2021, but the first half takes place in the late 90s.
* ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'': Flashback to when Cliff Steele became [[BrainInAJar Robotman]] happened in 1995.
* ''Series/{{Empire}}'': Made in 2015, several important flashbacks happened in this decade, such as the imprisonment of Cookie in 1998, the peak of Lucious' music career, and the Lyon children's childhood.
* ''Series/{{Encantadia}}'': The childhood of two main characters happened in this decade. In the 2016 remake, the decade is moved to be when they were born.
* ''Series/EverythingSucks'', which premiered (and was canceled) in 2018 and is set in 1996.
* ''Series/TheFirstLady'': 2022 UsefulNotes/EleanorRoosevelt, UsefulNotes/BettyFord, and UsefulNotes/MichelleObama BioPic.
* ''Series/FreshOffTheBoat'', which premiered in 2015 and is set in the mid-'90s.
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': A flashback to one of the main characters' childhood is set during 1997 at the height of Music/{{Hanson}}'s popularity.
* ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'': Made in 2014 and the first three seasons were set in The80s, but the fourth and FinaleSeason is set during the advent of TheInternet.
* ''Series/{{Hindsight}}'' was created and initially set in 2014, but the main premise is that the protagonist is somehow sent back in time to 1995. The show being aired on Creator/VH1, the soundtrack adjusts accordingly.
* ''Series/Hometown2021'': Most of the drama is set in 1999.
* ''Series/HometownChaChaCha'': Made in 2021, flashbacks to the two protagonists' childhood set somewhere in the first half of the decade.
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': The flashbacks to the main characters' backstories happened around this time. Ted, Marshall and Lily's college days were from 1996-2000 plus their high-school years around 1992-1995, Robin's TeenIdol days were from 1993-1995, and Barney's StartOfDarkness after being cheated on by his then girlfriend was in 1998.
* ''Series/IkawLamang'': Made in 2014, the second and official protagonist of the GenerationalSaga gets AMinorKidroduction in 1990.
* ''Series/ItsASin'': Made in 2020, it starts in the early 80s and ends in 1991.
* ''Series/JaneTheVirgin'': Made in 2014, flashbacks to the eponymous protagonist's childhood years happened in the latter parts of the decade.
* ''Series/JessicaJones2015'': Made in 2015, flashbacks to the eponymous protagonist's DarkAndTroubledPast set around the middle parts of the decade.
* ''Series/LostInSpace'', made from 1965-68, was set (apparently) in 1997.
* Several flashbacks in ''Series/{{Lost}}'' episodes.
* ''{{Series/Manhunt}}''
** ''Series/ManhuntUnabomber''
** ''Series/ManhuntDeadlyGames''
* ''Series/MarryMyHusband'': 2024 series set mostly in 2013 via MentalTimeTravel, with the protagonist and FalseFriend's backstories set somewhere in the middle of the decade.
* ''Series/MyMadFatDiary'', made in 2013 and set (so far) in 1996.
* ''Series/TheNakedDirector'': Season 2 aired in 2021 and the story takes place during the first half of the decade.
* ''Series/OnBecomingAGodInCentralFlorida'': Premiered in 2019, story begins in 1992.
* ''Series/PamAndTommy'': The story of this 2022 miniseries is set in 1997.
* Mocked in ''Series/{{Portlandia}}'', which is set in the 2010s but is all about Portland living the dream of the 1990s.
* ''Series/{{Pose}}'': Seasons 2 and 3 of the 2018-2021 series take place in the decade.
* ''Series/AngProbinsyano2015'': Much of the flashbacks to Cardp's childhood is set in this decade.
* Several opening flashbacks in episodes of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', starting in Season 5 (2010).
* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'': Made and set in 2012 onwards, flashback to the protagonist's childhood set in 1993.
* [[Recap/RiverdaleS3E04Chapter39TheMidnightClub A Season 3 episode]] of ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'' is a WholeEpisodeFlashback to the high school days of the characters' parents.
* ''Series/{{Schooled}}'' was aired in 2019, but set in the 1990s.
* ''Series/ShowMeAHero'' is made in 2015 and started in [[The80s 1987]], but the story concludes in 1994.
* ''Series/SomedayOrOneDay'' aired from 2019-2020, but the majority of the series takes place in 1998-1999.
* ''Series/{{Space1999}}''. Run from 1975 to 1977, set in 1999.
* ''Series/SydneyToTheMax'': Made in 2019, half of the story is a flashback to 1992.
* ''Series/That90sShow'': Released in 2023, this SequelSeries to ''Series/That70sShow'' in set in 1995, focusing upon [[SpinOffspring Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti's daughter, Leia]].
* ''Series/ThisIsUs'': Made in 2016, but the flashbacks to the three protagonists' teenage years as well as the show's [[DisappearedDad most important]] Character Deaths happened in this decade.
* ''Series/{{Titans 2018}}'': Made in 2018, had a flashback to [[ComicBook/HawkAndDove Hank and Don Hall]]'s childhood set in 1999.
* ''Series/TokyoVice'': Released in 2022. Set in 1999.
* The first season of ''Series/TrueDetective'' takes place in two time periods: one from 1994-2002, the other in the present in 2012. The third season takes place in three: one in 1980, the other in 1990, the last during 2015.
* ''Series/{{Waco}}'': 2018 {{miniseries}} about the 1993 Waco standoff.
* ''Series/WinningTime'': 2022 BioPic about the Los Angeles Lakers during Magic Johnson's tenure from 1979-1991.
* ''Series/WinterSonata'': Made and set in 2002, story begins in 1992.
* ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'': Made in 2021, plot concurrently takes place on both 1996 and the present.
* ''Series/YoungRock'': Wrestling/DwayneJohnson autobiographical {{Sitcom}} than begins airing in 2021.
* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': Made in 2017. With the first half of the first season set in 1989, the rest of its run is during this decade.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* "Unbelievable" by ''Music/OwlCity'' is a nostalgia-fueled throwback to when Adam Young was a kid (the 90s).
* "1999" by Music/CharliXCX, a collaboration with Music/TroyeSivan, is a huge nostalgic love letter to the decade, [[ShoutOut with lyrics referencing]] Music/BritneySpears, ''Series/AllThat'', and Music/{{Eminem}}, with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-v1b9waHWY the music video]] directly recreating some of its imagery.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Podcasts]]
* ''Podcast/BrimstoneValleyMall'' debuted in 2019, and is set in December of 1999, with the first season ending at midnight on [[MillenniumBug January 1, 2000]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/TheLieutenantOfInishmore'', published in 2001, set in [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles 1993]].
* ''Theatre/SheKillsMonsters'', debuted in 2011, set in 1995.
* ''Theatre/TickTickBoom'', debuted in 2001, set in 1990.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* The actual gameplay of ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' is set in the eponymous war in 1995.
* ''VideoGame/BackIn1995''. Released in 2016, set in 1995.
* ''VideoGame/BarnFinders'' is a game from 2020 that's set in 1991.
* ''VideoGame/Daymare1998'' starts in 1998.
* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1'' ([[spoiler:Not directly stated in the game itself, but [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2 the prequel]] indicates the first game is at least set in 1993]])
* The 20th Anniversary Edition remake of ''VideoGame/GabrielKnight: Sins of the Fathers'', which was released in 2014 but retained the original's then-contemporary setting of 1993.
* ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' takes place on Thanksgiving 1991, two years after ''Film/GhostbustersII''.
* ''VideoGame/GhoulGrindNightOfTheNecromancer'': Set in 199X, released in 2021.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenEyeWii'': 2010 remake of [[Film/GoldenEye the 1995 film of the same name]].
* The exploration game ''VideoGame/GoneHome'' is set on June 7th, 1995, but the story (told in retrospect) starts in 1994. There are so many references to the decade that it can almost be considered a PeriodPiece.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' (early nineties, made in 2004, set in 1992).
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoLibertyCityStories'' (late nineties, made in 2006, set in 1998).
* ''VideoGame/{{Harthorn}}'': Set in winter break of 1991.
* ''VideoGame/{{Hiveswap}}'' is set in 1994. Joey's room in particular is filled with toys and decorations from the decade, like pogs and Lisa Frank posters.
* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'': Set in an alternate 1985-1991.
* ''VideoGame/HypnospaceOutlaw'' takes place in an AlternateHistory 1999, with the impending MillenniumBug as a plot point.
* ''VideoGame/JurassicParkTheGame'': The game features period-appropriate computers and other objects even when not rendering things straight from the film. Also, at one point Gerry jokingly compares himself to Olympic runner Carl Lewis, who would've been a household name in 1993 but became less well-known after his retirement in 1996.
* ''VideoGame/KathyRain'': Set in September of 1995.
* ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear|1}}'' : Set in 1995.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'': Set in 1999.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': Ending set in 1995 during the aforementioned first game.
* ''VideoGame/TheMedium'': Set in October-November 1999.
* ''VideoGame/NotForBroadcast'': For the remainder of the game, Part 2 of Episode 3 is set in 1990, and the finale is set at the end of 1991 (December 23). Episode 3 has sure gotten a lot of {{Time Skip}}s lately.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'': Prequel to the entire video game series that began [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil in 1996]].
* The survival horror game ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' is set in 1993.
* ''VideoGame/Skyland1976'' is set on October 15th, 1991.
* ''VideoGame/TheSilverCase'' is set in Japan in 1999.
* ''VideoGame/SmileForMe'' is implied to take place in 1994, as Dr. Habit is 37 and he was born in 1957. In addition, his final diary entry, in which he discusses his plans for the Habitat, is dated to 1990, a few years before the game's events.
* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary'': 2007 remake of [[VideoGame/TombRaiderI the 1996 pioneer series]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza1}}'': The prologue takes place in 1995, the rest of the game takes place in 2005.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/MurderByNumbers2020'' is set in 1996 Los Angeles. The setting is most evident by the characters' clothing designs, and SCOUT being a robot whose appearance is steeped in CassetteFuturism.
* ''VisualNovel/SecretLittleHaven'' takes place in 1999, and is about a teen coming to terms with being a trans girl and finding solace in online fandoms in the late 90s. The entire game has a {{Retraux}} style that emulates 90s [=OSes=] and Web 1.0 websites.
* ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterDeathMark'' is set in the '90s, before cell phones and the Internet are widespread enough to really help the protagonists deal with spirits.
** ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterDeathMarkII'' is set four months after the first game, so the same still stands.
* ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'' specifically is set in '99, with Kaoru taking advantage of everyone's doomsday attitude re: Y2K to promote her occult idol gimmick.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheBoyInPinkEarmuffs'' seems to be in this period, based on the presence of floppy disk computer games.
* ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' starts in 1994, eventually things progress into the 2000s and the current arc is set in 2004.
* The events of ''Webcomic/FurryFightChronicles'' take place in 1997, and some background lore about the events prior to the story take place in the same decade.
* The autobiographical ''Webcomic/JoeVsElanSchool'' begins in the mid-to-late 1990s.
* ''Webcomic/NineteenNinetySomething'' quite obviously takes place during it. If the title doesn’t give it away, then the fact that it’s main Schtick is having its characters live through the decade, constantly reference it’s music, movies, tv shows, video games, news events, etc. might give that away.
* ''Webcomic/{{Superego}}'' is set sometime in 1995, possibly June 1st.
* ''Webcomic/UnDivine'' is set in the 90s, with Daniel's birthdate of May 7, 1979 revealing that it's set during 1996 in particular.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'' parodies the "extreme" attitude that pervaded superhero comic books in the 90s through the character of "'90s Kid."
* ''WebAnimation/DontWalkHomeAloneAfterDark'': ''The Pine Creepers'' (released in 2022) takes place in the summer of 1995 (with the main character narrating the tale from the present-day). Notably, no one in the protagonists' rural town thinks much of letting [[FreeRangeChildren three 13-year-olds go camping by themselves in the woods overnight]], whereas these days parents would likely be much warier about doing so.
* Website/StarDestroyerDotNet was launched in 1998 and grew out of a Usenet group dedicated to an UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny between ''Franchise/StarWars'' and ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
* {{WebOriginal/The CarnEvil Cult}} is a creepypasta from 2020 but the majority of the events in the story are stated to have taken place in the very late '90s
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Clarence}}'': Ran from 2014-2018, set in an anachronistic 1998.
* ''WesternAnimation/DaveTheBarbarian'': While the show is set in a ThemeParkVersion of the middle ages, Ned Frischman is from 1994.
* "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS19E11That90sShow That '90s Show]]" (2008): ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode, despite being a huge ContinuitySnarl.
* Every ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' episode made from 2000 onward, which took place around 1997-1998 (Same goes with the 1999 episodes).
** Same with ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn''.
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': WordOfGod says this show is in this decade, though there are [[AnachronismStew many inconsistencies]] and it's mostly for nostalgia purposes.
** However, considering all the crazy stuff that happens in the show, right down to the talking animals and objects that are the main characters, it's safe to assume it's a alternate reality version of the '90s.
* ''WesternAnimation/SkullIsland2023'': The series is set in the Franchise/MonsterVerse and set 20 years after the Vietnam War-set ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', placing it in 1993.
* ''Thundarr the Barbarian'': Ran 1980-1981, set in 1994.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Vixen}}'': The prologue happens around 1991-1992.
* ''WesternAnimation/XMen97'': Being a sequel to the [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries 90s animated series]], this show remains in the same decade.
[[/index]]
[[/folder]]
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->''"May the power protect you."''
-->-- '''Zordon''', ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''
->
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