REWIND – 30 Years! Grunge music, Danimals, and Tamagotchi.

Let’s REWIND time and go back to 30 years ago – the 1990s. The ‘90s was a time of many trends and new inventions such as the  the CD, Grunge music, and the Macarena. Here you will read about some of the interesting things that were from the 1990s.

COMPACT DISCS

CD’s were invented in the 1980s, but they became very popular in the 1990s when they replaced vinyl records and cassette tapes to store and play

music. They were plastic discs that were used for audio recording and replaying. A laser in the player would scan the digital information on the disc. People were shocked that a little flat circle could really play music. The CD (also known as a compact disc) was given its name by the Philips company with the hope that it would bring to peoples’ minds the success of the compact cassette tape.

THE “MACARENA”

The song “Macarena” was released on August 15, 1993. It was a really popular thing especially in 1996 when it was Number One on the Billboard Top 100 for 14 weeks. The song and dance of the “Macarena” was made by Los del Rio, a Spanish pop duo, who often did the dance at their concerts. They never guessed that their dance would become a worldwide sensation. Fun fact: Macarena in English means blessed. Another  fun fact: the song was written about a woman of the same name as the song.

DANIMALS YOGURT

Believe it or not, Danimals was invented in 1994. It is a brand of drinkable yogurt that is still

manufactured today. (It’s actually the breakfast yogurt SMS serves during homeroom!) Their mascot is a monkey named Bongo. Danimals also initially donated a part of the money they made to the National Wildlife Federation. This famous brand is now 30 years old.

TAMAGOTCHI DIGITAL PETS

The Tamagotchi was a small device with a digital pet inside. Think of “Talking Tom” or “Pou”. You could interact with it, for example feed it, play with it, even discipline it (but only on the screen). The Tamagotchi was shaped like an egg, with a small LCD screen and 3 buttons. It was created in Japan in the 1990s, after the founder Akihiro Yokoi saw a commercial about a boy trying to bring his pet turtle on a trip.

GRUNGE MUSIC

Grunge was an alternative rock subgenre popular in the 90s. The word grunge was first to describe the murky-guitar bands that came from Seattle, Washington. Artists/bands that are Grunge include Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and more. There is also grunge fashion which you can still kind of see today (flannels, thrifted clothes, DIY). 

Do you have a fun REWIND memory from the 1990s? Do you feel nostalgia for a time you never lived in? Stop by Room 35 to leave us an IRL comment or suggestion. We may just use it in a future article about the past.