1990

Dudess

The opening year of the 90s (which, in my opinion, generally wasn't a good decade for popular culture) was misleading. Awesome year for toons - pop classics like Groove Is In The Heart, Dub Be Good To Me, Killer (Adamski). There was Madchester, rave and great indie, some of which was even charting (like Ride and The House of Love and Primal Scream).
Fashion - L.A. Gear trainers (remember, with the triple laces), puffa jackets, bicycle shorts, long hoodies made of very thin material, various items of clothing with smileys on them (I wanted a black shirt with smileys all over it so, so badly ), bum bags - oh the horror!, massive flares, lovebeads, floppy fringes.
TV - Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch, Twin Peaks, a fledgling Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Hero whatever Turtles.
Film - Pretty Woman (ewwww), Days of Thunder (yuk), Ghost (actually quite good).

I was 11/12 and in fifth/sixth class. I was hovering between make-up/fashion-mad and indie gloom-mad. Went to my first disco and wore the coolest black dress, which I'd still wear now. Started hanging out with boys a lot more than I had done prior to that. Jackie, Blue Jeans, Hi! and Smash Hits would occasionally be replaced by NME/Melody Maker. My Laura Ashley room had indie posters all over the walls.

A great and varied year for me personally. Anyone else?

tribulus

One of my earliest ever memories is if of my dad and uncle hugging each other and dancing around sluggin beer cans while screaming at the top of their lungs.

The reason for this? Packy Bonner and a certain penalty save :pac:

Dudess

D'oh! Can't believe I forgot that football thingie!

Kevin Sheedy's goal against England - grown men screaming like little girls - check, terrified cat - check

A sudden awareness of where Cameroon was (and a sudden love for said African nation ) - check

Romania - me and my mate getting bored and heading off to meet boys (as if there'd be any around) and missing all the excitement - check :mad:

England v West Germany semi-final - lump-in-throat, eyes filling up, willingness to momentarily forget 800 years of oppression - check (cue "west Brit" accusations - although this is All Things Retro, not AH).

And the best football song EVER was released for the 1990 World Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nQItOROYlc
The Ireland songs had nostalgia value but were shyte...

kelle

I had just started studying in London, so it was a very exciting year for me having lived in a rural area all my life. I remember my friend and I getting a fright when we thought we saw a UFO in January 1990, we found out Paul McCartney was playing in Wembley and laser lights were being projected towards the sky in moving circular patterns - they could be seen for miles. It was being described as "the concert of the decade" (odd, I thought, as the decade had only just begun!!).
Madonna's Vogue and kylie's Better the Devil you Know are the most memorable songs from that year.
It's hard to believe it's nearly 20 years ago now!

Ruu_Old

The reign of Maggie Thatcher ended. Some songs I remember from the 90's would be EMF - Unbelievable, Irish team - Put 'em under pressure, Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U.

George Hamilton: "A nation holds its breath.....WE'RE THERE!"

humberklog

Preperations for the 1st 'live' war as entertainment was under way by late '90. Saddam giving the Kuwaitis a toe up the hole and then assuming the position by the end of the year for receiveing his own thwacking. I thought it very exciting as I was heading to Israel in early '91. So last few weeks of '90 were spent packing ear defenders and making compilation tapes.

Beastie Boys' paul's Boutique was out in late '89 so that was being played solid over that year.

Pigman II

One of my favourite years. I remember being excited about the build up to the World Cup and everything surrounding that event. I also went to my first "real" football match that year and started following Bohemians. Football back then was still amazing to me and the players were gods in my eyes. In comparison the game just makes me sick these days.

Movies-wise it was a bit weak with no big blockbusters of note. I remember I saw Ferris Bueller for the first time in 1990 and must have rewatched it several times on video that summer.

Also wiled away the hours playing New Zealand Story and Rainbow Island on the C64. The Commodore Amiga arrived in our home that Xmas so it was the last year of playing with my favourite computer.

I think the weather must have been good that summer as I can only remember it ever being sunshine. (I know that's the nostalgia effect but I really do think there was good weather that summer?).

It was also bittersweet as I left primary school that year and moved into a secondary school in a different town so nearly all the kids I spent 8 years growing up with I never saw again. Jesus I'm getting bummed-out just writing this. Thanks Dudess!

stovelid

The tunes that really make me think of that year are One Love (Stone Roses) (One love), Shall we take a trip (Northside), Nothing compares to You, Killer ( Adamski), Fascinating Rhythm (Bassomatic), and Fine Time (New Order). I seem to remember that summer being warm too. Is that because enjoyable summers always seem hot in your memory?

I left/flunked out of first year in DIT that year because I hated the journalism course I was doing. I was waiting to be accepted to Uni, and doing part-time jobs.

It was also the fag-end of Madchester. I spent Christmas 89 through to the end of January 1990 over in Manchester with my family, raving, buying clothes, and thinking I was the dog's bollocks coming back to Dublin with my 18" parallels, wallabees and hoodies.

Obviously Italia 90 stands out. The putsch of Thatcher. The sabre-rattling pre-Gulf War. Shamrock Rovers going temporarily back to the southside (RDS). Manchester United and Palace going to a replay in the F.A cup final. Heading down to Cork to see Prince.

Dudess

stovelid wrote: »

Fine Time (New Order)

That was out in 88/89 with a video that wasn't exactly saying "don't do drugs kids"...

I seem to remember that summer being warm too. Is that because enjoyable summers always seem hot in your memory?

Same for Pigman. It wasn't a bad summer but it wasn't amazing either - '89 was the heatwave. 1990 was overall dry with some hot days.

I spent Christmas 89 through to the end of January 1990 over in Manchester with my family, raving, buying clothes, and thinking I was the dog's bollocks coming back to Dublin with my 18" parallels, wallabees and hoodies.

You lucky bitch. :mad:

The putsch of Thatcher.

I didn't understand what poll tax was, but wow, those riots were something else. Some real primal anger there - fair play to them.

The sabre-rattling pre-Gulf War.

I remember seeing Bush's speech on a portable TV in a caravan down in Kerry. I could tell this was really serious, and the ensuing war was scary - there was all sorts of "this could be World War III" talk.

stovelid

Dudess wrote: »

That was out in 88/89 with a video that wasn't exactly saying "don't do drugs kids"...

Aye, not really a huge NO fan. Only bought it that summer after hearing it somewhere and listened to it loads. Listening to it at this minute: brings me right back.

arybvtcw0eolkf

1990 for me was wearing combats, flak jacket & helmet (blue UN cover) & horrible NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) suits [thank you Saddam].

Drinking Almaza beer (Lebanese muck) and occassional weekends in the nightclubs of Tel Aviv in Israel :P

I can't remember if it was this year, or when I was there in '88 that I had the coolest 'Miami Vice' suit ever (steel blue) with rolled up sleeves and white leather shoes & Ray Bann pilot sunglasses (now that I think of it, that was probably an 80's tour)

DublinWriter

I remember 1990 as being Ireland's summer of love, it was one of the hottest on record.

Highlight for me was the Romania match and that penalty shoot out.

I worked for a small software company on Abbey St. and we were all let off for the afternoon, was off my face by 4pm on whiskey and staggered down to O'Connell St. where the place was in uproar.

A very happy year indeed.

Ann22

I met my husband that year. Was engaged to someone else with an 8mth old at the time:o, I turned 21 that May. It all came about during the heady world cup nights in our local...eyes meeting across a crowded pub - oh the guilty thrills of it:).Was in a terrible turmoil torn between the two of them for months. Eventually took a break from the boyfriend and took the plunge with the persistent admirer. Songs that bring me back are Heart's 'All I wanna do', Kylie's 'Better the devil you know', New kids on the block's 'I'll be loving you' and number one special song for me is Elton's 'Sacrifice'.

Dudess

DublinWriter wrote: »

I remember 1990 as being Ireland's summer of love, it was one of the hottest on record.

Definitely wasn't - that was '89. 1990 wasn't a bad summer - there was a bit of hot weather - but it was mostly just average. I remember it being dry, but not hot.
Or maybe the weather was different in Dublin to Cork...

ollie1

I was only young so dont remember that much but i do remember the World Cup in Italy

Lawrence1895

Before it gets the lock for resurrecting zombie threads

Back to back titles for Borussia Dortmund in 1995 and 1996, Champions League in 1997, maybe one of the best teams, Borussia ever had

branie

It was a good year for Irish cinema, IMO, with The Field

darkdubh

Dudess wrote: »

The opening year of the 90s (which, in my opinion, generally wasn't a good decade for popular culture) was misleading. Awesome year for toons - pop classics like Groove Is In The Heart, Dub Be Good To Me, Killer (Adamski). There was Madchester, rave and great indie, some of which was even charting (like Ride and The House of Love and Primal Scream).
Fashion - L.A. Gear trainers (remember, with the triple laces), puffa jackets, bicycle shorts, long hoodies made of very thin material, various items of clothing with smileys on them (I wanted a black shirt with smileys all over it so, so badly ), bum bags - oh the horror!, massive flares, lovebeads, floppy fringes.
TV - Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch, Twin Peaks, a fledgling Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Hero whatever Turtles.
Film - Pretty Woman (ewwww), Days of Thunder (yuk), Ghost (actually quite good).

I was 11/12 and in fifth/sixth class. I was hovering between make-up/fashion-mad and indie gloom-mad. Went to my first disco and wore the coolest black dress, which I'd still wear now. Started hanging out with boys a lot more than I had done prior to that. Jackie, Blue Jeans, Hi! and Smash Hits would occasionally be replaced by NME/Melody Maker. My Laura Ashley room had indie posters all over the walls.

A great and varied year for me personally. Anyone else?

Don't forget this classic.One of my favourite tunes of 1990.
http://youtu.be/ZVGf3ePIO04

BTW,has anyone mentioned "Hammertime"? http://youtu.be/otCpCn0l4Wo

nlgbbbblth

A few fondly remembered but departed posters on this thread.

Lars1916

Lars1916 wrote: »

Before it gets the lock for resurrecting zombie threads

Sure how could anyone possibly justify locking this thread when the whole point was supposed to be "nostalgia" anyway? Never mind, the mods will answer in due course. But just in case, here's a few of my own distant memories....

SPORT: That whole celebration of what pretentious people call "Italia '90" and the rest of us call "the 1990 world cup" seems a bit blown up. Ireland never actually won one single game, ya know! Three draws, a penalty shoot-out which was basically a lottery anyway, and a deserved defeat where the Italians played us off the park.

PERSONAL: The year according to the census I finished my education. In my opinion, the year I actually began it. The day I left school for the last time I remember walking to the gate thinking of a conversation with a friend of mine 10 years earlier when we said how we'd joyously react when this day finally came. I reached the gate and walked out feeling nothing. Looked at the few people I considered friends, shrugged my shoulders and said "see you 'round." Lost contact with them which 23 years later I regret.

NEWS: The collapse of communism across eastern Europe. Yes, I know it started earlier, but it was really the reunification of Germany that underlined the fact that we were never going back to the old days, despite reformed communist parties being freely re-elected back into government in every other country there by about 92 or 93 I think.

SubBusted

The year of the 'mature recollection'.

Judes

One of my best years EVER.

Was living in London - I remember at the end of January in 1990 a violent storm, we were all sent home early from work - trees uprooted etc. (happened a few years earlier too). But it was the 1990 storm I remember as the next day was beautiful and sunshiney and I moved out from the ex boyfriends to start a new life - feeling very positive.

A fantastic year of parties/clubbing/indie music - discovering my love for good French wines - and cider!!! There was a heatwave in London that summer. Of course being a Paddy over there and watching the World Cup was just Ole Ole Ole Proud.

Then I met new boyfriend who ran a club in the West End so the second half of the year was clubbing all night long, concerts, Madchester Music, Madonna's Blonde Ambitition Tour at Wembley. Jesus Jones at Brixton Academy, Black Francis at the Borderline (Frank Black now I think ex. Pixies).

Was just a great year of course as previous poster mentioned the first Iraq War hit us at the end of 1990, not a good end to that year/start to 1991.

Still the 90's were great for me. The Naughties I was back in Ireland all going good until the Celtic Tiger jumped on a plane and emigrated somewhere else................

branie

It was also the year that Brian Keenan was released from captivity

SubBusted

branie wrote: »

It was a good year for Irish cinema, IMO, with The Field

That's because there was no Irish Film Board back then!

Lawrence1895

Deleted User wrote: »

Sure how could anyone possibly justify locking this thread when the whole point was supposed to be "nostalgia" anyway? Never mind, the mods will answer in due course. But just in case, here's a few of my own distant memories....

SPORT: That whole celebration of what pretentious people call "Italia '90" and the rest of us call "the 1990 world cup" seems a bit blown up. Ireland never actually won one single game, ya know! Three draws, a penalty shoot-out which was basically a lottery anyway, and a deserved defeat where the Italians played us off the park.

PERSONAL: The year according to the census I finished my education. In my opinion, the year I actually began it. The day I left school for the last time I remember walking to the gate thinking of a conversation with a friend of mine 10 years earlier when we said how we'd joyously react when this day finally came. I reached the gate and walked out feeling nothing. Looked at the few people I considered friends, shrugged my shoulders and said "see you 'round." Lost contact with them which 23 years later I regret.

NEWS: The collapse of communism across eastern Europe. Yes, I know it started earlier, but it was really the reunification of Germany that underlined the fact that we were never going back to the old days, despite reformed communist parties being freely re-elected back into government in every other country there by about 92 or 93 I think.

Just a bit of slagging from my side, never mind

The reunification of Germany was a major event though, I have about half of the family in the eastern part of Germany, I saw them when the country was split in two, I met them afterwards. Some of them really changed...and not only to the good,

steveone

good post! yea I remember 90 very well., first time out on the roads legally on my motorbike. the heat, the world cup....end of school!