I can say for sure that Sept. 2012 - Feb. 2013 was still early 2010s but until around Spring, things were starting to transition into a new culture. Most of the transition occurred throughout the summer of 2013 because of Vine. I would go with mostly early 2010s.

Mostly early 2010s. There were some signs of the mid-2010s, like the trap-influenced Harlem Shake being HUGE. We even did it in my sixth grade graduation ceremony (it was so cringy  ;D). Also, there was Windows 8, which had mixed reception. I especially didn't understand why the Start menu was its own seperate menu when it's been minimized in Windows corners since forever. Glad that 10 fixed that.

Electropop and pop-rap were still some of the most popular genres in my school year, and the songs "Thrift Shop", "Blurred Lines", and "Get Lucky" were sung everywhere in my school.

I can say for sure that Sept. 2012 - Feb. 2013 was still early 2010s but until around Spring, things were starting to transition into a new culture. Most of the transition occurred throughout the summer of 2013 because of Vine. I would go with mostly early 2010s.

I definitely agree that this school year became more transitional around the spring of 2013, but overall I definitely think it was more Early 2010s. By the fall of 2013, things felt very different from the Early 2010s.

"Gangnam Style" was the biggest hit of that school year, that was the last hoorah for the Electropop Era.
Summer 2013 is when Lorde became popular and started the trend of subdued e-pop, for lack of a better term.

"Gangnam Style" was the biggest hit of that school year, that was the last hoorah for the Electropop Era.
Summer 2013 is when Lorde became popular and started the trend of subdued e-pop, for lack of a better term.


Gangnam Style was in the summer, no?  ???

edit: to answer the thread's question, it was transitional, I would say leaning towards the mid-2010s. Hipster fashion was everywhere that year. I fell in love with a thick-framed glasses wearing dude playing 3DS with his collar button buttoned. I remember Snapchat and Instagram got popular that year. It is not complete mid-2010s though because Breaking Bad was still on the air, the hype for the finale was unreal. I would go back to the 2012 portion of that school year in an instant, it was so much fun. (not 2013 because of personal life reasons)

Gangnam Style was in the summer, no?  ???


It came out then, but it was a hit all throughout late 2012.
In fact, it was in either November or December 2012 when the YouTube video for Gangnam Style hit 1 Billion views, becoming the first to do so.

It was KINDA transitional, it still leaned more towards the early 2010s culture tho imo.

Gangnam Style was in the summer, no?  ???

It peaked very late into 2012 tho. The clip being the first video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube was a huge deal.

I picked "both/transitional". The early 2010s officially ended once we were past the Mayan apocalypse hysteria. And the Harlem Shake pretty much ushered in the trap-dank memes-internet challenges-Vine age.

It peaked very late into 2012 tho. The clip being the first video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube was a huge deal.

I picked "both/transitional". The early 2010s officially ended once we were past the Mayan apocalypse hysteria. And the Harlem Shake pretty much ushered in the trap-dank memes-internet challenges-Vine age.

So, Feb. 2013 would be the start of a transition? I would say Jan-Mar 2013 still had a moderate early 2010s vibe despite Harlem Shake.

So, Feb. 2013 would be the start of a transition?


Well, considering how it got popular that month, I guess it would've been the start of the mid-2010s trends. Pink Guy (Filthy Frank) was also a major part of the trend and became a mid-2010s meme icon.

Predominately, I would say Early 2010s. In the same way that the 2008-2009 was the 'last hurrah' for the Late 2000s, is how I would describe the 2012-2013 school year.

I would say by Spring 2013, we were beginning to transition away from the early 2010s and into the core 2010s/mid 2010s. You had the 'Harlem Shake' trend, but you also had the rise in thrift culture thanks to songs like 'Thrift Shop' by Macklemore, ushering in the 'Hipster era' of the Mid 2010s. Also, iconic 'Electropop era' shows like Jersey Shore, Breaking Bad, Gossip Girl, among others, were in their last seasons during this school year, along with the end of the iconic and infamous Twilight franchise as well. This was probably the last school year that I remember where 'name brands' like Hollister, American Eagle, Hot Topic, Polo, Forever 21, Old Navy, among others, were still relatively popular, further suggesting that this was the end of an era. 'Fast fashion' brands like Urban Outfitters and H&M, would begin to rise in popularity throughout 2013, overtaking the more 'gaudy' and 'preppy' brands from before.

Thus, after 2012-13', subcultures sort of began to 'mesh' with each other, as everybody just began to try to emulate the hipster aesthetic. No longer did kids have to subjecigateqd into subcultures of sort. Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, there was a clear social 'pecking order'; emo/scene kids wearing Hot Topic and listening to 'My Chemical Romance' sat on one lunch table, hip hop/gangsta kids wearing those embellished Ed Hardy shirts with the the White Jordan Airforce Ones doing rap battles and being routty sat on another table, and the so-called 'refined' popular kids wearing Hollister or American Eagle sat and ate lunch on the most exclusive of tables. To some of the younger users, this may sound like what I'm describing is like some kind of scene from an American Pie film or from the TV show Laguna Hill. However, even in the Late 2000s/Early 2010s, that's simply just how high school was still like.

Predominately, I would say Early 2010s. In the same way that the 2008-2009 was the 'last hurrah' for the Late 2000s, is how I would describe the 2012-2013 school year.

I would say by Spring 2013, we were beginning to transition away from the early 2010s and into the core 2010s/mid 2010s. You had the 'Harlem Shake' trend, but you also had the rise in thrift culture thanks to songs like 'Thrift Shop' by Macklemore, ushering in the 'Hipster era' of the Mid 2010s. Also, iconic 'Electropop era' shows like Jersey Shore, Breaking Bad, Gossip Girl, among others, were in their last seasons during this school year, along with the end of the iconic and infamous Twilight franchise as well. This was probably the last school year that I remember where 'name brands' like Hollister, American Eagle, Hot Topic, Polo, Forever 21, Old Navy, among others, were still relatively popular, further suggesting that this was the end of an era. 'Fast fashion' brands like Urban Outfitters and H&M, would begin to rise in popularity throughout 2013, overtaking the more 'gaudy' and 'preppy' brands from before.

Thus, after 2012-13', subcultures sort of began to 'mesh' with each other, as everybody just began to try to emulate the hipster aesthetic. No longer did kids have to subjecigateqd into subcultures of sort. Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, there was a clear social 'pecking order'; emo/scene kids wearing Hot Topic and listening to 'My Chemical Romance' sat on one lunch table, hip hop/gangsta kids wearing those embellished Ed Hardy shirts with the the White Jordan Airforce Ones doing rap battles and being routty sat on another table, and the so-called 'refined' popular kids wearing Hollister or American Eagle sat and ate lunch on the most exclusive of tables. To some of the younger users, this may sound like what I'm describing is like some kind of scene from an American Pie film or from the TV show Laguna Hill. However, even in the Late 2000s/Early 2010s, that's simply just how high school was still like.


Great Analysis!

2012-2013 did feel like the last hurrah for early 2010s culture. It was the last time when "name brand" fashion was popular and replaced by the hipster aesthetic at the next school year.

Harlem Shake was probably the Just Dance of 2012-2013, but like the 2008-2009 school year, the rest of the songs that were popular that year were still on the early 2010s side. Gangnam Style, Scream and Shout, Feel This Moment, Don't You Worry Child, It's Always a Good Time, Die Young, and Diamonds still screams early 2010s.

It was a transitional year from what my 3rd grade self saw. September 2012 to April 2013 still felt undoubtedly Early 2010s because lots of Electropop songs are still on the Top 40, including the very popular Gangnam Style. Swag culture was at its peak, and Trap music was still not fully mainstream until Late 2013. There were still some flip phone users, although smartphones have become the norm, and the 7th Generation of gaming was still ongoing, along with Windows 7 still being the most used OS. Shows like Breaking Bad, The office, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, and How I met your mother were still in their golden age.

However, there were signs of the Mid 2010s coming up. Disney/Nickelodeon teen shows like iCarly and Victorious were ending, while cartoons like Gravity Falls and Teen Titans Go gains traction with children. Windows 8, while a flop with OS users, popularized the Minimalist design. Hipster grows even bigger, and Instagram/Snapchat were growing in popularity. Games like Tomb Raider 2013 and GTA 5 gain huge hype, along with the upcoming 8th Generation consoles. Macklemore becomes a big Hip Hop/Hipster artist with Thrift Shop, and the Harlem Shake, while more of a meme song, was one of the first roots to Trap's popularity, along with Iggy Azalea. Electropop was also starting to really die down around Spring 2013.

Predominately, I would say Early 2010s. In the same way that the 2008-2009 was the 'last hurrah' for the Late 2000s, is how I would describe the 2012-2013 school year.

I would say by Spring 2013, we were beginning to transition away from the early 2010s and into the core 2010s/mid 2010s. You had the 'Harlem Shake' trend, but you also had the rise in thrift culture thanks to songs like 'Thrift Shop' by Macklemore, ushering in the 'Hipster era' of the Mid 2010s. Also, iconic 'Electropop era' shows like Jersey Shore, Breaking Bad, Gossip Girl, among others, were in their last seasons during this school year, along with the end of the iconic and infamous Twilight franchise as well. This was probably the last school year that I remember where 'name brands' like Hollister, American Eagle, Hot Topic, Polo, Forever 21, Old Navy, among others, were still relatively popular, further suggesting that this was the end of an era. 'Fast fashion' brands like Urban Outfitters and H&M, would begin to rise in popularity throughout 2013, overtaking the more 'gaudy' and 'preppy' brands from before.

Thus, after 2012-13', subcultures sort of began to 'mesh' with each other, as everybody just began to try to emulate the hipster aesthetic. No longer did kids have to subjecigateqd into subcultures of sort. Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, there was a clear social 'pecking order'; emo/scene kids wearing Hot Topic and listening to 'My Chemical Romance' sat on one lunch table, hip hop/gangsta kids wearing those embellished Ed Hardy shirts with the the White Jordan Airforce Ones doing rap battles and being routty sat on another table, and the so-called 'refined' popular kids wearing Hollister or American Eagle sat and ate lunch on the most exclusive of tables. To some of the younger users, this may sound like what I'm describing is like some kind of scene from an American Pie film or from the TV show Laguna Hill. However, even in the Late 2000s/Early 2010s, that's simply just how high school was still like.


well said piece Zelda, although i'd say the core 10s begun 2011ish. 2010s were a VERY long era. The core years lasted MUCH MUCH longer than the others of the recent decades.

It was a transitional year from what my 3rd grade self saw. September 2012 to April 2013 still felt undoubtedly Early 2010s because lots of Electropop songs are still on the Top 40, including the very popular Gangnam Style. Swag culture was at its peak, and Trap music was still not fully mainstream until Late 2013. There were still some flip phone users, although smartphones have become the norm, and the 7th Generation of gaming was still ongoing, along with Windows 7 still being the most used OS. Shows like Breaking Bad, The office, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, and How I met your mother were still in their golden age.

However, there were signs of the Mid 2010s coming up. Disney/Nickelodeon teen shows like iCarly and Victorious were ending, while cartoons like Gravity Falls and Teen Titans Go gains traction with children. Windows 8, while a flop with OS users, popularized the Minimalist design. Hipster grows even bigger, and Instagram/Snapchat were growing in popularity. Games like Tomb Raider 2013 and GTA 5 gain huge hype, along with the upcoming 8th Generation consoles. Macklemore becomes a big Hip Hop/Hipster artist with Thrift Shop, and the Harlem Shake, while more of a meme song, was one of the first roots to Trap's popularity, along with Iggy Azalea. Electropop was also starting to really die down around Spring 2013.


I agree with the others. But BB, Office, DEXTER, HIMYM were near the end of their runs and with THE EXCEPTION OF BB the other series were in their golden ages aka primes during the late 00s...

well said piece Zelda, although i'd say the core 10s begun 2011ish. 2010s were a VERY long era. The core years lasted MUCH MUCH longer than the others of the recent decades.

2011 wasn’t even close to being a core 2010’s year. If anything, 2011 was the quintessential early 2010’s year because it was after late 2000’s culture was gone, but before the core 2010’s started. Facebook and electropop were at its peak, Instagram and Snapchat (the most core 2010’s social media apps) were not popular yet. The 2012-2013 school year is arguably the first core 2010’s era.

2011 wasn’t even close to being a core 2010’s year. If anything, 2011 was the quintessential early 2010’s year because it was after late 2000’s culture was gone, but before the core 2010’s started. Facebook and electropop were at its peak, Instagram and Snapchat (the most core 2010’s social media apps) were not popular yet. The 2012-2013 school year is arguably the first core 2010’s era.

Oops I forgot 2012. Yea, I agree with 2011 being the quentissental early 10s year. But you could say after Bin Laden was killed and Game of Thrones premiered was when the core 10s started, so yeah mid 2011ish. But I agree with 2012 being the start.

Great Analysis!

2012-2013 did feel like the last hurrah for early 2010s culture. It was the last time when "name brand" fashion was popular and replaced by the hipster aesthetic at the next school year.

Harlem Shake was probably the Just Dance of 2012-2013, but like the 2008-2009 school year, the rest of the songs that were popular that year were still on the early 2010s side. Gangnam Style, Scream and Shout, Feel This Moment, Don't You Worry Child, It's Always a Good Time, Die Young, and Diamonds still screams early 2010s.


I agree with the music comparisons! The same can be said with regards to social media.

During the 2008-2009 school year, MySpace was still the dominant social media site, evident of the cultural Late 2000s period we were still in. However, by the start of the 2009-2010 school year, Facebook had overtaken MySpace as the most popular social media site, indicating the start of the cultural Early 2010s period that we were transitioning in.

A similar chain of events happened in-between the 2012-2013 school year that was still predominately dominated by Facebook and Twitter, and the 2013-2014 school year in which Instagram, Vine, and (to a lesser extent) Snapchat were becoming more visibly popular, by essentially ending the 'golden reign' for Facebook and Twitter.


Oops I forgot 2012. Yea, I agree with it being the quentissental early 10s year. But you could say after Bin Laden was killed and Game of Thrones premiered was when the core 10s started. But I agree with 2012 being the start.


I disagree with both of you actually ;D. I think core 2010s safely began in 2013. I think the start of what would be the transition from 'Early' 2010s to 'Mid' 2010s, would be the essential starting point of where the actual 'core 2010s' began. So I would say, roughly Spring 2013 whereabouts, is when we were in the 'Core of the decade', lasting all the way to Mid 2018.

I agree with the others. But BB, Office, DEXTER, HIMYM were near the end of their runs and with THE EXCEPTION OF BB the other series were in their golden ages aka primes during the late 00s...


Yeah I was about to say that! HIMYM and The Office were undeniably at their peak in popularity during the Late 2000s, despite their tv runs lasting well into the 2010s. A good comparison would be the shows F*R*I*E*N*D*S and Frasier, they were on the air from 1993/1994-2004, and thus were still relatively popular in the early 2000s, but their peak popularity was certainly in the Late 1990s.

Now that I mention it...... I'm thinking of rewatching HIMYM or The Office 8)

I disagree with both of you actually ;D . I think core 2010s safely began in 2013. I think the start of what would be the transition from 'Early' 2010s to 'Mid' 2010s, would be the essential starting point of where the actual 'core 2010s' began. So I would say, roughly Spring 2013 whereabouts, is when we were in the 'Core of the decade', lasting all the way to Mid 2018.


To each his own I guess. :-\\ ;D 
Well... TO ME!!!  2012 ALREADY felt core with the Avengers, Disney buying Star Wars, Lebron winning his first title, NHL being on NBCSN,  Macklemore, Imagine Dragons, Gungam Style, Call me Maybe, Wii U, Sandy Hook and Colorado shootings, Also series such as Veep, Nashville, Arrow, Scandal, Duck Dynasty, Gravity Falls debuting etc. ALL those things still to this day stick out to me like a sore thumb as apart of the core 2010s. Shows how LONG the era lasted. the core part of the decade itself imo lasted the longest in my lifetime.
Just because it transitioned  from the early to mid 2010s didn't mean it all of a sudden became core. Like I said before it was a LONG decade, so the core years lasted WAYYY longer than the 90s and the 00s did. I know your trying to do it like you did with the 2000s. But the 2010s shifted MUCH MUCH differently than the previous decade, at least that's how I saw it.

To each his own I guess. :-\\ ;D 
Well... TO ME!!!  2012 ALREADY felt core with the Avengers, Disney buying Star Wars, Lebron winning his first title, NHL being on NBCSN,  Macklemore, Imagine Dragons, Gungam Style, Call me Maybe, Wii U, Sandy Hook and Colorado shootings, Also series such as Veep, Nashville, Arrow, Scandal, Duck Dynasty, Gravity Falls debuting etc. ALL those things still to this day stick out to me like a sore thumb as apart of the core 2010s. Shows how LONG the era lasted. the core part of the decade itself imo lasted the longest in my lifetime.
Just because it transitioned  from the early to mid 2010s didn't mean it all of a sudden became core. Like I said before it was a LONG decade, so the core years lasted WAYYY longer than the 90s and the 00s did. I know your trying to do it like you did with the 2000s. But the 2010s shifted MUCH MUCH differently than the previous decade, at least that's how I saw it.


Good points. I guess I would be willing to accept Late 2012 as the start of the Core 2010s. However, much of early-mid 2012 was still solidly within the 'Electropop' era (arguably Late 2012 as well, but I also agree with you on some of the 'core' 2010s things that were becoming popular at that point).

Eh, I wouldn't place late 2012 as the official start of the core 2010s. Ariana Grande wasn't popular, Vine wasn't released, skeuomorphism still existed, Facebook was still #1 in social media, and electropop was still popular. Core influences began to pop up around mid-late 2011 but that doesn't mean it was the start.  The transition was gradual, so I would put mid-late 2013 as the start of the core 2010s, that moment I would say we are definitely in a complete 2010s world.

The user Early2010sGuy grouped the period mid 2011-early 2013 as EARLY-core 2010s, meaning that it was still part of the electropop era but core influences began to spring up. That period was when smartphone/tablet ownership began to rise rapidly, hipsters started to influence fashion, EDM/Indie pop began dominate the charts, Minecraft being the #1 game, and Game of Thrones airing. Despite all of that, numerous trends from the electropop era were still very popular and continued it's popularity until around mid-late 2013 when most of the trends were declining at a moderate pace.

Eh, I wouldn't place late 2012 as the official start of the core 2010s. Ariana Grande wasn't popular, Vine wasn't released, skeuomorphism still existed, Facebook was still #1 in social media, and electropop was still popular. Core influences began to pop up around mid-late 2011 but that doesn't mean it was the start.  The transition was gradual, so I would put mid-late 2013 as the start of the core 2010s, that moment I would say we are definitely in a complete 2010s world.

The user Early2010sGuy grouped the period mid 2011-early 2013 as EARLY-core 2010s, meaning that it was still part of the electropop era but core influences began to spring up. That period was when smartphone/tablet ownership began to rise rapidly, hipsters started to influence fashion, EDM/Indie pop began dominate the charts, Minecraft being the #1 game, and Game of Thrones airing. Despite all of that, numerous trends from the electropop era were still very popular and continued it's popularity until around mid-late 2013 when most of the trends were declining at a moderate pace.
Yeah, I'd say the Core 2010s started in Late 2013

Yeah, I'd say the Core 2010s started in Late 2013


I would probably put fall 2013 as the start of the mid 2010s. I remember Lorde's game-changing "Royals" being popular around October and it signaled a shift in pop music from being upbeat and joyous to downbeat and dreary (it wasn't immediate, though). Minimalist UI design was essentially the new digital aesthetic trend after iOS 7 came out with its flat interface in September (it had mixed reactions just like with Windows, though). EDM overtook electropop by this time with songs like Zedd and Foxes' "Clarity", Avicii's "Wake Me Up", Baauer's "Harlem Shake", and Martin Garrix's "Animals" becoming popular.

Why does everyone seem to think the 2010s hipster aesthetic started in 2012-13?

The same look was in fully swing by 2005-2006 and already here and there in late 2004.

In 2009 in took a more 2010s tone ( but mostly the same) and by 2011 that style was pretty common and late 2013  it was just an exaggerated version with a twist and super mainstream.

Why does everyone seem to think the 2010s hipster aesthetic started in 2012-13?

The same look was in fully swing by 2005-2006 and already here and there in late 2004.

In 2009 in took a more 2010s tone ( but mostly the same) and by 2011 that style was pretty common and late 2013  it was just an exaggerated version with a twist and super mainstream.


I agree with you it started long before 2012, it's just that in 2012 the look was everywhere.

Eh, I wouldn't place late 2012 as the official start of the core 2010s. Ariana Grande wasn't popular, Vine wasn't released, skeuomorphism still existed, Facebook was still #1 in social media, and electropop was still popular. Core influences began to pop up around mid-late 2011 but that doesn't mean it was the start.  The transition was gradual, so I would put mid-late 2013 as the start of the core 2010s, that moment I would say we are definitely in a complete 2010s world.

The user Early2010sGuy grouped the period mid 2011-early 2013 as EARLY-core 2010s, meaning that it was still part of the electropop era but core influences began to spring up. That period was when smartphone/tablet ownership began to rise rapidly, hipsters started to influence fashion, EDM/Indie pop began dominate the charts, Minecraft being the #1 game, and Game of Thrones airing. Despite all of that, numerous trends from the electropop era were still very popular and continued it's popularity until around mid-late 2013 when most of the trends were declining at a moderate pace.


Yeah, honestly I prefer beginning the Core 2010s in 2013 as well, for many of the same reasons you laid out. I was just offering an 'olive branch' of sorts, as I'm also willing to accept if one were to say that Late 2012 was "the start of the core 2010s", even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Anything prior to Late 2012.... I'm sorry, it's hard for me to accept that as necessarily 'core' of the decade.

Good points. I guess I would be willing to accept Late 2012 as the start of the Core 2010s. However, much of early-mid 2012 was still solidly within the 'Electropop' era (arguably Late 2012 as well, but I also agree with you on some of the 'core' 2010s things that were becoming popular at that point).


Yeah, honestly I prefer beginning the Core 2010s in 2013 as well, for many of the same reasons you laid out. I was just offering an 'olive branch' of sorts, as I'm also willing to accept if one were to say that Late 2012 was "the start of the core 2010s", even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Anything prior to Late 2012.... I'm sorry, it's hard for me to accept that as necessarily 'core' of the decade.

Yup. I guess all these points I can see 100%!!!

Yeah, honestly I prefer beginning the Core 2010s in 2013 as well, for many of the same reasons you laid out. I was just offering an 'olive branch' of sorts, as I'm also willing to accept if one were to say that Late 2012 was "the start of the core 2010s", even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Anything prior to Late 2012.... I'm sorry, it's hard for me to accept that as necessarily 'core' of the decade.

Yeah, I don't see 2011 or even 2012 as core 2010's, to be honest. Honestly, any year before Vine was released can't be core 2010's IMO. Vine was arguably the most core and mid-2010's social media app. It lasted between 2013-2014 to 2015-2016, AKA the mid/absolute core 2010's school years. (early-mid 2013 is debatable though, since Vine came out in January 2013, but late 2013 is definitely core 2010's)