Inspired by the thread in the 90s subforum, I was thinking about what a major cultural shift our society experienced in the early 1990s.  The 1980s were a conservative, conformist, and uptight decade while the 1990s were very liberal, rebellious, and individualistic.  The '80s were very plastic and sterile while the 90s were very gritty and full of character.  The 80s were very pop oriented while the 90s were about rock, r&b, and hip-hop.  80s entertainment was known for being clean and whitewashed while 90s entertainment was known to push the envelope and sometimes have shock value.  I really can't think of any other decade culture shift in the past century that was as stark as the 80s going into the 90s.

The only other shift I can think of that comes close was the 1950s going into the 60s, but I don't think that was quite as stark because the shift was much more gradual.  The early 1960s was still Leave it to Beaver world and the stereotypical 60s (hippies, Woodstock, the Beatles, etc) didn't really get established until 1964 at the earliest.  By that point, the decade was half over.  Compare 1989 and 1993 on the other hand and the difference is very stark.  It's hard to believe those years were only a few years apart.

So when it comes to decade shifts, which one do you think was bigger?  1980s going into the 1990s or the 1950s going into the 1960s?

Inspired by the thread in the 90s subforum, I was thinking about what a major cultural shift our society experienced in the early 1990s.  The 1980s were a conservative, conformist, and uptight decade while the 1990s were very liberal, rebellious, and individualistic.  The '80s were very plastic and sterile while the 90s were very gritty and full of character.  The 80s were very pop oriented while the 90s were about rock, r&b, and hip-hop.  80s entertainment was known for being clean and whitewashed while 90s entertainment was known to push the envelope and sometimes have shock value.  I really can't think of any other decade culture shift in the past century that was as stark as the 80s going into the 90s.

You are way way WAY over exaggerating the differences between the '80s and the '90s, both decades had moral panics over perceived edginess in the culture. The earlier '90s seemed like a continuation of the late 1980s, the very late '90s fit more with the '00s but I don't see this discontinuity between the decades. In fact the '80s and '90s are very similar to one another in contrast to the more actually "liberal" '60s and '70s.

The shift between the early '60s and early/mid '70s is the biggest cultural shift imo.

That depends, the early 60s looks like the 1950s still and it wasn't until 1964 that the 60s had gotten its firm identity. Overall, I would say the period between 1963 - 1973 was an extremely transition period.

With the 1990s, the change happened around the turn into the decade, with 1989 - 1992 being a transitional period. I believe that the 1980s was a period of its own and was nothing like the 1970s and really only had some of its culture flood into the early 1990s.

That depends, the early 60s looks like the 1950s still and it wasn't until 1964 that the 60s had gotten its firm identity. Overall, I would say the period between 1963 - 1973 was an extremely transition period.

With the 1990s, the change happened around the turn into the decade, with 1989 - 1992 being a transitional period. I believe that the 1980s was a period of its own and was nothing like the 1970s and really only had some of its culture flood into the early 1990s.


I agree.  The cultural 1980s had a very abrupt beginning and end as opposed to the more gradual transitions you typically see.  1989 and 1990 were still predominantly '80s culture.  The '90s started to bleed through in 1991 and by late 1992 the transition was well underway.  The final vestiges of the '80s died in 1993.

You are way way WAY over exaggerating the differences between the '80s and the '90s,


I agree. There are some grand overstatements in the original post. Nobody was happier than me to see the awful, tacky 80s go, and the 90s were certainly better, but nothing beats the shift from the 50s to the cultural 60s. Nothing. Comparing the 80s/90s to the 50s/60s is like comparing the little flame on a matchstick to the sun. We have seen nothing like it since. And truthfully I'm not sure we ever will again unless something immensely unforeseen happens. Society simply isn't set up that way anymore to engender such a massive cultural shift as the one that took place back then.

I know I lived in the end of the 80s and all through the 90s (and the awful fashion) but I feel like the 50s into the 60s were bigger.
You had baby boomers and people in the post war era, the space race, the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights movement.
(and in 1969 the world met The Jackson 5!  ::) )
There was WAY more upheaval and change and shifting in the 50s-60s to me. And I wasn't even there.
Just the stories my father told me from around that time will uncurl your hair about stuff he saw and things that happened to folks he knew.

I'm pretty sure this is decadeology.

The bigger cultural shift was the one between the 1950's and 1960's, no debates.

The world of 1960 would feel alien in the world of 1970.

Just no. Threads locked.