I have a big birthday coming up soon, and I am not happy about how the numbers are adding up this year, but a bit of nostalgia never hurt right? even if it does make me feel old! The '90s were (whispers quietly) my teenage years, remembered for watching Thunderbirds after swimming on a Friday, tussling with friends over who got what ice pop at the shops after school, and saving pennies to buy a Tamagotchi to look after, something which I was probably too old for.
Other favourites include binge-watching The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air - the fairly recent video from Graham Norton's show of Will Smith, Jaiden Smith, Alfonso, and DJ Jazzy Jeff is a beautiful thing. Challenging my sister to a skip-it challenge (still a big kid that would probably do this again!) was also a favourite weekend activity.
My main memories of the ’90s though all circle around music, and the big part it played and still does play in my life. I was always happy around music, listening to it, dancing around to the radio, but as a teenager, I was much more interested in who was out there, how I could experience them, and what I was going to buy next on cassette or CD from Woolworths.
This was also the time I discovered the magic of live gigs, the excitement, the energy, and the disgust of my sister as I enthusiastically danced and sang all night long, while she looked on in embarrassment. I sunk to new lows when we were watching boybands and I screamed as well! Luckily I don't think I was ever as bad as the super fan in the video below:
My first big concert outing was to see Take That at the Chelmsford Spectacular in 1993, how exciting it was back then to have them visit our town, and break records (at the time) for the largest crowd. That was the first of 3 times I saw the band, the second I had them over my head on an aerial stage, and the third I watched a school friend cry at Mark Owen singing Babe, at what turned out to be their last UK tour gig (that time around).
I’ve been a Take That fan since I was 13, but it wasn’t just the big boyband arena shows that caught my attention, there were so many other ways to enjoy pop music, from radio roadshows, touring events like the Radio 1 Massive Music Tour, and fun entertainment events like the Capital Extravaganza, so good I went twice and returned the next year. I also managed to fulfill a big ambition of going to the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, after many years of sellouts and was in the audience of CD:UK a few times. On one show during a commercial break, H from Steps filmed us all on his video camera, waiting for Kavana to perform – who knows maybe the footage still exists and I have a little claim to fame from one of the best eras of pop!
I’m new to Spotify so maybe my next challenge will be to create a 90’s playlist, starting with Elton John – Candle In The Wind, and End Of The Road by Boys II Men, and ending with Ace Of Base – I Saw The Sign, with the Bodyguard Soundtrack in the middle! So many choices! What would you add? If you were buying music, games, films and more in the ’90s what did you choose? Join me in celebrating the 90’s, and forgetting how old we are now, and drop a message below, I’d love to hear your stories.
* This post contains a hosted/sponsored video element.
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