by Maya Spikes

Created on: September 15, 2008

The 1990's was a fun decade. I was a child during the 1980's. But the 1990's was a "coming of age" decade for me.

Here are just four of the things that made the 1990's great.

MUSIC

The 1990s featured a diverse music scene. This was when alternative rock hit the mainstream. Some critics called the music whiny. But most alternative rockers, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Radiohead, seemed more interested in making great music rather than just being famous.

Hip-hop was also great. Again, many critics and parents were concerned about the violence in the music, which took the life of two of the genre's greatest talents, Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls). However, before struggling in the ghetto became a clich, it was this theme and similar lyrics that give rap its edge and importance to 1990's music.

The 1990's music scene had something for everybody. And you didn't have to be a Barbie or Ken doll to have a hit. A wide range of acts including Alanis Morissette, TLC, R.E.M. and Snoop Dogg found success throughout the decade.

MTV

Once upon time, MTV used to actually play music videos. Those who love pop culture can argue about which videos were the best. But many agree that many of the best videos came out during the 1990's, ranging from Madonna and Michael Jackson's big-budget videos to low-budget, funny videos from The Beastie Boys and The Foo Fighters.

Even when MTV added more TV shows to its line-up, the shows were more interesting than the slicker, superficial stuff that the former Music Television channel now features. During the 1990's, musicians could show off their talents on "MTV Unplugged". And the first few seasons of "The Real World" featured a more diverse group of roommates who faced very real issues such as racism, abortion and living with AIDS.

TV

Some of the things I miss about the 1990's are the TV shows. I liked it when TV reality shows were few and far between. The 1990's had great TV shows like the popular "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" to hidden gems such as "The X-Files" and "My So-Called Life". And while "Friends" may have been too mainstream for some people, the show was a good snapshot of the 1990's.

A RICHER AND SAFER TIME

Even though the U.S. went through a recession during the early 1990's, the country's economy improved through the mid-to-late part of the decade. People had no problems spending money at across town and abroad. And if you flew in an airplane during the previous decade, you were probably more concerned about sitting next to a crying baby rather than worried about airport security and terrorists' plans.

The bottom line is that the 1990's was an amazing decade. I would call it an awesome decade, but that's so 80's.

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