What Were You Like In The ’90s?

The latest Instagram and TikTok craze seems to be the “Hey Mom, What Were You Like in the 90s?” phenomenon. While fun for the kids of the parents who post, it’s most enjoyed by those who remember what it was like 30+ years ago. The interest in everything from two decades ago isn’t new, but like most generations of the past it is the experiences of those 30-50 that drive media and marketing. We’re seeing it in commercials, movies, clothing, hair styles, and in growth and popularity of music from the 90s. 

“Every generation seems to long for their childhood and revels in the nostalgia of the pop culture of that time”, noted San Diego State University professor of Psychology, Dr. Jean Twenge in a recent interview. “Boomers did this for the ‘60s, GenX for the ‘80s.” It’s a common cycle to see. “Nostalgia is a powerful connection to a time when things at least seemed more innocent and simpler.” This cycle is not new in media and certainly not new in regard to what music resonates with an audience. 

But why is 90s nostalgia hitting so much harder than past nostalgic trends, particularly for today’s Millennials? The ‘90s were, arguably to them, the last good decade—the last time the economy was doing pretty well and the last time we as a nation weren’t worrying about terrorism. It was pre-9-11. You didn’t walk through metal detectors at the airport, or when you went to a concert or sporting event. Many Millennials, according to Dr. Twenge, experienced a ‘90s childhood of peace and prosperity, only to enter adulthood during the Great Recession. People started locking their car doors while driving. If you grew up as my children did, it meant we now had to lock our home doors … even during the daytime.

You’ve got everyone wearing Nirvana and 2Pac shirts. Oasis went back on tour to great fanfare in 2025, Friends and Seinfeld are seemingly as popular as ever, and a number of ’90s shows like those air 24/7 on cable channels. Modern TV shows like Yellowjackets, Young Sheldon, Derry Girls, and Everything Sucks all celebrate 1990s nostalgia. Movies use mid-’90s music more than in their trailer. Podcasts talk about the ’90s. There is a Grunge Reddit page. MTV VJ’s from the ’90s are viewed as modern-day celebrities. 

There are multiple 1990s reboots like Beavis & Butthead, Will & Grace, Fresh Prince, andGoosebumps. The movie Jumanji was rebooted as was White Men Can’t Jump. I recently saw where the most popular SNL skit from last year was based on Beavis and Butthead nostalgia. Ryan Gosling, Mikey Day, and Heidi Gardner couldn’t hold it together during the skit. It’s one that’s replayed repeatedly on social media and as a part of SNL Vintage.

Big ’90s nostalgia is popular because it offers comfort, simplicity, and a sense of shared culture in a fragmented digital age, tapping into a “golden era” for Millennials and a desirable, aesthetic “pre-internet” vibe for Gen Z. It thrives because of the 20-year trend cycle, high consumer buying power of Gen X and Millennials, and a longing for perceived pre-9/11 optimism. The ’90s are enjoyed because of its pre-internet simplicity, and as the last era before smartphones and universal mobility took over. There was no social media. The world was much more “real.” It was a time when TV shows, music, and fashion were experienced collectively, before algorithms created personalized content silos. There was a “’90s look” which included bold colors and thrifted fashion. Remembering life in the ’90s provides a safe, nostalgic escape to a simpler time, which nostalgia has always done. It is especially poignant when there are uncertain times like war, a fluid economy, and social unrest.

Millennials are now in leadership positions in creative industries and have high disposable income, allowing them to fuel demand for reboots, fashion trends, and products from their childhood. Marketing and media industries continuously recycle trends, and the ’90s are currently in the prime spot for a 20-30 year nostalgia cycle. Following the trend of social media and that of national advertisers, it stands to reason that radio stations that play to the current mood of the past should see audience growth.

Capitalize on this slice of culture by becoming engaged with concerts, club events, activities in your community that scream vintage. Tie-in to experiential events that introduce the community to music from cover bands of the classic artists. Be creative. Challenge your staff to come up with ideas that can be fun for the listener that might even generate revenue. Can you imagine a bracket for a trivia night at a club? These are the things that connect a station to a community and an audience. 

An important key to taking advantage of in this era of 90s popularity, is to not sound like an oldies station. You want to sound like a Today station. You want to be contemporary. The air-talent for any station that plays non-current music needs to provide entertainment and content that reinforces that if you listen to the station, you won’t miss what’s important in the world. Your on-air personalities can create day-to-day tune-in. If the audience doesn’t have the fear of missing out, and there are no new current music surprises, then you’ve failed to create habitual listening. 

Five Takeaways for Stations that Play Music from the Past

• Don’t live in the past. Be a “Today” radio station that just happens to play songs from the past. That means personalities that present topical content that your audience is interested in and connect to the community. 

• Don’t dwell on memories. Your memories are your memories. Don’t influence my memories with your stories as they may not be anywhere close to being my stories. Never say “Back in (year)” as that audio note makes someone who was there feel old and isn’t relatable to the person who doesn’t have a memory from then.

• Take advantage of the Vintage fad by becoming engaged with trivia nights at clubs, concerts that feature the artists whose music you play, and be creative in developing fun events that take advantage of the feeling the music creates.

• The music matters. The music you play has to be music that the audience can sing along with which serves to create an atmosphere that is stress-free. Be proud of the songs on your station. Sound proud. Embrace the artists.

• Radio Stars, on-air personalities, are needed to build day-to-day tune-in. One of the reasons winning stations that play music from the past do well in the ratings is that they have personalities that put on engaging programs that transcend the music. 

Hey Mom … what was your favorite radio station like in the ’90s?