Did the 2000's and 2010's feel like the same thing?

[Dielawn]

In a thread many years ago, user jebsib was talking about the psychological effect of decades shifting. This was in 2013, and jebsib was saying from the 80's to the 90's was a generational difference, but (here's the key part) the 2000's and the 2010's felt to many people to be the same thing, just a continuation. I wanted to re-open that discussion and ask why do we think that was that those two decades were perceived as kind of the same thing? Was it purely the numerics of it or was there a deeper reason?

I definitely can say it was true. From the 90's to the 2000's was like absolute night and day. Aesthetically, sonically, everything just a starkly different era. From the 00's to the 10's never felt that way at all. And as for the obvious next question, we're only a year and a half in so it's prob too early to know, but any predictions as we've entered the 2020's?

Discuss..

[Az Paynter]

I'd have said the adjoining portions of each decade feel 'the same' so to speak, because the case isn't that a switch was flipped and suddenly everything was a new thing. Trends needed time to shift and evolve, which is why things from 2000/2001 would sound similar to things from like 1998/1999. The trends didn't change overnight.

And then the same principle would apply when rolling over from 2009 to 2010. The sounds didn't change in an instant. It's not until a couple years into each decade that they began to become their own thing that was different than the preceding decade.

[Dielawn]

Oct 3, 2021 23:44:48 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

I'd have said the adjoining portions of each decade feel 'the same' so to speak, because the case isn't that a switch was flipped and suddenly everything was a new thing. Trends needed time to shift and evolve, which is why things from 2000/2001 would sound similar to things from like 1998/1999. The trends didn't change overnight.

And then the same principle would apply when rolling over from 2009 to 2010. The sounds didn't change in an instant. It's not until a couple years into each decade that they began to become their own thing that was different than the preceding decade.

Well yeah I definitely understand that, I'm talking about the psychological perceptions well after the decade has commenced.

[Au$tin]

I honestly have to disagree. The mid 2000s and the mid 2010s feel very different to me. Distinctly so. The 2000s had the outlandish in-your-face fashion, the futuristic trendy hip-hop/pop, the multitude of options to personalize your tech, the new frontier of the Internet, the rampant homophobia, the immense popularity of American pride following 9/11 being twisted into propaganda to support a war with few questioning it, the golden age of live television with peak viewership, the rise of digital media for purchase, etc.

Skip forward to the 2010s and fashion had toned down for the general public, music took a turn towards dance and alternative, tech became much more centralized, the Internet became a place of commerce and was accessible to nearly everyone and social media was no longer a fun thing to do but instead an almost sinister necessity, society as a whole became more tolerant of people from all walks of life as blatant homophobia, racism, sexism, etc. were able to be instantly called out and shamed across the Internet, American pride met new challenges it had never before had to face, streaming services begin to become household staples and kill the live television industry, digital media purchases also take a backseat to streaming, etc.

The 2000s was the decade of color, the decade of a hopeful future, the decade of pretending everything is fine when it isn't, the decade of setting up major economical shifts of power.

The 2010s was the decade of sleekness, the decade of pessimism, the decade of recognizing our weaknesses and beginning to tackle them, and the decade of realizing those major economical shifts and how much impact they had on the way we live our lives.

I'm literally typing this on an ordinary boring black smartphone with unlimited data while YouTube is streaming a content creator on my non-cable connected TV in the background on my day off from working as an Amazon delivery driver. A black cell phone in the 2000s would be considered boring. A smartphone would be considered bougie, not common. YouTube paying people who uploaded things to their website would be an unheard of business practice. Not having cable would be uncommon. Streaming content was not popular. Amazon having its own delivery process would be wildly absurd. These are not things that defined the 2000s even if their imminent existence could be foretold, but were prominent in the 2010s.

Also the early and later parts of decades are hardly ever alike. Like the early 80s weren't automatically filled with giant hair and flashy attire. The early 90s didn't automatically flip to flannel and jeans. Hilary Duff didn't become a 2000s fashion icon on January 1, 2000 and she certainly wasn't one anymore come December 31, 2009. I think generalizing decades down to a few fads isn't really something that works all that well to begin with anyway. Trends in society don't have 10 year long cycles that match up with our calendars, they are much shorter than that and can change drastically at the tip of a hat. And the introduction of a more connected world through the internet just makes them go by even faster. We're getting trends come and go in less than a year that could have easily defined a good chunk of a decade in the past.

[Dielawn]

Oct 4, 2021 0:20:42 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

I honestly have to disagree. The mid 2000s and the mid 2010s feel very different to me. Distinctly so.

You made a lot of good observations but you're saying that looking back now. I'm talking about the perception during the 2010's, if we can try and remember. This comment was made in 2013. Again I know decades don't change immediately and all that. It seemed like this was most people's perception well into the 2010's

[lyhom]

Oct 4, 2021 0:33:32 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

Oct 4, 2021 0:20:42 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

I honestly have to disagree. The mid 2000s and the mid 2010s feel very different to me. Distinctly so.

Those are a lot of good observations but you're saying that looking back now. I'm talking about the perception during the 2010's, when this comment was made in 2013. Again I know decades don't change immediately and all that. It seemed like this was most people's perception well into the 2010's.

there's your answer

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Could it come down to who you ask? Most of us so far in this thread are about the same age so as we experienced the 90s and 2000s were also how we aged and grew up. Once you reach a certain point in your 20s and beyond, you kind of lose that finger on the pulse and things start to blend together (or feel like a continuous blur).

But I don’t even think the two decades have felt as continuous. The 2000s definitely had a different feel to them with regards to music, movies, tv, pop culture. I’m not sure if there was a distinct break between the two decades the way we might say there was between the 80s and 90s, and 90s to 2000s, but I also don’t think the 2000s have settled yet in the same way the prior three have. Maybe once we start to feel more collective nostalgia for the 2000s (start to finish), we might see it emerge and separate from how we see the 2010s.

[Private Dancer]

Not at all, there are very distinct differences in terms of feeling

[Deleted]

I think the core 2000s lasted from 2002-2007 (2000 and 2001 are similar to the Late 90s), while the period from 2008-2012 is a transitional period between the 2000s and 2010s. The core 2010s lasted from 2013-2018, while we're now in a transitional period between the 2010s and 2020s that started in 2019.

[jebsib]

I’m sure every generation feels they are coming of age in an exciting unique time… but just like pop music cycles, cultures go through peaks and doldrums: To the GP I don’t think the last 20 years ARE seen as distinctly different than previous decades. Foe example, to the average person, a recent picture of a crowded street could be from 2006 or 2019… There are no bell bottoms, afros, shoulder pads or plaid shirts to differentiate. That was impossible in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s… Things started leveling off in the 2000s when we lost the monoculture and media fragmented. More choices was great but it restricted a singular cultural pathway. Recent obvious changes have focused on technology and sociology-politics.

If I had to bet, I’d guess that the 2020s will have their own distinct feel as Youtube / Tiktok culture can ‘unite’ enormous numbers of people quickly in ways we haven’t seen since the days of 3 TV networks and limited movies. I already see it with my kids in regard to slang, clothes, dance moves, etc

As an aside, I worked for years in both radio and advertising and this phenomenon of culturally ‘turning the page’ each decade was very well known. Not sure if it was such a thing in 2020 what with Covid.

Also - and this seems trivial, I’m sure - it doesn’t help that there was never any consensus on what to call the last two decades… The ‘2010’s’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue!

[Koochie]

absolutely not lmfao

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Oct 3, 2021 23:49:59 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

Oct 3, 2021 23:44:48 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

I'd have said the adjoining portions of each decade feel 'the same' so to speak, because the case isn't that a switch was flipped and suddenly everything was a new thing. Trends needed time to shift and evolve, which is why things from 2000/2001 would sound similar to things from like 1998/1999. The trends didn't change overnight.

And then the same principle would apply when rolling over from 2009 to 2010. The sounds didn't change in an instant. It's not until a couple years into each decade that they began to become their own thing that was different than the preceding decade.

Well yeah I definitely understand that, I'm talking about the psychological perceptions well after the decade has commenced.

Surely you mean sociological perceptions, right?

[degen]

I’ve always felt 1989-1991, 1999-2001, 2009-2011 were each an era of pop music that stood outside of the decades. And I’m pretty certain the same thing is happening now with 2019-2021, maybe we can call this the transitional years?

For example look at an album like “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga. Would this define the 2010s sound or is it considered 2000s? She took all the momentum with what she built in the late 2000’s and gave it a peak in the early 2010s. It’s hard for me to put it in either decade because that sound was birthed in the 2000s, so there’s this “transitional period” that her debut, TFM and BTW are better suited in.

[lazer]

Oct 5, 2021 1:42:11 GMT -5 degen said:

I’ve always felt 1989-1991, 1999-2001, 2009-2011 were each an era of pop music that stood outside of the decades. And I’m pretty certain the same thing is happening now with 2019-2021, maybe we can call this the transitional years?

For example look at an album like “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga. Would this define the 2010s sound or is it considered 2000s? She took all the momentum with what she built in the late 2000’s and gave it a peak in the early 2010s. It’s hard for me to put it in either decade because that sound was birthed in the 2000s, so there’s this “transitional period” that her debut, TFM and BTW are better suited in.

Tbh, the "1" years already have enough trends to be part of the decade they're in. A year like 2011 is more 2010s than 2000s because a lot of '10s trends were established by then. Ditto for 2001 and 1991.

[degen]

Oct 5, 2021 12:13:23 GMT -5 lazer said:

Oct 5, 2021 1:42:11 GMT -5 degen said:

I’ve always felt 1989-1991, 1999-2001, 2009-2011 were each an era of pop music that stood outside of the decades. And I’m pretty certain the same thing is happening now with 2019-2021, maybe we can call this the transitional years?

For example look at an album like “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga. Would this define the 2010s sound or is it considered 2000s? She took all the momentum with what she built in the late 2000’s and gave it a peak in the early 2010s. It’s hard for me to put it in either decade because that sound was birthed in the 2000s, so there’s this “transitional period” that her debut, TFM and BTW are better suited in.

Tbh, the "1" years already have enough trends to be part of the decade they're in. A year like 2011 is more 2010s than 2000s because a lot of '10s trends were established by then. Ditto for 2001 and 1991.

But that’s what I’m trying to illustrate about each of these transitional years. I feel like that sound is not defined as “the 2000s” sound because that type of futuristic dance/edm sound didn’t hit big in the U.S. until late 2008/2009. Then that style of music died off during 2011.

Even going to 1998-2001. Teen pop was ruling the airwaves, but I wouldn’t define that as the 90s sound either. The Max Martin sound ruled during this time period. But songs like “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “Oops! I did it again“ we’re big in the 2000s. Then this style of music died off in 2001.

So yes it seems like the “1”s is really when the leftover styles from the previous decade die off. There always seems to be a dominant pop sound that gets birthed late in a decade and then dies off after the turn of the decade.

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2021 16:21:30 GMT -5 degen said:

Oct 5, 2021 12:13:23 GMT -5 lazer said:

Tbh, the "1" years already have enough trends to be part of the decade they're in. A year like 2011 is more 2010s than 2000s because a lot of '10s trends were established by then. Ditto for 2001 and 1991.

But that’s what I’m trying to illustrate about each of these transitional years. I feel like that sound is not defined as “the 2000s” sound because that type of futuristic dance/edm sound didn’t hit big in the U.S. until late 2008/2009. Then that style of music died off during 2011.

Even going to 1998-2001. Teen pop was ruling the airwaves, but I wouldn’t define that as the 90s sound either. The Max Martin sound ruled during this time period. But songs like “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “Oops! I did it again“ we’re big in the 2000s. Then this style of music died off in 2001.

So yes it seems like the “1”s is really when the leftover styles from the previous decade die off. There always seems to be a dominant pop sound that gets birthed late in a decade and then dies off after the turn of the decade.

I'd say that the futuristic dance/EDM sound lasted through 2012.

[Dielawn]

Just a reminder nobody has really answered my question, I was asking about the perception during the 2010's that the 2000's and the 2010's were viewed as much the same thing, just a continuation. Not looking back now, the perception then

[Dielawn]

Oct 4, 2021 23:40:05 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

Oct 3, 2021 23:49:59 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

Well yeah I definitely understand that, I'm talking about the psychological perceptions well after the decade has commenced.

Surely you mean sociological perceptions, right?

I was quoting the OP

[Dielawn]

Oct 5, 2021 18:00:32 GMT -5 @gabingston said:

Oct 5, 2021 16:21:30 GMT -5 degen said:

But that’s what I’m trying to illustrate about each of these transitional years. I feel like that sound is not defined as “the 2000s” sound because that type of futuristic dance/edm sound didn’t hit big in the U.S. until late 2008/2009. Then that style of music died off during 2011.

Even going to 1998-2001. Teen pop was ruling the airwaves, but I wouldn’t define that as the 90s sound either. The Max Martin sound ruled during this time period. But songs like “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “Oops! I did it again“ we’re big in the 2000s. Then this style of music died off in 2001.

So yes it seems like the “1”s is really when the leftover styles from the previous decade die off. There always seems to be a dominant pop sound that gets birthed late in a decade and then dies off after the turn of the decade.

I'd say that the futuristic dance/EDM sound lasted through 2012.

This ^ many of those songs even spilled over into 2013. People forget how electronic 2012 was and just focus on the few "Somebody That I Used To Know" hits.

To get really, super-specific it was 2009/10 - Electro-pop, 2011 - Dance-pop 2012 - House-EDM pop with some spillover into 2013

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Oct 6, 2021 1:48:17 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

Oct 4, 2021 23:40:05 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

Surely you mean sociological perceptions, right?

I was quoting the OP

Yeah but you wrote the OP. Feel like you could've explained what "psychological perceptions" were because it was a bit confusing.

[Dielawn]

Oct 6, 2021 2:04:05 GMT -5 dremolus - solarpunk said:

Oct 6, 2021 1:48:17 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

I was quoting the OP

Yeah but you wrote the OP. Feel like you could've explained what "psychological perceptions" were because it was a bit confusing.

Okay, here is the direct quote from the original 2013 poster:

"Another element is the psychological aspect of the decade we live in:
When you go from the 80s to the 90s (for instance), there is a generational shift.
Radio wants to be hip and young and jettison everything related to the former decade (era).
The 2000s and 2010s feel like many to be the same thing, just a continuation.
That may change when we enter 'The new roaring 20s' next decade)"

pulsemusic.proboards.com/thread/134957/discussion-pop-music-decline?page=1

[PREDS PRIDE]

well I can't really properly answer this because I was born in the early 2000s, so I wouldn't know too much about what everything was like in both decades. BUT, I think music and pop culture wise things did seem to shift a bunch and feel different at the turn of the decade. like looking back all of the popular stuff and trends seemed to flip and be different. I mean i'm probably not qualified to answer but that's what I thought about when I saw this.

[bat1990]

I was in college from 2008-2012 so I kinda get what the OP is saying. Psychologically from a popular music standpoint, the first few years of the 2010s did feel like an extension of the 2000s. It wasn't until 2015 when I noticed many artists no longer getting the radio traction they had and the sounds of music being distinctly different. I would argue this is where the reins were handed to Gen Z from Millennials music-wise.

[irice22]

I think it's just perception. I genuinely think the issue is everyone referred to the 00's as "the two the thousands." It wasn't in lots of people's heads to naturally notice differences between the decades. Though, in my opinion, there's a clear divide. I remember on twitter in 2019 everyone was asking "what's the best song of the decade?" and people were responding with things like "1 Thing" by Amerie. I mean, come on.

We really should have doubled down on calling it "the aughts." During that time I knew this would happen.

[JukeboxJacob]

I was born in 99, so I'm not that qualified to answer, but I can remember the vibe of the mid 2000's and it was WAY different than the 2010's. The mid 2000's were very dark and edgy, emo and glam rap/crunk were huge, and as a kid the internet wasn't a dominating part of life yet. Compare that to the core 2010's which were very sleek, clean, minimalistic, and corporate feeling. There's no doubt music from 2015 vs. 2005 are completely different too. Emo and crunk were long gone and the focus was mostly on pop. A lot of life (if not all of it for some) revolved around the internet by this point. Going over all the differences would take quite a while

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

In a way, I would say yes, concerning with my personal life, both the 2000s and 2010s were both very turbulent and trying decades for me that I don't like to reminisce on them too much. I went thru so much emotionally and physically during the 2000s and 2010s that I don't consider them to be overall favorites, but I do kinda miss the fashion and music from the 2000s. I was such a mall rat back then.


Now, speaking in terms of fashion, music, and technology, 2000s and 2010s were vastly different from each other in those aspects.

The early 2000s reminded me more of the late 90s. We had:

Dial up/modem
AOL/MSN/Yahoo and other instant messaging
Yahoo groups/clubs
Compaq computers
Floppy disks
VHS tapes/VCRs were still in use
CDs
Teen pop
Body glitter, glitter nail polishes, pretty much glitter everything
Rhinestone studded clothing 
Website hosting sites like geocities, tripod, angelfire, etc
Urban wear clothing like Rocawear, Baby Phat, Ecko Red, and Sean John
Preppy brands like Abercrombie, Hollister, Aeropostale, American Eagle, and Limited Too
Flip phones 


Mid to late 2000s:
Music trends gear towards pop rock, rnb, hip hop, reggaeton, and later electro pop
Ipod and Itunes become popular
Social media emerges ( Myspace, youtube, hi5, livejournal, Myspace, Twitter)
Blackberry and Tmobile sidekicks
Cable modem also gaining popularity

I'm probably leaving out a whole bunch from these periods lol but these just first came to mind.


Early 2010s:
Electropop still reigning
I think around this time, many people had started to ditch flip phones in favor of smartphones
I don't remember too much about the fashion, but I remember alot of girls were wearing Toms shoes and skinny jeans
Vine (it was kinda like  a precursor to Tik Tok)
Computer monitors getting slimmer

Mid 2010s- late 2010s
Trap, mumble rap, alternative r&b
Tik Tok and its stupid challenges
Various tv and movie streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Surprised no one's mentioned the advancements in touch and mobile technology making things easier, even before streaming.

[jdanton2]

music in recent decades has not evolved as music as it used to. from the 50's -the 80's there was a much bigger change . since then i would guess because of sampling and alot of music being electronic there has tended to be more recycling of previous sounds.

[Glass Joe]

Oct 3, 2021 23:39:16 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

In a thread many years ago, user jebsib was talking about the psychological effect of decades shifting. This was in 2013, and jebsib was saying from the 80's to the 90's was a generational difference, but (here's the key part) the 2000's and the 2010's felt to many people to be the same thing, just a continuation. I wanted to re-open that discussion and ask why do we think that was that those two decades were perceived as kind of the same thing? Was it purely the numerics of it or was there a deeper reason?

I definitely can say it was true. From the 90's to the 2000's was like absolute night and day. Aesthetically, sonically, everything just a starkly different era. From the 00's to the 10's never felt that way at all. And as for the obvious next question, we're only a year and a half in so it's prob too early to know, but any predictions as we've entered the 2020's?

Discuss..

I agree with you that the 90s to the 2000s is a night and day difference indeed. 80s to 90s is a difference, BUT they blend together with the late 80s and early 90s sounding pretty identical. It is a bit tough to distinguish a 1988 or 1989 hit from a 1990 or 1991 hit, even many 1992 and 1993 hits sound very close too.

For the question of 2010s, I have to say they are very far removed from the 2000s. Main reasons are that the 2000s had so much post grunge like Nickelback and many Pop Punk bands like Fall Out Boy, where the only 2010s “alternative” bands to make it big were indie with electronic influences. And 2000s rap was very different too. 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Lil Jon, and the others are straight up rap (and crunk), where 2010s rap is mixed with other genres and is considered trap rather than rap. Like Lil Nas X for instance. He sounds nothing like the rappers I named from the 2000s. Even the Pop singers of the 2010s were way more electronic and auto tuned and sounded nothing like Avril or Vanessa Carlton, Michelle Branch, JoJo, Kelly Clarkson, or Natasha Bedingfield to name a few of the 2000s biggest pop singers. Maroon 5 stood the test of time, but their 2010s songs are very different from their 2000s songs. Even Justin Timberlake couldn’t really hold up on the charts after 2014. 2000s music was very diverse with rock, rap, R&B, and so much more, but 2010s seemed very centered around EDM mostly.

[Dielawn]

Oct 24, 2021 18:11:41 GMT -5 Glass Joe said:

Oct 3, 2021 23:39:16 GMT -5 Dielawn said:

In a thread many years ago, user jebsib was talking about the psychological effect of decades shifting. This was in 2013, and jebsib was saying from the 80's to the 90's was a generational difference, but (here's the key part) the 2000's and the 2010's felt to many people to be the same thing, just a continuation. I wanted to re-open that discussion and ask why do we think that was that those two decades were perceived as kind of the same thing? Was it purely the numerics of it or was there a deeper reason?

I definitely can say it was true. From the 90's to the 2000's was like absolute night and day. Aesthetically, sonically, everything just a starkly different era. From the 00's to the 10's never felt that way at all. And as for the obvious next question, we're only a year and a half in so it's prob too early to know, but any predictions as we've entered the 2020's?

Discuss..

For the question of 2010s, I have to say they are very far removed from the 2000s.

I think people are misunderstanding my question, I was more asking about the perception during and well into the 2010's that the 2000's weren't that differentiated, as opposed to that same point in different decades