From MTV to Mix Tapes: These Photos Bring Us Straight Back to 1990

Written by Rachel Schneider on
Two side-by-side photos: on the left, two baseball players in uniforms with bats on a field; on the right, a young man in a denim shirt poses in front of a backdrop with pink and blue laser beams.

If you were around in 1990, you can probably still feel it — the smell of a new cassette tape, the clack of a VHS rewinder, the thrill of hearing your favorite song on the radio.  It was a strange, golden in-between: not quite the neon chaos of the ’80s, not yet the grunge and grit of the mid-’90s. These photos from 1990 bring that moment back into focus, from the clothes and cars to the faces and attitude.

Scroll through and tell us in the comments what you remember the most from the year 1990.

1. Decked Out in B.U.M. Equipment 

Young child with long blond hair and pink sunglasses, wearing a B.U.M. Equipment shirt and matching cap, smiles for a school photo. Text above reads: “1990: The first year I was allowed to pick my own outfit for picture day.”
littlepley / Reddit.com

2. Big Wheel, BK Crown, and an Ice Cream Cone: Living Large

A young child wearing a crown and red clothes relaxes on a colorful tricycle, holding an ice cream cone. A stuffed animal is attached to the bike. A red car and greenery are in the background.
Jaxdallas / Reddit.com

3. Backyard Birthday Parties Were the Best 

Three young boys at an outdoor party, one holding up a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book. The table has a red checkered cloth, plates, snacks, and colorful balloons in the background.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

4. Michelangelo Visiting a Video Store 

A person in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume entertains a large crowd of children and adults inside a brightly decorated store filled with colorful posters and shelves of toys.
MarvinSuggzz / Reddit.com

5. Senior Yearbook Picture

A young person with medium-length brown hair sits, wearing a light blue button-up shirt and jeans. The background features pink and blue laser beams on a purple backdrop, creating a retro 1980s vibe.
CoreyKoehlerMusic / Reddit.com

6. Super Nintendo for Christmas!

A smiling person sits on a patterned couch holding a boxed Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A crocheted cushion and wood-paneled wall are in the background.
whitemike40 / Reddit.com

7. Kurt Cobain With a Kitten

A young man with long blonde hair sits outside, a small kitten perched on his shoulder as he extends his arm to hold a plant. They both look toward the plant, in a yard with buildings in the background.
macpesce / Reddit.com

8. The Adult Cast Members of ‘It’

Seven adults stand on wooden stairs looking serious, with one woman in front. Behind them, a person dressed as a clown with a red wig, white face makeup, and a ruffled collar stands out against the wood-paneled background.
Seraphenigma / Reddit.com

9. Soldier With a Tuba During Desert Storm

A soldier in camouflage gear carries a sousaphone and a rifle in a desert camp, with other armed soldiers and tents visible in the background under a clear sky.
Express-Steak5950 / Reddit.com

10. Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. at the MLB All-Star Game

Two baseball players in uniforms stand on a field, each holding a bat. One wears a black Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, and the other wears a gray and blue Mariners uniform. A stadium and crowd are visible in the background.
OregonTripleBeam / Reddit.com

11. Joaquin and River Phoenix

A young boy sits playfully on the shoulders of a teenage boy outdoors, both smiling. They are casually dressed, with hills and blue sky in the background.
Iangator / Reddit.com

12. Golden High School Yearbook

A teenage girl climbs into a school locker while smiling, surrounded by a collage of yearbook-style headshots of boys and girls, all smiling, with various hairstyles and outfits.
BackFlip2005 / Reddit.com

13. People in Washington Square Park in NYC

A group of young adults in casual 1980s athletic wear stand outdoors in a crowd. One person holds a boombox, and another has arms crossed. The scene is lively and captures retro street fashion.
Str33twise84 / Reddit.com

14. Checking Out the Music Store at the Mall

A woman in a black dress walks through a 1980s or 1990s music store filled with CDs and cassette tapes; albums by Madonna are prominently displayed in the foreground.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

15. The Joy of Christmas Morning

Two smiling children stand near a Christmas tree, holding video game cartridges and boxes. A Nintendo Entertainment System and wrapped gifts are on the table in front of them. The room is cozy with a brown couch in the background.
tiretpointunderscore / Reddit.com

16. Halloween: Ninja Turtle Style 

A child dressed in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume, featuring a green mask, a sweater with the turtle design, and a shell accessory, stands indoors near shelves and gift bags.
Trees_Please_00 / Reddit.com

17. George Carlin and Robin Williams 

Two men stand together. One wears a black shirt and holds a red jacket and a flower lei, while the other wears a red sweatshirt with text printed in white and blue. Both have beards and look at the camera in a dimly lit setting.
RamblinGamblinWillie / Reddit.com

18. GMC Safari 

A blue and white minivan is parked on a driveway in front of a yellow house with a porch; two people stand on the porch, talking, with green trees in the background.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

19. Nelson Mandela Visiting New York After Spending 27 Years in Jail 

A man in a Yankees jacket and cap walks surrounded by several police officers and others in suits on a city street, with a faded building and sign in the background.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

20. Disney World Madness

A woman and three children, one in a stroller, pose on a busy street at a theme park with a large castle in the background. People walk around them on a sunny day.
Bradderallxr / Reddit.com

21. Ozzy Osbourne, Mike Patton, Young MC, and James Hetfield

Four men stand close together, posing for a photo indoors. One wears sunglasses and has long curly hair, another wears a blue and red baseball shirt with a cap, the third smiles in a white shirt, and the fourth has long blond hair and a mustache.
CelebManips / Reddit.com

22. Johnny Depp as ‘Cry-Baby’

A young man with slicked-back hair and a wavy strand hanging over his forehead wears a black leather jacket and white T-shirt, posing against a dark background with a serious expression.
FormerFruit / Reddit.com

23. Tom Petty Grocery Shopping 

A man with shoulder-length blonde hair and a beard stands in a grocery store, holding a shopping cart filled with various food items, including Wonder Bread, cereal boxes, and snacks.
Tazionuvolari1992 / Reddit.com

24. Chris Farley and His Dad at the Beach on Lake Michigan 

Two men stand close together on a beach, looking at each other and smiling. One wears a dark shirt and beige pants, the other wears a green blazer and white shirt. The ocean and clear sky are in the background.
Drinon / Reddit.com

25. Mariah Carey and Patrick Swayze on ‘Saturday Night Live’

A woman with long, curly hair, wearing a black top and blue jeans, stands smiling beside a man with blond, shoulder-length hair in a checked blazer and dark shirt. Both look happy in an indoor setting.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

26. Foregoing Groceries for a New Computer at Aldi in Germany 

A person stands outside an ALDI store, pushing a shopping cart with a boxed 266 MHz computer. The large ALDI sign is visible above the entrance in the background.
UserDeleted / Reddit.com

27. Monica Bellucci

A woman stands in a bedroom wearing a fitted, geometric-patterned bodysuit. She poses with one hand on her head and the other on her hip. The room has unmade beds and classic wall decor, in black and white.
MonicaBellucciLover / Reddit.com

28. Man Painting the Twin Towers 

A person paints the New York City skyline, including the Twin Towers, on an easel by the waterfront. The river and a cityscape with tall buildings are visible in the background.
Silver964 / Reddit.com

29. The Sweater, the Pigtails, the Bangs … Iconic 

A young girl with red hair in pigtails smiles widely. She wears a white sweater with colorful koalas and a lavender collar, posing in front of a blue mottled studio background.
bauerboo86 / Reddit.com

30. Snazzy at Prom 

A young man wearing a white tuxedo with a blue bow tie and cummerbund poses for a formal portrait against a brown studio backdrop. He has curly hair, glasses, and is holding his jacket with one hand.
Imgur

Want more ’90s content?

Left: A young girl with blonde hair drinks from a large cup and wears a graphic t-shirt. Right: Two men pose outdoors; one is shirtless with tattoos and a mustache, the other wears sunglasses and a white shirt.
UserDeleted / tandyman234 via Reddit.com
Author
Rachel Schneider

Rachel is a Michigan-based writer with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing and English. Throughout her career, she has dabbled in a variety of subject matter from finance and higher education to lifestyle pieces and food writing. She also enjoys writing stories based on social media trends. Find her on Instagram @rachel.schneider922