1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, Transition to democracy
The decade began with the country agitating against the rule of incumbent President Ershad. A wide umbrella of political parties united against Ershad. Ziaur Rahman's widow, Khaleda Zia, led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which allied with the Bangladesh Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's daughter Sheikh Hasina. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and other Islamic parties and alliances joined the opposition ranks. They called for strikes and protests that paralysed the state and its economy. Although the parliament was dissolved, fresh elections were boycotted by the opposition, including Awami League and Jamaat.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, Transition to democracy
Students launched an intensifying opposition campaign, which ultimately forced Ershad to step down. On 6 December 1990, Ershad offered his resignation. On 27 February 1991, after two months of widespread civil unrest, an interim government headed by Acting President Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed oversaw what most observers believed to be the nation's most free and fair elections to that date.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Khaleda administration, 1991–96
The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a plurality of seats and formed a government with support from the Islamic party Jamaat-I-Islami, with Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, obtaining the post of prime minister. Only four parties had more than 10 members elected to the 1991 Parliament: The BNP, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia; the AL, led by Sheikh Hasina; the Jamaat-I-Islami (JI), led by Ghulam Azam; and the Jatiya Party (JP), led by acting chairman Mizanur Rahman Choudhury while its founder, former President Ershad, served out a prison sentence on corruption charges. The electorate approved still more changes to the constitution, formally re-creating a parliamentary system and returning governing power to the office of the prime minister, as in Bangladesh's original 1972 constitution. In October 1991, members of Parliament elected a new head of state, President Abdur Rahman Biswas.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Khaleda administration, 1991–96
In March 1994, controversy over a parliamentary by-election, which the opposition claimed the government had rigged, led to an indefinite boycott of Parliament by the entire opposition. The opposition also began a program of repeated general strikes to press its demand that Khaleda Zia's government resign and a caretaker government supervise a general election. Efforts to mediate the dispute, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat, failed. After another attempt at a negotiated settlement failed narrowly in late December 1994, the opposition resigned en masse from Parliament. The opposition then continued a campaign of marches, demonstrations, and strikes in an effort to force the government to resign. The opposition, including the Bangladesh Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, pledged to boycott national elections scheduled for 15 February 1996.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Khaleda administration, 1991–96
In February, Khaleda Zia was re-elected by a landslide in voting boycotted and denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties. In March 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted a constitutional amendment to allow a neutral caretaker government to assume power and conduct new parliamentary elections; former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman was named Chief Adviser (a position equivalent to Prime Minister) in the interim government. New parliamentary elections were held in June 1996 and the Awami League won plurality and formed the government with support from the Jatiya Party led by deposed president Hussain Muhammad Ershad; party leader Sheikh Hasina became Prime Minister of Bangladesh.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Hasina administration, 1996–2001
Sheikh Hasina formed what she called a "Government of National Consensus" in June 1996, which included one minister from the Jatiya Party and another from the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal. The Jatiya Party never entered into a formal coalition arrangement, and party president Hussain Muhammad Ershad withdrew his support from the government in September 1997. Only three parties had more than 10 members elected to the 1996 Parliament: the Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party. Jatiya Party president, Ershad, was released from prison on bail in January 1997.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Hasina administration, 1996–2001
International and domestic election observers found the June 1996 election free and fair, and ultimately, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party decided to join the new Parliament. The BNP soon charged that police and Bangladesh Awami League activists were engaged in large-scale harassment and jailing of opposition activists. At the end of 1996, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party staged a parliamentary walkout over this and other grievances but returned in January 1997 under a four-point agreement with the ruling party. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party asserted that this agreement was never implemented and later staged another walkout in August 1997. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party returned to Parliament under another agreement in March 1998.


1990s in Bangladesh, Politics and National life, First Hasina administration, 1996–2001
In June 1999, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other opposition parties again began to abstain from attending Parliament. Opposition parties staged an increasing number of nationwide general strikes, rising from six days of general strikes in 1997 to 27 days in 1999. A four-party opposition alliance formed at the beginning of 1999 announced that it would boycott parliamentary by-elections and local government elections unless the government took steps demanded by the opposition to ensure electoral fairness. The government did not take these steps, and the opposition subsequently boycotted all elections, including municipal council elections in February 1999, several parliamentary by-elections, and the Chittagong city corporation elections in January 2000.


1990s in Bangladesh, Administrative Division
In 1990, Bangladesh was administratively divided into 4 divisions, namely Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi which were further subdivided into a total of 64 districts (See List of districts of Bangladesh). The government of under Begum Khaleda Zia chose to change the upazila system and set up instead democratically designed decentralised structures at the appropriate levels. In 1993, Barisal Division was split off from Khulna Division and in 1995, Sylhet Division was split off from Chittagong Division. By the end of the decade, the number of divisions stood at 6.


1990s in Bangladesh, Demographics
Based on World Development Indicators published by the World Bank the population of Bangladesh grew from 104 million at the beginning of the decade to 129 million by the end. This signifies an annual population growth rate of 2.2%. Population density increased from 796 to 991 per sq. km.


1990s in Bangladesh, Demographics
The urban population was 19.8% of the total at the beginning, which ended up at 23.2%. Dhaka, the largest city, with a population of 6.6 million, accounted for 31.5% of the total urban population by 1999. United Nations World Population Prospects show that the population growth rate was in decreasing trend (from 2.5% per annum to 2.0%), primarily due to reduction in fertility rate (births per woman) from 4.5 to 3.3. Life expectancy at birth increased from 58.4 years to 64.7 years with Child (0-5) mortality reducing from 144 per 1,000 births to 92. Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population) changed from 83.3% to 70.7% by the end of the decade.


1990s in Bangladesh, Climate, Temperature and Precipitation
Compared to prior decade the average December temperature decreased by about 0.6 degree but moderate increases in other months offset the overall annual impact. Average rainfall decreased for April, May and July leading to overall average annual rainfall decrease by about 70mm.


1990s in Bangladesh, Climate, Natural disasters
The severe cyclone of 1991 and the devastating floods of 1998 marks this decade as one of the worst hit by natural disasters after independence.


1990s in Bangladesh, Climate, Natural disasters
The 1991 Bangladesh cyclone was among the deadliest tropical cyclones on record. On the night of 29 April 1991, it struck the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 250 km/h (155 mph). The storm forced a 6-metre (20 ft) storm surge inland over a wide area, killing at least 138,866 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless. Later in the decade, in 1994, another cyclone with a velocity of 210 kilometres (130 mi) per hour struck the coastal area of Cox's Bazar causing extensive damage to the districts of Cox's Bazaar and Bandarban. As a result of the early warning and subsequent evacuation of about 450,000 people, the loss of life was minimal. According to official estimates 133 (including 84 refugees) died and 3,559 were injured.


1990s in Bangladesh, Climate, Natural disasters
From July to September 1998, Bangladesh suffered extensive flooding. Over 75% of the total area of the country was flooded, including half of Dhaka. It was similar to the catastrophic flood of 1988, in terms of the extent of the flooding. 30 million people were made homeless and the death toll reached over a thousand. The flooding caused contamination of crops and animals and unclean water resulted in cholera and typhoid outbreaks. About 700,000 hectares of crops were destroyed,


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, National Income and Balance of Payment
Bangladesh GDP was USD 42.4 billion in 1990, which grew to USD 63.6 billion in 1999 (in 2010 constant dollar) signifying a 4.1% annual growth. Agricultural Sector contributed to 32.8% of GDP in the beginning of the decade, which decreased to 23.8% by the end. During the same period contribution from the industrial sector increased from 20.7% to 23.5% and that of the service sector increased from 46.6% to 52.7%. Per capita GDP increased from USD 399 to USD 493 (in 2010 constant dollar).


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, National Income and Balance of Payment
According to World Development Indicators published by the World Bank, on 2010 constant dollar basis, Bangladesh used to export USD 1.3 billion (5.9% of GDP) worth of goods and services as of 1990, which grew at annual average rate of 10.2% to USD 3.5 billion (11.8% of GDP) in 1999. During the same time import of goods and services grew from USD 3.1 billion (13.1% of GDP) to USD 5.8 billion (16.6% of GDP). Over the decade, Foreign Direct Investment and Personal Remittances Receipt averaged 0.12% and 3.02% of GDP; while, total Reserve averaged at 13.3% of external debt and 3.8 month's coverage of import.


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, National Income and Balance of Payment
Gross National Income (at 2010 constant dollar) grew from USD 43.3 billion to USD 65.7 billion over the decade. At the beginning of this period External Debt stock (of which concessional debt was 90.6%) was 38.1% of gross national income (GNI) and External Debt Service burden was 2.3% of GNI. By the end of the decade, External Debt stock (of which concessional debt now was 95.1%) stood at  31.1% of GNI and External Debt Service burden was 1.3% of the same. During the same period Military expenditure increased from 1.2% to 1.5% of GNI.


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, Agriculture
Aggregate value addition from agricultural sector was USD 9.7 billion in 1990 (in 2010 constant USD), which grew at average annual rate of 2.2% to USD 12.1 billion by 1999 (in the same constant USD). During this decade, crop production grew at an annual average rate of 2.5% driven by cereal production increase from 27.7 million metric tons to 36.4 million (implying annual growth of 2.8%) - enabled by improvement in cereal yield from 2490.6 kg per hectare to 3116.4 kg. At the same time livestock production grew at 3.5% per annum and fisheries production increased at annual rate of 6.3%. Altogether these contributed to overall food production increase by annualized rate of 2.7%.


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, Industrial and Service Sectors
Net value addition from industrial sector, which stood at USD 7.1 billion in 1990 (in 2010 constant USD), grew at average annual rate of 6.4% to USD 13.2 billion by 1999 (in the same constant USD basis). Manufacturing sector contributed 64.9% of industrial value added in the beginning of this period and it gradually changed to 65.3% by the end. There were 4,094 recorded industrial design applications by Bangladeshi residents in this decade, more than three times that from earlier decade. In 1989-90 there were 24,283 industrial establishments in the country employing 1.08 million staffs. By 1999-2000 the number of establishments grew to 24,752 and employment in the sector grew to 2.26 million.


1990s in Bangladesh, Economy, Industrial and Service Sectors
On the other hand, net value addition from the service sector amounting USD 23.6 billion in 1990, also grew at average annual rate of 3.7% and stood at USD 34.0 billion by 1999 (in 2010 constant USD). Major Businesses / enterprises that started journey in this decade in Bangladesh include Eskayef and Nassa Group in 1990, Confidence Group in 1991, Renata in 1993, Banglalink and Kazi Farms in 1996, Grameenphone and Robi in 1997 and Incepta in 1999.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Transportation
The road transport sector experienced rapid changes in the 1990s. Town services as well as inter-city bus transport and private taxicab services significantly improved through introduction of many large bodied modern buses. There were only 133,253 motor vehicles in Bangladesh in 1985 and the number rose to 405,919 in 1999. The construction of Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge was completed in the second half of the 1990s and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1998.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Transportation
Other important bridges constructed in the 1990s included the Dhalla bridge, the 4th Bangladesh-China Friendship bridge, the Langalbanda bridge and the second Buriganga bridge that linked the national highways and contributed to substantial increase in road traffic. Although the railway network benefited from the increased connectivity from Jamuna Bridge, the sector continued to lose share. The share of the railway sector in passenger traffic declined from 50% in the 1960s to 12% in 1990s and in freight traffic over the same period from 40% to 7%.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Transportation
Due to small volume of traffic and resulting low profitability Faridpur-Pukuria, Bheramara-Raita, Feni-Belonia, and Rupsa-Bagerhat sections of the railway line were closed between 1994 and 1997. Air Transport sector also did not grow much in this decade. As of 1989, there were 14,600 registered carrier departures worldwide which came down to 5,900 by 1999. During the same period number of passenger carried slightly increased from 1.00 million to about 1.22 million per annum.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Telecommunication
In 1995 Regulatory power of BTTB was transferred to Ministry (MoPT) and the same year the 2nd and 3rd ITX were installed in Dhaka. The monopoly of Pacific Bangladesh Telephone Limited in cellular telephone services came to an end with the grant of license to GrameenPhone and Telecom Malaysia International Bangladesh in 1996. In 1998, the country got its first Telecom Policy.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Telecommunication
In the beginning of the decade there were 218,000 fixed telephone line subscription in the country - which increased to 432,968 by the end signifying 0.34 lines per 100 people. By 1999 there were also 149,000 mobile cellular subscriptions signifying 0.12 lines per 100 people.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Energy
In the beginning of the decade a severe supply-demand imbalance led the Bangladesh Government to implement a private sector power programme. In October 1997, the Bangladesh Power Development Board signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with  Wärtsilä NSD Power Development for a 110 MW barge-mounted power plant at Khulna. The plant entered commercial operation after a year. The process of acquiring another 360 MW plant at Haripur was also in motion, at that time, but it became operational in Oct 2001.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Energy
In 1990 to reduce the administrative burden of BPDB, the Government transferred the 132 kv, 33 kv Transmission and distribution system in the Greater Dhaka Area including the Metropolitan City to a newly created Government agency called the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA). In 1996, DESA was registered as a Public Limited company and was renamed DESCO.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Energy
In 1990 per capital electric power consumption was 48.4 kWh, which increased to 94.3 kWh by 1999. During the same period per capita energy usage increased from 120.0 kg of oil equivalent to 136.8 kg and fossil fuel energy consumption increased from 45.5% to 57.3% of total.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Energy
In 1990 the electricity produced in the country was coming from: hydroelectric sources: 11.4%, natural gas sources: 84.3% and oil sources: 4.3%. By 1999 the distribution changed to - hydroelectric sources: 5.8%, natural gas sources: 85.0% and oil sources: 9.3%.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
After addressing the loan recovery issue in the banking sector in the 1980s (see here), from 1990, the Government pursued broader Financial Sector Reform Programs. These reforms include flexible interest rate, convertibility of “Taka”, introduction of 91 days bill, recapitalization of banks, new procedure for loan classification, and strengthening the money and capital market. This helped improve capital adequacy, governance, regulation, supervision and payment system in the economy.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
New banks starting operations in this decade were: Eastern Bank in 1992, National Credit and Commerce Bank in 1993, Prime Bank, South-east Bank, Dhaka Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank and Social Investment Bank in 1995, Premier Bank and Dutch-Bangla Bank in 1996, Mercantile Bank, Standard Bank, One Bank, ExIm Bank, Bangladesh Commerce Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, Trust Bank, Bank Asia and First Security Bank in 1999.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
The insurance sector underwent reforms as well. The Insurance Corporations (Amendment) Act 1990 allowed private sector insurance companies to underwrite 50% of the insurance business emanating from the public sector and to place up to 50% of their reinsurance with any reinsurer of their choice, at home or abroad, keeping the remaining for placement with the Sadharan Bima Corporation.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
Meanwhile, a new Stock Exchange was established in Chittagong in 1995 to facilitate Capital market in the port city. The regulatory environment was inadequate and market regulations were outdated and not systematically enforced. In this milieu of weak institutional structure and inadequate governance, the capital market experienced its first speculative bubble and burst in 1996-1997. Investors who were affected due to the bubble and burst stayed away from the market for the next several years.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
The establishment of democratic regime had its mark on the education sector as well. In the beginning of the decade many public schools were made double shift, new teaching posts were created, Female students’ stipend programme was introduced, government subsidy in monthly pay order (MPO) was increased and a new assessment system at SSC examination was introduced. During mid 1990s, the secondary school curriculum was updated, about 150,000 teachers received short-term training in the new curriculum and teacher training institutes experienced a major uplift. At the end of 1990s, ‘Shamsul Haque Education Commission 1997’ was formed.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
In the beginning of the decade about 3.5 million primary-school-age children remained outside school, but this number continued to decline. Based on World Bank data, in 1990, there were 3.59 million secondary school students (including higher secondary) in the country, which significantly grew to 9.91 million by the end of the decade. Secondary school enrollment rate drastically improved from 20.4 % to 46.6 % during the same period. Thanks to the new initiatives, over these years ratio of female students in secondary education increased from 33.0 % to 49.0 % and the number of teachers covering the strudnts grew from 131 to 265 thousand.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
The secondary and higher secondary education administration for the country, used to be managed by 4 general education boards, namely Dhaka, Rajshahi, Comilla and Jessore; a Technical Education Board and a Madrasah Education Board. To strengthen and expand the supervision of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Examinations, Chittagong Board was set up in 1995, and then two additional education boards, Barisal and Sylhet were set up in 1999.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
In the early 1990s the tertiary education in the country was fully managed in the public sector. Five general purpose universities (DU, RU, CU, JU and IU) along with 4 specialized universities - BUET, BAU and newly opened IUT and SUST catered for the need of higher education in the country. The Khulna University (KU) formally inaugurated academic activities on 25 November 1991. Bangladesh Open University and National University of Bangladesh were established in 1992 to further the causes of distant learning.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Three other public sector specialized universities, namely Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University (HSTU) and Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) were established by the end of the decade. Furthermore, Institute of Postgraduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR) - the authoritative body in medical education in the country - was renamed as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) by the Act 1, 1998 of Jatiyo Sangshad.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Perhaps the most transformative change in the tertiary education sector in this decade was opening up to the private sector. Establishment of private universities in Bangladesh was initiated after the institution of the Private University Act 1992  and by the end of the decade, at least 17 private universities had started their operations, including IUBAT, NSU, USTC,CWU, IUB, AIUB, AUST, DIU, IIUC, AUB and EWU. However, most of these universities started their operation in limited scale at rented premises which drew considerable criticism regarding the quality of higher education in private sector.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Mass Media
With the return of a democratically elected government in 1991, the freedom of press situation of the country improved. The interim government relaxed some of the restrictions on the press imposed in the earlier decade. Later, the Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina governments did not fulfill their ‘Three-Alliance Framework’ to repeal or amend the regulations which infringed on freedom of the press.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Mass Media
Several influential national dailies started their circulation in this decade, including The Daily Star in 1991; Bhorer Kagoj in 1992,  Ajker Kagoj, Janakantha and Financial Express in 1993, The Independent in 1995, Manab Zamin in 1997 and Prothom Alo in 1998. By the end of the decade, the new entrants outnumbered the old market leaders both in terms of influence in shaping public opinion and market circulation.


1990s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Mass Media
Bangladesh Television, the only state-owned Television network in the country, started broadcasting private production in 1994. In 1995 the Government allowed international satellite channels to be televised commercially. On July 15, 1997, the first Bangla private satellite channel ATN Bangla started operation and it was followed by Channel i in 1999. The state-owned Radio Bangladesh was renamed back to Bangladesh Betar in 1996 and it continued to operate as the only radio network in the country.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Literature
In the 1990s the literary scene of the country flourished under democratic environment. In this decade Humayun Ahmed consolidated his position as the most popular author in the country as his books consistently became the highest seller in Ekushey Book Fair.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Literature
Notable literary works produced by the authors of Bangladesh in this decade include: Imdadul Haq Milan's Jabojjibon, Rajaktontro, Bhalobashar Shukh Dukh; Humayun Ahmed's Moyurakshmi  introducing his famous creation - the fictional character "Himu", Bohubrihi, Gauripur Junction, Kothao Keu Nei, Anil Bagchir Ekdin, 1971, Chander Aloe  Koyekjon Jubok, Kobi, Opekshma and Rumali; Bipradash Barua's Samudracar O Bidrohira, Bashir Al Helal's Shishirer Deshe Avijan; Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah's poetry Moulik Mukhosh; Syed Shamsul Haq's Khelaram Khele Ja; Muhammad Yunus' autobiographical Banker to the Poor; Nilima Ibrahim's Bindu-Visarga, Ami Virangana Bolchhi; Humayun Azad's Naree, Shreshtho Kobita, Chappanno Hazar Borgomile, Kabya Shonggroho; Moinul Ahsan Saber's Opeksha, Kobej Lethel; Taslima Nasrin's controversial and later banned novel Lajja; Ahmed Sofa's Alat Chakra, Gabhi Bittanto, Ardhek Nari Ardhek Ishvari, Pushpa Briksha ebang Bihanga Puran and Joddopi amar guru; Muhammed Zafar Iqbal's Amar Bondhu Rashed; Rabeya Khatun's Ei birohokal and Ei Bhora Bador Mah Bhador; Hasant Abdul Hye's Novera; Anisul Hoque's Ondhokarer Eksho Bochhor, Kheya, Fand, Amar Ekta Dukhkho Achhe and Bristibondhu; Nirmalendu Goon's poetry Priẏa nārī hārāno kabitā and Nāma diẏechi bhālobāsa; and Mokbula Manzoor's Kaler Mandira. The death of poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah in 1991, at the young age of 35, shocked the nation. In this decade the literature circle of the country also lost luminaries like: Akhteruzzaman Elias (1997), novelist Shawkat Osman (1998), educationist Abdullah-Al-Muti (1998) and poet Sufia Kamal (1999).


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual arts
Photographers like Manzoor Alam Beg,  Anwar Hossain, Hasan Saifuddin Chandan and Shahidul Alam continued to dominate the photography field. Shahidul, who set up the Drik Picture Library in 1989, went on to set up the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Dhaka in 1998 and the Chobi Mela International Photography Festival in 1999. The paintings field was also quite vibrant. While in the 80s the painters experimented with different mediums, it was from the 90s that new thinking started to have widespread influence in Bangladeshi art.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual arts
In addition to installation or building work, artists began to complement their work with videography, performance, site-specific art etc. New contributors in painting and painting-related mixed techniques in this decade include Abdus Shakur Shah, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Mahbubur Rahman, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Ashok Karmakar. Among the veterans artist Shahabuddin Ahmed and painter cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi continued to make active contributions. However, in this decade the death of master painter SM Sultan (1994) made the nation grieve. For Bangladeshi architecture, the 1990s was a transformative decade.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual arts
Due to rapid urbanization since late 80s and wealth accumulation, architects began to find abundant work opportunities from the mid-1990s. Until the early 1990s design consultancy was limited to a small number of architectural firms. But under the changing landscape new, smaller firms, run by younger architects, began to reshape the traditional methods of architectural design practice in the country.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
In this decade music directors and composers like Khandaker Nurul Alam,  Alam Khan, Azad Rahman, Satya Saha, Khan Ataur Rahman and Maksud Jamil Mintu and singers like Sabina Yasmin, Runa Laila,  Andrew Kishore, Subir Nandi, Syed Abdul Hadi, Farida Parveen, Khalid Hasan Milu, Saidur Rahman Boyati, Kanak Chapa and Kiran Chandra Roy  led the music arena with modern Bengali music and playback music of films. Singers like  Tapan Chowdhury, Shakila Zafar, Shuvro Dev, Samina Chowdhury, Fahmida Nabi and Agun  cemented their places as rising stars of modern Bengali songs.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
Bands from the 1980s, including Souls, Feedback, Feelings (later renamed Nagar Baul) and Miles, continued their success along with the new bands of the 1990s. 1990s is sometimes considered the most productive phase in Bangladeshi music history. From the 1990s, it became common to divide mainstream rock into pop and hard rock. Pop rock got more popularity than the previous decades through bands like Souls and Feedback, whose frontman Maqsoodul Haque established the Bangladesh Musical Bands Association (BAMBA) in 1987.


1990s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
Throughout the 90s BAMBA organized numerous successful concerts that helped many bands with their career, including Ark, Different Touch and Winning. In contrast, hard rock was more influenced by the 1960s psychedelic rock, blues rock and the 1970s Bangladeshi rock artists. The most successful and influential band from the psychedelic rock was Nova. The most successful band from the blues rock genre was LRB, who went on to release several best-selling albums in the decade. Ayub Bachchu, the vocalist and electric guitarist of the band, is considered to be the greatest guitarist of Bangladesh. Rockstrata, Waves and Warfaze were other notable rock bands from this decade.


1990s in Hong Kong
The 1990s in Hong Kong marked a transitional period and the last decade of colonial rule in Hong Kong.


1990s in Hong Kong, Background
The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration paved the way for a series of changes that would facilitate the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China (PRC). In July 1992, Chris Patten was appointed as the last British Governor of Hong Kong. By contrast with his predecessors, Sir Edward Youde and Sir David Wilson, Patten had little experience with Hong Kong or China, and spoke neither Mandarin nor Cantonese. The decade was essentially dominated by the political backdrop of the handover.


1990s in Hong Kong, Politics, The handover
Following China's Tiananmen Square protest in 1989, citizens feared the Chinese government would not keep its promise of autonomy after the handover in Hong Kong. As a result, various mediating measures took place in the run-up to 1997. The Hong Kong Basic Law was ratified on 4 April 1990 as a mini-constitution. The pro-Beijing bloc welcomed the Basic Law, calling it the most democratic legal system to ever exist in the PRC. The pro-democratic bloc criticised it as not democratic enough.


1990s in Hong Kong, Politics, The handover
Patten emphasised the increase in democracy in Hong Kong through a series of measures that affected the election processes of both legislators and municipal officials. In 1994, the PRC announced that it would terminate the Legislative Council (LegCo) in favour of the "provisional legislative council". In 1995, LegCo was passed and the Democratic Party denounced the provisional legislative council as illegal. The provisional legislative council operated from Shenzhen before the handover.


1990s in Hong Kong, Politics, The handover
At midnight on 1 July 1997, the handover ceremony was held at the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at Wan Chai North. The flag of the United Kingdom and the flag of the Crown colony were lowered. The flags of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China were raised. This marked the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from British colonial rule to Chinese rule.


1990s in Hong Kong, Politics, The handover
Participated guests in the ceremony included H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair, CCP General Secretary and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Chinese Premier Li Peng, the last Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten appointed by the United Kingdom, and Tung Chee Hwa, the first chief executive of Hong Kong elected from a Beijing-controlled election.


1990s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Population
The population of Hong Kong in 1995 and 1999 was 6.3 million and 6.9 million respectively. A total of 44,000 illegal immigrants from mainland China were arrested and deported in 1993, with the number decreased to 35,500 a year later. Hong Kong's fertility rate also become the lowest in the world, having declined to just 5.1 child per population of 1,000 in 1996.


1990s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Emigration
In 1990, the outflow of people reached 62,000 people, or about one per cent of the population. The emigration rate would peak in 1992 with 66,000 people, followed by 53,000 in 1993, and 62,000 in 1994. An estimated US$4.2 billion flowed from Hong Kong to Canada directly as a result. Much renowned tycoons in Hong Kong, such as the Shaw family, left Hong Kong for fear of adverse effects to the economy after the handover. Many Hong Kong citizens emigrated to Great Britain through the British Nationality Selection Scheme. A comparable number of families also moved to Australia, Canada, and the United States.


1990s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Foreign Domestic Workers
From the late 1980s to 1990s, Hong Kong's currency stabilised. The value of the Philippine peso was dropping steadily from 17 pesos in 1984 to 30 pesos in 1993 = US$1. This caused a surge of Philippines workers going to Hong Kong in search of higher salaries under the "maid to order" services. The number of foreign workers grew from 9,000 in 1987 to 28,000 in 1992 and 32,000 in 1993. Women from the Philippines make up the majority with substantial numbers from Indonesia and Thailand. The term "fei yung" (菲傭) became associated with the helpers.


1990s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Foreign Domestic Workers
Families in need of the helpers generally have both parents working at full-time positions. In 1993, households were required to have a combined income of HKD $15,000. The foreign workers essentially run all home affairs from cooking, ironing, cleaning and caring for the young and old in the household. Most households had 4 to 5 members including at least 1 child under the age of 12, while some include elderly people over 65. The hiring of workers fuelled a number of social debates. From the worker's perspective, problems range from unfair treatments, discrimination to low wages were raised. From the family perspective, problems range from privacy invasion to abuse type cases. Newspapers, radios and TV broadcasts have covered the subjects on numerous accounts. To stir controversies, the media often claimed traditional amah Chinese servants as superior workers.


1990s in Hong Kong, Culture, Entertainment
The entertainment industry was essentially dominated by the Four Heavenly Kings, namely: Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai. In the early stages in their careers, Jacky Cheung and Leon Lai sang songs with Japanese melodies, but in the early to mid-1990s there was a public outcry for originality in local music. In 1993, the radio broadcasting company Commercial Radio, announced that it would play only locally-written music. The purpose was to encourage local musicians to write their own lyrics. Mark Lui was a popular composer by the late 1990s.


1990s in Hong Kong, Culture, Entertainment
In the early 1990s, the entertainment industry became increasingly linked to Taiwan and mainland China. Numerous television drama series, especially with themes related to ancient Chinese, were imported from Taiwan and mainland China since the early 1990s, such as Justice Bao imported from Taiwan by TVB and Romance of the Three Kingdoms imported from mainland China by ATV's Home Channel, with both dramas becoming very successful and creating much discussion in the territory while broadcasting. A further successful example is the television drama My Fair Princess, a Taiwan-Mainland co-production.


1990s in Hong Kong, Culture, Entertainment
The show was broadcast in Hong Kong in 1999 by ATV's Home Channel and became popular among overseas Chinese worldwide. Another example of a popular mainland pop star was Faye Wong. She was born in Beijing and began singing in Cantonese, but later sang in both Mandarin and Cantonese as her career grew.


1990s in Hong Kong, Culture, Cinema
The Hong Kong film industry underwent several changes in the 1990s, especially with the emergence of the mo lei tau culture, which became synonymous with comedian Stephen Chow. Some critics claimed those films were made to alleviate social tension.


1990s in Hong Kong, Culture, Law and order
In 1999, Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal ruled that children born on the mainland would be entitled the right of abode in Hong Kong so long as either parent was a Hong Kong permanent resident. This decision led to the government's reinterpretation of the Basic Law which overturned the ruling and determined that a parent would have to be a Hong Kong permanent resident at the time of the child's birth to transmit residency.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Finance
Three months after the handover in July 1997, Hong Kong was dragged into the Asian Financial Crisis. At one point, the stock market fell by 22.8% within a week. Between the summer of 1997 and 1998, the leading shares in the Hang Seng Index lost nearly 2⁄3 of its value. The government had to intervene by buying billions of dollars worth of shares. While this may have prevented the market from collapsing and staved off pressure for the Hong Kong dollar to be unpegged from the US dollar, the move was widely criticised as it undermined Hong Kong's status of a free market economy.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Real estate
In 1998, the real estate bubble burst due to the government's housing policy, though the Asian financial crisis also had some influence. Upon the inauguration of Hong Kong SAR's first chief executive, Tung Chee Hwa announced the building of 85,000 flats a year, while reducing public housing wait time from 7 to 3 years. These factors combined to begin the most severe recession in Hong Kong since 1967, which was a year of ambitious government projects that used up fiscal reserves on infrastructure and structural deficit.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transportation
In 1998, the Kai Tak Airport was closed. The new US$20 Billion Hong Kong International Airport opened for commercial use. The initial years of operation were challenging as it utilised state-of-the-art computer systems, in just about every function imaginable. The scale and size of the airport also required many innovative solutions from the Airport Authority. Over time, it became the central connecting point for many flights in the far east.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transportation
The Tsing Ma Bridge, part of the Lantau Link connecting the remote airport site to the city, was the world's second largest suspension bridge when it opened on 27 April 1997. Spanning  1,377 metres (4,518 ft), it is also the largest of all bridges in the world carrying rail traffic.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transportation
The Tung Chung and Airport Express MTR lines opened in 1998.


1990s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transportation
Other major transport projects completed in the 1990s include the Tate's Cairn Tunnel (1991), San Tin Highway (1993), Yuen Long Highway (1993), North Lantau Highway (1997), Kap Shui Mun Bridge (1997), Western Harbour Crossing (1997), and Tai Lam Tunnel (1998). Many of these related to the airport project, or to completing the New Territories orbital highway.


1990s in India
The 1990s was a historic decade in India. Economic growth rates increased as policies were liberalised though not as quickly as in China. Urbanisation was also very slow compared to that in China. Rate of growth of population and fertility rates decreased. Infant mortality rates saw a good rate of decrease.


1990s in India
Two polarising trends emerged in national politics - that of the politics of social justice based on caste which followed the implementation of Mandal commission report, and of the politics of religion based on Hindu nationalism after the Kashmir Genocide, which was marked by demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and the subsequent communal riots.


1990s in India, Era of coalitions
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged from the May 1996 national elections as the single-largest party in the Lok Sabha but without enough strength to prove a majority on the floor of that Parliament. Under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP coalition lasted in power 13 days. With all political parties wishing to avoid another round of elections, a 14-party coalition led by the Janata Dal emerged to form a government known as the United Front. A United Front government under former Chief Minister of Karnataka H.D. Deve Gowda lasted less than a year. The leader of the Congress Party withdrew his support in March 1997. Inder Kumar Gujral replaced Deve Gowda as the consensus choice for Prime Minister of a 16-party United Front coalition.


1990s in India, Era of coalitions
In November 1997, the Congress Party again withdrew support for the United Front. New elections in February 1998 brought the BJP the largest number of seats in Parliament (182), but this fell far short of a majority. On 20 March 1998, the President inaugurated a BJP-led coalition government with Vajpayee again serving as Prime Minister. On 11 and 13 May 1998, this government conducted a series of underground nuclear tests, prompting President of the United States Bill Clinton and Japan to impose economic sanctions on India pursuant to the 1995 Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act.


1990s in India, Economy
As the government liberalised its economic policies, economic growth surged and the foundation was laid for India becoming one of the fastest growing economies of the world. The former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh was instrumental in bringing about this change although India, with its socialist past, could not push economic reforms as aggressively as China which raced ahead during this decade from being just ahead of India to a GDP double that of India (a 4 times higher rate of growth) due to its more aggressive rate of economic reform. The License Raj came to an end.


1990s in India, Economy
GDP per capita nearly doubled from US$1,380 in 1990 to US$2,420 in 2000. This rate of growth was 11th fastest in the world. Foreign direct investment, which contributed less than 0.1% to the GDP came close to contributing 1% to the GDP. Foreign exchange reserves, which had plunged to zero, surged to 50 billion US dollars. Short term external debt which had risen to 350% of foreign exchange reserves plunged to 25% of foreign exchange reserves. Foreign direct investment (mainly from USA, UK, Germany and Japan) started to become positive. The Indian rupee plunged from 25:1 to 45:1 compared to the USD. Contribution of services sector to GDP increased rapidly.


1990s in Irish television
For articles on Irish television in the 1990s please see:


1990s in Japan
The 1990s in Japan was the beginning of economic turmoil and recession for that particular nation; resulting in their Lost Decade. While the Lost Decade would finally end in 2000 for Japan, this would become the era where young Japanese salarymen were forced to find different lines of work.


1990s in Japan, Technology, General trends
Technology began to outpace North American standards with Japanese vehicles often getting more miles per gallon than their North American rivals. People in Japan as well as the other oil-dependent nations of the world began to be dependent on high-speed rail networks (and other forms of mass transit like buses) as the price of gasoline began to skyrocket. The average price of gasoline at the end of the next decade would rise to $8/gallon on a national level; making it unaffordable for most Japanese people to drive long distances unless necessary.


1990s in Japan, Technology, General trends
Since gasoline prices have risen significantly since the 1990s worldwide, it will be inevitable for gasoline prices to go up to $20/gallon within the course of the 21st century. After the 1990s ended and the 21st century began, Japanese residents (in addition to other people) will experience a return to local produce (through local farmers' markets instead of expensive grocery stores), increased use of renewable energy like wind energy and solar energy, the exodus from the exurbs to urban centers, more electric car sales, and a major shakeup of the airline industry.


1990s in Japan, Technology, Video games
While new gaming consoles like the Super Famicom and the Sony PlayStation flooded the market, most young people began to move in with their parents, and read manga. This is because they could not acquire a job that would permit them to live independently and have all the amenities that they are accustomed to. Many video games were released during this decade (especially for the Super Famicom). Popular American titles like SimCity and SimEarth gained popularity for Japanese video gamers. The 1990s was also the era for Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, and Final Fantasy VII. These games became multimillion-dollar blockbusters in Japan, Europe, and North America. However, the Famicom went into decline and most game companies halved their production of new 8-bit games by 1994.


1990s in Japan, Technology, Video games
Even the Nintendo Game Boy acquired popularity in Japan (spawning a lineup of Japan-exclusive video games) and eventually the Japanese release of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Nintendo Power wrote an exposé about Japanese video games (using one of its first 50 issues). The exposé stated that Japanese video games were less censored than their North American counterparts.


1990s in Japan, Technology, Video games
Video games that were released in Japan  employed some form of sexual content, brought forth the invocation of religious symbols, utilized a level of violence never seen in North American games (until the release of Doom in the mid-1990s), and mentioning tobacco in addition to alcohol so that the story could have more flavor. These uncensored Japanese games even used vulgar language.


1990s in Japan, Technology, Video games
The Sega CD (known as the Sega Mega CD in Japan) first started to offer full motion video outside of the personal computer scene. It became trendy in the 1990s (and in the 2000s) for players to create their own role-playing video games. Game creation software like RPG Tsukūru: Super Dante and RPG Tsukūru 2 made it possible for players to create role-playing games on their Super Famicom systems.


1990s in Japan, Technology, Video games
While these games were not as graphically enhanced as Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI which dominated this decade for role-playing video games, these "game creation tools" would allow the gamers of the 1990s to become the game designers of the 2000s and beyond. Sequels like RPG Maker 2000 and RPG Maker XP provided that the original two software in the series were highly successful.


1990s in Japan, Entertainment, Sports
Professional wrestling continued to decline well into the 1990s like it did in the 1980s.


1990s in Japan, Entertainment, Sports
Races often took place at either Suzuka Circuit or at Fuji Speedway. A NASCAR exhibition race was held in Motegi, Japan during the late 1990s in the hopes of getting people interested in stock car racing.


1990s in Japan, Entertainment, Sports
During the 1990s, it became increasingly rare for Japanese businessmen to be able to play golf alongside their employers. Golf courses began closing up by the bundles and many young men (who would otherwise enter the workforce under a more ideal economy) began only to have golf experience from their years as a student. Besides the sporting aspect, golf was used in Japan in order to adapt to corporate culture.


1990s in Japan, Entertainment, Sports
The 1990s was also the decade that the American film Mr. Baseball was released; introducing an American audience to Japanese baseball. The Chunichi Dragons and the Yomiuri Giants became popular teams after the Mr. Baseball movie made mention of them. Nippon Professional Baseball was one of the sports to watch in Japan in addition to Formula One (featuring Japan's Satoru Nakajima who retired early in the 1990s but gained respect worldwide). The only perfect game of the 1990s for the Nippon Professional Baseball league came on May 18, 1994, with the Yomiuri Giants shutting out the Hiroshima Toyo Carp by a score of 6-0.


1990s in Japan, Entertainment, Television and movies
Anime like Dragon Ball Z (shōnen) and Pokémon (shōnen) developed an international audience after being created in Japan. Girl-oriented (shōjo) anime like Sailor Moon also became of age during the 1990s. This show would be the inspiration for the 2000s anime Tokyo Mew Mew (known in North America as Mew Mew Power). J-Pop continued to be popular among Japanese female teenagers.


1990s in Japan, Social, Employment
While people were losing their jobs, technology still was advancing at an exponential rate—making more jobs obsolete as new technologies replaced the old. Manufacturing jobs were being replaced with service sector jobs just like they were doing in the Western countries—leading to people being underemployed in either minimum wage or near-minimum wage jobs. There was some economic recovery after this decade; but the spending on cars and whiskey had not returned to the levels that were reached during the Japanese economic boom of the 1980s. Japan made up for the labor shortages in the 1990s by hiring temporary workers without security or job benefits.


1990s in Japan, Social, Employment
As of March 2010, the unemployment rate in Japan was 4.9%; a very low number compared to the unemployment rate during the height of the Lost Decade.


1990s in Japan, Social, Population decline
The 1990s would be the final decade where the birth rate in Japan would exceed the death rate. This is despite consistent attempts of government agencies throughout this decade to encourage procreation through targeted seductive advertising and media campaigns. However, the rest of the world's population will increase slowly until 2040 reaching 9 billion people. The population of the world will eventually reach 9,202,458,484 people by the year 2050. This would become the world's highest population ever in recorded history;


1990s in Japan, Social, Population decline
It has been suggested that the population of Japan will fall from over 100 million in the 1990s to a mere 50 million by the year 2090. However, the most recent rise in the national birth rate of Japan happened on February 2007. Japan will see a 0.9% decline of their population after the year 2025—lowering their labor force while countries like Canada will see a rise in their labor force by that same year.


1990s in Japan, Social, Terrorism
The Tokyo subway sarin attack, usually referred to in the Japanese media as the Subway Sarin Incident (地下鉄サリン事件 Chikatetsu Sarin Jiken? ), was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated on March 20, 1995, in Tokyo, Japan by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult.


1990s in Japan, Social, Terrorism
In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on several lines of the Tokyo subway, killing 13 people, severely injuring 50 and causing temporary vision problems for nearly 1,000 others. The attack was directed against trains passing through Kasumigaseki and Nagatachō, home to the Japanese government. It was the most serious attack to occur in Japan since the end of World War II.


1990s in Morocco
In the 1990s in Morocco gradual political reforms culminated in the constitutional reform of 1996, which created a new bicameral legislature with expanded, although still limited, powers. Although reportedly marred by irregularities, elections for the Chamber of Representatives were held in 1997. With the death of King Hassan II of Morocco in 1999, the more liberal-minded Crown Prince Sidi Mohammed, who assumed the title of Mohammed VI, took the throne. He has since enacted successive reforms to modernize Morocco, and the country has seen a marked improvement in its human rights record. One of the new king's first acts was to free some 8,000 political prisoners and reduce the sentences of another 30,000. He also established a commission to compensate families of missing political activists and others subjected to arbitrary detention.


1990s in Morocco
Beginning the final decade of his notoriously conservative rule, King Hassan II continued the pattern of oppressing political opposition. Systematically jailing and silencing his opponents through state run forces, many of which were kept at the secret political prison Tazmamart for often indefinite and undetermined lengths of time, Hassan was not opposed to extreme measures to enforce his rule.


1990s in Morocco
Despite efforts to hide the abuses from the outside world, King Hassan continued to receive backlash from International watch groups and human rights advocacy organizations in which his methods were put into the spotlight unnerving him and creating the need for action to be taken. In 1990 Hassan met with representatives from the human rights advocacy group Amnesty International in what was initially believed to be a step towards reforms in Moroccan policy. However hopes of a freer Morocco were dashed after Amnesty International published a report on Morocco alleging human rights abuses performed by the state.


1990s in Morocco
Later that year Hassan continued his crackdown on political opposition to the state with the prosecution of members of the Islamic group Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane, a largely peaceful Islamic group which pushes for the Islamisation of society through education and awareness rather than violence. Accusing members of belonging to and attempting to advertise for the unsanctioned association, roughly 40 members of Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane were charged leading to at least 30 convictions. Some of which due to appeals and efforts by the defense were either overturned or had sentences commuted.


1990s in Morocco
The trials themselves were marred by accusations of corruption as reports of judicial malpractice arose. Accounts of enforcement officers violating procedures in regard to what constitutes lawful and unlawful searches as well as the falsification of official documents called into question the legitimacy of these arrests and the independence of the Moroccan judiciary as a whole.


1990s in Morocco
Upon discovery of the use of torture as a method of interrogation by state officials, there arose new ammunition for advocacy groups aiming to overturn convictions as well as pressure the government into enacting more protections of civil rights for the Moroccan people. Questions as to the reliability of confessions provided a basis for appeals to courts and were covered by the media, however due to governmental influence courts largely turned a blind eye to any reported case of torture.


1990s in Morocco
In response to the negative media coverage plaguing the regime, Moroccan courts began targeting media outlets more severely with charges of defamation against state run organizations. Convictions for the "defamation of the courts and tribunals" followed swiftly as several high-profile media figures faced imprisonment including the director of "Al-Ittihad al-Ishtiraki", the publication of the main opposition party at the time, Ahmed Bendjelloun of "at-Tariq" as well as Mustaphe el-Alaoui, director of "al-Usbu' as-Sahafa w'as-Siyasi". All three faced several months in jails due to stories published in which the ability and independence of the courts were brought into question. While the sentences were short, four months for Benjelloun and three months for el-Alaoui, the message that was conveyed to the governments opposition was clear, any attempts to deviate from the message approved by Hassan would not be welcome in Morocco.


1990s in Morocco
Shortly after the attack on the press, the Moroccan government found itself at war with once again with international human rights watch dogs. Amnesty International, the organization that had previously sent representatives to meet with Hassan, had its legitimacy as an organization attacked by defenders of the regime. Claims that the human rights group misrepresented facts in its reporting of the conditions of prisoners and political oppression arose and were widely circulated among the Moroccan people leading to support for the regime.


1990s in Morocco
The skewed information made it easier for  the  regime to deny entry to and expel those who disagreed with their practices, such as representatives from the French group the "Association for victims of Repression in Exile". In 1990 two members were expelled from Moroccan soil on accusations of intending to violate their travel visas. The same representatives had previously been harassed by Moroccan officials on a separate trip. In this incident the representative had her items seized and searched by security officials, confiscating all evidence of human rights abuses from her luggage as well as intimidating her in the process.


1990s in Morocco
Despite past actions, in an attempt to rectify his public image King Hassan formed a new task force to assess the validity of the accusations made by watchdog groups. The so-called "Consultative Council on Human Rights" was used more as tool of the regime to tell the world that conditions for political prisoners in Morocco was not as the many international watch dog groups had reported. However Hassan did begin a process of releasing prisoners due to mounting pressure from international organizations and foreign governments, with over three hundred released in 1991 alone.


1990s in Zimbabwe
General elections were held in March 1990. In July the government lifted the 25-year-old state of emergency. Zimbabwe became a republic on 17 April 1991. In November 1992 the first cases of a cholera epidemic were reported from within the Tongogara Refugee Camp in Manicaland. In June 1993 the government announced plans to downsize the 50,000-strong Zimbabwe National Army by 10,000 men over the next five years. The combined Zimbabwe Defense Forces Headquarters was formed in July 1994. In April 1995 parliamentary elections were held.


1990s in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) ran unopposed in 54 of the 120 electoral districts and a further 20 parliamentary seats were reserved. Zimbabwe sent delegates to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to discuss land mines and launch the Ottawa Treaty in October 1996. The government unilaterally banned anti-personnel mines on 15 May 1997, signing Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December. The government ratified the treaty on 18 June 1998. A court sentenced Canaan Banana, Methodist minister, theologian, and the former President of Zimbabwe to ten years imprisonment, nine years suspended for sodomy, on 18 January 1999. Major mine clearance operations started in three of Zimbabwe's seven, identified, contaminated areas in March.


1990s in Zimbabwe, Cricket
The Zimbabwean cricket team beat the Kenyan cricket team by 5 wickets at Taunton during the Cricket World Cup on 15 May, beating India by three runs at Leicester on 19 May, losing to Sri Lanka by four wickets at Worcester on 22 May, losing to the UK on 25 May by seven wickets at Nottingham, and defeating South Africa on 29 May by 42 runs at Chelmsford. The cricket team had a draw with New Zealand on 6 June at Leeds, losing to Australia on 9 June by 44 runs at Lord's and losing again to Pakistan on 11 June at The Oval.


1990s in comics
See also:1980s in comics,other events of the 1990s,2000s in comics and thelist of years in comics


1990s in comics
Publications: 1990 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999


1990s in comics, Publications, 1994
Jack Kirby dies at age 76 of heart failure in his Thousand Oaks, California home.


1990s in fashion
Fashion in the 1990s was defined by a return to minimalist fashion, in contrast to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1980s. One notable shift was the mainstream adoption of tattoos, body piercings aside from ear piercing and, to a much lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding.


1990s in fashion
In the early 1990s, several late 1980s fashions remained very stylish among both sexes. However, the popularity of grunge and alternative rock music helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look to the mainstream by 1992. The anti-conformist approach to fashion led to the popularization of the casual chic look that included T-shirts, jeans, hoodies, and sneakers, a trend which continued into the 2000s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade recycled styles from previous decades, notably the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.


1990s in fashion
Due to increased availability of the Internet and satellite television outside the United States, plus the reduction of import tariffs under NAFTA, fashion became more globalized and homogeneous in the late 1990s and early 2000s.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Women's hairstyles
Women's hair in the early 1990s continued in the big, curly style of the 1980s. High and High sided ponytails continued through most of the decade, especially when playing sports and at the gym. These were worn with a scrunchie until the mid 1990s when hair ties began to replace scrunchies. Scrunchies became popular once again in the late 2010s. Bangs remained big throughout the decade, especially the "mall bangs" poofy style associated with the early 1990s. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter and less poofy and laid closer to the forehead.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Women's hairstyles
The pixie cut and Rachel haircut, based on the hairstyles of Jennifer Aniston in Friends and Marlo Thomas in That Girl, were popular in America from 1995 onwards. Around the same time red hair also became a desirable color for women, as well as feathered bangs, and mini hair-buns. From 1995 until 2008, dark-haired women tended to dye their hair a lighter color with blonde highlights (popularized by Jennifer Aniston).


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Women's hairstyles
In the late 1990s, the Bob cut was well-desired, popularized and rejuvenated by Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls. This late 90s-style bob cut featured a center, side, or zig-zag parting, as opposed to the thick bangs of the early 1990s. The Farrah Fawcett hairstyle made a comeback, with highlights going hand-in-hand with this revival. Other late 1990s haircuts included "Felicity curls" (popularized by Keri Russell in the hit TV show Felicity), the Fishtail Half-Up, and pigtails, as well as the continuation of mid 1990s hairdos.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Children's and teenager's hairstyles
For teenage boys longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair, Long, unkempt grunge hair, blond surfer hair popular among some Britpop fans, and dreadlocks. During the mid-1990s, the much-ridiculed bowl cut became a fad among skaters, while hip-hop fans wore a variant of the flattop known as the hi-top fade. In the late 1990s, hair was usually buzzed very short for an athletic look, although a few grunge fans grew their hair long in reaction to this.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Children's and teenager's hairstyles
For teenage girls and younger children, hair was worn long with heavily teased bangs called "mall bangs" which were long fringes covering the forehead. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter and less poofy and laid closer to the forehead. Alice bands, headbands and scrunchies of various styles and colors (especially red, navy blue polka dot, plaid and neon) were popular with American girls throughout the early and mid 1990s, and they frequently wore them with twin pigtails, or high or high side ponytails and bangs. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing into the 2010s, straightened hair and variants of the French braid became popular in Europe.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Men's hairstyles
The 1990s generally saw the continued popularity of longer hair on men, especially in the United States, Scandinavia and Canada. In the early 1990s, curtained hair, mullets, and ponytails were popular. Other trends included flattops, hi-top fades, and cornrows.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Men's hairstyles
In the mid 1990s, men's hairstyle trends went in several different directions. Younger men who were more amenable had adopted the Caesar cut, either natural or dyed. This style was popularized by George Clooney on the hit TV show ER in season two, which premiered in mid 1995. More rebellious young men went for longer, unkempt "grunge" hair, often with a center parting. The curtained hairstyle was at its peak in popularity, and sideburns went out of style. Meanwhile, most professional men over 30 had conservative 1950s style bouffant haircuts or the Caesar cut.


1990s in fashion, Hairstyles of the 1990s, Men's hairstyles
By 1999 it was considered unstylish and unattractive for men and boys to have longer hair. As a result, short hair completely took over. From 1999 onwards, aside from curtained hair (which was popular throughout the decade), spiky hair, bleached hair, crew cuts, and variants of the quiff became popular among younger men. Dark haired men dyed their spikes blonde or added wavy blonde streaks, a trend which continued into the early 2000s (decade). Variants of the surfer hair was popular among rock musicians during that time period. For African-American men, the cornrows (popularized by former NBA player Allen Iverson) and buzz cut were a popular trend that continued into the early 2000s.


1990s in fashion, Makeup and cosmetic trends
Women's makeup in the early 1990s primarily consisted of dark red lipstick and neutral eyes. Around 1992 the "grunge look" came into style among younger women and the look was based on dark red lipstick and smudged eyeliner and eyeshadow. Both styles of makeup continued into 1994, but went out of style the next year.


1990s in fashion, Makeup and cosmetic trends
The trends in makeup shifted in the mid 1990s. In 1995, nude shades became desirable and women had a broader color palette in brown. Another makeup trend that emerged was matte lipsticks, with deep shades of red and dark wine colors worn as part of night makeup. Blue-frosted eye shadow became fashionable, and was eventually integrated into the Y2K makeup of the late 1990s/early 2000s (decade). Gothic makeup had broken into the mainstream, having been made up of vamp lipstick (or even black lipstick), heavy mascara and eyeliner, often purple-tinted eye shadow (or else very dark blue), and extremely pale foundation. The Gothic makeup remained relevant in the later years of the decade.


1990s in fashion, Makeup and cosmetic trends
By 1999, glittery, sparkling makeup had come into style. This was called "Y2K makeup", consisting of facial glitter and lip gloss. Blue-frosted eye shadow remained a staple of late 1990s makeup, although silver was ideal look. Dark eyeliner was considered bodacious. Pale, shiny lips became desirable, as lip gloss largely replaced lipstick. An alternative for those who did not like metallics were purples and browns. Goth makeup and Y2K makeup continued into the early 2000s.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Grunge clothing, popular from 1991 to 1996. (Kurt Cobain, 1992)


1990s in fashion, Gallery
The catsuit became a trend in the late 1990s. Normally made of latex, PVC, or spandex, it was often worn with high-heeled boots.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
The German electronic rock duo Das Ich, 1993. Their aspect shows the influence of the goth look which returned in the 1990s.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
African-American teenager with Hitop fade, popular in the early 1990s.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Lois McMaster Bujold with pixie cut and denim western shirt, 1996


1990s in fashion, Gallery
US First Lady Hillary Clinton wearing straw panama hat, 1995


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Electronic musician and DJ James Lavelle dressed in club attire, 1997.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Bomber jacket with orange lining, popular from the mid-late 1990s


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Woman dressed in black maxi skirt, top and hat, 1995.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Baseball jacket was popular among hip-hop fans in the mid-1990s


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Women's side gusset shoes popular during the mid and late 1990s among preppy and hip-hop subculture.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Go-go boots became fashionable again in 1995. They were worn by women of the hip-hop and preppy subcultures.


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Double breasted power suit with large shoulder pads worn in the European workplace, 1998


1990s in fashion, Gallery
Swedish teenager with mullet haircut and abstract printed jumper, 1991.


1990s in film
The decade of the 1990s in film involved many significant developments in cinema. Continuing from the 1980s, low-budget independent films unceasingly rose and maintained their popularity in the industry within the decade.


1990s in jazz
In the 1990s in jazz, jazz rap continued progressing from the late 1980s and early 1990s, and incorporated jazz influence into hip hop. In 1988, Gang Starr released  the debut single "Words I Manifest", sampling Dizzy Gillespie's 1962 "Night in Tunisia", and Stetsasonic released "Talkin' All That Jazz", sampling Lonnie Liston Smith. Gang Starr's debut LP, No More Mr. Nice Guy (Wild Pitch, 1989), and their track "Jazz Thing" (CBS, 1990) for the soundtrack of Mo' Better Blues, sampling Charlie Parker and Ramsey Lewis. Gang Starr also collaborated with Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard. Groups making up the collective known as the Native Tongues Posse tended towards jazzy releases; these include the Jungle Brothers' debut Straight Out the Jungle (Warlock, 1988) and A Tribe Called Quest's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990) and The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991).


1990s in jazz
Well-established jazz musicians, such as Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Jessica Williams and George Benson, continue to perform and record. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of young musicians emerged, including US pianists Brad Mehldau, Jason Moran and  Vijay Iyer, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel,  vibraphonist Stefon Harris, trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Terence Blanchard, saxophonists Chris Potter and Joshua Redman, and bassist Christian McBride.


1990s in jazz
In the 1990s, punk jazz and jazzcore began to reflect the increasing awareness of elements of extreme metal (particularly thrash metal and death metal) in hardcore punk. A new style of "metallic jazzcore" was developed by Iceburn, from Salt Lake City, and Candiria, from New York City, though anticipated by Naked City and Pain Killer. This tendency also takes inspiration from jazz inflections in technical death metal, such as the work of Cynic and Atheist.


1990s in motorsport
This page documents some of the events that happened in motorsport in the 1990s.


1990s in motorsport, Central America
The Mexican Grand Prix is dropped from The F1 calendar in 1992. It is not held again until 2015.


1990s in music
Popular music in the 1990s  saw the continuation of teen pop and dance-pop trends which had emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. Furthermore, hip hop grew and continued to be highly successful in the decade, with the continuation of the genre's golden age. Aside from rap, reggae, contemporary R&B, and urban music in general remained extremely popular throughout the decade; urban music in the late-1980s and 1990s often blended with styles such as soul, funk, and jazz, resulting in fusion genres such as new jack swing, neo-soul, hip hop soul, and g-funk which were popular.


1990s in music
Similarly to the 1980s, rock music was also very popular in the 1990s, yet, unlike the new wave and glam metal-dominated scene of the time, grunge, Britpop, industrial rock, and other alternative rock music emerged and took over as the most popular of the decade, as well as punk rock, ska punk, and nu metal, amongst others, which attained a high level of success at different points throughout the years.


1990s in music
Electronic music, which had risen in popularity in the 1980s, grew highly popular in the 1990s; house and techno from the 1980s rose to international success in this decade, as well as new electronic dance music genres such as rave, happy hardcore, drum and bass, intelligent dance, and trip hop. In Europe, techno, rave, and reggae music were highly successful, while also finding some international success. The decade also featured the rise of contemporary country music as a major genre, which had started in the 1980s.


1990s in music
The 1990s also saw a resurgence of older styles in new contexts, including third wave ska and swing revival, both of which featured a fusion of horn-based music with rock music elements.


1990s in music
Reflecting on the decade's musical developments in Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s (2000), music critic Robert Christgau said the 1990s were "richly chaotic, unknowable", and "highly subject to vagaries of individual preference", yet "conducive to some manageable degree of general comprehension and enjoyment by any rock and roller."


1990s in music
In December 1999, Billboard magazine named Mariah Carey as the Artist of the Decade in the United States. In 1999, Selena was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "best-selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard, for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits. The singer also had the most successful singles of 1994 and 1995, "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Más".


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
With the breakthrough of bands such as Nirvana and the popularity of the grunge and Britpop movements in the 1990s, alternative rock entered the musical mainstream and many alternative bands became commercially successful during the 1990s.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
By the start of the 1990s, the music industry was enticed by alternative rock's commercial possibilities and major labels actively courted bands including Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Jane's Addiction, Dinosaur Jr, and Nirvana. In particular, R.E.M. 's success had become a blueprint for many alternative bands in the late 1980s and 1990s to follow; the group had outlasted many of its contemporaries and by the 1990s had become one of the most popular bands in the world. Mazzy Star had a top 40 hit with "Fade into You" (1993) and Smash Mouth recorded hits "Walkin' on the Sun" (1997) and "All Star" (1999).


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
The Red Hot Chili Peppers became an important band in the rise of alternative rock with their album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Combining funk rock with more conventional rock music, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were able to achieve mainstream success, culminating with the release of their 1999 album Californication.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
Some of the top mainstream American alternative rock bands of the 1990s included Hootie and The Blowfish, Collective Soul, Creed, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Dinosaur Jr, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Green Day, Weezer, Live, The Wallflowers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, R.E.M., The Offspring, Matchbox Twenty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soul Asylum, Liz Phair, The Lemonheads, Soundgarden, Counting Crows, Spin Doctors, dc Talk, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth, The Smashing Pumpkins, 4 Non Blondes, Beck, The Breeders, Gin Blossoms, Foo Fighters, Sublime, Marcy Playground, No Doubt, Hole, Cake, Blind Melon, Eels, Stone Temple Pilots, Garbage, and Pearl Jam. These bands were variously influenced by ska, punk, pop, metal, and many other musical genres.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
During the early 1990s a new style of alternative music emerged, which combined elements of alternative rock with heavy metal. This new genre, dubbed "alternative metal", is considered a precursor to the nu metal movement of the late 1990s. This style was typified by bands such as Tool, Helmet and Jane's Addiction. Other bands including Faith No More, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine also blended funk and hip hop elements, creating subgenres of this style such as funk metal and rap metal.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
A subgenre of alternative rock, grunge bands were massively popular during the early 1990s. Grunge music, and its associated subculture, was born out of the Pacific Northwest American states of Washington and Oregon in the 1980s. Artists such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam brought alternative rock to popularity in 1991. However, many bands were uncomfortable with their success, and were equally suspicious of the grunge label.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
Nirvana and their grunge contemporaries, such as Pearl Jam, delivered a more direct, less polished rock sound. Pearl Jam released its debut album, Ten, a month before Nevermind in 1991, but sales only picked up a year later. By the second half of 1992, Ten became a breakthrough success, being certified gold and reaching number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. Pearl Jam were famous for their fusion of riff-heavy stadium rock with the grit and anger of post-punk and grunge.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
During the mid-1990s, many grunge bands broke up or became less visible. The death of Kurt Cobain in early 1994, as well as the touring problems for Pearl Jam (due to the band's much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster), marked the decline of the genre.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
At the same time as the original grunge bands went into decline, major record labels began signing and promoting bands that were emulating the genre. The term post-grunge was coined to describe these bands, who emulated the attitudes and music of grunge, particularly thick, distorted guitars, but with a more radio-friendly commercially oriented sound.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
In 1995, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's new band, the Foo Fighters, helped popularize the genre and define its parameters, becoming one of the most commercially successful rock bands in the US, aided by considerable airplay on MTV. Some of the most successful post-grunge acts of the 90s were Candlebox, Bush, Collective Soul, Creed, Matchbox Twenty, Our Lady Peace, Foo Fighters, Live and others. The genre would have another wave of successful acts throughout much of the early part of the next decade which includes bands like Nickelback, Creed, Lifehouse, 3 Doors Down, and more. Although, some of those bands were formed during the late 1990s, many would not see a commercial breakthrough until the early years of the following decade.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
Following the immense success of alternative rock in the 1990s, the term "indie rock" became associated with the bands and genres that remained underground. Bands like Sonic Youth and Pixies set the stage for the rise of indie rock in the underground scene, with bands such as Pavement, Archers of Loaf, Sleater-Kinney, Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, The Breeders, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr., Cat Power, Guided by Voices, Sebadoh, The Jesus Lizard, Liz Phair, and The Flaming Lips gaining popularity throughout the decade.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Alternative rock
By the late 1990s, mainstream interest in third wave ska bands such as Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sublime, and No Doubt waned as other music genres gained momentum.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Skate punk and pop punk
Punk rock in the United States underwent a resurgence in the early to mid-1990s. Punk rock at that time was not commercially viable, and no major record label signed a punk rock band until Green Day's breakthrough in 1994. Both these factors contributed to the emergence of a number of independent record labels, often run by people in bands in order to release their own music and that of their friends. The independent labels Lookout! Records, Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph Records achieved commercial success.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Skate punk and pop punk
Skate punk broke into the mainstream in the mid-1990s, initially with the Northern California-based skate punk band Green Day and in the late 1990s with the Southern California-based pop punk band Blink-182 as well who all achieved massive worldwide commercial success. Green Day's album Dookie (1994) sold 10 million copies in the United States and another 10 million copies worldwide. Soon after the release of Dookie, The Offspring released the album Smash. The album sold over 14 million copies worldwide, setting a record for most albums sold on an independent label.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Skate punk and pop punk
Rancid's Let's Go and NOFX's Punk in Drublic were also released during this period and both of them went gold as well. By the end of the year, Dookie and Smash had sold millions of copies. The commercial success of these two albums attracted major label interest in skate/pop punk, with bands such as Bad Religion being offered lucrative contracts to leave their independent record labels.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Skate punk and pop punk
In 1999, Blink-182 made a breakthrough with the release of Enema of the State, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide receiving multi-platinum status in the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, New Zealand and platinum status in Europe and the United Kingdom. Green Day are seen as the biggest act in punk rock whilst Blink-182 are seen to have the most influence on later bands like Fall Out Boy and All Time Low.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Heavy metal
Many subgenres of metal developed outside of the commercial mainstream during the 1980s. In the early 1990s the thrash metal genre achieved break-out success, mainly due to the massive success of Metallica's eponymous 5th album which was released in 1991 and brought thrash metal to the mainstream for the first time. Metallica's success was followed by Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction (1992) which hit number 2, Anthrax, Pantera, and Slayer cracked the top 10, and albums by regional bands such as Testament and Sepultura entered the top 100.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Heavy metal
In the later half of the decade industrial metal became popular. The top mainstream American industrial metal bands of the 1990s included Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, White Zombie, KMFDM, Ministry, and Fear Factory.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Heavy metal
Death Metal gained momentum in the early 1990s as well, with acts such as Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse and Obituary among others.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Heavy metal
The Second wave of Black Metal gained popularity with leading force in Norway in Mayhem, Burzum and Darkthrone.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Pop rock and singer-songwriter
In the 1990s, there was a revival of the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s. This movement lasted up to about 2004 with artists like Norah Jones, Dido and Sarah McLachlan. Important artists of this movement include Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield, Edwin McCain, Duncan Sheik, Jewel, Natalie Merchant, Tal Bachman, Shawn Mullins, Sheryl Crow and Lisa Loeb. A famous album of the movement was the multi-platinum 1995 album Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette as well as Sheryl Crow's 1993 album Tuesday Night Music Club and her 1996 eponymous album. Tom Cochrane(Canada) got hit "Life is a Highway", Marc Cohn had "Walking in Memphis", and 4 None Blondes released hit "What's Up".


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Pop rock and singer-songwriter
The trend ended in the late 1990s with Lynda Thomas, who became the first idol of the "teen pop-rock" movement, which later in the 2000s reached its highest level of popularity with later singers such as Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Aly & AJ, and Ashlee Simpson.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Pop rock and singer-songwriter
Also in the 1990s, artists such as Jeff Buckley, Dave Matthews, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Elliott Smith, Melissa Etheridge, as well as Sheryl Crow borrowed from the singer-songwriter tradition to create new acoustic-based rock styles.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Hard rock
Third wave glam metal artists such as Firehouse, Warrant, Extreme, Slaughter, and Skid Row experienced their greatest success at the start of the decade, but these bands' popularity waned after 1992 or so. Mötley Crüe and Poison, who were hugely popular in the 1980s, released successful albums in 1989 and 1990, respectively, and continued to benefit from that success in the early part of the decade. The Black Crowes ushered in a more classic rock 'n' roll sound with their successful debut in 1990.


1990s in music, North America, Rock and Roll, Hard rock
More well-established hard rock artists such as Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tom Petty released successful albums and remained very popular in the first half of the decade, while Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Metallica maintained their popularity throughout the entire decade, largely by re-inventing themselves with each new album and exploring different sounds.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
British girl group The Spice Girls managed to break the American market, becoming the most commercially successful British group in North America since The Beatles. Their impact brings about a widespread invasion of teen pop acts to the US charts which had been predominantly dominated by grunge and hip hop prior to the success of the group.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
Between 1997 and 2000 American teen pop singers and groups including Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Hanson, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny's Child became popular, following the lead of The Spice Girls by targeting early members of Generation Y. At the end of the decade, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera had huge successes with their hit singles, "...Baby One More Time" and "Genie in a Bottle" and respective debut albums which remain among the best selling of all time.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
Britney Spears's single/ album went onto the top of the US charts in early 1999. "Womanizer" (Jive) was the second No. 1 hit for Spears after her debut single, " ... Baby One More Time." Spears has the longest gap between No. 1 hits since Cher's "Believe" claimed pole position in March 1999, just 10 days shy of 25 years after "Dark Lady" landed in first place.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
Madonna's Erotica, was released in 1992 and became one of her most controversial releases. In February 1998, Madonna released the critically acclaimed Ray of Light, which has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. Cyndi Lauper released her first mature album Hat Full of Stars (1993), which leaves complete the image of her first two albums, but was highly praised by critics even though it did not achieve commercial success. Larry Flick of Billboard called Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope "[t]he best American album of the year and the most empowering of her last five."


1990s in music, North America, Pop
Released in October 1997, The Velvet Rope debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In August 1997, the album's lead single, "Got 'til It's Gone", was released to radio, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Rhythmic Airplay Chart. The single sampled the Joni Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi", and featured a cameo appearance by rapper Q-Tip. "Got 'til It's Gone" won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
The album's second single "Together Again", became her eighth number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and placing her on par with Elton John, and The Rolling Stones. The single spent a record 46 weeks on the Hot 100, as well as spending 19 weeks on the UK singles chart. "I Get Lonely" peaked at number three on the Hot 100. The Velvet Rope sold over ten million albums worldwide and was certified three times platinum by the RIAA.


1990s in music, North America, Pop
Celine Dion achieved worldwide success during the decade after releasing several best-selling English-language albums, such as Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997), which were both certified diamond by the RIAA. Dion also scored a series of international number-one hits, including "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), "If You Asked Me To" (1992), "The Power of Love" (1993), "Think Twice" (1994), "Because You Loved Me" (1996), "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (1996), "All by Myself" (1996), "I'm Your Angel" (1998) and "That's the Way It Is" (1999). In December 1997, Dion released the single "My Heart Will Go On" from the Titanic soundtrack. With worldwide sales estimated at 18 million copies, it is one of the best-selling singles of all time and became the second-best-selling single by a female artist in history.


1990s in music, North America, Pop, Adult contemporary
In the early 1990s, Mariah Carey's hit singles such as "Vision of Love" (1990) and "Love Takes Time" (1990), and Whitney Houston's "All the Man That I Need" (1990) and "I Will Always Love You" (1992) topped the radio charts for the adult contemporary format.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Whitney Houston's quiet storm hits included "All the Man That I Need" (1990) and "I Will Always Love You" (1992), later became the best-selling physical single by a female act of all time, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Her 1992 hit soundtrack The Bodyguard, spent 20 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 200, sold over 45 million copies worldwide and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. According to the RIAA, Houston is the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
In the 1990s, Mariah Carey's career originated in quiet storm, with hit singles such as "Vision of Love" (1990) and "Love Takes Time" (1990). Her albums Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995) are some of the best-selling albums of all time, and had R&B/HipHop influences. Richard J. Ripani wrote that Carey and Houston, "both of whom rely heavily on the gospel music vocal tradition, display an emphasis on melisma that increased in R&B generally over the 1980s and 1990s." Beyoncé quoted Carey's "Vision of Love" to make her want to sing, as did many other popular artist.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Also during the early 1990s, Boyz II Men re-popularized classic soul-inspired vocal harmonies. Michael Jackson incorporated new jack swing into his 1991 album Dangerous, with sales over 35 million, and was  one of the best selling albums of the decade. The popularity of ballads and R&B led to the development of a radio format called Urban adult contemporary.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Popular American contemporary R&B artists included Mariah Carey, Mark Morrison, Faith Evans, 112, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston, En Vogue, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, Dru Hill, Vanessa Williams, Groove Theory, Bell Biv Devoe, Jodeci, Jon B., Diana King, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Tara Kemp, Brownstone, Shanice, Usher, SWV, Silk, 702, Aaliyah, Keith Sweat, TLC, Xscape, Brandy, Monica, Mýa, Total, Tevin Campbell & R.Kelly. In contrast to the works of Boyz II Men, Babyface and similar artists, other R&B artists from this same period began adding even more of a hip hop sound to their work. The synthesizer-heavy rhythm tracks of new jack swing was replaced by grittier East Coast hip hop-inspired backing tracks, resulting in a genre labelled hip hop soul by producer Sean Combs. The style became less popular by the end of the 1990s, but later experienced a resurgence.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
During the mid-1990s, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Evans, TLC, Xscape, Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men brought contemporary R&B to the masses.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Jackson's self-titled fifth studio album janet. (1993), which came after her historic multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records, sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Houston, Boyz II Men and Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, including "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", "One Sweet Day", a collaboration between Boyz II Men and Carey, which became the longest-running No. 1 hit in Hot 100 history.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Carey, Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995—Daydream, II, and CrazySexyCool respectively – that sold over ten million copies, earning them diamond status in the U.S. Beginning in 1995, the Grammy Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album with II, and Boyz II Men became the first recipient. The award was later received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Mariah Carey's duet with Boyz II Men "One Sweet Day" was pronounced song of the decade, charting at number one on the decade-end chart. Carey became Billboard's most successful female artist of the decade, and one of the most successful R&B acts of the 90s.


1990s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
R&B artists such as Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey are some of the best selling music artists of all time, and especially in the 1990s brought Contemporary R&B to a worldwide platform.


1990s in music, North America, Neo-soul
In the mid-1990s, neo soul, which added 1970s soul influences to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred the line between R&B and hip hop by recording both styles. D'Angelo's Brown Sugar was released in June 1995. Although sales were sluggish at first, the album was eventually a hit, due in large part to "Lady," a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at #10.


1990s in music, North America, Neo-soul
The album earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of one million copies in the U.S., while its total sales have been estimated within the range of 1.5 million to over two million copies. While the album was certified platinum in the United States, indicating shipments of one million units, its total sales were adversely reported by several publications with estimations ranging from 1.5 to 2 million units. The album helped give commercial visibility to the burgeoning Neo soul movement of the 1990s, along with debut albums by Maxwell, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill. The album was a critical success as well and appeared on many critics' best-of lists that year.


1990s in music, North America, Neo-soul
Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) remains her only studio album; it received critical acclaim, some suggesting it was the greatest neo-soul album of all time. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 19 million copies worldwide, spawning the singles "Doo Wop (That Thing)", "Ex-Factor", and "Everything Is Everything". At the 41st Grammy Awards, the album earned her five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year. Soon after, Hill dropped out of the public-eye, mainly because of her dissatisfaction with the music industry.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
The decade is notable for the extension of the rap music scene from New York City, the center of hip hop culture throughout the 1980s, to other cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, the Bay Area, Miami, Chicago, and Memphis.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
Dr. Dre's 1992 album The Chronic provided a template for modern gangsta rap. In addition to The Chronic, Dre introduced a new artist known as Snoop Dogg which allowed for their to be the success of Snoop's album, Doggystyle, in 1993. Due to the success of Death Row Records, West Coast hip hop dominated hip hop during the early 1990s, along with The Notorious B.I.G. on the East Coast. Hip hop became the best selling music genre by the mid-1990s.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
Rap albums released in the 1990s include The Chronic by Dr. Dre, Illmatic by Nas, All Eyez on Me by 2Pac, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan, Ready To Die by Notorious B.I.G., Ridin' Dirty by UGK, 19 naughty III by Naughty by Nature, and Doggystyle by Snoop Doggy Dogg, .


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
In 1998, Lauryn Hill released her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In 1999, The Miseducation was nominated for 10 Grammy's, winning five (which at the time was unheard of for a hip-hop artist) and eventually went on to sell over 19 million copies worldwide.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
The early 1990s was dominated by female rappers, such as Queen Latifah and hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa. The late 1990s saw the rise of successful female rappers and a turn in East Coast hip hop, with the debuts of Lil' Kim (with Hard Core) and Foxy Brown (with Ill Na Na), due to their use of excessive raunchy and provocative lyrics.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
By the end of the 1990s, attention turned towards dirty south and crunk, with artists such as Outkast, Trick Daddy, Trina, Three 6 Mafia, Master P, Juvenile, Missy Elliott and Lil Wayne.


1990s in music, North America, Hip hop
The mid 1990s were marked by the deaths of the West Coast-based rapper 2Pac and the East Coast-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G., which conspiracy theorists claim were killed as a result of the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry.