How can it be 27 years ago???
1. Nelson Mandela was released from prison
27 years ago, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after serving 27 years. Mind blown on many levels.
2. Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister
Following the poll tax riots where 340 people were arrested and 113 were injured, Margaret Thatcher was forced to call it a day after failing to secure enough support in the second round of the leadership election. Remember her tear-filled eyes in the back of the car as she was driven away from Downing Street… blimey.
3. Nessun Dorma, Gazza crying and the World Cup
There was once a time when we were good at football. That time was 1990, where the England team got to the semi-finals of the World Cup. We cried when Gazza cried getting a second yellow card in the quarters which meant he was banned from playing in the semis and then we cried when we lost on penalties – but all the while, the BBC had the stroke of genius to use Nessun Dorma as their coverage theme, gripping the nation with a profound sense of pride and romance.
4. Twin Peaks / Beverly Hills 90210 / The Fresh Prince of Bel Air were first on TV
Now this is a story all about how your life got flip-turned upside down by the death of Laura Palmer and how much you fancied Dylan. Nearly thirty years ago. Starting to feel quite scared now.
5. The Milli Vanilli lip-syncing scandal
Errr…..why was this such a big deal again? Oh, that’s right – because it was illegal to have listed themselves as the vocalists on their album, plus they claimed to be more talented than Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger, one of them called himself ‘the new Elvis’ and eventually had to give their Grammy back. That’s why.
6. Pretty Woman
How you longed for thigh-high boots and to be a cheerful prostitute like Julia Roberts. Go West on the soundtrack. Richard Gere in all his repressed sexiness. Kit and her wisecracking. Dying at the thought of what it must be like to go to LA. An obsession that has never waned.
7. Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour
Everything about Madonna was important in 1990. The tour, the documentary about the tour, the water bottle that got a blow job, the fling with Warren Beatty, the multitude of beautiful gay dancers, the pointy bra, the masturbating on stage. VOGUE, for God’s sake. The song, the dancing, the life-changing video.
8. Phil and Grant Mitchell joined EastEnders
The nation’s favourite baldies, who could only be kept in line by their mother, moved to Albert Square in 1990. Phil is still there. Grant is in Portugal. That sounds like we think they’re real. We do. They are real. Come on.
9. Linda Evangelista said she and the other supermodels ‘don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day’
The dawn of the supermodel, a new breed of human. Linda’s famous quotation was cemented the following year by Cindy, Naomi, Linda and Christy stalking down the Versace runway mouthing along to George Michael’s Freedom ’90 and it only made us worship them more.
