1. Avengers Endgame

The release of Avengers Endgame on April 26, 2019 was met with immediate box office success of 1.2 billion dollars of revenue in the opening weekend, breaking all kinds of records in the process. But it did not stop there; Avengers Endgame went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time, with a total revenue of 2.8 billion dollars. It was made as the climax of Marvel’s iconic 11 year narrative, and in the process, topping off a segment of the most recognizable, successful, and age defining franchises.

2. Vine

January 24, 2013 marks the birth of Vine, a massively successful social media app that sparked thousands of trends and a new media of comedy. Vine taught  people the value of making every second count, and how to get super creative with just 6 seconds. Although its self induced demise left the world a little mournful, we were comforted by Music.ly and later by Tik Tok.

3. Tik Tok

Tik Tok, released in September 2016, took social media by storm. Incorporating aspects of Music.ly and reincarnating Vine, Tik Tok was able to become one of the most popular apps with 1 billion downloads. Although there is a large dispute over whether or not Tik Tok is funny or just cringy, no one can deny the presence it had on the 2010s culture. Love it or hate it, it is a definite highlight of the 2010s.

4. The Walking Dead

“The Walking Dead” allowed our minds to run wild with the ironic fantasy of a zombie apocalypse, and we reward it with being the most watched scripted show on TV. Starting in 2010 and lasting throughout the whole decade, with plans for future seasons in years to come, this has been a decade defining show which shows that not only is the world prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but we are expecting it, and some are even looking forward to it.

5. Get Out

“Get Out” tackled racism like no other horror movie before it. While it does convey its message in a bloody and profane way, it provides a compassionate and thoughtful look at racial alienation and interracial relationships. Its success of being nominated for 39 major awards, of which it received 19, shows just how much social racial progress humanity has made by its released date of Feb 24, 2017.

6. Stranger Things

“Stranger Things,” being one of the most successful Netflix Originals, has brought back 80s culture, providing nostalgia for people who lived through them, and providing a explorational resort for those who missed out on it. It brought back the feeling of adventure and captured so many aspects of 80s pop culture. The language, the clothing, the music the characters listen to, and even camera angles and background soundtrack music are references classic 80s movies that really immerse the audience.

7. Expansion of the  Disney Empire

In the 2010s decade, Disney’s control expanded to almost every inch of the film empire and all corners of pop culture. Disney has managed to stay relevant for another 10 years, and for many more to come. Disney bought Marvel Studios, LucasFilm, 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Pixar, Blue Sky Studios and Warner Bros. It is safe to say that Disney is not going anywhere for a long time.

8. LGBTQ+ Representation in Pop Culture

A huge decade defining aspect of the 2010s is how the nonbinary gender community has gained support and massive ammounts of popularity. Through music, movies and TV, the LGBTQ+ community has been represented more than throughout history. Lady Gaga’s 2011 hit “Born This Way” was an anthem of equality that no one can rival. The 2017 film, Moonlight, became the first LGBTQ+ themed movie to win the Best Picture Oscar. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” became a pop culture sensation throughout the 2010s, and was very popular among members of the LGBTQ+ community and even straight people, as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” was able to attract many supporters. Lil Nas X’s 2019 hit, “Old Town Road” dominated the Billboard Top 100 for a record breaking 19 weeks, which is both the longest a song has maintained the number 1 spot, as well making Lil Nas X the first gay artist to have a song reach number one.

9. Memes

Memes became the most widespread form of humor within the 2010s. They allowed for people to use satire to address problems they saw, and in turn, raised awareness for many issues. Memes are effectively entertaining through all demographics due to the reference paired with a factor of generalization. This allowed people to in on the joke with little to no prior knowledge. This medium allowed for widespread self expression that can make like of any adversities one faced. Whether or not you find many mainstream memes funny, there are always some that can connect to you and make you laugh.

10. Revival of Defunct Culture Mediums Through New Pop Culture

Much of the 2010s decade was defined by the way society has revived defunct aspects of culture and revived them into living retroactive ideals. Movies such as Rocket Man (May 31, 2019), Bohemian Rhapsody (November 2, 2018), and Yesterday (June 28, 2019) were some of the most popular movies through all generations, despite the fact of being about music that is no longer actively being culturally present. The world has also seemed to revisit other outdated ways of life, such as the beautiful renaissance of the vinyl industry – many early 1900s music artists being popularized again, as well as many new artists printing on vinyl – 90s fashion reverts, and the sprouting of 70s style bell bottom jeans resurfacing.