With the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt on normality, 2020 is fast becoming an unforgettable year — for all the wrong reasons. With no major sporting events, music festivals, or new cinema releases to look forward to, we are left to rewind back the clock and reminisce about years gone by.
Thanks to free-to-air tv channel ITV, one of the years pulling at our nostalgia heartstrings is 1996. Playing the Euro ‘96 tournament from start to finish, the TV giant is allowing us to celebrate Gazza’s goal against Scotland — and cry at Southgate’s penalty — all over again.
But, whilst Gazza and co. were helping bring the nation together on the pitch, what else made 1996 such a memorable year? Here, we look at everything from the rise of five Spices in music, to the biggest star in basketball meeting a certain cartoon bunny on the big screen.
The Spice Girls take over
Before the summer of ‘football coming home’, one of the biggest headline grabbers came back in February when boyband sensation, Take That, announced a shock split to the world.
Such was the reaction of devastation from fans, the Samaritans set up a special helpline to offer counselling. Those going through the distress were reassured that all four members were planning solo careers. Phew.
With Take That out of the picture, July saw the breakthrough of the Spice Girls. Blowing a UK scene — dominated by men with guitars — out of the water, their debut single ‘Wannabe’ went to number one in 31 different countries and broke all kinds of records. It’s still a go-to today for anyone equipped with a mirror and a hairbrush.
Away from girl power and Gary Barlow’s impending solo career, 1996 featured another memorable night at the Brit Awards. Britpop ruled the evening, with Oasis picking up a clean sweep of awards, but the limelight was eventually stolen by Pulp frontman, Jarvis Cocker.
He caused a storm by jumping on stage during a performance of ‘Earth Song’ by the late Michael Jackson and was subsequently arrested. A drunk Bob Mortimer offered to represent the singer, but thankfully no charges were brought in the end.
A record year for cars
Deemed more reliable than England in a penalty-shootout, the car industry experienced a record-breaking year in 1996. New car sales surpassed two million for the first time since 1990, and we saw yet more reasons for Germany to celebrate — besides football bragging rights.
The Audi A4 got a new style and the German brand released the famed A3 and S8 models for the first time. It would mark a year of incredible success for the black, red, and yellow flag.
We also saw the likes of Ford launch their first-ever Ka model as a low-cost addition to their range of vehicles. It became the emerging city car that ruled in the 1990s and was named ‘Small Car of the Decade’ by CAP in 2010.
Michael Jordan meets Bugs Bunny
Away from football, music, and cars, we were shown that literally anything is possible in the world of film, as Michael Jordan found himself playing a must-win basketball game alongside the Looney Tunes in Space Jam. In an attempt to avoid a future at Moron Mountain amusement park — as the star attraction — we were taken on an epic journey from Earth to Looney Tune Land that featured the likes of Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Porky Pig.
Classic scenes include the Monstars stealing the powers of NBA players, Michael meeting Bugs and Daffy Duck being chased round Jordan’s house by the star’s pet bulldog.
The film took $230 million at the box office and spawned calls for a sequel, that until recently, were never answered. Fans will be delighted to know that a second helping of Space Jam goodness is set to be served in 2021, with LeBron James set to go on his own space adventure.
Fighting extra-terrestrial races seemed to be all the rage 24 years ago, with the year’s highest-grossing film going to Independence Day — which featured the much-loved Will Smith. It grossed $817.4 million at the box office and had the backing of the US military in pre-production, but this support was withdrawn after references to Area 51 were made within the script.
Fingers crossed for 2021
Looking back, 1996 was a year crammed full of sporting excitement, history-defining music, films with cartoon aliens, and cars that we still love today. Here’s to hoping that 2021 can follow in its footsteps with England set to host parts of Euro ‘21 and the current biggest star in basketball ready to introduce himself to Bugs and the rest of the Looney Tunes.