40 Photos That Show How Wild Millennial Fan Culture Was In The 1990s And 2000s

    It was the best of times. And it was the worst of times if your parents refused to drive you to the mall.

    1. If you were a teenager during the late 1990s and early 2000s, then you know it was the glory days of fan culture.

    children at a britney spears concert losing their minds

    2. The internet basically didn't exist so you actually had to work for your fandom.

    times square in 1998

    3. It was life.

    girls crying at an nsync concert

    4. Back when people had real, film cameras.

    a row of people taking pictures on their cameras

    5. Or more likely, a disposable camera.

    A girl with an air kirkpatrick sign

    6. Like you know there was a one-in-three chance of this picture turning out good.

    a girl taking a photo of jc chasez

    7. When you had to show up to get noticed.

    destiny's child fans

    8. You made homemade gifts for your faves.

    a girl giving aj from backstreet boys a gift

    9. There were autograph signings at CD stores.

    A Tower Records autograph signing

    10. Honestly, there was an autograph signing for everything.

    DC3 signing dolls

    11. Like this girl has the guy from O-Town signing her arm. A memory I'm sure she'll never forget (lol).

    guy from o-town signing a teenager's arm

    12. Concerts were a sea of colorful signs.

    american idol concerts

    13. You had to stand out.

    an nsync fan sign

    14. You wanted your fave to notice you.

    a jc rox my sox sign

    15. I think we all have a picture like this at a '90s concert.

    girls dancing at a concert

    16. We also were really into radio contests. Everyone's favorite top 40 station always had contests leading up to a big concert event.

    fly 92 concert.

    17. You identified intensely with whomever you were a fan of.

    nsync fans

    18. There were the Backstreet Boys fans.

    BSB fans

    19. The NSYNC fans.

    a girl with nsync on her head

    20. Or a fan of the pop girls.

    britney spears fans

    21. The Britney fans, I'm sorry, were the most fiercely loyal.

    a group of young britney fans

    22. There were other subsets of fans like Hanson fans.

    a group of hanson-loving girls

    23. The elusive 98 Degrees fan.

    random 98 degrees fans

    24. These girls were Jessica Simpson fans, which were rare.

    jessica simpson fans with a jessica collage

    25. And Eminem fans.

    crowd of fans in times square

    26. Everyone was a Spice Girls fan.

    two girls holding spice girls books

    27. Regardless of whom you supported, you were in through thick and thin.

    girls celebrating 3 years of aj's sobriety

    28. The TRL Studios were a sacred place.

    at the trl studios

    29. And Times Square was a mecca.

    30. Through good times...

    happy hilary duff fans

    31. ...and bad.

    the day aaliyah died

    32. Signs were carefully crafted and your chance to be noticed.

    an nsync fan sign

    33. "LET ME UP" —Everyone.

    "carson we wanna be bad with you baby" sign

    34. "Brit, you are the BEST!!! I love Britney. Love, Judith."

    a brit sign

    35. "What's next for Chris's HAIR?"

    two enthusiastic nsync fans

    36. It got so bad that Times Square had to routinely be shut down.

    crowd in times square

    37. That's when you know it was a big deal.

    a crowded times square

    38. People were just losing their shit constantly.

    excited fans

    39. It was the best.

    fans holding signs

    40. In conclusion, everything was better then because there was no Twitter or Instagram and people weren't so blatantly terrible and blah blah blah I'm going to shut the hell up because we're old now.

    TRL fans