Groovival

The Spice Girl's photo-shoot for Channel 5

Decade of origin

1980s

Coined by

Jack Grimes

Key motifs

Mismatched decades, flower power, Acid House, girl power, neo-psychedelic, vibrant bright colours, Hippie revisionism, 60s spy-chic, corporate nostalgia of the 60s and 70s

Key colours

Yellow, pink, baby blue, purple, white, green

Key values

Nostalgia, 20–30-year nostalgia cycle, Boomer revisionism, nostalgic satire

Related media

Deee-Lite - Groove Is in the Heart, Rusted Root - Send Me on My Way, Now and Then (1995), Austin Powers International Man of Mystery (1997)

Iconic figures

Deee-Lite, The B52's, Spice Girls, Pulp, Edwyn Collins, Smash Mouth, En Vogue, Fran Drescher

Groovival is an aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid-2000s, drawing on imagery from the 1960s and 1970s (with some 1950s elements as well). This included motifs from Space Age, mod, hippie, flower power, and disco cultures. The aesthetic experienced a resurgence as part of the typical 20–30 year nostalgia cycle. A key characteristic of Groovival was its fusion of 1960s and 1970s aesthetics, which sometimes caused confusion between the two decades in popular culture.

The Groovival aesthetic had some overlap with Y2K Futurism and was a major influence on 2000s aesthetics like Curly Girly and Parisian Girly. Groovival was part of a broader movement that revived several aesthetics, such as ones that were more exclusively 70s-inspired (Millennium Disco, Ultramodern Revival, and Malaise Era Kitsch Revival), ones that mixed the 50s and 60s (Googie Kitsch), and ones that mixed the 70s and 80s (Electroclash and McBling).

History[]

1988–1994: Early Popularity[]

During the late 80s Rave culture, 1960s iconography was often used; you could see early signs of Hippie appreciation with slogans like PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect). Rave culture also included a Second Summer of Love that went from 1988 to 1992; this was held in the UK and was heavily inspired by the original Summer of Love in 1967. The theme of this acid rave joint was heavily hippie-inspired, with tons of youth-based rebellion and drug use such as MDMA. This is where you had the birth of the iconic rave smiley face as a symbol of drug use and the acid house sound.

In the late 1980s, Britain's Madchester, Baggy, and Shoegaze movements borrowed heavily from 1960s British rock-n-roll, garage rock, and psychedelia. Musicians included The La's, The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, and Inspiral Carpet; these bands' sounds had an heavy emphasis on jangly acoustic guitar which in part took inspiration from The Beatles, The Kinks, Small Faces, and The Who. This sound would soon dominate alternative and indie rock throughout the 1990s, even going as far as to be featured in a lot of Grunge songs. This would evolve into the mid-1990s Britpop sound, with most of the bands often dressing like the bands from the first British invasion.

Released in 1989, "Love Shack" by New Wave band The B-52's reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was the earliest sign of the groovival aesthetic in mainstream pop music. The song itself mixes '70s contemporary funk with '50s–60s rockabilly/surf, while the music video featured the band dressed in over-the-top '60s–70s attire, with 60s–70s icons like Nile Rodgers and Cher. This mismatching of the 60s and 70s became a pop cultural staple of 90s Groovival.

Pop group Deee-Lite's song "Groove Is In the Heart" burst onto the scene in 1990 with a mix of 60s acid rock, 70s funk/disco, and melodic hip hop elements, which brought a retro sound into the sounds of the 90s. The song was critically acclaimed. Critics appreciated its mix of funk, soul and acid rock elements that were modernised for the time, but what was really noticeable was the music video, which went for a full 60s psychedelic theme that would then be used as the standard for the groovival aesthetic. in the video you can tell that both the 60s and 70s clashed and got mixed together as there's disco elements with 60s themes, the video also uses elements of Cyberdelic themes in it's visuals which was mostly used in a lot of electronic based videos at the time, Groove Is in the Heart reached number four on the US Hot 100 charts.

1994–2000s: Mainstream Success[]

Groovial began its mainstream peak in the mid-1990s, especially after the growing success of Britpop and the spy-chic trend returning with movies like Golden Eye (1995) and Mission: Impossible (1996). This is also around the time when fashion borrowed heavily from the 1960s flower power aesthetic; tons of fashion brands embraced full 60s attire and trends, such as Mod. 90s "slacker" Grunge incorporated elements of 60s–70s fashions and music, such as Hippie/Psychedelia and Punk Rock. Artists like Edwyn Collins, Oasis, and Pulp incorporated 60s and/or 70s influences in their music such as Northern Soul, British Invasion rock, Glam Rock, and psychedelia. Movies like Pulp Fiction (1994), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), and Scooby-Doo (2002) went for a satirical take on 60s–70s trends. There was no shortage of 60s–70s nostalgia, to the point where it became oversaturated, similar to the days of Corporate Hippie. Groovival was known for mixing and conflating 1960s and 1970s styles such as the movie Dick (1999), which had hippie elements even when depicting 1972 (at which point that aesthetic wasn't as popular).

Y2K Futurism continued the 60s–70s influences into the late 1990s and early 2000s, being based on the Space Age designs of the 1960s and Supergraphic Ultramodern of the 1970s. "Futuristic-sounding" artists like Stereolab, Smash Mouth, AIR, and Jamiroquai based their sound on 1950s–70s music such as Space Age pop/exotica/lounge, ska, and disco, often accompanied by the Gen X Soft Club and Googie Kitsch aesthetics. Early 2000s movies and shows incorporated 60s-esque spy themes such as Spy Kids, Kim Possible, Agent Cody Banks, and Thunderbirds. Websites and advertisements featured Googie Kitsch as a recurring design choice. Retro design cars were released such as the VW New Beetle, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500C, and Ford Mustang.

Girl Power and Curly Girly[]

The Groovival aesthetic often targeted young girls in their preteen and adolescent years, through teen-based magazines and fashion catalogues. Fashion stores like Claire's embraced full flower power attire, along with magazine publications like Seventeen, American Girl, and Vogue which had 60s aesthetics in their magazines, stores and toys. Lisa Frank Inc. started in 1980 but didn't reach its commercial peak until the mid-1990s; this company showcased vibrant psychedelic patterns and bright colors as a way to get kids into art and design; its stickers were especially popular with young children. Movies and television also used this aesthetic, many featuring young female protagonists and some being 60s–70s period pieces, such as Clueless (1995), Sweet Valley High (1994–1997), Now and Then (1995), Spice World (1997), Dick (1999), All I Wanna Do (1998), Jawbreaker (1999), and Get a Clue (2002).

Girl groups often used Groovival in the 90s and early 2000s. The first most noticeable act to use Groovival was En Vogue; their album Funky Divas (1992) gave off heavy funk and soul elements as they were heavily inspired by both The Supremes and The Marvelettes. The most notable act to give off mostly 60s vibes and the occasional 70s disco was The Spice Girls, who made girl power their popular gimmick and often sported 60s and 70s fashion in music videos and on the red carpet. Their song "Stop" (1997) gave off heavy Supreme vibes in both the song and music video, while "Who Do You Think You Are" had a sound similar to 70s disco. Other girl groups like Destiny's Child and TLC incorporated Y2K Futurism in their videos ("No Scrubs" and "Say My Name"), which in turn was inspired by 1960s Space Age and 1970s Supergraphic Ultramodern designs.

Groovival also influenced the Curly Girly aesthetic of the late 1990s to mid-2000s. Toy brands followed 60s–70s inspired motifs with toys such as Betty Spaghetty, Groovy Girls, Groovy Chick, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Limited Too, and Girl Tech. TV shows included So Little Time (2001–2002), Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004), Totally Spies! (2001–2013), and Kim Possible (2002); the former two incorporated '70s fashion influences, while the latter two had a '60s spy theme and mid-century designs. Another 2000s aesthetic inspired by Groovival was Parisian Girly.

2000s: Evolution into 70s–80s Nostalgia[]

In the 2000s, 60s–70s Groovival gradually evolved into 70s–80s aesthetics due to the 20–30 year nostalgia cycle. Early signs came in the late 1990s with the release of That 70s Show (1998–2006) and Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), music like “Dancing in the Moonlight” - Toploader and movies like Boogie Nights (1997), The Wedding Singer (1998), Charlie's Angels (2000), and Almost Famous (2000).

New 70s–80s inspired aesthetics took hold such as Electroclash, Millennium Disco, Ultramodern Revival, and the Malaise Era Kitsch Revival. Post-punk revival/indie artists like The Strokes, The Killers, and LCD Soundsystem harkened back to the 70s-80s in both sound and music videos. The release of Bratz often went for more '70s vibes; even the third Austin Powers film Goldmember went for a more 70s funk/disco-oriented aesthetic. Fashion also went into more of a 70s–80s style via McBling, with low-rise 70s flared jeans, the Candice font (previously popular in the '70s), and text-based baby tees, and usage of 80s motifs such as pink colors and leopard prints.

Visuals[]

Groovival takes heavy inspiration from the mid-to-late 60s hippie aesthetic, which often uses floral patterns, chevrons & zigzags, swirls & whirls, and kaleidoscopic symmetry. The additional aspects take heavy usage from the acid rave scene of the late 80s to early 90s, which includes the Cyberdelic aesthetic along with the smiley face icon used in a lot of acid raves. The Girl Power/Curly Girly portion of Groovival targets mostly young girls and has tween/teen-based visuals that mixes 60s–70s aesthetics with Y2K Futurism as a slight element.

Visual elements in general include:

Floral patterns
Smiley Face icons
Visuals similar to Tweencore
Mod fashion
Kaleidoscopic symmetry
Mixture of 60s and 70s fashion styles
Hippie iconography an fashion
Corporate Hippie, in particular
Chevrons
Zig-zags
Swirls, spirals, and whirly patterns
Bright colors
80s-90s era Preppy fashion

Fashion[]

The fashion of groovival borrows heavily from 60s and 70s aesthetics, this was also around the time you saw the rise of the tie-dye t-shirts in the mainstream, with brands like Stussy, which often sold tie-dye t-shirts to surfers and those in the skater punk scene. Tie-dye clothing became a staple of the late 80s and early 90s skater subcultures and alternative scenes; for example, the brand Liquid Blue disproportionally aimed their demographic at rockers due to some of the t-shirts including band iconography in them. Other clothing items include swirly pants, flower print shirts, and jelly sandals. Mod fashion was also a staple, but the one used the most often was the hippie attire, which mixed 60s flower power with the bohemian aesthetic. With this, the peace symbol was also used as either part of a t-shirt or a used as a button.

Swirly capri pants
Round tinted glasses
Flared jeans
Paisley print
Hippie oval sunglasses
Harem pants
Tie-dye T-shirts
Floral bucket hats
Tribal print vests
Square toe heels
Striped turtleneck sweaters
Square toe go-go boots
Heart-shaped glasses
Faux fur coats
Velvet shirts
Shaggy bowl cuts
Groovy print platform sandals
Floral patchwork skirts
Bohemian blouses
Jelly sandals

Media[]

When it comes to popular culture, groovival is a staple of both 80s/90s rave culture and 90s mainstream culture in general. The groovival aesthetic is showcased in movies, TV shows, toys, fashion magazines and products. At first, it was part of the rave scene in the 80s/90s, and then it quickly got adopted as its own nostalgic revival of the 60s with the aesthetic mostly targeting young prepubescent girls by the late 90s - early 00s.

Merchandising[]

This merchandising is meant to showcase the resurgence of the flower power aesthetic that often targeted young girls. A lot of merchandising opted for a groovival aesthetic, with the products using hippie phrases for their marketing.

Groovy Chick
Groovy Girls
Barbie
Calgon Smiley Collection
Ben Sherman (Fashion Brand)
Polly Pocket
Britney Spears Inflatable Chair
Betsey Johnson (Fashion brand)
Justice (Store)
Lava Psychedelic Swirl
Limited Too (Store)
Caboodles Jellies
Claires (Store)
Stussy (Fashion Brand)
Aristocrat Lava Lamps
Bongo (Fashion brand)
Seventeen Magazine
Vogue
dELiA*s (Fashion brand)
Flatsy Dolls
Lisa Frank

Movies[]

The 90's brought back many classic film staples of the 60s, one of which is the 1960s spy chic films that were popularised during the bond craze. These films went for pure satire or irony, with some including updated flair for those within Generation X, another staple of the 60s that was brought back was the campy sci-fi adventure films, such as Galaxy Quest and Mars Attacks!. All these films poked fun at these tropes in some way all while remaining respectful to previous trends of the past. Other aspects include films that use the groovival aesthetic even when depicting both the 60s - 70s case in point Dick (1999) or the film Blast from the Past (1999).

60s/70s Satire Films[]

Rude Awakening (1989)
The Adams Family series (1991-1993)
The Flintstones (1994)
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Casper (1995)
Mars Attacks! (1996)
A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
101 Dalmatians series (1996-000)
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
Austin Powers Series (1997-2002)
Blast from the Past (1999)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
My Favourite Martian (1999)
Josie and the Pussy Cats (2001)
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
Undercover Brother (2002)
I Spy (2002)
Scooby Doo! Series (2002-2004)

Groovival Movies[]

Hairspray (1988)
The Doors (1991)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Clueless (1995)
Now and Then (1995)
Doctor Who (1996)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
Spice World (1997)
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
The Parent Trap (1998)
Dick (1999)
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
Passport to Paris (1999)
Jawbreaker (1999)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)
Thunderbirds (2004)
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

TV Shows[]

The groovival aesthetic was mostly interjected in the small screen, with tons of TV shows that used the aesthetic in a myriad of ways. There were certain reboots of popular TV shows from the 60s that were reintroduced for a new, younger audience that heavily referenced and/or parodied 1960s aesthetics and tropes, but by the late 1990s groovival mostly targeted young girls with various live-action and cartoon series that included spy-chic, campy sci-fi adventures or the occult.

Live-Action[]

Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2012)
The Nanny (1993-1999)
Sweet Valley High (1994-1999)
Clueless (1996-1999)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)
My Parents Are Aliens (1999-2006)
That 70s Show (1998-2006)
Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)

Animation[]

The Pink Panther (1993-1996)
Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994-2001)
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996-1997)
The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004)
Futurama (1999-present)
Sabrina: The Animated Series (1999-2000)
As Told By Ginger (2000-2004)
Totally Spies! (2001-2025)
Duck Dodgers (2003-2005)
Atomic Betty (2004-2008)

Music[]

Many acts of the 90s adopted a 60s/70s revival in their sound. The emergence of Britpop borrowed heavily from the 60s British invasion and 70s glam rock, and the Seattle sound of grunge often used riffs similar to 60s psychedelia and 70s hard rock/punk. Rock music of the 90s also used heavy jangling which was a direct revival from the acoustic-based sounds of 60s/70s protest rock. Music videos often featured groovival aesthetics when it came to portraying outfits and featuring mod-style white backgrounds and choreography. The influence of the 60s was very much alive, acts like The B52's, En Vogue, Smash Mouth and Edwyn Collins made their careers from becoming 60s tribute acts alongside Lenny Kravitz, who often mixed both the sound of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Thin Lizzy to create a 60s/70s mix of sounds; these songs are the closest to sounding purely 1960s with a somewhat 70s spin as well.