What Happened in 2016 Pop Culture? Core Memory Central

There was just something in the air in 2016. Maybe our chokers were too tight or we were too busy perfecting our mannequin challenge, but this era was iconic. It was the year of the nonstop internet highlight reel, full of memes, big music drops, and celeb drama. Just the way we like it, right???

As trends come and go, there are always a few that stick and completely change the game. And honestly, SO much of the 2016 pop culture era shaped the way we consume pop culture now. Like, where would we be if Beyoncé never dropped Lemonade or Stranger Things never aired? Sure, we’d have new trendy things to obsess over, but it just wouldn’t feel the same. 

That said, you know what time it is. Today, we’re throwing it back to the mid-2010s, when knee-high boots and velvet ruled the world. We’re exploring all of those unforgettable moments in 2016 pop culture and how they basically laid the blueprint for culture today. Hop in our virtual time machine, buckle your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride.

What Happened in 2016 Pop Culture? Core Memory Central

We’re suuuper passionate about pop culture here at Dear Media, and why wouldn’t we be? Every year shapes the next, which shapes the next, which shapes the—okay, you get it. We love seeing how trends evolve, adapt, and transform over time. We’ve gone over 2013 pop culture, 2014 pop culture, and, of course, what happened in 2015 pop culture. All iconic years with their own legendary moments.

But we’d be doing you all a disservice if we just skipped right over 2016. Because, let’s be real—it wasn’t just a year full of fun events and exciting moments—it was an entire cultural reset.

What Major Events Happened in 2016?

• Beyoncé shocked the world by dropping her second visual album, Lemonade. This 11-chapter, 65-minute film premiered on HBO to represent different stages of healing and growth. It’s powerful sh*t, which is why we ate up every single second of it.
• We saw the end of the Brangelina era when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed for divorce. It wasn’t a clean break, though—Angelina claimed Pitt had verbally and physically abused her. Yeah, things got dark. 
• Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election against Hillary Clinton. This sparked big political debates about, well, a lot. But did we expect any different? Politics are always messy, no surprise there.
• Ahhh, the “Lochtegate” scandal. What a time, right? During the 2016 Summer Olympics, Ryan Lochte told a story about being robbed at gunpoint. As soon as they launched an investigation, they found out that this actually didn’t happen. Lochte and fellow swimmers actually vandalized a gas station, prompting authorities to confront them and demand money for damages. As you’d probably expect, Lochte was suspended for 10 months, and his rep totally tanked.
• We lost a LOT of prominent figures in 2016, like Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher, and George Michael. Can’t talk—still not over it.
• Justin Bieber made the biggest comeback of all time by releasing his album Purpose. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the biggest comeback of all time, but it was definitely important to us. With more mature themes and raw honesty, this album signified a major turning point in his career.

What Are the Biggest Pop Culture Moments of 2016?

Hamilton turned everyone into a theater geek. 

If there’s one thing theater culture will always be, it’s passionate. And that passion accumulated a HUGE following when Hamilton: An American Musical came out in 2016. It was more than just a few catchy songs, though. Through a blend of hip-hop and that traditional Broadway ballad feel, the musical challenged a lot of hot topics in American history, politics, and culture. 

Theater fanatics weren’t the only ones tuning in, which is what made Hamilton SO iconic. It was attracting a whole new generation and demographic of fans. It was both entertainment and an educational piece in the likes of which we’d never seen before.

Wanna hear about the power of theater from legend himself Rainn Wilson? Tune into the Good Guys episode titled “Rainn Wilson on God, Banana Bread, and the Dwight of It All.” 

Stranger Things took us back to the 80s. 

Remember how we said that “Netflix and Chill” dominated 2015 pop culture? In 2016, people were wayyyy too busy binge-watching Stranger Things to even think about the “and chill” part. There have been a LOT of shows that try to encapsulate that true 80s vibe, but not like Stranger Things. From the nostalgia and vintage hits to the fashion and hairstyles, this series intrigued both young and mature audiences. 

It was more than just your average Netflix series—it was a cultural reset. Even now, social media is full of nostalgic posts about those “Stranger Things summer vibes.” With a little old-school charm and edge-of-the-seat storytelling, this show will never not be a fan-favorite.

Hear the girls of The Toast talk about Millie Bobby Brown in THIS episode.

Deadpool altered the Marvel universe in every way possible. 

Even if you’re not a fan of superhero movies, chances are you’ve seen (and loved) Deadpool. And with Ryan Reynolds’ unparalleled, R-rated humor, how could you not? It’s much more anti-hero than superhero, which is what made it such a groundbreaking release. 

The genre was starting to feel a little same-old, same-old—same goals, same objective, same endings. Dead Pool showed us all that a little edge and different perspective, while bold, is exactly what the world needed. Plus can we talk about Blake Lively’s cameo as Lady Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine? Iconic.

Leonardo DiCaprio won a long-awaited Oscar.

There was a long-running joke that even though Leo DiCaprio was an incredible actor with an impressive portfolio, he just simply would never win an Oscar. It’s not that he wasn’t ever nominated, it was just that another film was always… better. (Sorry!).  

After years of losses, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar for Best Actor in The Revenant. The role was immersive, demanding, and, honestly, extremely challenging. That said, it was about time for Leo to get his flowers.

Also, tune into the Taste of Taylor episode, “Walks of Shame with Talia Lichtstein!” There’s a fun bit about one key trait that Taylor and Leo have in common—you’ll have to tune it to find out what it is. 

A lot of old favorites graced our screens again.

2016 was the year of reboots and revivals—and they were good ones. Two of the most notable choices? Fuller House and Ghostbusters. When 90s icon Full House ended, we all felt our hearts break into a thousand pieces. No more “you got it dudes” or deep family convos that sparked inspiration outside of the screen. BUT, after a long-awaited two decades, the Tanner family was back to give us more. It was the sequel we all knew we needed but never knew would come. 

Fuller House wasn’t the only thing that got the world excited; the 2016 rendition of Ghostbusters was EVERYTHING. It wasn’t so much as a continuation of the OG as a reimagining. And this time, we got to see the four main characters played by women. HUUUUGE deal! We saw an iconic cast including Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon. It wasn’t just a hit—it was a whole moment.

Kim Versus Taylor Versus Kanye Versus The World

This isn’t the first pop culture post where we’ve talked about the feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Before 2016, the two had been going back and forth for years, like almost a decade’s worth of drama. This year, though, Kanye West took it way too far. 

When Kanye released his song “Famous,” there was a one-liner in there about Taylor, saying, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex.” Taylor said she was blindsided, but Kim Kardashian posted a phone call where Taylor allegedly approved the lyrics. Fans? Furious. And not for Taylor, but at her. They felt like she was making a big deal out of something she already knew about, intending to make Kanye look bad.

Later, it came out that Kanye didn’t actually give Taylor the full context. What Taylor heard was a looooot less offensive than what was released. Fans backtracked and apologized for questioning Taylor’s character, but the moment didn’t end there. Taylor reminded the world that she was THAT girl with the response song “Look What You Made Me Do.” It was an iconic moment in history, and we didn’t expect anything less. 

Love it or hate it, 2016 pop culture was one for the books.

2016 taught us a lot. We learned about American History thanks to Hamilton, and we learned why you don’t eff with Taylor Swift. All of these little moments, though they were small at the time, transformed culture both then and now. We’ll always hold a special place in our hearts for this icon that was 2016. What era do you guys wanna see us cover next???

Want even more pop culture updates? Head over to the Dear Media blog! We cover all that must-know info about what’s going on in today’s media, you don’t wanna miss a thing. And, don’t forget to check out the DM shop for all the latest products. In the spirit of 2016, you need this “Damn Good” crewneck.