Bill put together a pretty mean list of his favorite 80's cartoons, and I've taken it upon myself to create my own top ten list for the 90's. While I've tried to stay away from listing more than one comedy series from the same company, I make no apologies for filling two or more slots with awesome action cartoons from the same cartoon company. NONE!
10. Muppet Babies
Okay, Muppet Babies makes number ten on my countdown for a number of reasons: First, I've included it as a favor to Spooks. MB DEFINITELY deserves a top-ten slot somewhere! Second, it was quite possibly the funniest non-action cartoon I watched while growing up. If you seek to challenge this cartoon's legitimacy in a 90's lineup, I shall smite you with proof straight from Wikipedia that the original series was producing new episodes into December of 1990! Booyah! Saved by one year! And let's face it... those re-runs were a weekend staple WELL into the 90's making it downright MEAN for anyone to want to yank this cartoon from the top ten list of any child who watched it in the 90s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o
9. Captain Planet
Actually, the funnest thing about this cartoon is looking back at how lame and pretentious it really was! But it still held our attention whilst filling our heads with evil, neo-pagan/hippie-green peace propaganda! And everyone who watched cartoons in the 90's has at least SOME memory of Captain Planet's theme song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcJI87u3DoQ
8. The Animaniacs
When faced with a cramped top ten list and the guilt of listing two different 90's Warner Bros. cartoons, I HAD to pick Animaniacs in lieu of Tiny Toon Adventures! Spooks may doubt my wisdom there, but I felt it was the fresher, more original Warner Bros. toons series and a lot of the jokes were much more "risky." And realy... who can argue the genius of a skit like Pinky and the Brain? Anyone? Didn't think so...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA0TS9l_nJE
7. Goof Troop
Well, with the Warner Bros. pick out of the way, I find it necessary to add my Disney cartoon pick! The Goof Troop not only had a fun cast, great humor and an AMAZING theme song, it also had a blockbuster movie whose soundtrack became legendary! Goof troop easily beat-out Darkwing Duck and The Mighy Ducks animated series, both of which I also enjoyed. (Darkwing was a better comedian than crime fighter, and the Mighty Ducks cartoon only had 26 episodes total.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPWc-vnDmpM
6. My Hommage to Nicktoons:
I didn't want to resort to this, but then again... Nicktoons were HUGE in the 90's! Cartoons were changing in that decade, and you didn't have to settle for just what was after school and on the weekends. To ignore Nicktoons altogether would be to ignore that truth/trend entirely. My favorites BY FAR are Rugrats and Doug. (First tier, untouchable status.) Then, I'd have to say "Rocko's Modern Life" and "AHHH! Real Monsters!" Name whatever you want after that, but my oppinion rests on those named here. Let's go with Doug for the link: (lol, check it out! This is the only theme song on the list without any actual words!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8BOcQEivj0
WARNING! You can check out all the uncensored spoofs at your own risk! They're pretty funny, despite being completely vulgar.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog (the good one!)
Of the many different incarnations and series featuring Sonic the Hedgehog, this was the only one to have enough "dark elements" and seriousness to keep my interest. Sonic wasn't clogging his arteries with chilidogs and babysitting a corny and illiterate version of Tails in THIS series! No, no! He was breaking into prisons and smashing giant robots with his power rings! Who doesn't like giant robots? Unfortunately, this storyline was short-lived, and I have no idea why... It is golden in my memory!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_PEHzPITTs
4. Spider-Man
The 1990s version of Spider-Man was not only wonderful in its own right, it also featured multiple cameos and crossovers from other Marvel superhero series, (X-Men, The Punisher, The Hulk, etc.) Also A rockin' theme song. I forgot how cool it was until I listened to it again! A bit repetitive, maybe... but you could accuse TMNT of the same thing and EVERYBODY knows how to sing it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drZtJHT_O5U
3. Batman: The Animated Series
I'm throwing in some DC superheroics in the top 3 to keep things interesting. But don't let that distract you from the fact that this was truly a gem of a series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAG_7Ky4FY4&feature=related
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Probably the coolest non-superhero cartoon on syndication well into 1996, and a catchy theme song at that! I had almost all the main heroes and villains as action figures growing up. (some of the turtles even had stunt doubles!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_rv-75e3Io&feature=related
1. X-Men
FAR and AWAY the BEST superhero cartoon ever, in my oppinion. (Also the coolest superhero opening theme song. Not my oppinion. Just pure fact!) I had a few of the X-men figures growing up, including two different wolverines and a one-armed Cyclops! I guess we all know what side of THAT rivalry I grew up on...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PrvRnjJ0HY&feature=PlayList&p=6EFED0A9AAB5818D&index=0
Well there you have it! GA's top ten list of awesome cartoons I remember watching while growing-up in the 90's. I don't consider it by any means a COMPLETE list of cartoons I loved back then... scary how many good toons there were pre-millenium as opposed to now...
There are two honorable mentions I have to name that I could have sworn were in the 90's but alas, they were not. Alvin and the Chipmunks stopped making new episodes in 1989 and so did the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which usually aired Mario cartoons, and sometimes aired Legend of Zelda cartoons! SWEET! Too bad neither of these could have technically made my list. They shall join with Transformers and Voltron in my unofficial list of the all-time BEST pre-millenium cartoons to ever hit the tube!
Well it's been fun taking this stroll down memory lane... but it's almost nine and I'm embarrassed to say that with the new job starting everyday at 5AM, I am up nearly an hour past my bed time! Peace, all you rebellious nightowls...
10. Muppet Babies
Okay, Muppet Babies makes number ten on my countdown for a number of reasons: First, I've included it as a favor to Spooks. MB DEFINITELY deserves a top-ten slot somewhere! Second, it was quite possibly the funniest non-action cartoon I watched while growing up. If you seek to challenge this cartoon's legitimacy in a 90's lineup, I shall smite you with proof straight from Wikipedia that the original series was producing new episodes into December of 1990! Booyah! Saved by one year! And let's face it... those re-runs were a weekend staple WELL into the 90's making it downright MEAN for anyone to want to yank this cartoon from the top ten list of any child who watched it in the 90s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o
9. Captain Planet
Actually, the funnest thing about this cartoon is looking back at how lame and pretentious it really was! But it still held our attention whilst filling our heads with evil, neo-pagan/hippie-green peace propaganda! And everyone who watched cartoons in the 90's has at least SOME memory of Captain Planet's theme song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcJI87u3DoQ
8. The Animaniacs
When faced with a cramped top ten list and the guilt of listing two different 90's Warner Bros. cartoons, I HAD to pick Animaniacs in lieu of Tiny Toon Adventures! Spooks may doubt my wisdom there, but I felt it was the fresher, more original Warner Bros. toons series and a lot of the jokes were much more "risky." And realy... who can argue the genius of a skit like Pinky and the Brain? Anyone? Didn't think so...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA0TS9l_nJE
7. Goof Troop
Well, with the Warner Bros. pick out of the way, I find it necessary to add my Disney cartoon pick! The Goof Troop not only had a fun cast, great humor and an AMAZING theme song, it also had a blockbuster movie whose soundtrack became legendary! Goof troop easily beat-out Darkwing Duck and The Mighy Ducks animated series, both of which I also enjoyed. (Darkwing was a better comedian than crime fighter, and the Mighty Ducks cartoon only had 26 episodes total.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPWc-vnDmpM
6. My Hommage to Nicktoons:
I didn't want to resort to this, but then again... Nicktoons were HUGE in the 90's! Cartoons were changing in that decade, and you didn't have to settle for just what was after school and on the weekends. To ignore Nicktoons altogether would be to ignore that truth/trend entirely. My favorites BY FAR are Rugrats and Doug. (First tier, untouchable status.) Then, I'd have to say "Rocko's Modern Life" and "AHHH! Real Monsters!" Name whatever you want after that, but my oppinion rests on those named here. Let's go with Doug for the link: (lol, check it out! This is the only theme song on the list without any actual words!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8BOcQEivj0
WARNING! You can check out all the uncensored spoofs at your own risk! They're pretty funny, despite being completely vulgar.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog (the good one!)
Of the many different incarnations and series featuring Sonic the Hedgehog, this was the only one to have enough "dark elements" and seriousness to keep my interest. Sonic wasn't clogging his arteries with chilidogs and babysitting a corny and illiterate version of Tails in THIS series! No, no! He was breaking into prisons and smashing giant robots with his power rings! Who doesn't like giant robots? Unfortunately, this storyline was short-lived, and I have no idea why... It is golden in my memory!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_PEHzPITTs
4. Spider-Man
The 1990s version of Spider-Man was not only wonderful in its own right, it also featured multiple cameos and crossovers from other Marvel superhero series, (X-Men, The Punisher, The Hulk, etc.) Also A rockin' theme song. I forgot how cool it was until I listened to it again! A bit repetitive, maybe... but you could accuse TMNT of the same thing and EVERYBODY knows how to sing it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drZtJHT_O5U
3. Batman: The Animated Series
I'm throwing in some DC superheroics in the top 3 to keep things interesting. But don't let that distract you from the fact that this was truly a gem of a series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAG_7Ky4FY4&feature=related
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Probably the coolest non-superhero cartoon on syndication well into 1996, and a catchy theme song at that! I had almost all the main heroes and villains as action figures growing up. (some of the turtles even had stunt doubles!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_rv-75e3Io&feature=related
1. X-Men
FAR and AWAY the BEST superhero cartoon ever, in my oppinion. (Also the coolest superhero opening theme song. Not my oppinion. Just pure fact!) I had a few of the X-men figures growing up, including two different wolverines and a one-armed Cyclops! I guess we all know what side of THAT rivalry I grew up on...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PrvRnjJ0HY&feature=PlayList&p=6EFED0A9AAB5818D&index=0
Well there you have it! GA's top ten list of awesome cartoons I remember watching while growing-up in the 90's. I don't consider it by any means a COMPLETE list of cartoons I loved back then... scary how many good toons there were pre-millenium as opposed to now...
There are two honorable mentions I have to name that I could have sworn were in the 90's but alas, they were not. Alvin and the Chipmunks stopped making new episodes in 1989 and so did the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, which usually aired Mario cartoons, and sometimes aired Legend of Zelda cartoons! SWEET! Too bad neither of these could have technically made my list. They shall join with Transformers and Voltron in my unofficial list of the all-time BEST pre-millenium cartoons to ever hit the tube!
Well it's been fun taking this stroll down memory lane... but it's almost nine and I'm embarrassed to say that with the new job starting everyday at 5AM, I am up nearly an hour past my bed time! Peace, all you rebellious nightowls...