10 Things from 2016 That Are Officially a Decade Old and It Hurts
Can we all agree that 10 years feels like a blur until a memory from 2016 hits you? Chart-toppers that once dominated every car ride and TV series that fueled frantic, spoiler-free marathons are now a full decade in the past. Even the memes that once owned the internet have aged into vintage artifacts. This quick rewind shows how much of today’s pop culture can be traced back to that iconic year.
Stranger Things Arrives on Netflix
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Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016 and quickly became a global hit. Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, the series follows a group of kids as they confront unexplained events. It also pushed binge-watching further into the mainstream, and suddenly everyone was trying to avoid spoilers for a show they hoped to finish in one night.
Pokémon Go Sends Everyone Outside
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Pokémon Go launched in July 2016 and drew people into a real-world scavenger hunt powered by augmented reality. Within months, downloads climbed into the hundreds of millions and passed 500 million by the end of the year.
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Becomes a Cultural Event
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Lemonade by Beyoncé was released in 2016 as a full visual album. It paired music with a film that explored relationships, identity, and resilience. It quickly became a major cultural moment that drove widespread discussion and analysis. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and later received a Peabody Award.
The Kylie Jenner Lip Kit Frenzy
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It takes a lot for a product to sell out in minutes, with restocks disappearing just as fast. Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kits became a staple of 2016 beauty culture and pushed matte lipstick trends across social media. The brand expanded into Kylie Cosmetics, which later reached a reported valuation of nearly $1 billion during its peak.
Drake’s One Dance Takes Over
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One Dance by Drake dominated global airplay and streaming in 2016. Its blend of dancehall and Afrobeats influences set it apart and drove repeat listening across platforms and radio. The track became the first song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify.
The “Damn, Daniel” Meme Era
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All it took for a pair of white Vans to turn into one of the year’s most recognizable internet moments was the phrase, “Damn, Daniel.” That was it. The short clip and phrase spread across Twitter, reaching millions of viewers in days. Daniel Lara and Josh Holz ended up on national television, and Vans stepped in with a lifetime supply of shoes.
Suicide Squad Hits Theaters
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Suicide Squad arrived with a lineup of villains and leaned heavily into style and character appeal. Margot Robbie’s ‘Harley Quinn’ stood out right away. The movie received mixed reviews, yet audiences kept showing up at the cinema. By the end of its run, it had pulled in roughly $746 million worldwide.
Rihanna Releases ANTI
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ANTI leaned into darker tones and a looser structure compared with earlier hits. The shift was noticeable right away, and Work, featuring Drake, held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks. The album’s influence stretched beyond a single track. It became one of the defining projects of Rihanna’s career, even as years passed without a follow-up release.
Closer Becomes the Song of the Year
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Want to know a stat that explains how dominant Closer became? How about 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100? The Chainsmokers and Halsey’s track stayed in constant rotation, built around a simple piano line and a familiar story. The song settled into playlists, radio cycles, and late-night drives, and the memories it helped create will never fade.
Snapchat’s Famous Dog Filter
Credit: Instagram
Snapchat added a fun filter that featured a pair of animated ears and a tongue that moved with every head tilt. The dog filter became one of its most recognizable features, with the app reporting more than 150 million daily users that year. Other platforms followed with similar effects, but this one marked a shift in how people interacted with photos online.