The political debates will be raging this summer as the U.S. prepares for the November Presidential election. One of the hot topics is immigration and the impact it has on the country. Figures from the United States Census Bureau provide possible scenarios of population change through to the end of the century. The prediction is that the total population will rise to nearly 370 million in 2080 and then fall to 366 million in 2100. Millennials (those born between 1980 and 1996) were the largest generation group in the U.S. in 2023, with an estimated population of 72.7 million.
They have a lot of buying power and when they were children that translated into frenzied trends for toys and gadgets. Often triggered by TV or movie characters, these trends had desperate parents queueing around the block to get the latest must-have toy for their kids. As they got older, they had an impact on the music industry, and here are the music artists who influenced the millennial generation the most.
To compile a list of 17 toys every millennial kid loved, 24/7 Tempo consulted the archives of companies such as Hasbro; data curated by The Strong National Museum of Play; encyclopedia sources such as Britannica; and media outlets including Reader’s Digest, The New York Times, Time, Good Housekeeping, and Smithsonian. 24/7 Tempo exercised editorial discretion in making the final selection where appropriate.
Rubik’s Cube
Source: vitranc / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Made by: Ideal Toy Company
- Why so popular? Loved by children and adults, books dedicated to help solve it
Smurfs
Source: nicescene / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Made by: Peyo
- Why so popular? Due to a 1981 TV series
My Little Pony
Source: ivanastar / Getty Images
- Made by: Hasbro
- Why so popular? Always popular but demand soared when TV series launched in 1986
Cabbage Patch Kids
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Made by: Coleco
- Why so popular? Successful marketing of dolls as ‘adoptable’
Transformers
Source: Gobi / Flickr
- Made by: Hasbro
- Why so popular? Comics, animated television series, and live-action films
Teddy Ruxpin
Source: Mathue / Wikimedia Commons
- Made by: Worlds of Wonder/Hasbro/Yes! Entertainment/BacPack Toys/Wicked Cool Toys
- Why so popular? First commercially available animatronic toy
A classic plush teddy bear combined with cutting-edge technology, Teddy Ruxpin was the first commercially available animatronic toy. He was outfitted with a cassette tape and could tell stories, sing, and blink his eyes. The first year after Teddy hit the market, over 1.3 million of the toys were sold.
Care Bears
Source: John Trainor / Wikimedia Commons
- Made by: Kenner/Parker Brothers
- Why so popular? Animated TV series and ‘personality’ traits
Jenga
Source: Guma89 / Wikimedia Commons
- Made by: Milton Bradley
- Why so popular? Physical toy, can be played outside
Launched in the U.S. in 1985, this family game of physical prowess became one of the most popular toys available in 1987. Its appeal has hardly worn off, as it remains a go-to in many family game closets and giant jenga sets can be found at bars and in parks to this day.
Super Mario Bros
Source: ilbusca / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Made by: Nintendo Entertainment System
- Why so popular? New type of entertainment for kids
Game Boy
Source: Public Domain /. Wikimedia Commons
- Made by: Nintendo Entertainment System
- Why so popular? Novelty of pocket-sized electronic game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Source: ivanastar / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Made by: Playmates Toys
- Why so popular? Animated television series and live action movie
Super Nintendo
Source: panchof / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Made by: Nintendo Entertainment System
- Why so popular? Very detailed graphics
Talkboy
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- Made by: Tiger Electronics
- Why so popular? Used as a prop in the 1992 Christmas movie “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Beanie Babies
Source: dominiquegodbout / Flickr
- Made by: Ty Inc.
- Why so popular? An early internet sensation
Power Rangers
Source: Shahzad Bhiwandiwala / Flickr
- Made by: Hasbro
- Why so popular? 1993 live action television series
Released alongside a 1993 live action television series, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers action figures became the best-selling toy during the 1994 holiday shopping season. A QVC special sale that year sold $1.9 million worth of Power Rangers toys in two hours.
Buzz Lightyear
Source: Valerie Loiseleux / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Made by: Thinkaways
- Why so popular? “Toy Story” movie
Tickle Me Elmo
Source: Chris Harrison / Flickr
- Made by: Tyco
- Why so popular? Novelty of shaking toy and popular TV character
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