50 Iconic Pop Culture Moments From 2010, From Justin Bieber's "Baby" to Angry Birds

Updated on 10/25/2023 at 6:55 PM

Imagine: It's a bright, sunny afternoon in 2010 and you're listening to "Airplanes" by B.o.B on your iPod Nano on your way home from school. You're counting down the hours until the next episode of "Pretty Little Liars", and you're wondering who could possibly be "A." Prince William and Kate Middleton just got engaged and you get butterflies every time you see a photo of them looking lovingly at each other. Hey, love is a beautiful thing. When you get home, you log onto Facebook and maybe give your crush (or, let's be real, your BFF) a "Poke." After you do your homework, you play a game of Angry Birds and things. are. good.

Now, flash forward to over 10 years later. We're now well into the 2020s, and all you want to do is go back to 2010 and listen, we hear you. Nostalgia is more popular than ever these days, inspiring everything from countless remakes and sequels to TikTok trends and aesthetics. So in honor of what life was like a decade ago, here's a list that will make you seriously nostalgic for the simpler times. From the throwback music hits to all the "I can't believe that actually happened" moments, take a trip down memory lane. Grab your time machine, because 2010, here we come.

Katy Perry Turned Up the Heat in the "California Gurls" Music Video

"Sex and the City 2" Made Us Cherish Our Friends

If "Like a G6" Isn't Still Going Through Your Head to This Day, You Did 2010 Wrong

"127 Hours" Came Out in Theaters, and We Vowed to Never Go Climbing Alone

"Leap Year" Was Ultracheesy, but You Couldn't Not Watch It

When "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" Was the Romance Movie We Didn't Know We Needed

Drake's "Thank Me Later" Album Came Out, Which Meant "Fireworks" Was on Repeat

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" Came Out (!!)

When Facebook Hit 500 Million Users, No One Knew How Much Bigger It Would Become

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt Got Married and Stole Our Hearts

Justin Bieber Released the Iconic Hit "Baby"

Who Could Forget Mike Posner's "Cooler Than Me"?

Remember When Simon Cowell Left "American Idol"? "Yikes" Is Right

Also, Who Didn't Absolutely Love "MasterChef"?

Eminem Made Us Cry Every Time We Listened to "Love the Way You Lie"

"Black Swan" Sent Chills Down Everyone's Spines

It Was a Magical Day When Prince William Got Engaged to Kate Middleton

The Beloved Mystery Comedy "Psych" Hit the 5-Season Mark

Let's Not Forget About "Despicable Me" and the Introduction of Minions

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson Were a Total Tease at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Kesha Blessed Us With Her "Animal" Album, Which Was Played at Every Dance

Everyone Was Hooked on "Covert Affairs"

Kathryn Bigelow Became the First Woman to Win Best Director at the Oscars For "The Hurt Locker"

iPads Came Out and Shook Up the Technology World

Everyone Dedicated Hours of Their Lives to Angry Birds

"The Hills" Wrapped Up That Year — Cue the Tears

If You Didn't Hear "Bulletproof" at Least Once a Day, You Weren't Listening

Lady Gaga Stunned Onlookers in Her Sparkly Grammys Look

She Also Wore Slabs of Meat to the 2010 VMAs

"Easy A" Was the Must-Watch Rom-Com of the Summer

We Stayed Up Late Watching "White Collar"'s Second Season (Matt Bomer, Swoon)

Laura Linney Had Us on the Edge of Our Seats During Every Episode of "The Big C"

"Inception" Was the Thriller Everyone Had to See 10+ Times

Getty | Dave M. Benett

Remember When Russell Brand and Katy Perry Were a Thing?

"The Walking Dead" Was the Only Show That Mattered

Besides, of Course, "Jersey Shore"

Everyone Was Blasting "Forget You" in Their Cars While Thinking About Their Exes

You Wished Your First Love Would Sing Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are" to You

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" Was the Highest-Grossing Film of the Year

"Toy Story 3" Made Us Cry More Than We'd Like to Admit

Not to Mention, "Kick-Ass" Was Pretty Cool

You Literally Said "OMG" When Usher Came Out With the Smash Hit "OMG"

Taylor Swift Won Her First Award at the 2010 Grammys

Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock Accepted a Tie For Best Actress at the Critics' Choice With a Kiss

"Lost" Had Its Series Finale, Meaning It Was Time to Start From the Beginning Again

We Were Introduced to Megan in "Mad Men"'s Fourth Season — and Don Proposed to Her!

There Was the Hope For Haiti Telethon, Which Raised More Than $57 Million in 24 Hours

"Airplanes" Was the Biggest Bop of All

You Questioned Your SO Every Time "Whatcha Say" Came On

"The Social Network" Came Out, and Mark Zuckerberg Became a Household Name

What Was Your Favorite Memory From 2010?