What are the cartoons that defined the 90's?

Even cartoons that were popular like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs didn't really define the decade. Those shows were throwbacks to the `40s.

The only cartoons that defined the decade were The Simpsons, which paved the way for South Park and Family Guy. Pokemon, which opened the door for the anime-mania of the `2000s. And, Batman: The Animated Series, which set new standards for children's television.

Plus, even though it's not a cartoon, you can't ignore Power Rangers. That was THE show for the kids who grew up during that decade.
 
The only two cartoons that I honestly think "define" the '90s are The Animaniacs and the Simpsons. Both shows were almost unbeatable, and throughout the '90s, I feel they've been mimicked the most. Maybe not in structure, but in humour. I just wish I could think of decent examples to back this up. Family Guy was obviously heavily influenced by The Simpsons, and seems to have more of an Animaniacs-styled usage of pop culture than the Simpsons. But I'm really not comfortable with that comparison.
 
In my opinion Pokemon,Nicktoons, Beevis and Butthead, and The simpsons defined the 90's.

Pokemon was was really did it and no doubt helped the anime boom. Kids everywhere were in love with pokemon.

Nicktoons, again everyone loved them. Cartoon Cartoons were never as popular with the kids like nicktoons. This is just a fact of life.

I can't say for the next two, since I was little and wasn't allowed to watch them. But I knew they were extremely popular.
 
Dexter's Lab and Powerpuff Girls were both incredibly popular, Dexter never got that much merchandise because Cartoon Network was still very new to the world and probably didn't have the money to throw up for toys, Powerpuff was the first Cartoon Cartoon to have lots of merchandise. But Dexter was CN's highest rated series when it was on.
 
For some reason, few 90's cartoons seemed to reach the same level of prominence in pop-culture as many 80's cartons did. I think that pretty much the only American TV cartoons during the 90's that became household names (that is, so well known that even people who generally aren't interested in cartoons know about them, whether they have ever actaully watched them or not) are:

The Simpsons
Rugrats
Ren and Stimpy
Beavis and Butt-head
South Park
The Powerpuff Girls

Of course, both Family Guy and Spongebob premiered in 1999 but they didn't really became household names untill a few years later, so i dont count them.

Just to compare with the 80's, here are the cartoons from that decade that reached the same level of fame as the aforementioned 90's cartoons:

The Smurfs
He-man and the Masters of the Universe
Inspector Gadget
Transformers
G.I Joe
The Care Bears
My Little Pony
Thundercats (Well, arguably...)
The Real Ghostbusters
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Why did so many 80's cartoons get catapulted into pop-culture history so prominently?
 
As far as the biggest influence on the cartoon world in the following years?

I'd say Tiny Toons, Ren and Stimpy, WAC, OH Yeah Cartoons, the Simpsons, and Batman TAS.
 
Nostalgia from now-grown adults in their 30s (old enough to be working in the industry making or writing about cartoons on their own, etc.) who grew up in the 80s like I did, maybe? Versus 90s shows still being a bit too recent for nostalgia (and the people who grew up on those not as influential in media-productions as their older thirtysomethings just yet)... the fact the Simpsons and South Park are *still* on the air making it hard to feel nostalgic for those shows, of course.
 
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