The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (2024)

Table of Contents
1960 - 1962: The beehive was created by Margaret Vinci Heldt when Modern Beauty Shop Magazine (now Modern Salon) asked her to dream up something exciting for the magazine. 1963 - 1965: French film star Brigitte Bardot popularized heavy bangs and voluminous hair. 1966 - 1968: The sleek, side-parted pixie cut dominated when supermodel Twiggy rose to fame in the 1960s. 1969 - 1971: Slightly longer than the '60s pixie was the side-swept bob worn on the likes of Diana Ross. 1972 - 1974: Fringes got a '70s update with a longer and sleeker style than the shorter bangs of the '60s. 1975 - 1977: In the '70s, everyone wanted to emulate Farrah Fawcett's hairdo, which consisted of long bangs and wispy layers. 1978 - 1980: Excessive volume and wild curls played into the spunky and edgy style that consumed the 1980s. 1981 - 1983: Princess Diana popularized a short, side-swept cut. 1984 - 1986: Big ponytails secured high on the head were all the rage. 1987 - 1989: Janet Jackson’s teased and tousled poof hairstyle became an ‘80s staple. 1990-1992: Mariah Carey helped make bouncy ringlets a huge trend in the early '90s. 1993 - 1995: The mid-'90s were all about perfecting the chic updo. 1996 - 1998: Jennifer Aniston's portrayal of Rachel Green on the hit TV show "Friends" led to the creation of "The Rachel" haircut. 1999 - 2001: As teen pop stars like Christina Aguilera took over the music scene, crimped hair became all the rage. 2002 - 2004: The mid-2000s were all about chunky highlights. 2005 - 2007: Beachy waves were super on trend thanks to the popularity of Mischa Barton on "The O.C." 2008 - 2010: Rihanna completely dominated the music scene during these years, and her edgy pixie crop was one of her most copied looks. 2011 - 2013: Bangs had a major comeback thanks to Taylor Swift's image overhaul. 2014 - 2016: Beyoncé has experimented with ombré looks for years, but it reached its peak popularity in 2014 and the years following. 2017 - 2018: The lob — or long bob – undoubtedly became one of the most popular hairstyles during these years. 2019 - 2020: Neon hair is everywhere.

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Daniel Boan, Brenna Opelka, and Amanda Krause

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The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (1)

  • Just like fashion fads, hairstyle trends can represent different eras.
  • Pixie cuts, for example, were popular in the '60s, whereas the '90s were all about "The Rachel" look.
  • In recent years, lobs — long bobs — and neon dye jobs have become all the rage.
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From the red carpet to Instagram, celebrities are always at the forefront of the latest hair trends that help define the era.

The '60s gave us cropped pixie cuts, the '70s brought feathery layers, and the '80s were all about volume."The Rachel"dominated the '90s afterJennifer Aniston made the look iconic on"Friends," and in the 2000s,crimped hair and chunky highlights made a major comeback thanks to stars like Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson.

In recent years, lobs,blunt bangs,and neon hair have been spotted everywhere. But looking back, there have been even wilder trends in eras past.

Take a look at the hairstyle that defined the year you were born below.

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1960 - 1962: The beehive was created by Margaret Vinci Heldt when Modern Beauty Shop Magazine (now Modern Salon) asked her to dream up something exciting for the magazine.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (5)

In a 2012 interview with Modern Salon, Heldt recalled the moment she styled her creation on a live model for the photo shoot: "The editor said, 'Margaret! That looks just like a beehive. Could we call it a beehive?'"

1963 - 1965: French film star Brigitte Bardot popularized heavy bangs and voluminous hair.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (6)

Adding volume to the top of the hair, whether pulled all the way up or cascading down, was a popular takeaway from the beehive trend developed in 1960.

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1966 - 1968: The sleek, side-parted pixie cut dominated when supermodel Twiggy rose to fame in the 1960s.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (7)

Also reinforcing the power of the pixie was model Mia Farrow, who made her debut in Vogue with an 11-page editorial spread.

1969 - 1971: Slightly longer than the '60s pixie was the side-swept bob worn on the likes of Diana Ross.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (8)

The mod style was both polished and sculpted.

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1972 - 1974: Fringes got a '70s update with a longer and sleeker style than the shorter bangs of the '60s.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (9)

Natural, face-framing layers pointed to the soft, natural vibe that this decade was remembered for in terms of beauty trends.

1975 - 1977: In the '70s, everyone wanted to emulate Farrah Fawcett's hairdo, which consisted of long bangs and wispy layers.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (10)

Stylist Allen Edwards was responsible for giving the "Charlie’s Angels" actress the feathered style that became her signature.

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1978 - 1980: Excessive volume and wild curls played into the spunky and edgy style that consumed the 1980s.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (11)

Though Newton-John’s teased crop was pegged to the 1950s for the "Grease" storyline, it carried over into the 1980s.

1981 - 1983: Princess Diana popularized a short, side-swept cut.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (12)

Drama was essential to the ‘80s and this feathered crop style was a highly coveted example.

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1984 - 1986: Big ponytails secured high on the head were all the rage.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (13)

Madonna often wore her hair in a high pony. As well as setting hair trends, the singer made waves in the fashion world.

1987 - 1989: Janet Jackson’s teased and tousled poof hairstyle became an ‘80s staple.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (14)

Unlike the bangs of the ‘70s, this pulled-back style opened up the face while still supporting major volume.

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1990-1992: Mariah Carey helped make bouncy ringlets a huge trend in the early '90s.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (15)

The ringlets added some major volume and texture that became a defining look of the era.

1993 - 1995: The mid-'90s were all about perfecting the chic updo.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (16)

Whitney Houston gave people hair inspiration after sporting the style during her performance of "I Will Always Love You" during the 1994 Grammy Awards.

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1996 - 1998: Jennifer Aniston's portrayal of Rachel Green on the hit TV show "Friends" led to the creation of "The Rachel" haircut.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (17)

The style consists of short, choppy layers with streaky highlights and a slight curl.

1999 - 2001: As teen pop stars like Christina Aguilera took over the music scene, crimped hair became all the rage.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (18)

The zig-zag style was a staple in the '80s, but the early 2000s saw a major comeback for the wavy style.

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2002 - 2004: The mid-2000s were all about chunky highlights.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (19)

Kelly Clarkson helped popularize the look by sporting them every week on "American Idol" in 2002.

2005 - 2007: Beachy waves were super on trend thanks to the popularity of Mischa Barton on "The O.C."

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (20)

This wavy look has yet to go out of style, with the "modern-day perm" being a slightly evolved version of the trend.

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2008 - 2010: Rihanna completely dominated the music scene during these years, and her edgy pixie crop was one of her most copied looks.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (21)

The "Work" singer paired the shorter cut with some long, side-swept bangs.

2011 - 2013: Bangs had a major comeback thanks to Taylor Swift's image overhaul.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (22)

We soon saw everyone from Selena Gomez to Kim Kardashian West experiment with some bold, blunt bangs.

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2014 - 2016: Beyoncé has experimented with ombré looks for years, but it reached its peak popularity in 2014 and the years following.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (23)

The transitional color trend has remained popular to this day thanks to celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Ciara.

2017 - 2018: The lob — or long bob – undoubtedly became one of the most popular hairstyles during these years.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (24)

The lob — or long bob — was everywhere in 2017, with celebrities likeKhloe Kardashian andSarah Jessica Parker getting the chic trim. It doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

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2019 - 2020: Neon hair is everywhere.

The most popular hairstyle the year you were born (25)

Colorful hair has always been popular, but it became a style staple around 2019. Stars like Billie Eilish and Bella Thorne wore green shades that year, whereas musicians like J Balvin opted for rainbow hues.

The trend is still going strong today, with people like Kylie Jenner rocking neon-yellow hair on Instagram.

  • Read more:
  • From gray strands to dark roots, celebrities are letting their natural hair shine while social distancing
  • People think Miley Cyrus looks like Joe Exotic from 'Tiger King' because she has a mullet, and she agrees
  • A bored hairstylist has turned her boyfriend into an internet sensation by giving him makeovers to look like everyone from the Tiger King to a '90s prom queen
  • 10 celebrities you didn't know were actually redheads

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