Top 10 Things We Can't Believe Happened 10 Years Ago

Anyone could see that Nick and Jess on “New Girl” were crazy about each other. Seeing these two dance around each other was exquisite torture. But then, when the gang starts reminiscing about their first times, a series of events ultimately leads to Nick getting out of his head and sweeping Jess (and us) off our feet (literally, in her case). It’s hard to believe they got together 10 years ago, since we’re still swooning about it today! Will-they-won’t-they romances are a dime a dozen, but Nick and Jess were priceless.

We still can’t believe this happened at all, much less that it was 10 years ago…At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus began a performance that would live in infamy. She began with a bear-themed take on her single “We Can’t Stop.” She followed it up with a duet with Robin Thicke of his song “Blurred Lines,” in a flesh-colored latex suit and a foam finger that we can never unsee. While the performance certainly helped Cyrus shake off her kid-friendly image as Hannah Montana, it also set a new bar for cringe and reportedly led to Cyrus being body shamed for years.

Speaking of things we can’t believe were real, the Harlem Shake became a viral meme during the early part of 2013. These videos typically show someone or some people dancing to the song “Harlem Shake” by DJ Baauer. Then when the beat drops, a jump cut shows more dancers going absolutely bananas, sometimes in strange costumes. The ease of making these videos and the opportunity for unique spins on them made them incredibly popular, with even sports teams and celebrities getting in on the action. Meme trends come and go, but the internet never forgets, so the Harlem Shake feels both older than 10 years, and still recent at once.

While “Pitch Perfect” may have come out in 2012, one of the most memorable songs in the film was released as a single the next year. Based on a folk pop song dating back to the 1930s, “Cups” combines its wistful and catchy lyrics with a percussive melody using cups to make a beat so infectious, that it hasn’t left our heads for a decade! If anything, time has only made “Cups” more relevant, since there are certainly some people who’ve left our lives since its release that we miss now that they’re gone, or we are.

Apart from Miley and Robin’s performance, the 2013 VMAs belonged to Justin Timberlake. The man dominated both the awards and the stage. However, it was a blast from the past that made us lose our minds - a reunion with his former boy bandmates from NSYNC. The group’s performance of a medley of some of their greatest hits, may have been short, but it still left us wanting more! While the group have appeared together a few times since, it’s now been almost as long since this reunion as it was from their breakup to this performance! Now doesn’t that make you feel old?

While the exact year that the now-infamous professional road racing cyclist and cancer survivor first faced doping allegations isn’t known, some reports set them as early as 1999. Despite this, Lance Armstrong continued to deny he was using performance-enhancing drugs up until January 2013, during which time he’d won the Tour de France 7 times between 1999-2005. It was during that first month of 2013 that Armstrong made a “limited confession” and admitted to lying about not having taken banned substances. While the cheater had already received a lifetime ban from sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Code thanks to a 2012 investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency, the fallout from the Oprah interview included the stripping of said 7 titles, dropped sponsorships and multiple lawsuits.

Whether we were British or not, the whole world was obsessed with the birth of the son of then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine. News shows, topical comedy, and Twitter were rife with coverage of the bundle of joy’s birth and first few months. And now, Prince George of Wales, the Royal Baby of the now-Prince and Princess of Wales, will be 10 in 2023. Nothing makes you feel the years passing like a child growing up before your eyes, and while not all of us are parents, George certainly helps many of us experience something similar.

2013 was a big year for our queen. While we were tempted to discuss Beyoncé’s bombshell of a surprise album, this unforgettable live act won out! Beyoncé’s incredible show still blows our minds with how well-executed it is. Although her ferocious performance would be enough to earn a spot in our hearts forever, the fact that her former Destiny’s Child members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland joined her takes the act to another level! Beyonce’s career has had a lot of highs, and several Halftime Shows, but her headlining performance here is still a major one.

A decade later, and we’re still not over it. During season 3’s 9th episode, Robb Stark, his men, his mother, and his wife are all slaughtered at his uncle’s wedding. It’s a brutal, shocking sequence and it sent shockwaves through pop culture that we’re still experiencing today! The so-called Red Wedding is like a shared moment of trauma that “Game of Thrones” fans experienced and often relive, thanks to reaction videos. It’s a brilliantly realized bit of writing and acting - but we’re still not sure if we want to congratulate George R. R. Martin or yell at him!

A lot of shows wrapped up in 2013, and while discussing “Breaking Bad”’s was tempting, we’re going with “The Office” instead. The final season of “The Office” may not have been the show’s strongest, but it sure stuck the landing! The finale of the quintessential workplace sitcom of the 21st century so far is spectacular from top to bottom. There are cameos galore, a wedding, laughter, tears, and an appropriate ending for nearly every character. It’s a bittersweet end to an incredible comedy series. And maybe it’s because we can’t stop rewatching it, but we still have a tough time believing “The Office” has been off the air for a decade! Andy says it best about the good old days…