Cartoons were everything to us when we were children, especially for those of us that grew in the 90s. That’s because unlike the children of today, we didn’t have gadgets or devices to help distract us when we were bored. We either played games, or sat glued to the TV to watch our fav shows. So how about we reminisce about the most popular cartoons from our lifetime?
- Side note 1: Cartoons like Futurama, The Simpsons, Family guy, South Park, etc. while very popular, will not be discussed as at the time of being aired, they were popular primarily in America. However, other shows (especially the ones that featured on Cartoon Network and Disney Channel) amassed a massive international following and they’re the ones featured here.
- Side note 2: Pokemon and DragonBall haven’t been featured in this list because they aren’t cartoons, but anime.
- Side note 3: Films will not be included in the list, otherwise it will be a Disney/Pixar dominated list.
14 Cartoons Popular of All Time
And of course, needless to say, this list won’t be able to feature every popular cartoon from our time, so feel free to add them in the comment section below. So without further ado, here are the most popular cartoons from our childhood:
1. Tom ‘n Jerry
Alright. Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way, shall we? The biggest appeal of Tom ‘n Jerry was the (mostly) lack of dialogue – which meant that irrespective of which part of the world you lived in, you could easily understand and enjoy it. And boy, did we enjoy it!
A lot of you may not have realized it, but the show underwent a couple of directors, which is why the art styles kept on differing as the years passed on.
2. Power Puff Girls
Winner of 6 Emmy awards (among other accolades), this series was a fav among guys and gals equally. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup had starkly different personalities, which would often be at loggerheads with each other, especially when it came to fighting crime!
If you’re interested, you can catch up on the 2016 reboot of the series!
3. Rugrats
Who would have thought that the daily lives of babies in diapers could prove to be this popular among school going children? Winner of 6 Kids' Choice Awards and 4 Daytime Emmy Awards, Rugrats proved to be one of the most popular cartoons aired by Nickelodeon at that time.
4. Dexter’s Lab
The most annoying part of this show was hands down Dee Dee and her dumbass antics, but it was Dexter with his marvelous Russian accent who always saved the day (often, literally). Plus, who could forget the episodes of Dial M for Monkey and The Justice Friends aired during Dexter’s episodes?
5. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
This is one of the older cartoon on this list – it actually aired in 1983. But hey, it’s one of the most popular cartoons from the 80s and if you’re a person born in the 90s, you’ll remember being glued to your TV, waiting every week for each episode to air. The show’s on Netflix, for those of you interested in watching it.
6. Ducktales
Originally aired in 1987, this show will always remain special in hearts, more so because of Uncle Scrooge’s politically incorrect Scottish accent. This Disney cartoon became so insanely popular that it paved the way for future Disney cartoons like Talespin and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
7. Scooby Doo
Can you believe that its first episode aired in 1969? This Hanna-Barbera Production became so popular during its time that it sparked several spin offs, including Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
8. Popeye the Sailor
This is among the oldest most popular cartoons featured in our list – its first episode aired in 1933! Popeye, because of his instant level up thanks to spinach, rose to instant fame and went down in history as one of the most iconic cartoon characters to ever be produced. Fun fact: Popeye debuted as a comic strip in a King Features comic strip titled Thimble Theatre.
9. Flintstones
Ah. Fred Flintstone and his signature Yaba-daba-doooooooo! I don’t know about you guys, but the most interesting aspect of this cartoon for me was always how they managed to incorporate modern technology in the Stone Age by simply making use of stones and dinosaurs.
10. Jetsons
At the opposite end of The Flintstones, we had the Jetsons – a family living in the 21st century. Flying cars and instant makeovers? Pshh. The Jetsons’ world achieved that way before we could!
11. Looney Tunes
Needless to say, the most popular and iconic character to come out of Looney Tunes was Bugs Bunny. But close at his heels, we got Tasmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Tweety and Sylvester as well. Looney Tunes were all about one crazy adventure after the other.
12. Yogi Bear
The Huckleberry Hound Show was where Yogi made his first debut in 1958, and to everybody’s surprise, he became even more popular than Huckleberry Hound, the star of the show! His popularity grew to the point where he got his own show titled The Yogi Bear Show in 1961. Till date, he remains the most popular bear cartoon character ever created.
13. Mickey Mouse
Mickey’s first appearance was in a short that aired in 1928, and you really don’t need much for me to type about him, do you? The face of Disney is today considered among the most popular cartoons to have ever been created!
14. Aladdin
Yet another Disney cartoon that focused heavily on misfits Aladdin and his pet monkey Abu. Their misadventures constantly landed them in trouble, and Ali’s Genie would promptly bail them out of it. The series was one of those rare series where all of its main cast (Princess Jasmine, Raja, Sultan, Iago) including the villain (Jafar) stood out as much as its hero, Laddin.