The Future Wasn’t Meant to Be

Rocket Mail

A short-lived dream of delivering mail via rocket. First tested in the 1930s and briefly revisited by space agencies, it was hampered by poor accuracy and high cost.

Flying Car

A sci-fi staple dating back to the 1950s, multiple prototypes have existed, but issues with cost, regulation, and practicality kept them grounded.

Maglev

Magnetic levitation trains offer frictionless, ultra-fast transport. Despite working examples in Japan and China, cost and infrastructure needs prevented global rollout.

Zeppelin

Massive airships dominated skies in the early 20th century, until the Hindenburg disaster (1937) ended their golden age. Safety and speed issues grounded them.

Suspension Railway

Hanging railways like Germany’s Wuppertal Schwebebahn were engineering marvels. But they were expensive, complex to maintain, and hard to scale.

Ground-Effect Vehicle

Also called "ekranoplan," these hover-like crafts glide just above water using aerodynamic lift. Fascinating, fast—and militarily niche and fuel-hungry.

Supersonic Transport

Concorde made commercial supersonic flights a reality—but loud sonic booms, high ticket prices, and safety concerns (especially post-2000 crash) ended the dream.

Nuclear Propulsion

Promising nearly infinite range, nuclear-powered aircraft and spacecraft were explored during the Cold War. But radiation risk made them impractical.

Hyperloop

Elon Musk’s concept for vacuum-tube high-speed travel. Despite many prototypes, technical challenges and massive costs have slowed progress.

Hydrogen Vehicle

Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, these cars produce zero emissions. But limited infrastructure and storage challenges have kept them niche.

Mecha

Humanoid robotic exosuits, popular in anime, have seen military prototypes—but are expensive, clunky, and still more sci-fi than reality.

Metaverse

A shared digital space imagined as the future of the internet. Despite major corporate investment, it’s struggled with unclear use, privacy issues, and lukewarm public interest.

Scorpions | “Wind of Change” (1990)

• A rock ballad inspired by the band's visit to Moscow during the final years of the Soviet Union.

• Became a symbol of peace, freedom, and reunification, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

• Widely viewed as capturing the spirit of optimism and transformation in post-Cold War Europe.

Jesus Jones | “Right Here, Right Now” (1991)

• Celebrates the collapse of communism and the global shift toward democracy and openness.

• Lyrics reflect a feeling of living through historic change—“a world waking up from history.”

• Captured a youthful, forward-looking sense of unity, especially in the West.

Michael Jackson | “Heal the World” (1991)

• A plea for compassion, peace, and environmental responsibility.

• Echoed post-Cold War optimism that humanity could now turn its focus to healing and global cooperation.

• Often associated with humanitarian work and charity efforts in the 1990s.

Michael Crawford | “Counting Up to Twenty” (1995)

• A theatrical and lesser-known piece that plays with the concept of counting toward the new millennium.

• Reflects anticipation and childlike wonder about the 21st century.

• Highlights a more niche or whimsical aspect of millennial excitement, less about politics, more about imagination.

Will Smith | “Will 2K” (1999)

• A fun, high-energy track that blends hip-hop and party culture with turn-of-the-century anticipation.

• Name-checks tech fears (Y2K bug) but ultimately expresses joy, confidence, and celebration of entering the year 2000.

• Reflects a widespread belief that the new millennium would bring innovation, progress, and a fresh start.

Scorpions | “Wind of Change” (1990)

• A rock ballad inspired by the band's visit to Moscow during the final years of the Soviet Union.

• Became a symbol of peace, freedom, and reunification, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

• Widely viewed as capturing the spirit of optimism and transformation in post-Cold War Europe.

Jesus Jones | “Right Here, Right Now” (1991)

• Celebrates the collapse of communism and the global shift toward democracy and openness.

• Lyrics reflect a feeling of living through historic change—“a world waking up from history.”

• Captured a youthful, forward-looking sense of unity, especially in the West.

Michael Jackson | “Heal the World” (1991)

• A plea for compassion, peace, and environmental responsibility.

• Echoed post-Cold War optimism that humanity could now turn its focus to healing and global cooperation.

• Often associated with humanitarian work and charity efforts in the 1990s.

Michael Crawford | “Counting Up to Twenty” (1995)

• A theatrical and lesser-known piece that plays with the concept of counting toward the new millennium.

• Reflects anticipation and childlike wonder about the 21st century.

• Highlights a more niche or whimsical aspect of millennial excitement, less about politics, more about imagination.

Will Smith | “Will 2K” (1999)

• A fun, high-energy track that blends hip-hop and party culture with turn-of-the-century anticipation.

• Name-checks tech fears (Y2K bug) but ultimately expresses joy, confidence, and celebration of entering the year 2000.

• Reflects a widespread belief that the new millennium would bring innovation, progress, and a fresh start.

Alice Coltrane | “Journey In Satchidananda” (1971)

• A meditative jazz composition that blends Indian raga structures, spiritual jazz, and African American mysticism.

• Features Coltrane’s harp, Pharoah Sanders on saxophone, and modal scales influenced by Hindu philosophy—specifically “Satchidananda” (truth, consciousness, bliss).

• Embodies a search for personal and cosmic transcendence, influenced by her spiritual awakening and devotion to Eastern spirituality.

Vangelis | “To the Unknown Man” (1977)

• A richly orchestrated electronic instrumental, blending synth textures with a strong melodic theme.

• Evokes a sense of space exploration, wonder, and futurism, aligning with the late-70s fascination with the cosmos.

• Became a hallmark of synth-based ambient music and a precursor to Vangelis’s later sci-fi work (like Blade Runner).

Kitaro | “Theme From Silk Road” (1980)

• Commissioned for a Japanese documentary on the ancient Silk Road, this piece merges synthesizers with traditional Asian instruments like the shakuhachi and koto.

• Reflects a philosophical blending of past and future, where the journey itself is both historical and spiritual.

• Became a cornerstone of global New Age music, known for its emotional depth and expansive sound.

Enya | “Caribbean Blue” (1991)

• Known for multi-tracked vocals, Celtic motifs, and ambient synths that create an immersive soundscape.

• The lyrics, though abstract, conjure themes of nature, timelessness, and emotional introspection.

• Helped define mainstream New Age aesthetics of the 1990s: soothing, mystical, and deeply atmospheric.

Enigma | “Return To Innocence” (1994)

• Combines Gregorian chants, Taiwanese aboriginal vocals, and modern electronic rhythms.

• Lyrics promote self-acceptance, emotional healing, and inner peace.

• A global hit that exemplified the “spiritual pop” movement, blending sacred and secular to create an accessible sense of the mystical.