# Running in the 90s > Running in the 90s is a 1998 Eurobeat track by Italian artist Max Coveri, best known as the definitive soundtrack for montage parodies about speed and drifting. "Running in the 90's" is a Eurobeat song by Italian artist Maurizio De Jorio (performing as Max Coveri) that became an internet meme after its use in the 1998 anime *Initial D*. The track found a second life on YTMND and YouTube, where it became the go-to soundtrack for anything involving speed, drifting, or absurd acceleration. Its catchy synth-driven energy made it a staple of montage parodies and remix culture throughout the 2010s. ## Origin The song was written by Pamela Prandoni, Laurent Gelmetti, and Clara Moroni, with vocals performed by Maurizio De Jorio under his stage name Max Coveri[2]. De Jorio, born September 24, 1968 in Trento, Italy, had been working in the Eurobeat scene since the late 1980s under various pseudonyms before joining the Max Coveri group in 1996[3]. The track first appeared on the compilation album *Super Eurobeat Vol. 85* in 1998[2]. De Jorio's path to Eurobeat started with his single "In A New World" (as Tom Maurice) in 1987, and he later signed with A.Beat-C. records in 1991[3]. He eventually moved to Delta Music Industry, a label co-founded by Laurent Gelmetti (Laurent Newfield) and Clara Moroni, both of whom co-wrote "Running in the 90's"[3]. The song crossed over from niche Eurobeat into wider recognition when it was featured in the Japanese anime *Initial D: First Stage*. It played during the final race scene of Episode 4, "Into the Battle!", giving it the perfect association with white-knuckle mountain drifting[2]. - **Platform:** YTMND (early meme spread), YouTube (mainstream viral spread) - **Creator:** Maurizio De Jorio (vocalist/performer as Max Coveri), Pamela Prandoni, Laurent Gelmetti, Clara Moroni (songwriters) - **Date:** 1998 (song release), ~2004 (meme usage) ## Overview "Running in the 90's" is a high-energy Eurobeat track that sounds exactly like what you'd hear blasting from a Toyota AE86 sideways down a mountain pass at 3 AM. The song features rapid BPM, soaring synth melodies, and vocals about "modern talking" and "cybersex on the line" that are peak late-90s internet optimism[1]. In meme contexts, the song is almost always paired with footage of things moving fast, drifting, or accelerating in ridiculous ways. Cars sliding through parking lots, shopping carts careening down hills, animals sprinting at full tilt. If something is moving with reckless speed, "Running in the 90's" is the default audio track[2]. The song also picked up a slang meaning among fans of *Initial D*, where "running in the 90s" became shorthand for drifting at 90 mph/kph[4]. ## How It Spread The earliest meme usage of "Running in the 90's" dates to around 2004, when it appeared as part of YTMND sites under the name "Lol, Internet"[1]. From there it spread through a series of YTMND pages throughout the mid-2000s, becoming a recognizable audio clip in the site's remix-heavy culture. The song hit YouTube on November 3, 2009, when user JoeDutchCoast uploaded a version that eventually reached 45 million views by April 2021[2]. Another upload by PsychoDon904 on January 7, 2010 picked up over 1 million views and 8,900 upvotes[2]. Throughout the 2010s, "Running in the 90's" became a fixture of YouTube montage parodies and remix compilations. The formula was simple: take footage of something going fast (or something absurd pretending to go fast), slap the Eurobeat track over it, and let the meme do its work. On November 20, 2017, YouTuber Nickimaki Clips posted a compilation of memes featuring the song that pulled over 6 million views[2]. That same year on August 26, YouTuber Sdronk uploaded a similar compilation that crossed 1.1 million views[2]. The *Initial D* connection kept feeding the meme's relevance. Every time someone discovered the anime, they discovered the song, and vice versa. The Eurobeat genre as a whole got a boost from *Initial D* fandom, but "Running in the 90's" and "Night of Fire" were the two tracks that broke through most consistently[3]. ## How to Use The standard "Running in the 90's" meme follows a straightforward template: 1. Find or record footage of something moving at high speed, or something that looks absurdly fast in context (a Roomba, a cat sliding across a floor, a shopping cart on a slope) 2. Overlay the "Running in the 90's" track, typically starting at the chorus or the iconic synth intro 3. Optional: add *Initial D* style speed lines, a tachometer overlay, or text about "Eurobeat intensifies" ## Cultural Impact "Running in the 90's" played a significant role in introducing Western audiences to Eurobeat as a genre. Before *Initial D* memes, Eurobeat was a niche Italian export mostly popular in Japan. The meme pipeline went: *Initial D* anime → "Running in the 90's" memes → curiosity about Eurobeat → discovery of the broader genre[3]. De Jorio and the other artists behind the Max Coveri alias saw renewed attention decades after the original release. De Jorio's work with Bratt Sinclaire's label SinclaireStyle and the Delta Music Industry discography got new listeners through meme exposure[3]. The 2019 releases of the *Delta Ultimate Collection* and *Bratt Sinclaire Eurobeat Style* compilations made previously obscure tracks accessible to fans who came in through the meme door[3]. The song also cemented the "Eurobeat intensifies" meme sub-genre, where any dramatic driving clip gets an automatic Eurobeat soundtrack. This format outlasted the specific "Running in the 90's" usage and became its own template. ## Fun Facts - Maurizio De Jorio performed under at least a dozen stage names throughout his career, including Tom Maurice, D. Essex, Dejo, and of course Max Coveri[3]. - Max Coveri was not a single artist but a group project. De Jorio joined in 1996, replacing Massimo Maglione, who went on to adopt the drag queen alias Billy More[3]. - The song's lyrics reference "cybersex on the line" and "get your credit card cos I need no money," making it one of the most accidentally prophetic Eurobeat songs about the internet age[1]. - De Jorio's musical career spans from 1987 to the present day. He still performs under the alias Dejo for SinclaireStyle[3]. - The song was part of the *Super Eurobeat* compilation series, which ran to well over 200 volumes, making it one of the longest-running music compilation series in Japan[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Running in the 90's"? It's a Eurobeat song performed by Italian artist Maurizio De Jorio under the stage name Max Coveri, written by Pamela Prandoni, Laurent Gelmetti, and Clara Moroni[2]. Online, it became a meme soundtrack for anything involving speed or drifting. ### Where did the "Running in the 90's" meme come from? The song first appeared on *Super Eurobeat Vol. 85* in 1998 and gained meme status after being featured in the anime *Initial D: First Stage*[2]. It spread through YTMND sites starting around 2004[1]. ### What does "Running in the 90's" mean? In meme usage, it signals high speed, reckless energy, or drifting. Among *Initial D* fans, it's slang for drifting at approximately 90 mph or kph[4]. ### How do you use the "Running in the 90's" meme? Overlay the song (usually the chorus or synth intro) onto footage of something moving fast or absurdly sliding around[2]. The more mundane the object, the funnier the contrast. ### Is "Running in the 90's" still popular? The song saw peak meme usage during the mid-to-late 2010s, with major compilation videos hitting millions of views in 2017[2]. It's still recognized and used occasionally in remix and drifting content. ### Who is Max Coveri? Max Coveri is a Eurobeat group project. Maurizio De Jorio joined as vocalist in 1996, replacing Massimo Maglione[3]. Other members included Edoardo Arlenghi, Mauro Farina, Corrado Baretta, Bratt Sinclaire, and Pamela Prandoni[3]. ### What anime features "Running in the 90's"? The song was featured in *Initial D: First Stage* (1998), specifically during the final race of Episode 4, "Into the Battle!"[2]. ### How many views does "Running in the 90's" have on YouTube? The upload by JoeDutchCoast from November 2009 reached 45 million views by April 2021[2]. PsychoDon904's January 2010 upload crossed 1 million views[2]. ### What is Eurobeat? Eurobeat is a high-BPM electronic dance music genre produced primarily by Italian musicians for the Japanese market. "Running in the 90's" and "Night of Fire" are among its most well-known tracks internationally, largely thanks to *Initial D*[3]. ### What was the "Lol, Internet" meme? "Lol, Internet" was an early meme format on YTMND from around 2004 that used the "Running in the 90's" soundtrack, representing one of the song's first appearances in internet meme culture[1]. ## References 1. [Max Coveri – Running in the 90's Lyrics | Genius Lyrics]() 2. [Running In The 90s - Know Your Meme]() 3. [Maurizio De Jorio]() 4. [Running In The 90s - Urban Dictionary]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/running-in-the-90s Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library