the summer of
What it was like to be 15 in 2013 in America
To be fifteen in America in 2013 was to have “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons everywhere, Iron Man 3 on every screen, and The Big Bang Theory on after school. That year, gas cost $3.58 and the PlayStation 4 was the new thing. Born in 1998? You turned 15 in 2013 — a teenager from 2011 to 2017, right in the window a soundtrack bonds to you for life.
Compiled by the Original Lore archive from period charts, box-office and price records. How we build these · sources noted throughout.
▶ Play your 2013 reel with sounda 30-second video of your year — the song, the screen, the turn.
the mixtape of 2013
Radioactive — Imagine Dragons
- Radioactive — Imagine DragonsThe apocalypse-drop anthem thumped from every stadium, gym, and hyped-up locker-room speaker.
- Royals — LordeLorde gave the kids who'd never crave that lifestyle a cool, defiant anthem of their own.
- Get Lucky — Daft Punk ft. Pharrell WilliamsPharrell and Daft Punk made summer feel gold-lit and endless, like the night would never actually end.
- Wake Me Up — AviciiAvicii's fiddle-drop soundtracked festival season and the wide-open feeling that you were finally alive.
- Counting Stars — OneRepublicYou counted stars out the passenger window, sleep deprived and hopeful, sure life was just beginning.
why this one mattered
The pounding apocalyptic stomp-beat was the soundtrack to every 2013 highlight reel, video game montage, and pep rally. A 15-year-old chanting 'Welcome to the new age' felt like the anthem of a generation; it overrides the novelty smash 'Thrift Shop' as the song teens truly bonded to.
the year-end #1 was Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz.
the movies you are watching in 2013
- Iron Man 3
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Frozen
- Gravity
- Man of Steel
the tv shows you are binging in 2013
- The Big Bang Theory
- The Walking Dead
- Breaking Bad
- Game of Thrones
- NCIS
the games you are playing in 2013
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- Pokemon X and Y
- Super Mario 3D World
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
- Grand Theft Auto V
what things cost in 2013
| Gas (per gallon) | $3.58 |
|---|---|
| Movie ticket | $8.13 |
| First-class stamp | 46 cents |
| minimum wage | $7.25/hr |
| the average income | $51,939 |
trending this year
the gadgets you just got
what everyone is snacking on
what everyone is drinking
what made the news in 2013
- Boston Marathon bombing kills three, wounds hundreds, locks down a city
- Edward Snowden leaks reveal sweeping NSA surveillance of phone and web data
- Pope Francis becomes first Latin American pontiff after Benedict resigns
- Government shutdown grinds Washington to a halt for sixteen days
what everyone is saying
top-performing stocks in 2013
| Company | Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | NFLX | $368 | +298% |
| Best Buy | BBY | $40 | +237% |
| Micron Technology | MU | $21.75 | +243% |
| Tesla | TSLA | $150 | +344% |
| FB | $54.65 | +105% |
worst-performing stocks in 2013
| Company | Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newmont Mining | NEM | $23 | -51% |
| Cliffs Natural Resources | CLF | $26 | -30% |
| J.C. Penney | JCP | $9.13 | -54% |
| Barrick Gold | ABX | $17.60 | -50% |
| Abercrombie & Fitch | ANF | $32.97 | -30% |
the summer of 2013.
you think you've got all the time in the world.