Yeah, that is true. I don't watch cartoons on television much anymore, just Adult Swim whenever I catch it on. Only remember cartoons from when I was younger.
Also, I didn't rate them as all-time best cartoons ever, just my Top 10 personal favorites. There were a lot of cartoons I watched when I was younger that I can't personally stand watching now, most of them being what was listed in the Top 100 from IGN.
This is a very tough list for me to make, but I wanted to make a couple different ones because making one general one leaves much to be desired.
Note: My first couple lists are not biased on nostalgia, rather significance and influence in my life as a cartoon watcher. While my choice of cartoons is biased more towards late 80's to present cartoons rather than 80's and earlier (save for a couple), that is because that is what I was subjected to. I can't add Mighty Mouse, for example, because I, as well as my generation, was tuned into other shows (even though the show aired briefly in my time).
This is my take at a general top 10 list
1 -Hanna Barbera (I know what I just did)
2 -Rugrats
3 -Simpsons
4 -South Park
5 -Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
6 -Magic School Bus
7 -X-men, the Animated Series
8 -Batman
9 -Dexter's Laboratory
10 -Transformers (Honorable mention - Beast Wars even though it was CG)
This list is biased on cartoons that I made every effort to watch every episode (only top 5)
1 -Rugrats
2 -Doug
3 -Magic School Bus
4 -Simpsons
5 -X-men: Evolution
These last two lists are strictly for era rankings.
90's list (spill-overs from 80's as well)
1 -Rugrats (Hmm, a Trend)
2 -Doug
3 -Simpsons
4 -Dexter's Laboratory
5 -X-men: The Animated Series
00's to Present list
1 -Futurama
2 -Robot Chicken
3 -Venture Brothers
4 -Aqua Teen Hunger Force
5 -(Simpsons)
6 -(South Park)
Anything past this feels forced, so I'm stopping at 6
**Parenthetical series are placed for their episodes airing in this era**
Top 10:
1. Transformers (Take back my NT from earlier)
2. Ninja Turtles
3. Evangelion
4. Voltron
5. GI Joe
6. Simpsons
7. He-Man
8. Bleach / Naruto
9.Scooby Doo
10. Too many to list a 10th
Jay you sadden me, how could you let the turtles down ;/
It was a tough decision. I think it deserved to be up there but I felt I was forcing it. I didn't enjoy the show as much as some of my friends did (one of my friends had a huge storage bin chock full of TMNT toys).
Ninja Turtles cartoon was terrible because it killed the whole point of Ninja Turtles. It was partially anti-merchandising. Now it is remembered as a toy craze. It was also terrible because it was terrible.