The year in viral Internet videos
From Kony to K-pop, top 10 most-seen
In the race for viral video of the year, there was really only one (invisible) horse. On Tuesday, YouTube revealed its annual roundup of the Internet’s most digitally contagious videos and to the surprise of precisely no one, Gangnam Style topped the list. The unlikely Korean sensation — in which singer Psy rides a phantom stallion, raps on a toilet, and rocks the most iconic bow tie since Pee-wee Herman — is on pace to hit a billion views this month, making it the site’s most-viewed video of all time.
Importantly, however, analysts this year looked not only at views but also shares, searches, likes and responses to identify top-trending videos. A site spokeswoman explains that people no longer just view a video; they remix, share and parody, building a fan community that extends far beyond the watch page.
“This (new method) really captures the water cooler moments that everyone was talking about,” says Wendy Bairos.
Coming in at No. 2 is a cover of Gotye’s Somebody that I Used to Know by Ontario band Walk Off the Earth. The elegant video took off in early 2012, winning an audience not only with its musicality but also with its unique approach: all five band members play a single guitar simultaneously.
At No. 3 is KONY 2012, a controversial short film exploring the war crimes of a Ugandan militia leader. And at No. 4 is a makeshift video for Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, featuring cameos by Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and other Tiger Beat boldfacers.
The video at No. 5 features a clip from The Ellen Show in which Britney Spears is taught how to dance Gangnam Style by Psy.
At No. 6 is Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2, in which the computer titans (played by comedians) square off 8 Mile-style.
Seventh is occupied by Fallen Kingdom, a Minecraft parody of Coldplay’s Viva la Vida music video. And at No. 8 is the controversial Facebook Parenting video in which a disgruntled father shoots hollow-points through his daughter’s laptop to teach her a lesson about her online conduct.
“Everyone could relate to that video, regardless of which side they were on,” says Bairos of the latter. “It allowed for a very big conversation — and an important one.”
Coming in at No. 9 is another Call Me Maybe lip dub, this time by MattyBRaps and Cimorelli. And rounding out the Top 10, fuelled by livestream viewership, is Felix Baumgartner’s supersonic free fall from space for Red Bull.