There’s always that one YouTube video we’ll always remember. You know, the one you couldn’t stop watching over and over and over again with your friends when you all were supposed to be studying? The one you randomly start thinking about while waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store? They’re such nice distractions from reality.
YouTube is the birthplace of sharing memorable moments in life with other people around the world. And the platform grows more and more every single day.
Let’s take a step back in time to reminisce on 14 of the viral YouTube videos everybody talks about.
14 of the Top Viral YouTube Videos Everybody Talks About:
- “Charlie bit my finger – again!”
- “Children interrupt BBC News interview."
- “Leave Britney Alone”
- “Rebecca Black – Friday”
- “Daft Hands – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
- “Miss Teen USA 2007 – South Carolina answers a question."
- “Numa Numa”
- “Shoes – the Full Version”
- “Evolution of Dance”
- “Tim and Eric – Celery Man”
- “Have you ever had a dream like this?”
- “David After Dentist”
- “Boom Goes the Dynamite”
- “Antoine Dodson’s ‘Bed Intruder’ Remix”
- In Conclusion
“Charlie bit my finger – again!”
The “Charlie bit me video” is mixed with so much effortless cuteness and also incredibly hilarious. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve already seen this one, but if you’ve not, you more than likely had to watch over five times to be satisfied (for the first time).
It is one of the most viral YouTube videos of 2007 and could have easily gone viral in any other generation – well, that's if they had anything as cool as our lovely YouTube. What's more about this video? It is even said that the video was found in one of Osama Bin Laden's devices in his compound.
The video is so widely loved that kids, all grown up now, made another video (with over 5.4m views) demonstrating their iconic with the elder’s brother's finger in Charlie’s mouth.
“Children interrupt BBC News interview."
It's not unusual to get hilarious memes and costumes from most BBC interviews—there's always something to go away with aside opinions. Although it is mostly an expression from the interviewee, this time, it's from the embarrassing moment where Professor Robert E. Kelly's kids decided to join his interview with BBC. He was being asked about his opinion on the impeachment of the former South Korean President Park Geun-Hye's when one of his kids came strolling in, followed by his toddler in a wheel.
However, what made it more amusing was Kelly's wife – Jung-a Kim – speeding in after the kids to drag them out. However, it was already late as the Prof got a bit distracted, while the video made its way to YouTube to attract millions of views!
“Leave Britney Alone”
We've seen extreme demonstrations of love for celebs, but there are levels to it, and the "leave Britney alone" video is one of the most viral YouTube videos for this particular reason. Perhaps what made the video draw widespread attention is that it's from a known internet personality at that time.
As of 2007, Chris Crocker made a tearful, passionate video pleading with people – the media – to "leave Britney alone." This came up following Britney Spears' major criticisms for her 2007 MTV Video Music Awards performance.
The effect of Crocker's viral YouTube video is like that of a whole fan base making a physical campaign. The video caused a widespread emotional trigger that could be seen in the comment section, with some finding it ridiculous and another skit from the comedy videos prodigy. However, ten years after the video, Crocker posted on his Instagram page that the video was one of the few where he was actually serious.
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“Rebecca Black – Friday”
If Friday partying and "TGIF" (Thank God its Friday) were campaign movements, Rebecca Black would have most likely been given an award of recognition for pushing the movement to greater heights. The video was literally telling us how much we should keep looking forward to Friday, “with partying,” “Friday,” and “the weekend” being continually mentioned in the video.
The video was posted in 2011 and quickly started pulling insane amounts of views. The 13-year-old Rebecca – the performer – and the ARK Music Factory must have been shocked as the song blew up and became a household hum, especially when we’re getting to the weekend. The teenager’s lovely smile is something else to go with from the video.
“Daft Hands – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
About six years following Daft Punk's hit song – "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," the infamous "Daft Hands" was offered to us on YouTube, which remains one of the most viral YouTube videos till date.
The clip, which has over 71 million views, contains the hand-eye coordination whereby Austin Hall, the animator, wrote every word in the song lyrics on his fingers and hands. He reveals some of the words in halves to meet the song's timing. For instance, he shows "strong- and -er" to follow the song's pause. The video blew up the internet to the extent Hall got an invitation to The Ellen DeGeneres show.
“Miss Teen USA 2007 – South Carolina answers a question."
In this viral YouTube video, Caitlin Upton – Miss Teen South Carolina – gives a uniquely perplexing ramble of an answer to a question thrown at her about “why a fifth of the American population can't point out the United States on the map?"
The video was more embarrassing than hilarious, so it might be a little wonder why it got so much attention online to become on the most viral YouTube videos. Going not too deep into the comment section, you might see people asking what’s particularly funny about the video. Well, after checking, if you haven’t, you can come back to tell us.
“Numa Numa”
One of the things that make some of the most viral YouTube videos sensational and remarkable is that they aren't staged or mainly made with the intention to sell a particular message. They mostly come from embarrassing, unexpected, and incredibly ridiculous moments or experiences.
The video shows a 19-year-old young man, Gary Brolsma, cheerfully miming the popular Romanian track “Dragostea Din Tei” in his room. What makes the video so remarkable is that there's nothing out of the ordinary Gary was doing.
He was only singing while making silly expressions with his hands going up in a frenzy following the song's catchy tune. Perhaps it got so much attention because most of us could easily relate to it, whether when alone in the car or the bathroom.
“Shoes – the Full Version”
With this video, Liam Kyle Sullivan, a comedian, showed the world another side of his “Kelly,” with her profound love for shoes. Yeah, that’s what this one is all about – shoes. We can all agree that the video quickly took its place in the most viral YouTube videos because it was posted in the mid-2000s, a web comedy boom period.
The music video was easily relatable with viewers, and they quickly connected to it. Almost all of us walk around with Kelly speaking in our minds. Liam went on to bag a People's Choice Award and a couple of applause from famous comedians of that period, such as Margaret Cho and Andy Samberg. However, his catchy video has dropped in popularity as would most viral YouTube videos.
“Evolution of Dance”
Back when YouTube was first introduced to us, simplicity was much more essential to get views. It was a time when viewers and users still couldn’t make out what the video was meant for. The “evolution of dance” video shows inspirational comedian Judson Laipply on one of his shows ]at that time.
The video is a six-minute of hilarious demonstrations of famous dance moves from the "Hound Dog" hip swivel to "Bye Bye Bye," both from Elvis Presley and N Sync. The video had its moment as one of the most viral YouTube videos of all time, with people still referring to it to date as we haven't seized to see several dance moves on the internet today.
“Tim and Eric – Celery Man”
This video became a home run when it was aired in May 2010, after “Knocked Up,” “I Love You, Man,” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” before “Wanderlust" and "This Is 40." This tells you that it came while Rudd was busy developing his comedic status.
The video even went on to resurge out of the original context years later on YouTube. It evolved around the ludicrousness slipping into New York's notable alt-comedy spaces to the web and TV. It remains out there as a bizarre forerunner to the kind of humor that blossoms on Adult Swim and “Celery Man” homepage, where you get to call your Mozza-Rell sequences any time any day.
“Have you ever had a dream like this?”
Just like several viral YouTube videos, this video seems as though from a dream. It originates from the 1999 TV exciting shows, "Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales."
The question of how this video got to YouTube is still a question yet to be answered, and it has been left to the discretion of Child Protective Services. However, this perplexed kid's kicker has become an all-time famous classic headline among professional comedians.
“David After Dentist”
If you’re a YouTube faithful, you’ll understand that one of the most consistent types of viral YouTube videos is kids being extremely wacky and funny. One of them is the “David After Dentist" video, a homemade video showing a seven-year-old boy responding to anesthesia right after oral surgery.
David was filmed by his dad while he was wobbling questions to know why he was feeling funny – he wasn't just feeling funny, but also acting funny as he keeps trying to hoist himself up while he keeps falling back.
The video quickly became viral as people began to share it across several social media platforms. It's an adorable sight and a funny one at that.
“Boom Goes the Dynamite”
Spotting on a mistake, before the internet era, was like sighting an asteroid crossing the earth. Fortunately, video streaming has helped reemerge these flubs. Meanwhile, some are still as remarkably painful as the “boom goes the dynamite” video, a “boom” in a sports section that aired on Ball State University’s TV station in the year 2005.
Brian Collins, a Telecommunication major, lost his way on his words right on the teleprompter and found himself mumbling all through updates. However, compared to major train wrecks we've experienced since then, you might give Collins a free pass, as he still has hope.
“Antoine Dodson’s ‘Bed Intruder’ Remix”
This is a news story that went insanely viral on the internet. It’s about a lady, Kelly Dodson, who was nearly raped by an intruder right in her room. Fortunately, we escaped the horror and were able to tell the story through a news report. However, Antoine, her brother, furiously gave his take on the matter. His original message went viral as "Bed Intruder," before a remix was made that also found its way into the most viral YouTube videos. The video became a popular source for memes, with his notable warnings – "hide yo wife,” “hide yo kids."
The video didn't end on YouTube as the Gregory Brothers, a musical comedy act, got hold of the message and used it in their "Autotune the News" TV series. They successfully modified the horrific story into an insane hit that swooped into the Billboard Hot 100 countdown. Antoine quickly became a star, featured in Tyler Perry's TV ingenious works – “A Madea Christmas.”
In Conclusion
Viral videos become viral for a variety of reasons: brilliant execution, a relatable subject, or just plain dumb luck. Viral videos go viral because they deliver the things people want. They get talked about and shared for a very long time. They’ve greatly impacted culture and society by that form of connection and communication. And these 14 viral videos we shared with you today precisely prove our point.