This is a partial list of viral music videos, that gained rapid attention on the Internet. Like Internet memes, viewership of such videos tend to expand rapidly and become more widespread because the instant communication facilitates word of mouth.
This list documents music videos known to have become viral; other viral videos can be found at list of viral videos with additional videos that have become Internet phenomena for other categories can be found at list of Internet phenomena.
These videos are videos from various artists that have over 500 million views and gained viral popularity after their release.
Rickrolling or a Rickroll is an Internet meme involving the unexpected appearance of the music video to the 1987 hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up", performed by English singer Rick Astley. The aforementioned video has over 1.5 billion views on YouTube. The meme is a type of bait and switch, usually using a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video. When one clicks on a seemingly unrelated link, the site with the music video loads instead of what was expected, and they have been "Rickrolled". The meme has also extended to using the song's lyrics, or singing it, in unexpected contexts. Astley himself has also been Rickrolled on several occasions.
"I'm a Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song)" is a novelty dance song by Gummibär, in reference to the gummy bear, a type of bear-shaped candy originating in Germany. It was written by German composer Christian Schneider and released by Gummibär's label Gummybear International. The song was first released in Hungary, where it spent eight months as number one atop the ringtones chart.
"Love Me" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne featuring Drake and Future from the former's tenth studio album I Am Not a Human Being II (2013). Written by the artists alongside producers Mike WiLL Made It and A+, it was released on January 18, 2013, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records as the second single from the album. It also appeared for free download on the Rich Gang mixtape Rich Gang: Allstars (2014).
Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States, with lyrical references to trap starting in 1991 but the modern sound of trap appearing in 1999. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang term "trap house", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music uses synthesized drums and is characterized by complex hi-hat patterns, snare drums, bass drums, some tuned with a long decay to emit a bass frequency, and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence.
The Harlem Shake is an Internet meme in the form of a video in which a group of people dance to a short excerpt from the song "Harlem Shake". The meme became viral in early February 2013, with thousands of "Harlem Shake" videos being made and uploaded to YouTube every day at the height of its popularity.
"Hot Nigga" is the debut single by American rapper Bobby Shmurda. It was released for digital download on July 25, 2014 by Epic Records and GS9 as the lead single from Shmurda's debut EP Shmurda She Wrote. The song includes production from Jahlil Beats, which was originally used by Lloyd Banks for his 2012 song, "Jackpot". The music video contains a choreography that was later named the "Shmoney dance". The song and the video became popular in 2014 among Vine users, which led to the "Shmoney dance" phenomenon. Additionally, several unofficial remixes by various rappers have been made. The song has peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the artist's first and only top 10 single in the United States. "Hot Nigga" was a commercial success, being certified Platinum in the United States.
"Watch Me" is the debut single by American rapper Silentó. In March 2015, he was signed to Capitol Records, which released the track as a single with an accompanying music video. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent six non-consecutive weeks. With a viral clip on YouTube, the song was popular for its dance despite negative reviews, a combination of two popular moves cited in the title: the "Whip" and the "Nae Nae" as well as other hip hop dances from various songs, such as "Crank That " and "Stanky Legg". As of 2023, it remains his most well known song.
"Money Longer" is the debut single by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert. It was released for digital download on February 6, 2016 as the first single from their third mixtape Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, and as a bonus track from Japanese versions of their debut album Luv is Rage 2, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The whole song focuses on the idea that Lil Uzi Vert have now "turn[ed] into a savage" as is repeated throughout the song. The song was produced by Philadelphia-based record producers Don Cannon and Maaly Raw.
"Bad and Boujee" is a song by American hip-hop group Migos featuring American rapper Lil Uzi Vert. Written alongside producer Metro Boomin and co-producer G Koop, it was released on October 28, 2016 as the lead single from the group's second studio album Culture (2017). It was released by Quality Control Music, 300 Entertainment, and Atlantic Records.
George Kusunoki Miller, known professionally as Joji and formerly for playing the characters Filthy Frank and Pink Guy, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, rapper, internet personality, and record producer. Miller's music has been described as a mix between R&B, lo-fi, and trip hop.
"Despacito" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album Vida. Released on January 13, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi, Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, and produced by Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres. A remix version featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber was released on April 17, 2017, which helped to improve the chart performance of the song in numerous countries, including various number-one positions. "Despacito" has been widely credited by music journalists as being instrumental in the renewed popularity of Spanish-language pop music in the mainstream market.
"XO Tour Llif3" is a song by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert from the extended play Luv Is Rage 1.5 (2017) and debut album Luv Is Rage 2 (2017). It was released on SoundCloud on February 26, 2017, and later on all music streaming platforms on March 24, 2017. The track was produced by TM88, with co-production by JW Lucas. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lil Uzi Vert's highest-charting single as a solo artist until the release of "Futsal Shuffle 2020", which peaked at number five. It was also their second top 10 entry overall after their feature on "Bad and Boujee" by Migos. It is Lil Uzi Vert's most popular song, and has amassed over two billion streams on Spotify. On December 7, 2022, the song was certified RIAA Diamond selling over 11 million copies, giving them their first Diamond certification and making it the best-selling emo rap song of all-time. A sequel to the song, titled "P2" was included on Lil Uzi Vert's second album Eternal Atake (2020). The song has since come to be regarded as Lil Uzi Vert's signature song.
"In My Feelings" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album Scorpion (2018). It was released to rhythmic and contemporary hit radio on July 10, 2018, as the album's fifth single. The song features additional vocals by the City Girls, though they are uncredited on the official version. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten weeks and broke several records.
Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli, known professionally as Bhad Bhabie, is an American rapper and Internet personality from Boynton Beach, Florida. During her appearance on the talk show Dr. Phil in September 2016, she uttered the phrase, "Cash [sic] me outside, how 'bout that?", for which she became best known. Due to its brief viral recognition and meme status, the remark became her catchphrase and led to merchandising, and her to capitalize on the attention with a recording career.
"Gucci Gang" is a song by American rapper Lil Pump. It is produced by Bighead and co-produced by Gnealz, and is the fifth single from Lil Pump's self-titled debut album. It was originally released on Pump's SoundCloud account on August 28, 2017, and was later made available for digital download and streaming by Tha Lights Global and Warner Bros. Records on August 30, 2017. It is Lil Pump's highest-charting single to date on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three. It has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
"Baby Shark" is a children's song associated with a dance involving hand movements dating back to the late 20th century. In 2016, "Baby Shark" became very popular when Pinkfong, a South Korean entertainment company, released a version of the song on June 17, 2016, with a YouTube music video which went viral in social media, online video, and radio. In January 2022, it became the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views. In November 2020, Pinkfong's version became the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, with over 14 billion views as of March 2024.
Daniel McLoyd, better known as IceJJFish, is an American internet personality, singer, rapper, and dancer known for his vocals and his song "On the Floor", which has reached over 89 million views on YouTube as of June 2022. The popularity that he gained from the song's virality led to him becoming an internet sensation and being featured in various TV shows and internet podcasts. The attention that his music received led to him being comically labeled as the "King of R&B" and a meme by various notable figures and outlets. In 2019, he decided to pursue gospel music, due to it reflecting the style of music that he wanted to make. He has officially released three studio albums, three EPs, and three commercial singles.
"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written and produced by Gambino and Ludwig Göransson, with additional writing credits going to American rapper Young Thug, it was released on May 6, 2018 at the same time that Gambino was hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. The song features background vocals from Young Thug alongside fellow American rappers Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo of Migos, and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage. The lyrics and accompanying music video, reflecting the core of the Black Lives Matter movement, confront issues of ongoing systemic racism, including prejudice, racial violence, the ghetto, and law enforcement in the United States, as well as the wider issues of mass shootings and gun violence in the United States. Originally, Gambino intended it to be a diss record towards fellow rapper Drake.
Montero Lamar Hill, better known by his stage name Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running number-one song since the U.S. Billboard Hot 100's 1958 inception. At the same time, Lil Nas X came out as gay, becoming the only artist to do so while having a number-one record.
Fuming about mishandled baggage? Singing's the best revenge.