Viral music videos are those that have 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.
Niatia Jessica Kirkland, better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and dancer. She experienced top 10 Billboard placements at 17 with her debut album VYP (2008), which debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned her four major singles including her staple song and dance anthem "Lip Gloss", earning her two Teen Choice Awards and Monster Single of the Year nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards. Kirkland gained further attention in pop music after a collaboration with Avril Lavigne for the remix of her hit single "Girlfriend".
"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).
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.
"Loyal" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, released as the fourth single from his sixth studio album X (2014). Produced by Nic Nac and Mark Kragen, the song features American rapper Lil Wayne and another American rapper depending on a specific version: Tyga on the album version, French Montana on the East Coast version, and Too $hort on the West Coast version. The song was written by Brown, Wayne, Bobby Brackins, Ty Dolla $ign, and the producers, as well as different interpolative-credited artists, varying for each respective version.
"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 2024, 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 has 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.
"Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)" (also known simply as "Juju on That Beat", "Juju on the Beat" and "Juju on dat Beat") is a song and dance by American hip hop duo Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall. The song was originally posted to McCall's YouTube channel on July 8, 2016, as a track from his mixtape Why So Serious?, where it received over 18,000 views. It was posted to his channel again on August 11, 2016, where it received over 45 million views. The song became a viral dance challenge. The entire song is a freestyle over the beat of the song "Knuck If You Buck" by Atlanta hip hop group Crime Mob featuring Lil' Scrappy.
"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 originally released to the Quality Control Music YouTube channel on August 27, 2016 before being officially released on October 28 by Quality Control Music, 300 Entertainment, and Atlantic Records as the lead single from the group's second studio album Culture (2017).
George Kusunoki Miller, known professionally as Joji and formerly as Filthy Frank and Pink Guy, is a Japanese-Australian comedian, singer-songwriter, rapper, 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, originally written in 2015. In 2016, Luis sent the song to Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee to give it an "urban injection", and released it as the lead single from Fonsi's 2017 studio album Vida.
"XO Tour Llif3" is a song by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert from the EP 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 10, 2024, the song was certified RIAA Diamond selling over 14 million copies, giving them their first Diamond certification and making it the best-selling emo rap song of all time, and also one of the best-selling digital singles 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.
"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" (Korean: 상어가족) is a children's song associated with a dance involving hand movements dating back to the late 20th century. In 2016, "Baby Shark" became immensely 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 on social media, in online videos, and on the radio. In November 2020, Pinkfong's version became the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, after amassing 7.04 billion views. In January 2022, it became the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views. As of November 2024, it has 15.34 billion views on YouTube.
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.
"Dame Tu Cosita" is a song by Panamanian artist El Chombo, featuring Jamaican dancehall musician Cutty Ranks. It was originally recorded in 1997, but extended and released as a single in 2018. A remix with Pitbull and Karol G was released on August 29, 2018.
"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written by Gambino, Ludwig Göransson, & fellow American rapper Young Thug and produced by the former two, it was released on May 6, 2018, at the same time that Gambino was hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. The song also features backing vocals from fellow American rappers Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo, and 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 Canadian rapper Drake.
Johnathan Jamall Porter, known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping. The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.
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