These viral songs and music videos on YouTube are not just a list of funny YouTube songs but are all the best viral songs on the Internet. The catchiest viral Internet songs of all time are not only the pesky songs that get stuck in our heads but are also some of the best creations ever to come about in the early Internet times. From the original gangster meme of the hamster dance to the Trolololo to the classic Rick Roll, these songs are the best of the best available on YouTube.
Almost any video on YouTube can go from being nothing to completely viral, providing it has something that makes it hilarious, bizarre, or so awful that it's actually awesome. There's no exact science to becoming an Internet meme, but as these catchy Internet songs prove, once you reach virtual stardom, there is no going back. Ah, the power of the Internet. I'm sure even the musically oblivious 8th grader would approve.
Catchiest Viral Internet Songs of All Time,
Dragostea Din Tei (Numa Numa)
This guy is famous for going absolutely nuts for the Numa Numa song (Dragostea Din Tei) by Moldovan pop trio O-Zone. Cheesy song + insane fan = Internet video gold.
Keyboard Cat
Using footage originally shot in 1984, "Keyboard Cat" not only wears clothes, but he also plays an electronic keyboard, much to the envy of other cats around the world. When Keyboard Cat isn't playing people off stage after a poor performance, he's appearing in commercials, television shows, and video games. Okay, really this cat is not that special, rather a cat named Fatso being maneuvered by his owner, Charlie Schmidt. Whatever, it works.
Play us off Keyboard Cat.
Chocolate Rain
"Chocolate Rain" started as a joke when it was performed and recorded in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, apartment of singer Tay Zonday, but quickly became an Internet sensation and was ranked the hottest viral video of the summer of 2007 by CTV.ca. Characterized by Zonday's deep voice and tendency to "move away from the mic to breathe in," "Chocolate Rain" also won in the music category at the 2007 YouTube Awards.
Never Gonna Give You Up
Perhaps known best for it's use in the bait-and-switch gimmick known as the Rick Roll, the 1987 classic "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley is easily one of the best things ever invented. We've all been there. Your friend sends a link to what he claims is either completely awesome or so scandalous that you have to click. Next thing you know you're watching Astley sing and dance, knowing you've been Rick Rolled. Sneaky, but brilliant!
Trololololo
Resurrected from a clip from the 1960s in the Soviet Union, "Trololololo" is an amazing musical clip performed by Russian singer Edward Anatolevich Hill. Actually titled "I am very glad, because I’m finally back home," "Trololololo" is also known as the "Russian Rickroll" and led to dozens of covers and remixes, including one notable version from acclaimed actor Christoph Waltz.
Nyan Cat
Also called "Pop-Tart Cat," Nyan Cat is an eight-bit abomination of a cat, which features the body of a cherry toaster pastry, that can fly though outer space leaving a rainbow-colored trail. Nyan Cat graced our computer screens in April 2011 and quickly became the most popular meme in the galaxy and spawned numerous remixes and spinoffs. The original, of course, is the best.
Bed Intruder
Popularized by The Gregory Brothers on "Auto-Tune the News," the "Bed Intruder Song" takes bits and pieces from a viral news clip, Auto Tunes it, and plays it back for all to enjoy. Featuring Antoine Dodson, the clip warns residents to "hide yo kids" and "hide yo wife" against a home-intruding rapist on the loose. For anyone that says crime does not pay, The Gregory Brothers sold over 100,000 copies of the track. Do the math.
OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Making OK Go a household name, "Here It Goes Again" is not only an Internet sensation but also a billboard hit, having entered the top 40 after its 2006 debut. What exactly made this random video from a random band a hit? The elaborate video, featuring the band dancing on treadmills, was filmed in a single take that needed 17 tries to perfect, that's what. OK Go went on to perform the dance at the 2006 VMAs and took home a Grammy Award for the video. Not bad for some unknown indie group from Chicago!
What's Going On
HEEEEYEEEEYEEEEYEYEA!!
Look At My Horse
This is along the lines of those viral videos that are popular purely for how random they are. The confidence and drive with which this song contains actually makes sense, though, is what makes it so great.
If this song were a person, it would probably think it was perfectly normal. This is why this song rules.