The History of Viral Songs

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Co-Written by Mathew Brule
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[@98izzark69]

Wow, i'm officially old enough to see someone explain the rick roll in a history lesson on the internet itself. Edit: and the Harlem Shake jesus christ

[@Blockhog]

Everyone over the age of 60 or so has to deal with part of their life being taught in schools

[@EdnaK728]

I accidentally rickrolled Sideshow Bob when he was trying to watch TV, he wasn't amused

[@pummisher1186]

Reminds me of the time I watched some kid on KZbin explain 9/11 wrong. Very frustrating.

[@darnokgazetapl]

​@@Blockhog🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉n

[@EmelyPhan]

That and that Tiktok was Musically before it was bought and the name was changed while the general function of the app stayed the same.

[@tegantalks9612]

In 2013 my boyfriend broke up with me. The week before breaking up with me he showed me What Does the Fox Say and got it stuck in my head. So not only did I have to go through a breakup, I also had to deal with that song in my head while going through a breakup.

[@allisonbergh4429]

It’s a tragedy that song is the only Ylvis song many people have heard. They’re truly brilliant creators

[@vaneharris8947]

That’s rough buddy

[@liamaldrich2476]

I bet you anything that Tay Zonday is gonna pop up in the comments. He seems like a really cool dude, and he shows up pretty regularly in various youtube comment sections.

[@DrippyWaffler]

It's pretty wild what he shows up in too, like one day you'll see him in something pretty large and then the next he's commenting on some esoteric video essay, it's dope

[@therevoltingslob2564]

I always wondered where the “roll” part of rickroll came from Wasn’t expecting to find out today but I am grateful

[@MedlifeCrisis]

When you’re as old as me this was one blast from the past after another. Simpler times!

[@andersvj]

Hey, it's that former youtuber turned heart doctor

[@anothersettlementneedsyour9628]

Couldn’t Louie Louie be considered pre-internet viral song? It got mostly popular because people were debating whether or nor it contains obscene lyrics or not, it has catchy part like modern tik tok songs and everyone started to make their own version.

[@GizzyDillespee]

Elvis was the 1st viral star of the TV age, AFAIK. The Beatles were even more popular... but Elvis had the absurdism, the ridiculous outfits and dances, and most importantly, the impersonators. You didn't have to look like Elvis - there were black Elvises, Mexican Elvises, Pinoy Elvises... you just needed the rhinestone jumpsuit, the shades, the snarl, the voice, and of course the dance. Elvis is (was, technically) the godfather of the manufactured viral star. Venues would hold Elvis impersonation contests, just like battle of the bands... but way meme-ier. Multiple artists made careers out of it (El Vez, and the lead singer of Dread Zeppelin, just off the top of my head). Gimmicky songs, like Louie Louie, La Bamba, the soon to be everywhere this time of year Monster Mash, and then Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer, could sort of be considered viral, in the sense that the kids were acting them out and imitating them, the adults were WTF, they were catchy and tended to be absurdist. Frank Zappa tried for a few viral hits, but he didn't have the distribution to the kids' market, for his attempts to have taken off. Plus, the Moral Majority (both words were misnomers) hated him, and had some broadcast clout, believe it or not.

[@Dr.Strangmeme]

Link Wrays Rumble.

[@maximumoccupancy]

That's an interesting argument, but I think there is a clear distinction between a song going "viral" and just being really famous/popular. Plus it's quite a stretch to include professional song covers as being similar to fan recreation videos

[@robertreid2241]

Exactly! I think that peer sharing and engagement is super important (sharing south park tapes etc.), and I'm not sure how possible that was when Elvis/Link Wray/The Beatles were operating. The sharing of the work itself seems (at least to me) to be directly between peers, instead of people spreading word of mouth but then going to traditional outlets to consume the work itself@@maximumoccupancy

[@paulanderson9650]

It was so viral the FBI opened an investigation on The Kingsman.

[@scootinand]

I'm so glad that this video is delivered with the sincerity of other Polyphonic essays. Most people, even those who are deep in the trenches of the internet, always seem dismissive of KZbin and the internet at large. But both of those things have had an indelible effect on the way music and culture have evolved in the same way radio, film, and television did before them. The fact that Defunctland ever felt any amount of self-conscious about calling their videos "documentaries" is painful, because that is what they are. Web video can be a serious artform, even if the topics being discussed are "dumb" things like internet memes, strange online urban legends, or Webkinz (shout out to IzzzYzzz).

[@TheMister123]

1:55 - Hearing a Canadian try to pronounce "Macarena" is both horrifying and amusing. 😂

[@marietailor3100]

Oi - just because he can’t pronounce it doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t 😂

[@MyNameIsNeutron]

Macarina

[@InventorZahran]

I've always said it like "mac arena"...

[@ligmaballs2022]

@@MyNameIsNeutron mech arena

[@tommyswain3762]

FYI, that’s how every single Australian pronounces it (it’s a fan fav at any woman’s birthday over 49)

[@leet7489]

What I think is amazing is that Never Gonna Give You Up was pretty popular when it came out, but it blew up with rick roll. People my age, older millenials probably were introduced to the song through rick rolling without knowing it was popular before.

[@lisamarieligreci-newton7804]

I'm an older millenial and I definitely knew the song from stuff like VH1 or discussion on 80s one hit wonders (technically he had two hits, but nobody really remembers the second). But the funny thing is my zoomer kids like...genuinely love this song. They think Rickrolling is a high artform.

[@lisamarieligreci-newton7804]

I'm an older millenial and I definitely knew the song from stuff like VH1 or discussion on 80s one hit wonders (technically he had two hits, but nobody really remembers the second). But the funny thing is my zoomer kids like...genuinely love this song. They think Rickrolling is a high artform.

[@TheZerocrossings]

Ark Music wasn't making cringe to go viral. It was a company that catered to rich kids who wanted to experience making a music video.

[@MattTee1975]

I miss the late 90s/early 2000's Internet. It was fun without being all-consuming.

[@aidanmcpavian5638]

idk if anyone's said this to you yet, but your intro theme is easily my favourite on youtube. The way it builds up during the intro then drops is extremely satisfying.

[@thefrogger6507]

Oh it feels good to hear someone discuss the Harlem Shake with this sort of unironic appreciation. Makes my burnt out zoomer heart feel warm for a change

[@gareththerrien3473]

Man, I remember seeing Gangam Style 9 whole ass months prior because they embedded it in /b/ and you couldn't scroll without hearing it

[@tylerhackner9731]

There’s plenty of great art out here that doesn’t go viral

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Like my ambient goth-wave trip-hop lofi harsh wall noise!!

[@AugustRx]

Every 60 seconds in africa

[@artkincell]

@@BaranoffIsaac So, where can I procure your record?

[@artkincell]

@@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 Sounds cool. Where is your music located?

[@FPSBuzz]

No shit?

[@readymade83]

Albino black sheep, new grounds, ebaum's I remember using all of those sites in college when they were new. Haven't thought of those sites in years and it's crazy to think how much time I spent on them in my dorm room. Growing up with the web was fun.

[@FleurMarigold]

I'm absolutely fascinated to watch artists I've followed for years try to keep up with these changes. slightly more obscure singers I follow reuploading their older songs as snippets via TikToks or KZbin shorts to try to draw more attention to them on these platforms - bands with previously considerable success struggling somewhat clumsily to make interesting short-form content to release there too to keep themselves relevant in the ever-evolving scene, despite not having much to display outside of just... music. sometimes even just asking directly for positive interaction to help their audience grow. (I can appreciate their efforts and honesty at least.) even (sometimes even official) uploads of a variety of songs here on KZbin that went viral on TikTok, having their titles edited to include the most memorable lyrics in parenthesis so people know what they're looking at, because they wouldn't recognize it as anything other than 'that one TikTok song.' but I think what gets me most is the increasing frequency of the one-hit-wonder phenomenon. maybe it's just because I ended up stanning Gotye so hard after I checked out his other songs besides Somebody That I Used to Know (AND KIMBRA! the lady who sings the duet with him! she's AMAZING!!!), but I'm always very endeared to artists who make a song that takes off on TikTok, then get significantly lessened traction with future releases, despite the quality, novelty and integrity of their music doing nothing but improving... if you hear a song you like and you found it through TikTok, that's fine. there really shouldn't be any stigma around that. just make sure to check out the artists' other work and follow them somewhere to keep up to date with what they're doing! they're fighting for their lives out there!!! 🎶

[@lisamarieligreci-newton7804]

On a related note, it's also kind of weird to read this comment about older artists trying to stay relevant and one hit wonders, during a time when the Beatles, of all things, ended up with a reasonably sized hit, haha (more so in the UK than the US, I think). Including from younger fans ON TikTok celebrating/reacting to it. Maybe it's not 'full viral' but it's got some buzz going for it. I love getting to find new music/artists from fan-driven/community-driven virality (whether its from just sharing/reacting or creative things like mash ups). I'm kind of weary of the more market-driven virality, but hey....marketers gonna market, I guess. (I admittedly am a bit too old for TikTok so I still find my new music via the YT algorithm, lol)

[@jspihlman]

I know this was a brief history, but I wish you had included the parody song era of KZbin. When I heard the "it's corn" song earlier this year I immediately knew who created it because of all those late 2000s, early 2010s parodies the same guys had done.

[@MONET8iAM]

And remixes of existing viral moments like news reports

[@missybarbour6885]

"Songafied" was an entire GENRE when I was in middle school! Today's kids don't even know Chuck Testa 😔

[@bigcheese2128]

This is less mainstream but there was a viral trend in the 70s-80s punk scene of covering Louie Louie by the kingsmen and I’m not your stepping stone by Paul revere and the raiders

[@feverspell]

The Monkees did that song, not Paul Revere and the Raiders.

[@Belbecat]

... I guess I'm "I remember the days of the Hampster Dance craze, it feels like yesterday" years old 😭

[@calvinwilliamson4202]

Wow this video is a roller coaster of internet nostalgia! Even with "YTMND" being pronounced 7 different ways lol.

[@arachnophilia427]

it's pronounced YOURETHEMANNOWDOG

[@bigcheese2128]

I CAN pronounce ytmnd the right way. But WILL I? Hell no

[@RangeWilson]

Moving forward, it's all about authenticity. Do your thing, put it out there, see what happens. Manufactured virality can F right off.

[@lobachevscki]

I know it still technically exists but I miss Newgrounds.

[@BababooeyGooey]

At least Newgrounds still somewhat resembles what it once was at the height of its popularity. Ebaum's World fell way the fuck off, though.

[@Crushenator500]

Miniclip too

[@_416_]

Newgrounds was the best

[@mlpdisneylover]

I think Friday Night Funkin had saved the site from being forgotten. The website crashed when the exclusive Week 7 dropped

[@bensuguneri]

everything with flash player has a nostalgic effect since it doesn’t exist anymore

[@sofaking1627]

I miss Albinoblacksheep. Great video, weird to think I lived through some legit history

[@Mike_Poppe]

I have never installed tik tok, but KZbin has dominated my life so same difference

[@R3TR0J4N]

reminds me of how meme marketing exploit genuine internet on movies

[@miguelcontreras6783]

It's crazy and scary to think of the level of influence 4chan has in the world and internet history

[@andreawallenberger2668]

*ANOTHER* full-on genius musicology report from Polyphonic, kudos! Incisive, fair af, deftly picking up the recent (in music history terms) tangled threads of our lives and these trends then seamlessly weaving a gently unfolding, easy to understand no-stone-unturned narrative exposè of internet/music/video popularity aka "virality". I cannot praise Polyphonic highly enough for their continuously excellent work. Like "Gay History of Disco", this one should be receiving Serious Awards. For what it's worth, here's mine🏆 and yes, I will become a patron. (Still smh, *epic* guys.)

[@jondinovo9244]

Excellent work. I feel like this is a part of our culture that hardly ever gets satisfactory coverage/analysis. Solid stuff. Great watch 👍

[@stevphen]

The term meme was introduced by Richard Dawkins in “The Selfish Gene,” in 1976, which pretty definitely pre dates the hamster dance. But cool video thanks for it.

[@arachnophilia427]

oh good someone added it

[@JamalW239]

A fellow man of culture I see

[@All5Horizons]

Yeah, but that’s not the same type of “meme”

[@SkewtLilbttm]

Yes it is

[@spddiesel]

Came to add this, good on ya 👍🏻

[@lukepurser3432]

Gale's story reminds me of when a record executive pretended to be a weezer fan on their website. And suggested to the band to name their album maladroit. Which, if you look up the defintiion, sounds like he was making fun of them.

[@maryannappiagyei4277]

Amazing video and message. Great art

[@peaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

i’ve seen a bunch of vids of gen z looking at gen alpha humor developing online and they’re so scared but i’m excited!! what fun new silly things will we get to enjoy in the future 🎉

[@infowarriorone]

Looking back, it's hard to believe that I got mesmerized by the hamster dance.

[@RangeWilson]

The soundtrack was a bop!

[@calebgonzalez599]

Always love to note that Rebecca Black is still putting out music and it's FIRE

[@gabe_s_videos]

I don't really think it's all that complicated. It's still the same game as it was with MTV and pop radio: businesses looking at trends and then trying to reverse-engineer it to guarantee success. It's still about following the money and grabbing people's attention before anyone else does. And like with any trend, it dies out once there are more rats than there are cheese, so to speak. The specific fashions may change a lot faster on the internet, but I don't thing that practice ever does.

[@CasualSpud]

Viral videos are no different than one hit wonders of the past.. Goes from catchy to cringe almost immediately

[@user-hg1le2tc4g]

This episode was such a nostaliga trip. I remember seeing the blokes who started the Harlem Shake on the news, as they lived not too far from my hometown. That and Gangam Style were such massive trends it seemed like people were replicating them forever. I think the problem nowadays isn't with artists going viral in the first place, that's great for fan engagement and publicitiy for records/gigs. The problem lies in the fact that with tiktok generating thousands of short form videos everyday, artists aren't in the spotlight for long compared to their counterparts 10 years ago. We don't have one viral trend that dominates the culture anymore, cause there's already 100 different things on our for you page every single day.

[@mariovsluigi9000]

I just wish KZbin was still like this.

[@Dylan-gn3pj]

Such a good video dude, thank you :)

[@miarussell6953]

Great video!!

[@markbidwell654]

i so much love your videos / information - as much as i would like to subscribe to Nebula or any other site that you are on, in this day & age, it's difficult to subscribe to anything that costs an extra amount of $$ - barely scrapping by the way it is for the last 3 years 4 months, working every day - with only days off for doctor/vehicle/dentist appointment - it's been difficult, but i am still here, fighting for my son, my wife & myself - please keep up the great work & i look forward to every video that you release ...

[@tugbacnarl6060]

“Global dialogue” this phrase is actually what i have been looking for years… we, as humans, yearn for global diaglue😅

[@lisamarieligreci-newton7804]

I grew up along with the internet so I remember a lot of these movements. I love the more 'grassroots' kind of virality, or when something just unexpectedly hits at exactly the right moment and becomes a shared cultural experience. I think, (in my definition) even a more traditional/professional work can become 'viral' if there's also then an element of fan ownership - making their own remixes, mashups, reactions, videos, etc. Otherwise it's just...marketing. One thing I think was left out here was some of the mid/late 2000s r&b/hip hop artists who basically got their start by digital mix tapes and ringtones and stuff like that, and who had their own local/underground followings until they end up picked up by a label. Probably one of the most notable examples being Crank That (Soulja Boy). He essentially just posted his stuff all over MySpace and LimeWire, exploiting all the algorithms and basically started this whole fad with his dance, until some record producer saw what his kids/friends were up to. I have to respect the hustle!

[@lunalin9870]

This is an exellent internet history lesson for someone like me who grew up without youtube. I didn't know most of these.

[@bluegold1026]

Once companies and brands learn of and exploit the latest viral song/trend, said viral song/trend will lose its popularity soooo fast.

[@texanarchy666]

One thing ive noticed is virality rarely comes from attempts to go viral. Its usually genuine moments of people doing what they enjoy

[@Chris-tn5je]

Iconic ytmnd song Tarzan Boy still pops into my head regularly

[@willamcars1]

A good chunk of my songs on my spotify are ones I found originally on tiktok. I discovered entire bands I very much enjoy through tiktok.

[@hdervish2497]

The precursor to viral media was those stacks of random xeroxed dirty jokes my dad and his work buddies passed around at work.

[@PoofPoofification]

I hate the fact that I've become an old person (29) and think the best thing a teen could do for the world is delete tiktok

[@zeevshaff]

You deserve to be viral bro 10/10

[@theULTIMATElife50]

How long will it take for Tay Zonday to comment on this video?

[@peaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

god this was so nostalgic

[@nuberiffic]

I think this video highlights something that is missing from a lot of music that's coming out now. Honesty. I know this will seem like an "Old man yells at cloud" moment, but it really does feel that way to me. I'm a musician who's been playing for 30 years, have studied music at university, and teach and play it for a living. Yes, there were songs that came out 30 years ago that were viral garbage (the macarena is mentioned in this video essay), but those were the exception. I have to learn hundreds of songs for my job, and of course, every now and then I come across new music that feels genuine to me, but most of the new music I learn now is just plastic, emotionless, paint-by-numbers box checking. ABCDEFU was mentioned in the video, and while it's an interesting vocal phrase; Primus already did it (and better) in 1997. But also, that song has heart. It's a bunch of guys just playing their instruments and making noise. It's not an over produced synthetic Big Mac of music convenience.

[@perfectallycromulent]

So honesty, does that mean Def Leppard really poured sugar all over themselves? Did Ziggy really play guitar, and did Led Zepplin prance thru Middle-earth? Did Olivia Newton-John honestly love everyone who heard the song. No sir.

[@nuberiffic]

@@perfectallycromulent wow. I've never seen anyone miss a point by that much before.

[@perfectallycromulent]

@@nuberiffic no, i got your point. you think old music is somehow more "honest" than music today, when hit songs were full of nonsense, lies, fiction, and claims not meant to be taken seriously. this has always been true of songs. your favorite music is not more special than anyone else's favorite music.

[@nuberiffic]

@@perfectallycromulent No, you haven't got my point. I'm talking about lyrics dude.

[@perfectallycromulent]

@@nuberiffic sure. and so am i. go on, explain to me what you think this "musical honesty" is, and how your favorite group has it, but someone like Doja Cat doesn't.

[@demonpower101]

Great Video

[@diggingthegreats]

I’m just here to give Tay Zonday his flowers 🌹🌸🌺💐🌷🍫☔️

[@Claw.00]

Something that I wish was discussed is the era of the Autorap app! Hide Yo Kids Hide Yo Wife, Aint Nobody Got Time For That. Those viral videos were very popular when I was in middle school and I think were influential in shaping viral songs

[@lisamarieligreci-newton7804]

BED INTRUDER! I haven't thought of that in a while, but that guy ended up getting some kind of record deal/royalties out of it!

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

I suppose we can all hope that some well crafted, expertly written song full of passion and emotion goes viral for the new form of virality. But I'm guessing it'll be some funny catchy dancy thing.

[@jason.h]

Polyphonic youre a genius

[@XRaym]

Nice video :P 2:43 it took way much more time before we can consider 'anyone' had internet access. Adoptation rate, architecture building, at international level, all this took years. 😆

[@rdoino2210]

With my dying breath I will say, the Harlem shake will go down as the peak of society

[@JasonBeam7]

Albino Black Sheep. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time…

[@user-fz5zi7lp4v]

The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition.

[@kendalsimpson-jones1115]

This all feels like yesterday… I feel old

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@bensuguneri]

8:42 I remember a gintama episode where they did the parody of this line and it was hilarious

[@JoshuaC923]

Anyone remember the ketchup song? It was everywhere in the 90s

[@TheDude4077]

I think something about virality that’s interesting to discuss is how getting a viral hit is often very similar to being a one hit wonder. Most of these people don’t get second hit videos. Being a one hit wonder was always this sort of mark of shame, but now artists are chasing our modern equivalent of it

[@krissydiggs]

This video straight up forgot about the chumba wumba baby???? THAT, that was the first one.

[@souljaslim9833]

Newgroundz bring back so many memories the dealer game street life and that car game

[@pipe2devnull]

I was thinking of the baby dancing to Ooga chaka Ooga chaka ..

[@WaitingForTheHook]

Halsey saying she's sold 165 million albums is HILARIOUS. Nowhere near that amount lmaoooo.

[@miloseviczarko45]

What?

[@marianolaguzzi]

This is most articulate rick roll i've ever seen

[@macronencer]

"La la la la la la la la la, ooh HOO HOO" was a banger.

[@kais_naser1]

Does that makes "The house of the rising sun" a viral song before Internet existed?, cause as you mentioned in one of your videos, that the song is covered by dozens of artists before The Animals covered it and brought it to a new hights of success.

[@MreenalMams]

Not sure what you meant at 7:06

[@jeroenrl1438]

Nice!

[@Syrwll]

The tiktoks in 18:41 are in portguguese, Polyphonic é brasileiro confirmado?

[@cesarcastillo7129]

I don't think so

[@jedhawkins1769]

This is a whole history of internet popularity and KZbin.

[@1zymn1]

You didn't cover Trogdor. You also covered all these temporarily famous songs and totally skipped the dude that made it on KZbin and keeps blowing up bigger every time he puts out a special: Bo Burnham!

[@AnsonLauVideo]

Watching viral videos is like drinking 1.5 litres of Coca-Cola, which may be addictive, but this will get old so fast.

[@i.t.t.]

This was like watching the soundtrack of my life. Your videos are just so excellent tho. It makes other good videos look bad and the ones lacking such depth and analysis just intolerable.

[@Quazlyy]

Man, do you remember songs and videos going viral over phones? You had to transfer them using infrared. That's how I first saw harry potter puppet pals

[@SandyRiverBlue]

The term "meme" was "coined" by Richard Dawkins in 1970 and referred to pretty much the same thing it does today but without the internet as well as some more complex socio-biological stuff.

[@thecaptain8309]

What about the Limewire era of viral songs like "Warp to World 6-9" by Benefit AKA the super mario bros rap.

[@mastermavrick]

Nice history lesson, gezz i remember when some of those sites were new. At the same time hmm no wonder in the odd times i look at "viral" stuff it feels so fake, cause it is.

[@lowqualitydaftpunk8151]

18:42 is it stock footage of the globe or is it just taken from the oasis- don't stop... demo

[@NicolasSequeira]

You know what they say: "Once it goes viral, it ain't going bacterial!"

[@JustAGiirrl]

This video triggered my nostalgia. I miss when people were having fun being silly.

[@fuelvolts]

"Mack-er-ree-na" :D

[@danielgertler5976]

The most important viral song is the Chop Chop Dance!

[@RealFeelsProject]

I wish this video ended with the Polyphonic guy doing an OkGo-style dance

[@Zombi3kill3rOO]

13:34 Spreeeaaad

[@ply61]

That coursed frog.

[@hepcatliz]

ohhhhh so THATS why I liked Vine! It was the new YTMND 🤯

[@letranger4461]

Might be misremembering but I’m pretty sure the video came after Old Town Road went viral and when the hype was dying down. It got big on tik tok, then there was all the discourse, then Billy Ray Cyrus jumped on the remix. For the longest time, the only video was footage from RDR2

[@chrisbarry9345]

Now i need to go watch videos of the best harlem shakes. I hope you're proud of yourself! 😅

[@codingpupper3033]

Aw man, I was hoping for Owl City Fireflies

[@Llamaman42]

17:13 fun fact about "A B C D E F you", there's a clean version where it goes "A B C D E forget you"... they censored a letter! (thank you Todd in the Shadows for that, lol)

[@miloseviczarko45]

But there is an angry version that literally says Fk you. If you ask me, Gayle is a true definition of a one hit wonder and shit artist.

[@donjai9366]

Hi Polyphonic can you make a video on George Michael & his artistry & legacy. Nice video BTW (By The Way) 👍