The Most Popular YouTube Videos of 2013 – Part 2

YouTube has become one of the most well-known channels that viewers visit to watch popular videos. Episodes from TV shows, music videos as well as home movies are available on this online outlet for viewing. This past year, numerous videos have gone viral thanks to the subject matter included and sharing on various social media platforms. Some even earned the creators television spots, merchandise and views totaling over a million.

We previously posted  2013’s Best Viral YouTube Videos, which is a tough list to narrow. With the year almost over, we revisted our list and bring you a few runner up videos that deserve to make the cut. Check out the most popular YouTube videos of 2013 and see why they generated such buzz!

Do the Harlem Shake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vJiSSAMNWw

The debut of this YouTube video featuring four costumed friends goofing off sparked a viral dance craze that spawned even more homemade YouTube videos. Over the top imitations attempted to use hundreds of participants, elaborate outfits and even stunts to gain popularity. There was even a video created to counteract the various dance YouTube videos called “Harlem reacted to ‘Harlem Shake’ YouTube Videos”. Here, street interviews were conducted with residents of Harlem, New York as they expressed their views of the trend.  Some even went so far as to perform “the original” Harlem shake dance move.

Gangnam Style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

Another dance craze that swept the nation thanks to YouTube was Psy’s music video performing “Gangnam Style”. Although it was originally uploaded on July 15, 2012, Gangnam style gained popularity in 2013, sparking parodies, numerous TV appearances, radio slots and even a Super Bowl commercial. To date, the video has over 1 billion views. This is the reigning king of YouTube videos!

“#Hashtag” with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA

A recent upload that quickly gained popularity was a skit from the show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”. Here, Jimmy Fallon and pop superstar Justin Timberlake make fun of the hashtag trend that has been featured on almost all social media platforms. It can be inferred that the skit gained numerous views and shares due to its relevancy of a current trend and featured celebrities.

What Does the Fox Say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

Norway brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker, who are hosts of Tonight with Ylvis, created this video with little intent of being famous from it. After gearing the hit to U.S. viewers, this YouTube video gained over 130 million views. The phrase “What does the fox say?” appeared on various t-shirts and Vines. The song even earned the brothers a performance on the TODAY show. The success of this video can be credited to the original concept as well as the professionalism behind it: Stargate, who produced Rihanna’s “Diamonds”, shot the video.

Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines ft. T.I., Pharrell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU
Robin Thicke’s music video for his hit single “Blurred Lines” generated a lot of views and shares as did other popular YouTube videos on this list, but for a negative reason. Many deemed the concept, which consisted of scantily clad women and subliminal sexual messaging , to be sexist and demeaning, spurring controversial blog posts and counterattacks through popular YouTube videos such as “Blurred Lines [Feminist Parody] ‘Defined Lines’”. We recommend staying away from controversial methods to gain popularity, no matter how many views you want your video to have!

Worst Twerk Fail EVER – Girl Catches Fire!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CddMD3QqTFs

A video showing a girl dancing in a handstand became popular not because she was dancing but because she caught on fire. However, it all ended up being a hoax – the star of this video was stuntwoman Caitlin Heller, who later admitted on Jimmy Kimmel Live that it was fake. In fact, the video was shown in its entirety where Kimmel appeared with a fire extinguisher, hosing her down. The success of this video can be accredited to the eye catching title involving caps as well as an exclamation point and the popular type of dance move displayed.

“Joking Bad” parody on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duKL2dAJN6I

Jimmy Fallon appears on this list again, but this time for a parody of the show “Breaking Bad”. Due to the popularity of the show and the accuracy of portraying it, the skit received praise along with shares and views on various social media platforms. This goes to show that if a parody of a trend is executed well and in good taste, it will gain popularity.

If you want successful YouTube videos for your business, services at J.M. Field Marketing can help make your vision happen. Contact us today – we have two professional studios ready to bring your project to life!

The Most Popular YouTube Videos of 2013 – Part 2 was last modified: December 18th, 2014 by
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