21 Classic Viral Videos That Will Awaken Deep-Seated Memories For All Millennials
YouTube just isn't the same as it once was.
Dork Daily / YouTube / Via youtube.com
It used to be a haven for the weird, the random, the absurd...in a time before influencers, or good-quality sound and video, or high-production-value pranks, or even — dare I say the word — Minecraft.
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It was a simpler time, but not always better. Still, I truly believe in my heart that these 21 videos still hold up. Millennials, Gen X'ers, and older Gen Z'ers, please enjoy this walk down memory lane.
1."They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"
Aaron Hardbarger / YouTube / Via youtube.com
The sheer history behind this one... It is a thing of legend and watching it is a spiritual experience. We must always remember our elders.
Watch the video here:
2."Daft Hands"
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Daft Bodies and Black Light Daft Hands are also incredible, but I feel like I have to go with the OG here. The ingenuity, the execution...it's a beautiful thing to see what the human body is capable.
Watch the video here:
3."Harry Potter in 99 Seconds"
Coming up with a 99-second description of all seven Harry Potter books? Clever. But setting it to an a cappella version of the films' scores?!?! Epic. (Yes, we're bringing "epic" back. This is a post about 2010. We will talk like it's 2010.)
Watch the video here:
4."Schfifty Five"
We shouldn't have let "Schfifty Five" out of our hearts, you guys. That's on all of us as a generation.
Watch the video here:
5."The Mean Kitty Song"
This is just a classic. It's still catchy and cute, and every cat owner knows how relatable it is.
Watch the video here:
6."The Llama Song"
LLAMA SONG! / YouTube / Via youtube.com
RANDOM XD humor had its time and place — namely, in the past. Only a few pieces of media from that time have weathered the years and the cultural changes that came with them with humility and grace. And "The Llama Song" is one of them. I don't have to explain why this video is still good. It's an intrinsic quality. It was here when it was written and it will be here when YouTube dies.
Watch the video here:
7."HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA"
ProtoOfSnagem / YouTube / Via youtube.com
We simply cannot speak about random humor without discussing He-Man singing "HEEYYYEAAEYEAAA." It exudes a sense of wonder and defines the sublime in a work that will surely be remembered for years to come.
Watch the video here:
8."'This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race' Misheard Lyrics"
When a simple concept is executed well, I don't care if it was made in MS Paint. In fact, it even can enhance the experience. To this day, I do not know the real words to this song and I do not care to.
Watch the video here:
9."Unicorn After Wisdom Teeth"
Forget David. This is the absolute best "after wisdom teeth" video. From her dream about the unicorn to her seamless transition into a Christian rap about Jesus to her proclaiming her thirst in the best possible way, this video is a masterpiece from start to finish.
We can't embed the original for copyright reasons, but you can see part of it in this Ellen DeGeneres Show clip below:
10."Muffins"
LiamKyleSullivan / YouTube / Via youtube.com
You know LiamKyleSullivan's "Shoes," but do you remember the slightly less viral hit "Muffins"? It was enough to turn me off from muffins for YEARS. Liam is a horror genius and this is his Sistine Chapel.
Watch the video here:
11."Huge Basketball Shorts"
eskronaldmcdonald / YouTube / Via youtube.com
This video is a priceless, oft-overlooked piece of art. It's got everything: an awkward kid, perfectly timed yet bizarre comedy, bad photoshopping, and an auto-tuned song. What more could you want?
Watch the video here:
12."Llamas with Hats"
"Carl, that kills people!" is just as quotable today as it was a decade ago. This video holds up better than the entirety of The Office.
Watch the video here:
13."Don't Hug Me I'm Scared"
Nothing will ever top the bizarre creepiness of watching black ink pour down over a painting of a clown as the song goes silent. I don't know who or what type of person this video was made for, which means, in a way, it was made for all of us. And I think that's beautiful.
Watch the video here:
14."The Duck Song"
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"Annoying humor" was also a large part of the late 2000s / early 2010s and personally, I find this type of humor best left in the past. This is the sole survivor, a phoenix rising from the ashes of humor best left forgotten. And trust me, it is one time you will be happy to be annoyed. Forget "Baby Shark." Let us restore "The Duck Song" back to its former glory.
Watch the video here:
15."Threw It on the Ground" by the Lonely Island
thelonelyisland / YouTube / Via youtube.com
We still give love to "I'm on a Boat" and "I Just Had Sex" but I feel like we lost sight of "Threw It on the Ground" along the way, and that saddens me. It is by far the Lonely Island's best work.
Watch the video here:
16.A Very Potter Musical
Team StarKid / YouTube / Via youtube.com
The best parodies come from people who truly know and love something, and that is clearly the case with this musical. It also has genuinely talented singers, including legend Darren Criss, the mastermind behind this piece of theater. "Not Alone" still brings a tear to my eye after all this time.
Watch it from the beginning here:
17."Badgers"
Weebl's Stuff / YouTube / Via youtube.com
It's badgers dancing and singing. It's catchy. It's, I would argue, educational. What more can I say?
Watch the video here:
18."Trapped in the Drive-Thru"
Ah, Weird Al Yankovic's masterpiece. A stirring animation that will awaken something deep in your heart, this song has a relatable quality that modern pop songs have not been able to match.
Watch the video here:
19."'Edward and Bella' — A Bad Lip Reading of Twilight"
The latest entry on this list, something about it just feels very early YouTube to me, matched with the production value of later YouTube. More enjoyable than Twilight itself, this video evokes nostalgia while painting a compelling story of mouses with wee-wees and a man named Kevin.
Watch the video here:
20."Nyan Cat"
Nothing will ever match the novelty, the grace, or the sheer simplicity of Nyan Cat. Nyan Cat is love. Nyan Cat is life.
Watch the video here:
21.And finally..."Leave Britney Alone."
madringking1119 / YouTube / Via youtube.com
I'm sorry, Chris Crocker. You were right.
Watch the video here:
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