The 10 best viral videos of all time
We can't remember a time when we didn't spend our lunchbreaks sharing quirky, funny or incredibly cute video clips with our friends. Since YouTube's launch in 2005, hundreds of videos have become viral sensations, watched and discussed by millions worldwide. Some spend a few weeks in the spotlight and fade into internet obscurity, but a select few go on to become a cultural phenomenom - with CDs, books and careers made from uploading one clip. Much of YouTube's output has now become slicker than ever thanks to marketing companies, but sometimes, you just can't beat a shakily filmed clip of a cute creature. So, if you've got a few minutes to spare, take a look at our favourite viral videos of all time. From the hilarious to the bizarre, here they are in no particular order...
1. Scary Mary Poppins
Many of you may remember settling down to watch Mary Poppins as a kid. This cleverly edited film trailer shows what would happen if Disney decided to make a horror film, and Poppins went over the dark side. It makes "a spoonful of sugar" sound awfully sinister.
2. Teenage Dream
15 year-old Keenan Cahill is a serious Katy Perry fan. His lip-synching talents led to him performing with Katy Perry in a video, and celebrities such as 50 cent and Tine Tempah now request to star on his Youtube channel.
3. Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
One of the biggest viral phenomenon of 2009, Susan Boyle’s plain appearance and powerful voice wowed audiences in the auditions of Britain’s Got Talent, and worldwide as news of the video spread.
4. Dramatic Chipmunk
It may only be five seconds long, but this clip of a shocked chipmunk still makes us chuckle.
4. Talking Twin Babies
Baby talk, in its purest and most hilarious form.
5. The Keyboard Cat
Because a video of a cat doing something silly is guaranteed internet gold. Here Fatso the cat shows off his keyboard skills.
6. Leave Britney Alone!
When Britney Spears suffered a meltdown in 2007, uber-fan Chris Crocker uploaded this emotional video defending his idol. It recieved 2 million views in 24 hours, and spawned a spoof video by actor Seth Green.
7. Rick Roll'd
In case you've never been "Rick Roll'd", the 2007 craze involved tricking users into clicking a link to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. Rickrolling really hit the mainstream when even Fox News got in on the act, as this video of an news anchor getting Rick Roll'd shows.
8. Chocolate Rain
Tay Zonday’s dulcet tones and songwriting skills helped make Chocolate Rain a viral sensation. With 70 million views plus on Youtube, Tay went from being a grad student to a fully fledged singer, and even appeared on Lily Allen's short-lived TV show, covering her hit Smile.
9. Dancing Baby
One of the very first viral video hits in 1997, this video of a (slightly creepy) dancing baby even featured on Ally McBeal .
10. Boo
We love a good animal video at Stylist, but few have as high a cute factor as this clip of fluffy pup Boo. Boo has his own blog, facebook page, and a book coming out later this year too.
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