It’s party time on the internet. This week it will be no less than seventeen years since YouTube, the largest video platform in the world, was launched. What started as a fun idea eventually grew into one of the biggest success stories on the web. But to what does the platform owe its success?
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Seventeen years ago, the first video was uploaded to YouTube. It was a 19 second video of co-founder Jawed Karim standing at the zoo with a big smile on his face. A film that would be followed over the years by a lot of iconic videos that we still look back on with great pleasure today. We list ten of those videos in this article.
17 years of YouTube: the 10 most iconic videos
In the 17 years that YouTube has been around, we’ve seen a lot of memorable videos. From Chocolate Rain to Charlie Bit My Finger, they’ve all made the video platform as big as it is today. Time to get on your bike for a trip down memory lane and enjoy 10 of those iconic videos.
#1 Charlie Bit My Finger | 2007
A boy with his little baby brother on his lap. It doesn’t sound like the recipe for one of the most iconic videos ever. Yet Charlie Bit My Finger managed to cause a landslide, making the platform known to more and more people.
#2 Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That | 2012
YouTube’s most iconic videos aren’t just from the early days. In the early 10’s there were also a lot of videos that are still recognized by an incredible number of people today. For example, consider this masterly interview:
#3 YouTube classic: Rebecca Black – Friday | 2011
The song was not to be heard, but it became a worldwide success. Rebecca Black’s music video from 2011 has already racked up 160 million views and has been in our heads for weeks with the lyrics ‘Friday’.
#4 Mr. Trololo | 2009
Well, mr. Trololo. If you’re talking about iconic videos from YouTube, this singer cannot be missed. The video below is an excellent explanation of why:
#5 Dave After The Dentist | 2009
Although you can certainly get anesthetic at the dentist in the Netherlands, in America they work with stronger stuff. This video from 2009 perfectly shows the result:
#6 YouTube classic: Evolution of Dance | 2006
When you think of the early days of YouTube, you probably think of this man’s fantastic act:
#7 Leave Britney Alone | 2007
YouTube would be nothing without people sharing their opinions with the world, in a rather special way. For example, this video of a boy named Chris went viral. A video that appeared at a time when the world was rocking hard for artist Britney Spears. Something he didn’t quite agree with, to say the least.
#8 Keyboard Cat | 2007
We couldn’t imagine a world without Keyboard Cat. The video of a cat playing piano originally dates back to 1984, but went viral worldwide in 2007.
#9 Chocolate Rain | 2007
Nowadays we are used to the idea that you can make a whole career out of YouTube. In 2007 it was different and the world looked at Tay Zonday in amazement. The best man was laughed at for his cover of Chocolate Rain , but has made huge strides in the years since. If you want to know what exactly is possible with the platform, Zonday is still the best example of this to this day.
#10 Gangnam Style | 2012
South Korean artist PSY showed another great advantage of YouTube in 2012. with his number Gangnam Style it became clear that, despite speaking another language, land borders could be broken with ease. His hit went down in the books as the first video ever to reach more than a billion views. Today the counter stands at 4.3 billion.
This article previously appeared on the website of our colleagues at Want .
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