Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video, the first viral video to top 1 billion views on YouTube, completes 10 years

This Friday, July 15, denotes the 10th anniversary of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video release— and the Korean artist’s combo of stylish quirkiness, trademark dance moves, synth hooks, and satirical edge made it the primary viral video to top 1 billion perspectives on YouTube.

A decade prior today, Psy released “Gangnam Style.” In the hazy rear window of our collective memory, the track might appear as though a silly little pop song we clumsily imitated with friends or family during summer. In all actuality, “Gangnam Style” shifted the entire landscape of music and video culture to assist with making the internet we know today.

The song changed meme culture (by inspiring remixes and covers), added to the dominance of online video (by arriving at new heights of virality through sharing), and modernized the music industry at large (by encouraging performance charts to represent music video sees notwithstanding radio performance). It was likewise the very first YouTube video to hit 1 billion perspectives.

It took “Gangnam Style” only 159 days to arrive at that mark and it would be the main individual from the “Billion Views Club” for a year until Justin Bieber’s “Baby” matched it. “Gangnam Style” was earning 14.8 million perspectives in a solitary day at its peak, and is as yet racking up 900k perspectives each day, as per YouTube. The music video is among the 10-most viewed music videos in the platform’s set history with 4.4 billion perspectives.

Under a half year after its release, “Gangnam Style” on Dec. 21, 2012, turned into the principal honoree in YouTube’s Billion Views Club. What’s more, today, it stays on YouTube’s Top 5 list of the most-seen music videos by a recording artist ever on the platform, with 4.47 billion perspectives (and counting).

In a statement given by YouTube, Psy commented: “Being the first artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube was an extraordinary feeling 10 years ago and it still is today. To have played a role in paving the way for music of all kinds to transcend borders is a true honor.”

Fun historical note: In 2014, that’s what YouTube kidded “Gangnam Style” had broken its video-views counter when it outperformed 2.147 billion perspectives; the software was initially restricted to help for 32-bit integers (lol!).

Since Psy’s milestone a decade ago, dozens of other music videos have topped 1 billion YouTube sees, traversing genres and generations.

J Balvin and Justin Bieber both have 11 official music videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club (in which they are the lead/featured artist or collaborator) — tied for the large portion of any artist. Right behind them is Ozuna with 10, and Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and Maluma with eight each.

The YouTube Billion Views Club incorporates Luis Fonsi’s record-breaking smash “Despacito” ft. Daddy Yankee, Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” ft. Bruno Mars, Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” ft. Charlie Puth, Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Blackpink’s “How You Like That,” BTS’ “Boy With Luv” ft. Halsey, Drake’s ”Hotline Bling,” A-ha’s “Take on Me,” Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow,” Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” Ozuna’s “Se Preparó,” Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda,” Maluma’s “Felices Los 4″ and Coolio’s 1995 hit “Gangsta’s Paradise.”

YouTube Most Viewed Music Videos of All Time, by Recording Artist

• Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee – 7.8 billion
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You – 5.7 billion
• Wiz Khalifa – See You Again ft. Charlie Puth – 5.5 billion
• Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars – 4.6 billion
• Psy – Gangnam Style (강남스타일) – 4.4 billion

Quickest Music Videos to Reach 1 Billion Views, by No. of Days After Release

• Adele – Hello – 88 days
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You – 97 days [tied]
• Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee – 97 days [tied]
• J Balvin, Willy William – Mi Gente – 103 days
• Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato – Échame La Culpa – 111 days

Fewer videos from the pre-YouTube era have crossed the billion-sees mark. The main melody from the 1970s to join club is Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Here are the songs from the ’80s and ’90s that have outperformed 1 billion perspectives on YouTube, as per the platform:

1980s

• Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
• A-ha – Take On Me
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
• Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
• Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun
• Europe – The Final Countdown

1990s

• Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
• Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
• The Cranberries – Zombie
• Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
• 4 Non-Blondes – What’s Up
• Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
• AC/DC – Thunderstruck
• Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way
• Dr. Dre – Still D.R.E. ft. Snoop Dogg
• Aqua – Barbie Girl
• Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise (feat. L.V.)