Celebrating nine years of YouTube through music

Trololo! YouTube turned 9 this May. And what multitudes are contained in that vast near-decade of video?

To call out just a few highlights in YouTube history, there are more than 120,000 videos inspired by “Let it Go” (based on videos posted with that title), half a million by “Gangnam Style,” and a stunning 1.5 million videos by “Harlem Shake” (that’s a lot of motorcycle helmets). These inspired riffs got us thinking about those magical moments when songs become bona fide trends—and people all over the world start remixing, covering, parodying, dancing, and lip-dubbing.

So to celebrate this year, we pay homage to the music you've made on YouTube. We got a bunch of your favorite performers together to cover some of the most memorable musical moments in YouTube’s history. The result is a mashup called YouTube Birthday Karaoke Night, featuring familiar faces like The Gregory Brothers, Chester See, Cimorelli and more (see if you can spot all 18).


Now raise your Cups ... ’cause Here it Goes Again. Call us Maybe?

Claire Stapleton, YouTube Culture & Trends, recently watched (and crooned along to) the playlist Nine Classic Hits Celebrating YouTube’s Ninth Birthday.

Here’s to eight great years

When YouTube’s site first launched in May 2005, we never could have imagined the endless ways in which you would inspire, inform and entertain us every day.

Today, more than 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s more than four days of video uploaded each minute! Every month, more than 1 billion people come to YouTube to access news, answer questions and have a little fun. That’s almost one out of every two people on the Internet.

Millions of partners are creating content for YouTube and more than 1,000 companies worldwide have mandated a one-hour mid-day break to watch nothing but funny YouTube videos. Well, we made that last stat up, but that would be cool (the other stats are true).

Over the years, you’ve continued to surprise and delight us. And the past year was no exception. Who would have guessed that a tux-rocking K-pop star would shatter records left and right or that Sesame Street would go global with 1 billion views? That’s one of our favorite things about our global audience: you’re as unpredictable as you are creative and irreverent. Keeping that in mind (and in theme with our first-ever Comedy Week), we have a video to share celebrating funny moments in YouTube history:


And so, this Monday, on our eighth birthday, we’d like to thank you for making YouTube the special place that it is. For showing us how video can create connections, transcend borders and make a difference. For clicking these links even if you aren’t sure what they’ll be, but you trust us. In short, thanks for making us better in big ways and small ones, too. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

The YouTube Team, recently watched “Super Pastry Cake - Epic Meal Time.”