We've almost certainly left off your personal favorite.

June 19, 2018 3:55 PM

Thrillist has compiled the 100 greatest YouTube videos of all time, ranked.
posted by Johnny Wallflower (77 comments total)

I was genuinely surprised that they didn't put "me at the zoo" at #2.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:05 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Angie Harmon dancing in the hair-and-makeup trailer of Rizzoli & Isles in 2012 should be on the list!
posted by Carol Anne at 4:14 PM on June 19, 2018

needs more Owwwoooo!
posted by philip-random at 4:20 PM on June 19, 2018

Some of these videos predate YouTube. I first watched "Porkchop Sandwiches" and a few of the other Fenslerfilm GI Joe parodies after downloading them from Limewire (or a similar P2P service) back in the day. "How is babby formed" was originally a Flash animation, and I'm pretty sure "history of the entire world, i guess" was a Flash animation as well.
posted by SansPoint at 4:22 PM on June 19, 2018 [9 favorites]

Also, come on, no Big Bill Hell's?! "Fuck you, Baltimore!"
posted by SansPoint at 4:23 PM on June 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

Glaring omission: It's not a cookie. I laugh so hard I cry every time I watch it.
posted by zeusianfog at 4:26 PM on June 19, 2018 [9 favorites]

Pretty well rounded list. I would have included Jamie Foxx eats small time comedian at roast.

Used to know someone who met the Flea Market Montgomery guy. Apparently he is a pretty affable person IRL.
posted by Query at 4:26 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

*ctrl-f "melodica"*

*sighs in relief* At least ONE thing is right about the world today.
posted by barchan at 4:31 PM on June 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

Needed this today. Thank you. PORK CHOP SANDWICHES!
posted by sunset in snow country at 4:36 PM on June 19, 2018

Pretty well rounded list.

Yes. It does include Too Many Cooks.
posted by philip-random at 4:37 PM on June 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

I am really disappointed in myself. I only know about 5 of these. Clearly I have work to do.

Also: no pen-pineapple-apple-pen? Either the short or long version? Or the Sesame Street Japan homage, cookie-butter-choco-cookie? (That last featuring the golden joy of Piko Taro giving Cookie Monster and Elmo dance tips.)
posted by Athanassiel at 4:37 PM on June 19, 2018 [7 favorites]

They forgot blueberries
posted by ghharr at 4:38 PM on June 19, 2018

Oh shit there goes the rest of my bunch of days, awesome post. #33 slowed down gimme pizza yas yas yas. The sound of food poisoning if food poisoning was a slowed down Olson twins song.
posted by supercrayon at 4:43 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

I came here ready to argue with whatever number one was, but I can’t. I quote that video at LEAST twice a week.
posted by brook horse at 4:44 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

when you're a kid and you want to go "whee" but you ain't got drugs yet
posted by infinitewindow at 4:45 PM on June 19, 2018 [15 favorites]

I was really hoping the Nike Y2K Jogger would be included...
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:46 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

The Front Fell Off
posted by namewithoutwords at 4:51 PM on June 19, 2018 [13 favorites]

I'm lobbying to have Dog of Wisdom and What kind of eggs you like? included in this list.
posted by moonmilk at 4:54 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Needed more cats, but, I guess it did what it said on the tin.

As the kids say.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:55 PM on June 19, 2018

Outside of some typical minor quibbling about ordering of the list (“Numa Numa” guy and the grape stomp lady videos are so iconic that their placements seems really low), this was a lot of fun.

I haven’t done acid in almost 30 years, but I’m reminded of what the experience was like watching the kazoo kid video.
posted by The Gooch at 5:01 PM on June 19, 2018

Why is this not 100 links to a Turkish man yelling "meow" at an egg
posted by jason_steakums at 5:19 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

For some, ASMR is a form of sonic crack, and content in which users practice "autonomous sensory meridian response" by whispering, eating, or making other soft noises proliferates on YouTube.

For others, it's like itching powder in my brain. And it makes youtube autoplay a minefield sometimes.
posted by traveler_ at 5:19 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

I don’t want to say that I went down a rabbit hole here, nor acknowledge that I am gullible, but let’s just say that in addition to Metafilter, there is a Ticketmaster tab open on this device
posted by The Gooch at 5:32 PM on June 19, 2018

Everyone please watch Star Trek Episode #2: Eggs . I found it through metafilter somehow, years ago. And at 4k views it's been a well kept gem. But I love it so much
posted by FirstMateKate at 5:40 PM on June 19, 2018 [12 favorites]

I've never seen #4 until just now and all I have to say is

HOW THE FUCK IS #4 NOT #1 THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT FUCKING CLICKBAIT BULLSHIT

*ahem*
That is all.
posted by NoMich at 5:52 PM on June 19, 2018

Needs more Manhattan Chase.
posted by duffell at 6:06 PM on June 19, 2018

I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch! should've been on there.

Surprised that "I just fucking shot myself" didn't make it...I guess.

Or Charles Ramsey...
posted by Chuffy at 6:32 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Overall a great list, though I agree it shouldn't include AlbinoBlackSheep and Ebaumsworld classic hits, or Vine originals.

A few canon items they missed--in loose order of significance:

* Supa Hot Fire

* TECHNOVIKING

* Christian the Lion

* Everyday Normal Guy

* Malk

* First Blog / Dorkiness Prevails (The first LonelyGirl15 entry)

* World's Worst Attempt At Parallel Parking, Enjoy! (14+ minutes)

I'm tempted to throw in more recent sensations like Lil' Dicky, the hydraulic press, bad lip readings, and so forth, but then we get into the YouTube celebrities and I don't want to see what that list would look like. (Also Leeroy Jenkins, but it was originally on a WoW forum, not Youtube.)
posted by matrixclown at 6:43 PM on June 19, 2018 [4 favorites]

Duck Army, surely!

or reversed.

+1 for supahot
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 6:45 PM on June 19, 2018 [4 favorites]

Charlie Bit Me? Yes. Lazy Sunday? Yes.
Legit.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 6:58 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm truly impressed by how many of these I have seen/how much time I have wasted on the internet, but it's missing Bill Gates Jumps Over Chair, Penguins Attack, The MANtage, I don't even know, and controversial sleeper hit bidoof to name a few!
posted by capricorn at 7:11 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Brad Neely's on the list, so all is well.
posted by Zonker at 7:11 PM on June 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

These are the first two YT videos I favorited.

Bum Hand
Benny Lava

I got half way through Jaelin and Brianna's video about moving to Chicago and had to stop. Per the article I only killed 8 million brain cells.
posted by bendy at 7:14 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

And who can forget developers developers developers?
posted by bendy at 7:16 PM on June 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

Surely, Cat In A Shark Costume Chases A Duck While Riding A Roomba deserves a place? As one viewer famously commented at the time:

Art no longer has any meaning. This is the finale. The beautiful long take at the end, holding the tension, breaking the fourth wall, daring the audience with its audacity and self-relexivity. Beyond masterful. Simply breathtaking.

posted by drnick at 7:22 PM on June 19, 2018 [17 favorites]

Ah... huuut?
Meet me at Drift Mountain?
Round One... FIGHT!?!
posted by steveminutillo at 8:02 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

That was "Sharp Dressed Man" - the drummer's mistake was that he practiced to ALL THE SONGS like he was driving the beat to "Manic Mechanic."

I mean, serious, once you get away from the radio hits and into deep tracks on the overproduced albums, and from there to a Stadium Performance... still no good. Bootleg Texas roadhouse. No record survives, as Satan burned all of the Super-8 evidence. Don't even bother to look.

At this point, you're into Dio metal.

SEASON OF THE WITCH!
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:07 PM on June 19, 2018

Can't decide if Nutrigrain ad belongs.
posted by BrotherCaine at 8:20 PM on June 19, 2018 [9 favorites]

What have I been doing with my life?
posted by LarsC at 8:38 PM on June 19, 2018

...you can't handle my strongest potions...
posted by CheapB at 8:49 PM on June 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

C'mon TARS
posted by tclark at 8:55 PM on June 19, 2018

Needs moar fire. [1] [2]

[1] Minecraft FIREE WTFFFFFFF!!!!! (Virtual Reality)
[2] Minecraft Player Live Streams House Fire (Reality Reality)
posted by mistersquid at 9:08 PM on June 19, 2018

I can't believe that the Crichton Leprechaun is not on this list.
posted by SonInLawOfSam at 9:19 PM on June 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

vine really ruined me for youtube videos, i guess. i don't have time, i need to be entertained within 6 seconds or i become sullen and resentful.
posted by poffin boffin at 9:21 PM on June 19, 2018 [12 favorites]

Can't decide if Nutrigrain ad belongs.

OMG! Of course it does!
posted by bendy at 9:25 PM on June 19, 2018

...is that a deer?
posted by CheapB at 9:36 PM on June 19, 2018

Honorable mentions:

Heavy Metal Penguin
Serenity Now WoW funeral raid
posted by Chuffy at 9:45 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

No Drinking Out of Cups?!
posted by barrett caulk at 9:50 PM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Pretty good list, but missing my top three:

Watch how he mind me.

Out of Body Experience

Dying
posted by dobbs at 10:04 PM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Some of these videos predate YouTube. I first watched "Porkchop Sandwiches" and a few of the other Fenslerfilm GI Joe parodies after downloading them from Limewire (or a similar P2P service) back in the day. "How is babby formed" was originally a Flash animation, and I'm pretty sure "history of the entire world, i guess" was a Flash animation as well.

TFA:

If you were to stumble randomly across Bill Wurtz’s "history of the entire world, i guess," you’d be forgiven for thinking it was part of the crop of Flash-animated videos that dominated internet culture in the early-/mid-2000s, but, in fact, it came out just last year.

posted by Sys Rq at 10:09 PM on June 19, 2018

A few canon items they missed--in loose order of significance:
...
* TECHNOVIKING


I'm pretty okay with this one not being included, as the subject of the video has made it quite clear that he did not agree to be filmed and did not want his likeness spread across the internet.
posted by myotahapea at 12:07 AM on June 20, 2018

Black Bear Gnaws on Delta 15s Seakayak in Berg Bay, Alaska
posted by webmutant at 12:16 AM on June 20, 2018

I just looked at the first five on the list and Charlie the Unicorn can get in the bin.
posted by Faintdreams at 12:17 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

On My. That Nutragrin ad.

Cocaine is a helllofva drug.

[I assume]
posted by Faintdreams at 12:22 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

awesome! I have aged out of the internet demographic!
posted by mwhybark at 12:33 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also:

Shoes. Oh. My Gaaaaawd.
Shoes.
posted by Faintdreams at 12:47 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Or maybe not. A solid 30/100 familiarity score.
posted by mwhybark at 12:49 AM on June 20, 2018

Hm no Take On Me jogging
posted by fleacircus at 1:41 AM on June 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

George Lucas in Love - short movie - Star Wars - YouTube
posted by zengargoyle at 3:08 AM on June 20, 2018

I've only seen a handful of these. Christian the Lion definitely should have been there (linked above by matrixclown).

My top fav youtube video would have to be JK Wedding Entrance Dance!
posted by maggiemaggie at 4:20 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

Kitty Corliss
posted by Merus at 4:42 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Keyboard cat at #57?

-Flips table-
posted by Paladin1138 at 5:01 AM on June 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

Now, friends.
posted by Hypatia at 6:04 AM on June 20, 2018

Eagles are turning people into horses.
posted by dobbs at 6:32 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]

A moment of appreciation for a 100 item listicle on ONE PAGE!
posted by shenkerism at 7:46 AM on June 20, 2018 [22 favorites]

^ Truly, a modern miracle.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 8:15 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh, after sleeping on it I realized what was missing from this list.

NOOOOOOPE... Chuck Testa!
posted by sunset in snow country at 9:04 AM on June 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

HOKAY SO
posted by ringu0 at 9:36 AM on June 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

I had totally forgotten about that Nutragrain ad. I can't believe it's real, still.
posted by uberchet at 4:16 PM on June 20, 2018

I didn't want to have to break this one out. But this one. It's the one youtube vid I can't not laugh at. I've seen it a solid thousand times, not even exaggerating. I was going through a down period where I though overexposure to it would cure me of giggling and cackling like a fiend so I could go back to finding joy in nothing. Didn't work.

Worse. Everyone I show it to laughs. Hard-bitten stoics, men who haven't smiled in a decade or two and women who fail to the find the humor... no really, they fail to find the humor.

All of them fall victim.

Behold, I give you: HONK

Yes I just watched, yes I just straight-up eheehehehehehehehe'd. Can't help it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:50 PM on June 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

Hatt Hatt Baby Made the rounds pretty widely & I think it was a pre-YouTube flash thing as well, but where I saw it first exactly eludes my memory.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:28 PM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

oh man, I remember watching "Hatten ar din" on one of the college library computers with my headphones plugged into it, hoping I wouldn't get called out for dicking around on the connection. It was a purple iMac with a round mouse -- the college had invested heavily in those -- and I needed to be doing anything else but working on my thesis. It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. I didn't know that this would basically be the ground floor level of internet humor in the future.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:35 PM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Well, if we're linking to pre-youtube ODD FLASH VIDEOS... Ja Da. NSFW for weird nudity.
posted by duffell at 5:58 PM on June 21, 2018

Whoa! I hadn't seen Hatten är din for a decade or so, and today after a year of half-heartedly studying Danish I find that I can actually understand some of the subtitles! The hat is yours, it lives so quietly, it was always so quiet...
posted by moonmilk at 7:07 PM on June 21, 2018

I'm pretty sure "history of the entire world, i guess" was a Flash animation as well.

You are probably thinking of The End of the World, a real hit in its day. I still use the phrase "wtf, mate?" at least once a week or so.
posted by capricorn at 9:44 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

And yes, Hatten is great and is responsible for me having a surprising amount of cheesy Lebanese pop on my iTunes for someone with zero other connections to Lebanon.
posted by capricorn at 9:46 AM on June 22, 2018

I'm surprised that I've seen about 80% of this list. The very first thing I saw on YouTube was a viral video in 2007. I was an office drone working at a bank, and my pal a couple of desks over said to me one day, "Hey, you have to see this clip from an Indian movie where they do the Thriller dance!" "What?" I replied, "Bollywood Thriller?! Send me a link!"

It's still pretty amazing. I like it better than the Philippine one, which just makes me sad.
posted by droplet at 10:12 PM on June 26, 2018