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10
Guy’s Music Video for Celine Dion’s “All By Myself”
When Richard Dunn was stuck at Nevada’s McCarran International Airport for an entire night, he made a music video of himself lip-syncing to Celine Dion’s “All By Myself.” It became an overnight sensation, and even caught the pop star’s eye.
9
Anything About “Let It Go” from Frozen
Frozen may have opened in theaters last November, but the Academy Award-winning song “Let It Go,” performed by Idina Menzel, inspired countless covers by musicians and satirists alike throughout 2014. An Africanized tribal cover by musician Alex Boyé stands out because of the phenomenal singing of One Voice Children’s Choir — pulling in over 54 million YouTube views since its February debut.
8
The President on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis
President Barack Obama took a break from getting grilled by reporters to let comedian Zach Galifianakis grill him on a March episode of Between Two Ferns. The President was promoting the Affordable Care Act and wanted to encourage young people to sign up for health insurance on Healthcare.gov. The segment drew record visitors to the site.
7
Lion King Cast’s Surprise Show on a Subway
Broadway cast members of The Lion King surprised NYC subway riders with an impromptu a cappella performance of “The Circle of Life” in a clip uploaded in August that boasts 8.4 million YouTube views. As you can see in the video, some passengers seem to “feel the love” more than others.
6
Anything John Oliver Does
Former Daily Show guest anchor John Oliver’s takedowns of hot-button issues can be nearly 15 minutes long, but that hasn’t stopped them from going viral every week since his new HBO show Last Week Tonight debuted in April. His takedowns of hot-button issues ranging from Miss America to America’s obsession with the sugar industry manage to be thought-provoking and hilarious at the same time.
5
Emma Stone’s and Jimmy Fallon’s Epic Lip Sync Battle
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actress Emma Stone displayed almost supernatural lip-syncing skills during a battle for the ages on an April episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She basically won the competition — and won over the audience — with her renditions of “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled and “Hook” by Blues Traveler.
4
The Reporter Who Quit on Live TV
In September, KTVA reporter Charlo Greene said “f—k it” and quit her job on live TV after revealing she owned the Alaska Cannabis Club, vowing to fight for the legalization of marijuana in the state. Looks like Alaskans had her back because, in November, Alaska became the fourth state to legalize recreational marijuana.
3
The "Devil Baby"
New Yorkers have a reputation for being grouchy and jaded, but they got a taste of their own medicine when they encountered an abandoned baby in a stroller that screamed, growled, vomited and even gave them the finger. Turns out the animatronic “Devil Baby,” which has racked up more than 48 million YouTube views since January, was a viral marketing stunt for the horror movie Devil’s Due.
2
IKEA’s Apple Parody
First, the Internet was in awe of Apple’s September iPhone 6 announcement. Then IKEA got everyone to laugh at it by promoting its 2015 catalog as a “bookbook”, which, made out of paper, is far from being as technologically advanced as an Apple product. But unlike the items in that catalog, there is no assembly required to enjoy this clever parody, which now boasts 12 million views.
1
A Tiny Hamster Eats Tiny Burritos
Ready for a cute break? Squeal at how this hamster’s cheeks expand (adorably) as it devours bite-size burritos in YouTube user Hello Denizen’s viral clip, which has nearly 9 million views. If only it was socially acceptable for humans to eat this way.