People walk by a YouTube logo, as Google celebrates the 20th anniversary of first video uploaded to YouTube, at the company’s corporate headquarters in San Bruno, California.JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images
As YouTube turns 20 this year – the anniversary of the first-ever video uploaded to the platform – The Globe compiled a list of the 20 videos that defined YouTube’s first two decades. We knew we couldn’t get to every iconic video, so we asked Globe readers to send in their favourite uploads, and share their best memories with the platform.
One reader, James Mason from Picton, Ont., shared a story with The Globe about watching a YouTube video with a friend at a baseball game in 2007, when smartphones were still a novelty. “Oh, it was funny, but what struck me more was that we were in a stadium watching a video on phone that didn’t have any buttons on it,” he said.
Here are some of Globe readers’ favourite YouTube videos.
Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.
As YouTube turns 20, we look at what the platform has done for us – and to us
2006: Numa Numa by Gary Brolsma
Submitted by Ronald Joiner
The “Numa Numa guy” (real name Gary Brolsma), made waves with this iconic bedroom performance. It’s everything that defined early YouTube – strange home videos that can’t get out of our heads, and have been meme’d to death ever since.
May 22, 2007: Charlie bit my finger – again! by HDCYT
Submitted by Bertrand Marotte
The origin of millions of bad British impressions, this video bridged the gap between adorable home movies and viral sensations. As of this month, the video has been viewed a whopping 887 million times.
Every ’90s music video, ever
It was 2006 and I was in my dorm room at Queen’s University – I was waiting for a repair person to arrive so I couldn’t leave. I opened up YouTube for the first time and I watched hours of Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and other late ’90s music videos that I had never seen before. I was amazed I had access to these videos, I was thrilled! – Kim McCrory
Jan. 8, 2010: Mountain Double Rainbow by Yosemitebear
Submitted by Phil MacDonald
Out of every video on this list, we can’t go a few weeks without hearing “Double rainbow, oh my God” somewhere in the wild. Aggressively positive and endlessly quotable, this one belongs in the YouTube hall of fame.
Jan. 6, 2012: 5 People 1 Guitar! by Walk off the Earth
Not only was everybody that I know blown away that this was even possible, it catapulted Burlington band Walk off the Earth to career-making heights and gave the original Gotye song a huge injection as well. – Jeffrey Maass
Oct. 21, 2014: “Shia LaBeouf” Live by Rob Cantor
Today’s world of social media is obsessed with celebrities and all the attention they garner. This video sets the high-water mark for “going over-the-top” in mocking that culture by focusing on one notable & deserving celebrity in a rich, elaborate musical presentation. – Nolan Berg
Apr. 8, 2020: Justin Trudeau Sings “Speaking Moistly” by anonymotif
“Speaking Moistly” is a video our family remembers with fondness. In times of uncertainty Justin Trudeau’s funny slip turned into a remix song was a thing we didn’t know we needed. Good humoured without meanness. It kept us singing and smiling through our lockdown. Thanks Justin Trudeau and anonymotif for the chuckle. – San Crus
