11°c A few clouds
18°c Sunny
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
YouTube names PSY's 'Gangnam Style' the video of the year in Canada, globally
Korean singer PSY, left, signs 'Gangnam Style' on stage at the half-time show as the Buffalo Bills play against the Seattle Seahawks during first half NFL football action in Toronto on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. It's getting harder and harder to find an Internet user who hasn't seen the veritably viral "Gangnam Style" music video.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
TORONTO - It's getting harder and harder to find an Internet user who hasn't seen the veritably viral "Gangnam Style" music video.
Now closing in on a staggering one-billion views, YouTube has officially named the clip by South Korean singer PSY as the top video of the year, both in Canada and globally.
In late November, "Gangnam Style" passed Justin Bieber's music video for "Baby" as the most-watched YouTube video ever, with over 800 million views. Just a few weeks later, "Gangnam Style" is now about 160 million views ahead of "Baby."
But it wasn't just overall views that YouTube considered in drafting its top 10 lists, says Google Canada spokeswoman Wendy Bairos.
"We call it the trending list because we also took into account shares, searches, likes and responses ... to be a real pulse of what's happening."
Bieber did crack YouTube's annual top 10 list in Canada and globally but not for one of his own songs. His lipsyncing sing-along to fellow Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen's monster hit "Call Me Maybe" — along with former girlfriend Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Carlos Pena Jr. and Martin Johnson — was fourth on both lists.
"The best way to categorize 2012 is that it was the year of parodies and cover songs ... and the Bieber cover, I think, is probably a video that set off the trend," says Bairos.
"We just saw it covered so many times, whether it was baseball teams, Olympic teams — and people were even splicing speeches by Barack Obama to make it seem like he was singing it."
Gotye's hit song "Somebody That I Used to Know" also played into the trend, spawning countless covers and parodies.
But the Belgian-Australian singer didn't make YouTube's cut.
Instead, it was Burlington, Ont.-natives Walk Off the Earth that placed second on YouTube's Canadian and global lists of the year's top videos. Their unique cover — in which the band's five members all huddled around and played the same acoustic guitar — has racked up more than 140 million views.
———
The full list of YouTube's top videos of the year in Canada:
1. "Gangnam Style" by PSY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
2. "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Walk off the Earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9NF2edxy-M
3. KONY 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
4. "Call Me Maybe" featuring Justin Bieber and friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsBsBU3vn6M
5. Britney Spears learns "Gangnam Style" dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZmkU5Pg1sw
6. Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates epic rap battle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njos57IJf-0
7. "Fallen Kingdom" a Minecraft parody of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-sH53vXP2A
8. Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1ujzRidmU
9. "Call Me Maybe" parody by MattyBRaps & Cimrelli: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM7nlIsBLoc
10. Felix Baumgartner's supersonic free fall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHtvDA0W34I
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 33 articles for today)
Two in custody after death on Pauingassi First Nation
9:58 AMRCMP are investigating the homicide of an unidentified man on Pauingassi First Nation.
Two young people have been arrested but not ...
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- New owner for lumber stores
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Peeping Tom portrayed as sexual deviant in court
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Mother cries, yells as driver appears in court charged with killing boy on patio
- Report: Garcia apologizes for saying he'd serve Woods "fried chicken"
- Man agrees to 2-year prison term for vandalizing 1929 Picasso painting at Houston museum
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Paying bills and consumer consumption hurting Canadians' ability to save: study
- MP Bruinooge says Bill 18 could infringe on religious freedoms
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Province removing red tape in alcohol sales
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Retail sales in province see 2 per cent increase in February
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.