As 2012 came to an end, “Gangnam Style” became the most-watched YouTube video in history with over 1 billion views. It was played everywhere on the radio and at every possible sporting event, but it couldn’t be popular forever.
Enter “Harlem Shake,” the revolutionary new dance video made popular by electronic musician Baauer.
This 30-second video already has hundreds of parodies that have totaled over 44 million hits on YouTube.
The gist of the dance is one person — usually wearing a helmet or face protector — dancing in a hip-thrusting motion in a room full of oblivious people until the bass drops with the lyric “Do the Harlem Shake,” jump cutting to several more people dancing like maniacs.
This new viral sensation has had a wide variety of people “Harlem Shaking” from office workers to guys dressed as Super Mario characters, models, the military, firefighters, the famous rapper, T-Pain and more.
More than 12,000 versions of the dance have been posted on YouTube as of Feb. 11 and now here is my top 5:
5. ASU sophomore Chris Clabaugh posted his version of the “Harlem Shake” featuring several members of ASU’s downtown Phoenix dormitory, Taylor Place. It includes everything from a man dressed as a penguin, an angry bird and sophomore Gian Demano dressed as PSY.
4. While protecting the city by putting out fires, real life heroes are also enjoying going crazy in their free time. Just ask these three firefighters.
3. Appearing as just a regular military branch preparing to follow the commanding officer’s orders, comes the Norwegian Army dancing in the snow. It has already received over 3.5 million hits in only four days.
2. He has parodied “Call Me Maybe,” created his own “Downton Abbey” (called “Downton Sixbey”) and has even narrated an entire The Dark Knight Rises trailer using his Pee-Wee Herman voice. Now he has his own “Harlem Shake” video. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Jimmy Fallon:
1. Probably the most original version of this dance is by the University of Georgia swim and dive team. It’s not so original because obviously this dance is no longer a hidden gem, but it’s very unique in that they filmed and performed the entire thing under water.
Post your favorite “Harlem Shake” video in the comments section!
Reach the reporter at drosenbl@asu.edu or on twitter @DillonReedRose.
