MA-0017 · first seen 15 July 2012
Gangnam Style
A South Korean pop video whose invisible horse dance became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.
- Status
- ClassicPeaked more than five years ago
- Trend score
- 20/100Estimated
- Change, 90 days
- −1%Estimated
- Peak
- 98Dec 2012
- Years active
- 4Index of 30 or more
- First seen
- 201215 July 2012
Popularity over time
Monthly attention from Jul 2012 to Oct 2026. Hover or tab through the chart for each month.
- First appearance
- Went viral
- Peak
- Decline
Attention index, 0 to 100 on one scale for the whole archive. Estimated from each meme’s key dates, not measured.
About
PSY released “Gangnam Style” on 15 July 2012. The video, a satire of the wealthy Seoul district of Gangnam, paired a catchy electronic chorus with a signature move: riding an imaginary horse. Celebrities posted about it in August, and by autumn it was topping charts around the world.
On 21 December 2012 it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views. Parodies, flash mobs and school dances followed, and in December 2014 YouTube had to upgrade its view counter, which had been built on a 32-bit integer, to count it.
Origin
Music video released by the South Korean rapper PSY on 15 July 2012.
15 July 2012
Viralization
Celebrity posts in August and heavy US media coverage in September 2012 turned it into a worldwide hit.
September 2012
Peak
On 21 December 2012 it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.
Dec 2012
Timeline
From the first post to where it stands today.
Origin
A video from Seoul
PSY releases the video for “Gangnam Style”, a song poking fun at a wealthy neighbourhood.
Early adoption
Celebrity retweets
Pop stars and actors share the video and attempt the dance.
Viral
Everywhere at once
Flash mobs and parodies spread through schools and television shows as the song climbs charts around the world.
Peak
One billion views
It becomes the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views.
Decline
Overtaken by new crazes
The Harlem Shake takes over as the dance meme of the moment.
Current
Breaking the counter
YouTube upgrades its view counter after it passes the 32-bit integer limit.
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