Gangnam Style
First YouTube Video to One Billion Views
Forgotten Trends · 2012
Archived on
Associated With
PSY / official music release; production company not established in the retained records - associated person, creator or operator
Defining Feature
A music video whose dance and visual sequences circulated globally through YouTube
Status
Historical event - Became YouTube’s first video to reach one billion views on 21 December 2012
Overview
PSY’s Gangnam Style paired a Korean-language pop song with a comic video and horse-riding dance.
The video debuted on YouTube on 15 July 2012 and spread far beyond its original audience through viewing, imitation and parody. Its choreography and comic set pieces became the recognisable core of that circulation.
On 21 December, it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views and established the platform’s Billion Views Club.
Why It Mattered
Its international circulation showed the global reach a Korean-language music video could achieve on YouTube through viewing, imitation and parody. Reaching one billion views made it the first video in what YouTube calls its Billion Views Club.
Release and Attribution
- YouTube dates the video’s debut to 15 July 2012.
- The recording is attributed to Korean artist PSY.
Recognisable Format
- YouTube identifies the video’s dance as central to its international circulation.
- The song and video travelled through uploads, viewing and user imitation.
Platform Milestone
- It reached one billion YouTube views on 21 December 2012.
- YouTube identifies it as the first video to cross that threshold.
- The milestone began YouTube’s Billion Views Club.
Sources & Records
- YouTube — Gangnam Style Reaches One Billion Views — Records the first billion-view milestone on 21 December 2012 and the video’s international spread.
- YouTube — Ten Years of the Billion Views Club — Confirms the July 2012 debut and places the milestone in YouTube’s later music-video history.
Gallery
Credit
PSY music-video still; reproduced by VnExpress
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary, criticism, research and historical documentation where permitted by applicable law. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Gangnam Style's stable sequence pairs PSY's horse-riding dance with an absurd setting, part of the visual comedy that helped the video travel across languages.