Pop Quiz: What's Your Favorite Throwback Viral Song?

The TRL Pop Quiz works like this: our editors are posed a music-related question and have only 15 minutes and just 100 words to studies, pick and explain their answers. This week's question: which viral YouTube song is your preference throwback hit?


You can’t talk about viral songs without bringing up the Gregory Brothers. On their YouTube channel Schmoyoho, they’ve become known for their series Songify the News, manipulating videos using Auto-Tune to make viral songs. Their most successful has been the “Bed Intruder Song,” based on a news interview with Antoine Dodson. Blending Dodson’s vibrant personality with a catchy beat was a homerun, because the song hit the Billboard Hot 100 and became the most popular YouTube video of 2008 with over 141 million views. It even led to the categorize composing the theme song for Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! – Kristen Maldonado


It’s impossible to overlook Rebecca Black’s “Friday” whenever it comes to viral YouTube hits. I was in middle school as soon as this tune dropped and while it procured overwhelmingly negative critiques, it’s one of these songs that’s so bad, it’s good. Also, can we talk about that music video? Who doesn’t love a 12-year-old driving convertible and also a random 35-year-old man showing up to rap?! Years later we all still remember Rebecca’s name. Nobody could get this song out of their head, so it’s hands down one of the most successful bops of 2011. – Landyn Pan


There's certainly a lesson that can be learned from Jenna Rose's still-catchy viral hit, "My Jeans." It's songs like Jenna's that simultaneously attract criticism for their lyrics and visuals while still getting stuck in their detractors' heads. I'm not convinced that Hannah Montana, Keke Palmer and Ashley Tisdale were actually wearing Jenna's jeans, although I'll keep listening to the 2010 song nonetheless. And as amazing as "My Jeans" is, Jenna's recent video reacting to the music video is similarly iconic. – Matt Gehring


Remember “What Does the Fox Say?” I do. The Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis made the 2013 song as a joke, designed not to be a hit, however as promotion for their television show. That backfired because here In America we loved it. It’s catchy and ridiculous and funny, everything a viral hit should be. I love the nonsensical syllables the song lists as fox sounds, layered over the basic club beat. My personalized preference Ylvis song is actually about the key of Stonehenge, aptly named “Stonehenge,” yet I’ve got to credit “What Does the Fox Say?” For its virality. – Leah Williams