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On July 15th, 2012, YouTube was taken up by a storm when Psy released Gangnam Style. Viewers from all over the world flocked to the video streaming platform to experience the viral sensation. Less than 6 months after its release, Gangnam Style became the first viral video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube, hence establishing YouTube's Billion Viewing Club.
It took Gangnam Style 159 days to set this humongous benchmark until Justin Beiber's Baby matched it over a year later.
Psy's song played a massive role in globalizing the music industry and establishing the dominance of online videos. It also highlighted a song's ability to cut across languages, cultures, and age groups.
10 years seems like a long time, but the viral song is still a hit with the audience for its trademark dance moves and quirky style.
YouTube's Billion Views Club pioneer, Gangnam Style, turns 10: The song made the singer an international sensation
At its peak, Gangnam Style was racking up nearly 14.8 million views in a single day. To this day, it still earns a whopping 900k views per day, as reported by YouTube. That's not all, the music video is also among YouTube's top 5 most viewed videos with 4.47 billion views and counting.
Psy, in his statement to YouTube, commented:
“Being the first artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube was an extraordinary feeling 10 years ago and it still is today. To have played a role in paving the way for music of all kinds to transcend borders is a true honor.”
The song catapulted Psy, an established music sensation in South Korea in 2012, to the status of an international icon. In 2016, a towering bronze statue of the iconic "crossed wrists" dance step from the music video was unveiled in the Gangnam district.
The South Korean pop singer continued to belt out hit songs in his native country, including Daddy and New Face. In 2018, he started his label, P Nation, with patrons such as Hyuna, Heize, Dawn, and Crush.
Psy also played a significant role in paving the way for other South Korean artists. While promoting That That, his collaboration with BTS's Suga, Psy reflected that South Korean acts like BTS and Blackpink were able to achieve a "permanence and persistence" that he could not. He continued,
"Even for the famous BTS and Blackpink,the wall of American radio is very high because the songs are in a foreign language. Our biggest weapon is YouTube."
The virality of Gangnam Style most probably prompted Billboard to rethink its charting criteria. They were forced to decrease the importance of radio plays and include YouTube streams.
Who are the other honorary members of YouTube's Billion Views club?
Justin Beiber and J Balvin are tied for the first position with 11 music videos each in Billion Views Club as lead/featured artists and collaborators. Ozuna follows them with 10, Nicky Minaj, Rihanna, and Maluma with 8 each.
Interestingly, Adele's Hello was the fastest entry to this prestigious club, reaching the magic billion number in a record 88 days. Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is the only song from the 1970s to secure a place for itself in the club, while Guns N' Roses has songs from both the 80s (Sweet Child O' Mine) and 90s (November Rain).
