These days, trending songs and viral dances go hand in hand. They have taken over social media and just about everyone has given these dances challenges a try at some point. When it comes to the viral quality of choreographies, it’s always the simpler the better. While fancy movements and complicated techniques are great to look at, what truly counts is the accessibility of the dance. It has to be doable, whether a person is a professional or an absolute noob.
Don’t believe us? Just check out some of the most popular dances from the past decade. You’ll find that not only are these incredibly easy, they also have a degree of humor to them. It’s not always about looking cool—a little silliness goes a long way when it comes to winning people online, after all. With that in mind, here are the best viral dances from the decade!
1.The Dougie – 2010
Cali Swag District’s Teach Me How to Dougie heralded a new era when it comes to dance crazes. While the moves are already familiar to some, especially those who lived through the 80s, the choreography is given a fresh vibe thanks to C-Smoove. The song became a massive hit upon release and to its credit, still holds up to all the other new dances going viral daily.
2.The Wobble Line Dance – 2011
This one went viral for a pretty unusual reason: It became a staple dance routine for many weddings throughout 2011. To dance to V.I.C’s Wobble, all you really need to do is listen to the lyrics and move to the beat. The choreography’s origins comes from Baltimore-based line dance instructors, who created the routine for an entirely different track. The track was actually released back in 2008, but found renewed popularity in 2011 thanks to the viral dance.
3.Gangnam Style – 2012
He was a relative unknown at first but burst into the scene with such electricity everyone had to pay attention. Psy’s massive hit Gangnam Style and its accompanying choreography literally took the world by storm. This was long before people were even aware of who BTS and Blackpink are! The steps were simple enough for just about anyone to perform, but it’s the song that really sealed the deal for many.
4.The Harlem Shake – 2013
This one’s best done in the company of friends and family. The best bit is that it is suitable for all ages, so everyone can get in on the action. Featuring Baur’s track of the same name, The Harlem Shake certainly requires plenty of empty flooring. It was first shown in the opening segment of a clip starring George Miller, a Japanese comedian. It didn’t really catch on until a group of five Australian teens decided to give it their own flavor and uploaded that video online.
5.Shmoney Dance – 2014
Lloyd Banks’ Hot Boy is a great track by itself, but it found much greater success after Bobby Shmurda and his crew choreographed a dance for it. The clip has been viewed millions of time since, ensuring its viral power. Before TikTok, Vine was the biggest social media app for uploading short clips and this is where the dance routine really began to gain traction. For that, we have Vladimir Francois to credit!
6.Whip / Nae Nae – 2015
The popularity of this track and its choreography reached cult status when it was first released. While it first gained popularity on social media platforms such as Twitter, Vine, and Instagram, Silento really took things to the next level by turning the trend into a successful marketing scheme. Unsurprisingly, he got the whole world doing the whip and nae nae all through 2015. Even today, it remains one of the biggest dance crazes to ever come out.
7.Juju On That Beat – 2016
Sometimes songs need a second wave to truly become viral. When Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall first dropped their track Juju On That Beat (TZ Anthem), their investment planning must have felt like it had fallen flat. After all, it didn’t receive more than 18,000 views. Just a month after its initial release, it was uploaded onto their official channel. That’s when things really started to pick up. Views went from 18,000 to 45 million and, coupled with the viral dance, it kicked-started a cultural phenomenon.
8.The Floss – 2017
It is set to Katy Perry’s song Swish Swish, but the singer definitely didn’t create this particular dance routine. That recognition goes to Russell Horning, better known online as Backpack Kid. It was in 2016 when he first started gaining popularity on social media, but with The Floss to his credit his fame skyrocketed. He even got to meet Katy Perry in person in 2017!
9.#InMyFeelingsChallenge – 2018
Drake does no wrong when it comes to releasing bops, but he hit the goldmine when he dropped the track In My Feelings. This is thanks to a genius move by comedian Shiggy, which led to the creation of the #InMyFeelingsChallenge. He took Drake’s track and turned it into a viral dance craze. From young kids to even celebrities, everyone had a great time giving this challenge a try.
10. Bust Down Thotiana – 2019
Not all viral hits happen overnight; just take Thotiana for example. Blueface took over a year to get the final product together, but every investment he made toward it was well worth it. The track was released in 2018 and was immediately turned into a meme after a few sharp-eyed netizens caught the rapper holding the front of his jeans, while waving an arm in the air, and just grooving to the beat. It’s that element of silliness mixed with a great song that really made this viral dance stick.
Photo Credits:
YouTube/Bjsocrzy
YouTube/officialpsy
YouTube/superstarvic
YouTube/JasaKoe Channel
YouTube/Maine Fetti
YouTube/Zay Hilfiger
YouTube/SilentoVEVO
YouTube/InsideEdition
YouTube/Stiff Lauren
YouTube/Lyrical Lemonade