13 Viral Videos From Before YouTube Existed
Viral videos spread across emails, message boards, and early file-sharing sites long before YouTube made them easy to find.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
Before YouTube, viral videos traveled the internet in slower, stranger ways. People shared them through email chains, downloaded them on LimeWire, or passed them around on CDs and USBs. These clips became legends in their own right, sparking conversations at school and at work.
1. Hampsterdance
Juan Vargas on Pexels
This quirky site featured rows of animated hamsters dancing to a sped-up sample of a Roger Miller song. It spread through email chains and became one of the first internet memes. Even without YouTube, people couldn’t get enough of these little dancing critters.
2. Dancing Baby
Mochi Mochi on Pexels
This 3D animated baby doing a strange dance became a worldwide sensation in the late ’90s. It popped up in emails, on TV shows, and even as a cultural punchline. It showed how random digital creations could go viral before the video era.
3. Badger Badger Badger
Acabashi on Wikimedia Commons
A looping cartoon of badgers dancing to a repetitive chant was strangely addictive. People shared the flash animation everywhere, even though it was just badgers, a mushroom, and a snake. The silliness was exactly what made it unforgettable.
4. Peanut Butter Jelly Time
Matias Garabedian from Montreal, Canada on Wikimedia Commons
A banana with arms and legs dancing to the Buckwheat Boyz track became a viral sensation. It was one of those silly internet gems people played on loop. The catchy chant made it a must-share long before YouTube.
5. Numa Numa Dance
Vladimir Pustovit on Wikimedia Commons
Gary Brolsma’s lip-sync to “Dragostea Din Tei” became an internet classic. His joyful energy spread through message boards and download links everywhere. It’s still remembered as one of the most wholesome viral videos ever made.
6. All Your Base Are Belong to Us
Jjvaca on Wikimedia Commons
A mistranslated line from the game Zero Wing sparked one of the earliest viral video memes. Fans created a flash montage of the phrase showing up everywhere. It blended gaming culture and internet humor before memes were mainstream.
7. Star Wars Kid
The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles, CA, USA on Pexels
A teenager filmed himself pretending to be a Jedi with a golf ball retriever as a lightsaber. The leaked video exploded online, making him one of the first viral video celebrities. It was funny but also highlighted the downsides of internet fame.
8. End of the World Flash Animation
Markus Spiske on Pexels
This flash cartoon used crude animation and over-the-top narration to joke about global destruction. People quoted its catchphrases endlessly. It captured the offbeat humor of early online culture.
9. Strong Bad Emails
various on Wikimedia Commons
The Homestar Runner website hosted hilarious flash videos featuring Strong Bad answering fan emails. Clips like “Trogdor the Burninator” spread rapidly outside the site. Fans downloaded and shared them everywhere, cementing their cult status.
10. Charlie the Unicorn
Sofie Ascherl on Wikimedia Commons
A bizarre cartoon about a grumpy unicorn tricked into a strange adventure went viral through file sharing. Its surreal humor and odd catchphrases made it unforgettable. People quoted “Candy Mountain” everywhere they went online.
11. Weezer’s Buddy Holly AOL Video
Dietmar Rabich on Wikimedia Commons
Before YouTube, AOL distributed music videos like Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” inside its software. This one stood out because it was edited into scenes from Happy Days. Many users experienced it as their first downloadable viral music video.
12. Trogdor the Burninator
Pikawil from Laval, Canada on Wikimedia Commons
The dragon “Trogdor” was born in a Strong Bad Email and quickly escaped into viral fame. People sang the “burninating” song everywhere. It even got featured in video games later, proving its staying power.
13. Random Flash Animations on Newgrounds
Tom Fulp on Wikimedia Commons
Websites like Newgrounds were full of amateur flash videos that went viral in niche communities. Some were silly, some were crude, but all were endlessly shareable. It was the Wild West of viral content before platforms standardized things.