Below are the most-watched and most-talked about YouTube clips uploaded in 2010, with a short description for each. Source: YouTube Year in Review (2010).
Bed Intruder Song (Auto-Tune the News / Antoine Dodson)
Antoine Dodson’s emotional local news interview was remixed by the Gregory Brothers into the “Bed Intruder Song,” turning a raw, viral local news clip into a Grammy-adjacent Internet hit and one of YouTube’s most-watched videos of 2010. Watch on YouTube.
Tik Tok Kesha Parody (Glitter Puke / Parodies)
A widely shared parody of Kesha’s “Tik Tok” (often labelled “Glitter Puke” or similar) circulated in 2010, reflecting the era’s appetite for comedy remixes and parody content that spread rapidly via social sharing. Watch on YouTube.
Greyson Chance — “Paparazzi” (young viral performance)
13-year-old Greyson Chance’s school performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” went viral, launching him toward a record deal and demonstrating how discovery via YouTube performances could rapidly change a young artist’s life. Watch on YouTube.
Annoying Orange (Wazzup / early channel hits)
The Annoying Orange series became a breakout comedy channel in 2010, combining simple editing, a distinctive voice and shareable humor to build a large subscriber base in a short time. Watch on YouTube.
Old Spice — “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (advertising goes viral)
Old Spice’s cheeky, fast-cut ad starring Isaiah Mustafa became a cultural phenomenon in 2010, showing how a branded spot could explode on YouTube and social networks and revive a legacy brand. Watch on YouTube.
Double Rainbow (Yosemitebear Mountain / Paul Vasquez)
Footage of an intensely emotional reaction to a spectacular double rainbow in Yosemite Park became a meme: the “Double Rainbow” video is remembered for its emotional sincerity and was widely remixed and referenced across the web. Watch on YouTube.
OK Go — “This Too Shall Pass” (Rube Goldberg Machine version)
OK Go continued its tradition of inventive one-take videos in 2010 with a Rube-Goldberg–style version of “This Too Shall Pass,” widely shared for its clever engineering and visual choreography. Watch on YouTube.