10 Most-Viewed Versions of 'Thriller'

It's Halloween and while there are lots of spooky tunes cropping up among our top rising searches -- "Monster Mash" is a notable one -- it's certainly not a surprise to see Michael Jackson's classic "Thriller" on the list. There are quite a few versions of "Thriller" and its famous dance available on YouTube from all around the globe and all different types of performers.

Here are 10 of the most-viewed:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: Halloween Text

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Halloween Doodle	Texting Down the Aisle	Fall-ing	Corolla Car Review

1. Google's Halloween time-lapse is getting lots of attention on pop-culture and tech sites today. As seen on Mashable.
2. This 2009 video has suddenly taken-off in popularity. As seen on BuzzFeed.
3. From Australia's Alki Stevens -- the creator of cone-ing -- comes this new post-modern trend. As seen on Daily Wh.at.
4. This 2010 parody ad for a used Toyota Corolla is finding a new audience. As seen on High Definite.

Read More

Nike Lockout Spots Spread

The world may be without an NBA, but its not without lockout-inspired ads right now.

Two very popular ads from Nike are spreading quickly among basketball fans right now, both addressing the current lack of an NBA season. This first one was posted on Friday and has been picking up hundreds of thousands of views:



Both that clip and this earlier "Jumpman 23" spot -- which features some of the NBA's top players participating in a humorous series of rec leagues -- have been seen over 1.2 million times already (though a significant number of those are from paid placements). Still, they're currently among the overall most-shared videos in the United States.

Read More

4 in the Morning: Last-Minute Riot

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Last-Minute Halloween Costumes	Metallica Fans Riot	Paragliding vs. Eagle	High-Tech Halloween

1. This Halloween costume tutorial is one of our Most Shared videos.
2. Chaos erupts after a Metallica concert is cancelled in India.
3. An eagle gets caught in a Russian paraglider's equipment creating a scary moment. As seen on VVVs.
4. Two iPads are used in this gaping hole torso costume. As seen on Underwire.

Read More

Latest Trending Videos: The Week of October 29

Houses, cubes, cigarrettes, and tanks: here are 10 of this week's top trending videos from YouTube Trends:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

Read More

Halloween Trends: Light Shows; Costumes from 2009?

Given that Halloween is one of the more colorful, creative holidays, its not surprising that we're seeing so many videos its inspired hitting YouTube. Tens of thousands of Halloween-related videos have been uploaded in the past week or so, some of which have millions of views.

Some of the most popular costume videos this year were these two similar clips of a "kidnapper" style costume. Oddly enough, they were both posted in 2009, but are suddenly seeing hundreds of thousands of views in 2011 after being featured on pop-culture sites. (It's been a big year for 2009 Halloween videos. Here's another.)


Costumes are great, but the trending Halloween video of the year is definitely this clip from some inventive California homeowners, which delivered an amazing synchronized light show to the tune of LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." It's drawn over 3.5 million views so far and the most common search terms on YouTube this week associated with the word "Halloween" were "light show."



The Riverside home got some notice last Halloween when its "Thriller" video was seen nearly one million times.

There are actually quite a few other light shows that have also drawn interest this year, like this one synched up with "Crazy Train."

Read more about Halloween costumes at the YouTube Blog.

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: MuppetSpout

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Final Muppets Parody Trailer	Riomaggiore Waterspout	Time Twister	Halloween Meets Metal

1. The Muppets released their final parody trailer before the film's debut and it's one of today's most-viewed clips.
2. Waterspout captured off the coast of Genoa, an event spawned the major storm that rocked the area this week.
3. A unique digital clock made from the LEGO Mindstorms tool set. As seen on Reddit.
4. Classic Halloween songs in heavy metal style. As seen on High Definite.

Read More

4 in the Morning: Smashing Science

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Smashing Pumpkins	Sandstorm Wedding	Blow Stuff up with Science	The Lorax

1. Enjoy the grace of pumpkins being destroyed in the slow motion of 1000 frames per second. As seen on Gizmodo.
2. A "haboob" dust storm envelopes an unfortunate bride and groom at a Arizona wedding ceremony. As seen on VVVs.
3. Don't try to imitate these student engineers at home. As seen on BuzzFeed.
4. One of the day's trending movie trailers. As seen on Daily Wh.at.

Read More

Herman Cain's Trending Campaign Spot of the Week

Herman Cain made a big splash this week with his ad featuring Chief of Staff Mark Block smoking a cigarette. The ad, titled "Now is the Time for Action," has now been seen over one million times since Monday. According to YouTube.com/Politics, it's the second-most-viewed video of the 2011 GOP Candidates, only behind Rick Perry's "Proven Leadership."



Meanwhile politically-engaged jokesters created a number of parody versions, a selection of which are available in the CitizenTube playlist below.

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: Lonely Crab

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Lonely Boy	Man vs Crab	Diego as DeadMau5	Hudson Volcano

1. Amusing new video from The Black Keys is among our top Trending Videos.
2. This clip has been hitting lots of internet culture sites this week. As seen on MemeMachine.
3. From the Redditor: "My 9 year old son wanted to be Deadmau5 for his school halloween dance. This was the result/reaction... "
4. Footage from Chile of the eruption of Hudson Volcano.

Read More

Local TV Commercials Become a Modern Day Art Form

This post was authored by Will Goodman, managing editor of CBSNews.com's The Feed, for a YouTube Trends series exploring viral video phenomena.

Before there was the Internet, humanity’s main source of unintentional comedy came in the form of local television commercials. Often low-budget, poorly scripted and completely random, people from every city and town had their unique blend of visual insanity that would make us all laugh. Fast-forward to the present and we all now have the opportunity to share in this odd sensation on YouTube. Local commercials have joined cute cats and gruesome skateboard injuries as an important segment of the online lolosphere. Let’s start this off with an actual commercial to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.



The video is (shockingly) a real commercial for Divine Rags in Memphis. Did you laugh while watching that commercial? Shhhh, of course you did. (They always say “yes” when I ask that question...) But what’s fascinating is that real commercials like this have led to something of a new viral video art form. Which leads us to our next video, a recent viral video hit for The Feed and an ongoing Internet meme sensation.



What many aren’t aware of is that this is an actual commercial that was created specifically to have that “What the...?” reaction (and many laughs) from us all by the clever comedy group Rhett and Link. The duo saw the genius in something so bad it becomes epic, and took the idea one step further by creating an IFC television show, “Commercial Kings,” that actually makes these types of commercials for real companies. So now we have entered the realm of art imitating life imitating art. In essence that same low-budget, poorly scripted and often random clip played on local television is specifically done in a hyperbolic style because it gains more attention online and has a laugh-factor to it. Here is a much earlier example of one of those commercials by Rhett and Link that went viral.



And while Rhett and Link have pioneered this concept into a more mainstream television show concept, the idea has spread online. Despite the insanity of what is being offered, this commercial does actually appear real based on the array of local commercials any of us have seen growing up. Spoiler: it’s not.



Toby Jones, the creator of the video above, has taken the success he had parodying local television commercials and gone on to do more. After offering us laughs in the form of a truck rental company, he decided to expand his “enterprise” into the lucrative world of barbecue… and foot massages.



So is there a lesson to be learned from all of this? Well, first off, that local commercial you find online may not be “local” at all. Other than that? Not really. Okay, maybe. I’d say the one big lesson you can take away from it all is that if you’re going to fail, make sure you fail big. And then put it online. It might go viral.

Today's Trend analysis provided by

Read More

4 in the Morning: Dinosaur Beach Party

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Party	IGLIDE	This is What a Dinosaur Feels Like	LEGO Man on the Beach

1. Beyonce's brand new video (featuring J. Cole) is already a top rising search on YouTube.
2. More dazzling dubstep dance moves. As seen on BuzzFeed.
3. This 2009 video is suddenly picking up attention on pop culture sites.
4. A giant mysterious LEGO man washes up on a Florida Beach. As seen on Laughing Squid.

Read More

Flooding Around the World: Ireland, Italy, Thailand

It's not uncommon to see flood videos on YouTube, but it's rare to see them trending from three separate regions around the world.

A number of videos are being heavily shared this week that depict flooding in Dublin. Among the most popular is this bystander video shot by a bus rider as the vehicle was supposedly filling with canal water.



Meanwhile, storms in Italy resulted in the flooding of picturesque town Monterosso. This footage is among the most-shared and -viewed in that country today.



(See some more recent footage from the town of Levanto here.)

And we've documented videos from Thailand before, but we're still seeing clips spreading from that region. This video appears to show a crocodile captured in the floodwaters. Over 100 were purported to have escaped into the waters around Bangkok.

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: King Savings

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Street King	NJ Congressional 'It Gets Better'	Oakland Protester Wounded	Daylight Savings Time Explained

1. Mike Tyson appears with 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather in this Hangover inspired spot that's among our Most Shared videos.
2. New Jersey Congressional Delegation make an "It Gets Better" video. As seen on BuzzFeed.
3. ADULT LANGUAGE - Video circulating that purports to show "Veterans for Peace member Scott Olsen" after being hit with a rubber bullet during last night's clashes in Oakland.
4. Handy explanation of DST from C. G. P. Grey As seen on I Am Bored.

Read More

4 in the Morning: Legit Airline

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Delta Airlines Engagement	Ed Lee is 2 LEGIT	Juggling Plus Rubik's Cube	Cirque MJ Tribute

1. Arvin met Alex on a plane. Now he proposes to her on one. A top trending video.
2. MC Hammer and other celebrities star in this San Francisco campaign ad. As seen on Business Insider.
3. In this Trending video, performer David Calvo solves a Rubik's cube, whilst juggling.
4. Cirque Du Soleil performers from around the world collaborated on this Michael Jackson tribute. As seen on BuzzFeed.

Read More

On-the-Scene: Tear Gas at Occupy Oakland

A number of on-the-scene videos are spreading tonight/early this morning that depict tear gas being fired by police to disperse hundreds of "Occupy" protesters in Oakland, California. Over 100 people were reportedly arrested.

We've pulled together a playlist of initial videos being shared from this incident:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)



(Update Wednesday Afternoon: More video is circulating from the events of last evening, including this clip which claims to show a veteran injured by a rubber bullet.)

Early this morning, dozens of people were arrested when police officers evicted protesters from Frank Ogawa Plaza and dismantled their encampment.

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: Crazy Action

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Crazy Train	Trampoline Wall Tricks	Now Is the Time for Action	HD Hero 2

1. Another Halloween light show hits our Most Shared list.
2. This wall acrobat is among today's Trending videos.
3. The new ad from Presidential Candidate Herman Cain is drawing lots of buzz, particularly with Cain's Chief of Staff smoking a cigarette.
4. This highlight real from the new Go Pro camera is being heavily shared today.

Read More

Northern Lights from Around the World

A major solar storm reportedly resulted in a rare, vivid display of the Northern Lights -- a.k.a. the Aurora Borealis -- around the world during the evening and early morning of October 24th and 25th. A number of time-lapse videos have been posted depicting the uncommon phenomenon that were uploaded from as disparate locations as Missouri and Michigan in the United States and the Scandinavian nations of Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

We've pulled together a playlist of higher quality videos and photomontages capturing the dazzling meteorological event:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

Read More

4 in the Morning: Calf Break

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Saving the Calf	Daughter's Reaction to Recorded Video	Baby Jail Break	Mall Flood

1. A rally biker saves a stranded calf trapped in a canal and separated from its herd. As seen on Reddit.
2. One of our top trending videos is this clip of a young girl enjoying storytime with her father, a serviceman overseas.
3. This popular clip was actually first very popular in Brazil before spreading to the United States.
4. Record rainfall led to flooding in Dublin, Ireland. Bystanders at a shopping mall captured this on the scene video.

Read More

Kids and Their iPads

We've spotted an interesting trend of late involving Apple's popular iPad tablet. It seems that as the tablet technology becomes more and more commonplace, it's quickly finding its way into the hands of the littlest technophiles around, the generation that will grow up in a world where that technology is the norm.

These videos of small children playing with tablets are certainly amusing -- and popular -- but they also act as a kind of commentary about the direction our lives are headed.

Earlier this month, a clip of a little girl trying to use a magazine like an iPad took off, drawing over 2 million views.



Last week, this video of a boy enjoying Angry Birds for the first time became a viral hit.



You may also remember this clip from last March of a baby rocking the iPad.

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: Puzzle Tank

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Puzzle Box	Battlefield 4 Trailer	Tank Dog	Letter to My 16-Year-Old Self

1. This cool home-made gift was videoed and posted back in 2010, but is seeing a spike in views today. As seen on Daily Wh.at.
2. Freddie Wong's new Battlefield-themed gaming short is one of our most-viewed videos of the day. (Some violence.)
3. Halloween animal costumes have begun making their way onto YouTube once again. As seen on VVVs.
4. The latest from spoken-word artist George Watsky is hitting our Most Shared list. (Some Adult Language)

Read More

On the Scene Footage: Earthquake in Turkey

According to reports, over 250 people have been killed by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked the town of Van, Turkey over the weekend.

Numerous videos shot by bystanders and local news organizations have been posted to YouTube capturing the disaster and its aftermath. We've collected some of these in the playlist below:

Read More

4 in the Morning: Halloween Haka

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Party Rock Halloween Lights	Earthquake in Turkey	Haka Students Under Fire	Libyan's Celebrate Liberation

1. Last year's Halloween video from this Riverside, CA home drew over 1 million views. One of our Most Shared clips this weekend.
2. Footage said to have been captured during the earthquake in Turkey in which over 200 people were reportedly killed. More at Citizentube.
3. This unauthorized performance at a Utah high school by a group of Tongan students allegedly resulted in the students being pepper sprayed. As seen on Prep Rally.
4. Libyan's celebrate the news of their country's liberation.

Read More

Latest Trending Videos: The Week of October 22

Whales, corn, bands, and mistletoe: here are 13 of this week's top trending videos from YouTube Trends:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

Read More

4 in the Afternoon: Cover Ninja

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.

Go Beyond the Cover	Human Slingshot	Dare to Fight?!	Chronicle

1. One of our top trending videos is this new Dermablend spot featuring tattooed model Zombie Boy. Check out the behind the scenes here.
2. Couple posts and some bungie cords. As seen on SayOMG.
3. Improv in Toronto stages a series of surprise ninja battles. As seen on Boing Boing.
4. The most shared movie trailer of the day is this mysterious superhero tale.

Read More