14 Viral Videos Everyone Already Forgot

Viral videos and memes are part of our everyday lives, with the watercooler conversations of old being replaced by post sharing in social media. Being in the latest trend is slowly moving away from the latest show or celebrity gossip, and more into what funny video is making the rounds now.

Their viral nature means they are virtually inescapable, at least for a while. Then, almost as quickly as they entered the public consciousness, they faded away, not even registering into our memory until someone points them out. These are the viral videos that once seemed impossible to escape, but have mostly disappeared from everyday conversation.

Charlie Schmidt’s Keyboard Cat

For a while, every internet fail seemed to end with Keyboard Cat “playing” someone off. The clip inspired thousands of edits and became one of YouTube’s defining early memes before gradually fading into nostalgia.

David After Dentist

David’s post-anesthesia confusion produced endlessly quotable lines and millions of views. It was one of YouTube’s biggest family videos, yet today it’s far less referenced than many of its viral contemporaries.

Double Rainbow

Paul Vasquez’s emotional reaction to a double rainbow became an instant sensation in 2010. The heartfelt wonder spawned countless parodies, but the original clip has largely disappeared from mainstream internet conversation.

Bed Intruder Song

The Gregory Brothers transformed Antoine Dodson’s local news interview into a charting hit. It briefly became unavoidable online, proving that almost anything could become a pop song with enough autotune.

Chocolate Rain

Tay Zonday’s deep voice and unforgettable performance made “Chocolate Rain” one of YouTube’s earliest mega-hits. It remains iconic to longtime internet users, though it rarely enters modern meme conversations anymore.

Numa Numa

Gary Brolsma’s enthusiastic lip-sync to “Dragostea Din Tei” helped define viral internet culture before social media even existed as we know it. Today, many younger users have never encountered the legendary webcam performance.

The Evolution of Dance

Judson Laipply’s comedy routine became YouTube’s most-viewed video for years. Its simple concept made it endlessly shareable, even if it has since been overshadowed by newer viral sensations.

Leave Britney Alone!

Chris Crocker’s emotional defense of Britney Spears exploded across the internet in 2007. The passionate plea became one of YouTube’s defining viral moments before gradually evolving into a fascinating snapshot of celebrity culture.

The Sneezing Panda

Clocking in at only a few seconds, the startled panda cub became one of the internet’s favorite animal clips. It generated countless remixes before quietly slipping into meme history.

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

This joyful wedding procession unexpectedly became a worldwide phenomenon, inspiring countless recreations and even a television tribute. Despite its enormous popularity, it rarely comes up in conversations about classic viral videos today.

The Harlem Shake

For several months in 2013, nearly every workplace, classroom, and sports team uploaded its own Harlem Shake video. The trend disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived, leaving behind thousands of nearly identical clips.

The Chewbacca Mask Laugh

Candace Payne’s uncontrollable laughter while wearing a Chewbacca mask became Facebook Live’s biggest viral success. Millions watched the wholesome clip, though it’s rarely mentioned among today’s internet classics.

Charlie Bit My Finger

Two brothers accidentally created one of YouTube’s defining home videos. The clip accumulated hundreds of millions of views and became synonymous with viral family content before eventually becoming more nostalgic than omnipresent.

The Crazy Frog Dance Videos

Before algorithms ruled social media, homemade videos featuring Crazy Frog’s ringtone dominated the internet. They spread rapidly through email chains and early YouTube before vanishing alongside countless other mid-2000s online obsessions.