How Did 'Baby Shark' Become The Most Viewed Video Of All Time?

Baby Shark is a YouTube video that became an increasingly viral phenomenon after the year 2016 when the silly children's rhyme spawned a dance trend on the Indonesian internet and beyond. The song is the bane of parents, teachers and in one depressing case, even homeless people.

Here's everything you need to know about how a song that goes, "Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, baby shark," crossed Despacito to gather over 12 billion streams on YouTube.

Where Does Baby Shark Come From?

Surprisingly, the song actually predates the viral video itself. According to the extensive media coverage the song received after its virality, "Baby Shark" is a camp song that was likely made up by camp counselors after the success of the Jaws movie. In fact, the Indonesian "Baby Shark" song wasn't even the first version of the song to be uploaded to YouTube; nearly five years before 2016, a children's DJ named Johnny Only posted a video showing his version of the song in 2011.

In 2016, an Indonesian YouTube channel named PinkFong posted their version of the "Baby Shark" song, laid over a simple upbeat melody, and featuring a pair of sweet Korean children singing amidst some colorful graphics. The song gathered over 200 million views in just the first year since its upload.

How Did Baby Shark Become The Most Viewed Video On YouTube?

"Baby Shark" was a popular children's YouTube video in Indonesia before it spread to other Southeast Asian countries, and likely racked up views due to the sheer number of iPad kids that exist in the world. The video was so popular amongst its base audience of children that, in a possible first, the virality of the video inspired a dance craze, as opposed to the dance making the video viral.

Actress Amanda Cerny performed a version of the song on The Tonight Show in August 2017, over a year after the release of the song. YouTuber SSundee posted a wildly popular Minecraft version of the song around the same time as well.

How Is 'Baby Shark' Discussed In Meme Culture?

The sudden popularity of an otherwise lesser-known children's song led people to discuss the often grating nature of the repetitive rhyme. "Baby Shark" was a song hard to avoid at the peak of its popularity and was even documented to have been played over loudspeakers to deter loitering in one Florida neighborhood.

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For the full history of "Baby Shark," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.