Top 10 Viral Videos of 2021 That Broke The Internet

One of the year’s smartest social media breakouts is Ben Rein, a neuroscience postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Using TikTok and other platforms, the brainiac offers easy-to-understand explanations of neuroscience research. A video he posted on October 7th drew a lot of attention, racking up over 346,000 views to date. In it, Rein explains a 2005 study that discovered people have a specific brain cell for recognizing Jennifer Aniston. Of course, the study also found cells for recognizing any individual’s face, but that doesn’t change the fact we apparently all have Aniston on our minds.

In February, videos of Tom Cruise engaging in some rather odd behaviors started circulating online. In one clip, the Hollywood A-lister stumbles before telling a story about a famous Soviet politician. In another, he shows off a magical coin trick. In perhaps the most ridiculous scene of them all, the celebrity doppelganger sucks on a Tootsie Pop and acts shocked to discover the candy’s trademark gumball core. These videos aren’t the result of a meltdown or insane plastic surgery job. Instead, they are the product of the collaboration between a Belgian special effects artist and a Tom Cruise lookalike, Miles Fisher. One of the team’s deepfakes pulled in over 42 million views, proving this tech’s incredible potential to both entertain and deceive.

The meteoric rise of this content creator is one of TikTok’s defining success stories. Bella Poarch’s video of herself lip-syncing to the song “M to the B” by Millie B has been viewed over 649 million times. However, since it was posted in August of 2020, this clip doesn’t qualify for this year’s list. That said, Bella is still utterly crushing it with her content’s reach. Her posts regularly garner tens of millions of views. For example, a post she made celebrating the one-year anniversary of her breakout video has been viewed over 44 million times. Whether she’s trying out a new look, lip-syncing to a funny song, or singing her own music, this young woman always keeps her followers entrained.

This collaboration between the Pop Punk Queen and skating’s GOAT naturally drew a massive audience. In the video, Avril Lavigne’s hit song “Sk8ter Boi” plays as she dances in front of the Pacific Ocean. Soon, the camera cuts to Tony Hawk, who performs a few skating tricks. The video was only Lavigne’s first TikTok post, but it nonetheless garnered over 34 million views. The Canadian musician’s 2nd post, which featured her song "Bite Me,” received over 11.9 million views. She also tried her hand at skateboarding for a video posted to Tony Hawk’s account. Though she ate it on her first attempt, Lavigne did a lot better the second time, proving herself to be a true skater girl.

From Grumpy Cat to Lil Bub to the many other famous felines, social media has a well-established love affair with kitties. A Tiktok account by the name of @ninachristine learned just how true this well-worn online axiom was. A video of her kitten running down a hall went absolutely viral on the first day of 2021. In addition to the adorable bounding animal, a child’s rendition of the song “You Are So Beautiful” plays in the background. This combo obviously tugged at viewers’ heartstrings, as the video has been viewed over 214 million times. Whether or not you believe cats rule the world, they certainly dominate the lion’s share of online videos.

David Allen decided to try out a TikTok dancing trend after seeing another social media creator's success. Allen, whose TikTok handle is @totouchanemu, grabbed his drone, headed outside and danced to the song “Stay” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber. The bearded boogey-er’s TikTok video has received over 300 million views since then. He also continued to captivate audiences by collaborating with celebrities like Cheech and Chong, as well as Bella Poarch. Another TikTok hoofer to nab the spotlight this year is @cacha.7.griselda, as this mature lady gyrated to the song “Trap de Amarela.” Unfortunately, she swung on a clothesline that wasn’t up to the task. Though she fell, this TikToker got back up and is still dancing for fans.

One of 2020’s biggest stars was a rodent of unusual size played by Jonothon Lyons. The actor made his first rat mask in 2009, but his costume really went viral last year. Lyons was working on a short film when random onlookers posted footage of him which spread rapidly. With theaters closed, Lyons took his mask and unique quadrupedal movement style to the streets of New York City. His character, Buddy the Rat, became a social media sensation and mascot embodying the Big Apple’s creative resilience. In January, a video of Buddy getting an adjustment from a chiropractor racked up an astonishing 76 million views. Lyons continues to pull in tens of millions of views on TikTok, YouTube and other platforms.

Kevin Hart’s new chat show features intimate long-form interviews with celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Bryan Cranston and others. While many of the conversations are more somber, one guest in particular turned the program into a cringey laugh riot. Of course, we’re talking about Don Cheadle. Though parts of the talk between Kevin and Don were civil, the comedian couldn’t stop himself from slipping in a few humorous jabs. Hart’s explicit reaction to Cheadle’s age and their subsequent back and forth went viral. The moment has since become a much-resampled meme. Clearly, these two old friends love to bust each other’s chops, and we all love to watch them do it.

Our second cat video involves a feline that’s a little bigger than a two-pound kitten. Sirga is a lioness whose wild parents were captured before her birth. Sirga’s siblings died, but she was separated in order to save her life. Unfortunately, this also meant the cub could never be released into the wild. Valentin Gruener, one of the men who rescued Sirga, now cares for her while advocating for conservation through the Modisa Wildlife Project. Video of Sirga greeting Valentin from a few years ago resurfaced on TikTok and recently caused the social media equivalent of a wildebeest stampede. For those who want to see more of this pair, the TV series “Saving Sirga: Journey into the Heart of a Lion '' documents this uniquely touching example of interspecies love.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Smile through the Pain
Bill Gates Grins through a Video of Chris Rock Ruthlessly Mocking the Billionaire


Adam Sandler Rejected by IHOP
The Hollywood A-Lister and SNL Alum Walks into & Then Out of an IHOP


Cook Uses Dumb Pick-up Lines
Before Getting Banned, This Hibachi Chef Slang Jokes, Pickup Lines and Food


Emily Mariko Salmon Bowl
This Content Creator’s Rice and Salmon Dish Attracted Big Views without Big Calories

Born in Senegal and raised in Italy, Khabane Lame rocketed to the top of TikTok early in 2021. Using the handle @Khaby.lame, this creator connected to a global audience with his wordless deconstructions of idiotic life hack videos. In a clip that racked up over 274.6 million views, an exasperated Lame demonstrates how to peel a banana using his hand instead of a massive knife. He also did a hilarious takedown of an odd recording of a man smashing a coffee mug’s handle to free a facemask. Whether it’s zip tie cup handles or other ludicrous trends, no lame posts are free from Signore Lame’s wordless reproach.