Top 10 YouTube videos of 2011

The mock agony of a dog teased with non-existent meaty treats was the world’s No. 2 YouTube video of 2011.

“Ultimate Dog Tease” grabbed the No. 1 spot in the U.K. and was No. 2 in Canada — its country of origin.

The sad gastronomic fate of an adorable, talking German shepherd — captured on video and voiced by Halifax comedian Andrew Grantham — has been watched 74 million times by people around the world.

Although that’s more than double the population of Canada, it’s a drop in an ever-deepening YouTube bucket. The Google-owned, free online video service is growing at a rate of 48 hours of video a minute, according to Google Canada spokesperson Aaron Brindle.

In all, the world has so far watched or replayed YouTube videos 1 trillion times in 2011.

Another Canadian who climbed to the top of the world’s YouTube pyramid this year was adorable 12-year-old Winnipegger Maria Aragon. She has sung and keyboarded her way through Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” more than 45 million times by now.

In Canada alone, Google’s year-end ranking puts Aragon’s performance in third place, right behind the talking dog.

The big winner, both around the world and in Canada, was American pop singer Rebecca Black, whose vapid, auto-tuned single “Friday” inspired tens of millions of views, not just for the official music video, but for a raft of parodies and covers, which include one by the cast of TV hit show Glee.

The ultimate in mindless songs, “Nyan Cat,” clawed its way to sixth spot in Canada.

Commercial interests also had their moment in the spotlight, as ads by Kijiji.ca and Volkswagen picked up slots on Canada’s Top 10 list of most-watched YouTube videos:-

1. Rebecca Black, “Friday” (Official Video) - This song, created by a hit factory in the U.S., was a viral sensation, proving that a lack of talent is no impediment to fame these days.
2. Talking Animals, “Ultimate Dog Tease” - You simply can’t go wrong with animals and this dog-sided conversation racked up the hits earlier this year.
3. Maria Aragon, “Born This Way” (Cover) - This Winnipeg girl took the world by storm with her version of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” She eventually ended up performing with star at Gaga’s Toronto concert.
4. Kijiji.ca, “Eric Wants to Sell His Stuff. Fast” - How did this crack the list? This commercial for Kijiji had more than 10 million views.
5. Michael Bolton, “Jack Sparrow” - The Lonely Island guys did it again, with their hilarious video guest starring Michael Bolton, who had a little too much Pirates of the Caribbean on the brain.
6. “Nyan Cat” - Likely the worst earworm you will hear all year.
7. Charlie Sheen, “Songify This” - Winning, warlock, tiger blood. These are just some of the words that Charlie Sheen added to our collective lexicon this year. This interview set to music sums up the actor’s very weird year.
8. Volkswagen, “The Force” - Volkswagen won the Super Bowl with its ad featuring a tiny Darth Vader trying to use the force around the house. Bonus points for releasing it early online.
9. “Einstein vs Stephen Hawking” - Einstein and Stephen Hawking split flow all scientician style! Aww yeah, that’s an Epic Rap battle there!
10. Emerson, “Mommy’s Nose Is Scary” - Emerson can’t decide whether his mom blowing her nose is hilarious or terrifying. No argument about how adorable this video is.

Article by John Terauds