39 Best Meme Songs

27. “Abcdefu” by Gayle

Song Year: 2022

This song was not only made successful on TikTok, it was inspired and created there. Gayle is a recording artist who asked her TikTok followers for ideas for a breakup song. Eventually, it led to the “Abcdefu” which is used in a lot of video memes.

28. “WAP” by Cardi B

Song Year: 2020

The song is suggestive, and the lyrics are NSFW, but those are ingredients ripe for a viral meme online. When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released “WAP” in 2020, it did not get much radio play. The lifeblood of this song was online, and content creators loved making it the subject of their memes and videos.

29. “Crank That” by Soulja Boy

Song Year: 2007

Long before videos were made into TikTok videos, Soulja Boy’s song “Crank That” found life on YouTube. Kids loved dancing to it, and it was played in skating rinks and bowling alleys by adults that did not pay much attention to the lyrics. It was one of the first examples of a song that could grow and become popular by going viral online, rather than traditional routes like music television and radio.

30. “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” by Silentó

Song Year: 2015

In 2015 there were not many places you could go to get away from the Whip and Nae Nae craze. It was a song that went viral on YouTube and Twitter and had everyone singing along when they heard it. A barrage of memes were created playing on the lyrics. Most people had never done a dance called the stanky leg before they heard it.

31. “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

Song Year: 1988

This classic 80s song by Tracy Chapman has received new life in the past few months thanks to a viral trend. Skits posted to TikTok and Instagram usually show two people getting into an unwanted situation. They lip sync to the first two lines of the song’s second verse, which relays a need to get away.

32. “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush

Song Year: 1985

Making a viral video for 2022 was not at the front of Kate Bush’s mind when she released this song in 1985. However, thanks to the hit TV show “Stranger Things”, it has gained a lot of strength. People have begun using it as an anthem of hope in their online videos, and the renewed interest took it back to the number one spot in charts worldwide nearly 40 years after it was written.

33. “The Wellerman” by Nathan Evans

Song Year: 2021

“The Wellerman” was not an original song written by Nathan Evans. It is a recreation of a sea shanty sung by people working in shipyards in the 19th century. This one is about a supply ship seen as a hero by whalers who lived at sea for months at a time. The song is catchy and repetitive, making it perfect for content creators to cover and duet on social media.

34. “Love Grows” by Edison Lighthouse

Song Year: 1970

We live in a time of female empowerment when women are embracing their true selves. A trend on social media is to show yourself as you truly are, without perfect hair, makeup, and clothes. Many women have accompanied their videos with this classic tune that relays that sentiment perfectly.

35. “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” by Celine Dion

Song Year: 1996

Celine Dion is far from the first person to record this song. It is a power ballad inspired by Wuthering Heights that was first released by Pandora’s Box in 1989. The version that Dion sang has been popular online for years. Recently, people have been creating videos that claim their friends do not realize how well they can sing and then lip-sync Dion’s voice.

36. “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) by Meat Loaf

Song Year: 1993

“Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell” was a comeback album for MeatLoaf. One of the singles released that year was “I Would Do Anything For Love” which showcased his singing talent and had some dark imagery in both the song and music video. Content creators have loved making lip-sync videos with Meat Loaf’s voice for a long time. In the months since his passing, the amount of viral videos has increased.

37. “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne

Song Year: 2003

“Stacy’s Mom” has been a fun song to play with since its inception. The music video set up the playful tone the band was going for. In the years since a lot of people have created content using the iconic music and chorus. It is especially useful when they want to talk about an older person they find attractive.

38. “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift

Song Year: 2012

There is nothing about this song that made it go viral on its own. An edit of it was created where a goat screaming was added in the chorus making for a hilarious video. The screaming goat meme owes most of its existence to this song, including its addition to the latest “Thor” movie.

39. “Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake and Lil Jon

Song Year: 2013

Even before TikTok was giving creators a place to put their lip-sync and dance videos, “Turn Down For What” was making waves as an early viral music sensation. The music was infectious and has been used in countless videos. The imagery in the music video is unforgettable and led the Daniels to later make the film “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” which was released in 2022.

Top Meme Songs Ever, Final Thoughts

Memes and viral videos are part of our language. We can have entire conversations online without ever saying a word through the use of memes and GIFs. Music is at the heart of that language. Videos like these can bring new life to old songs, and provide a way for a new generation to discover music they would not have heard otherwise.