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Featured era: 2013
Harlem Shake
“Do the Harlem Shake.”
- Featured era
- 2013
- Peak era
- 2013
- Company
- George Miller (Filthy Frank) and TheSunnyCoastSkate
- Category
- Viral Videos
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On Video
TheSunnyCoastSkate's "Harlem Shake"
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- TheSunnyCoastSkate
- Added:
- February 2, 2013
- Length:
- 0:31
What Was It?
The Harlem Shake was a 2013 meme in which a group dances to a short excerpt of Baauer's electronic track "Harlem Shake". One person, often in a helmet or mask, dances alone while everyone else ignores them. When the bass drops, the video cuts to the whole room dancing wildly, often in costumes and with strange props.
The format began in a video posted on January 30, 2013 by George Miller, better known as Filthy Frank, on his DizastaMusic channel. A group of young Australians calling themselves TheSunnyCoastSkate copied it in their own video, the one on this page, and it quickly set off thousands of imitations.
Offices, sports teams, army units and TV casts all made their own. The craze pushed Billboard to start counting YouTube views, and Baauer's song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Things You Probably Forgot
- The helmeted dancer alone for the first 15 seconds
- The bass drop and the jump cut
- Slow motion on the final growl
- Every office and sports team making its own version
The Story
- 2013 George Miller's DizastaMusic video introduced the format on January 30.
- 2013 TheSunnyCoastSkate's version spread worldwide in early February.
- 2013 Baauer's "Harlem Shake" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 21.
Its Legacy
TheSunnyCoastSkate's video is still on YouTube. The craze burned out within months, but it changed how Billboard counts hits and showed how fast a 30-second format could take over the internet.
Memories
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