Top YouTube videos of 2011

It was a good year for Canadians on YouTube. The number two most watched video worldwide — after the reviled Rebecca Black song Friday — was the talking German Shepherd video Ultimate Dog Tease seen below, created by Halifax native Andrew Grantham.

According to YouTube, the video was watched by more than 74 million users. In fact, Grantham’s videos became so popular that after the viral success of Ultimate Dog Tease he now makes them full-time for his YouTube channel Talking Animals.

Coming in third place in Canada and eighth worldwide was a video of Winnipeg’s Maria Aragon singing Lady Gaga’s Born This Way while playing the keyboard. After being posted back in February it went viral almost instantly, with Gaga herself quickly taking note of the young singer. A local radio station eventually put the girl in touch with her idol — leading to her taking the stage for a song with Lady Gaga when she played in Toronto. Aragon has since sang for Prime Minister Harper and has been featured in various commercials.

Making 10th place on the Canadian list was a baby named Emerson who appears to be both terrified and amused at the sight of his mother blowing her nose.

Other highly searched YouTube terms in Canada were news events such as the tsunami in Japan, the death of Osama bin Laden, and the riots that took place in Vancouver.

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For the most part, however, entertainment and pop culture dominated the list with performers such as Drake, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber, Rihanna,  and Amy Winehouse all making the cut.

A song from comedy troop The Lonely Island had great success when they used crooner Michael Bolton for a spoof on The Pirates of the Caribbean. An animated cat flying through space and a Volkswagen commercial starring a little boy as Darth Vader filled out the remaining spots.

YouTube trends manager Kevin Allocca said in a statement: “The 10 most-watched YouTube videos of 2011 show that around the world, whatever language we speak, there are certain things that bring us all together around a computer screen or mobile phone — adorable babies, talented performers and clever advertising.”

Top YouTube videos in Canada:
Rebecca Black – Friday
Ultimate Dog Tease
Maria Aragon – Born This Way (Cover) By Lady Gaga
Eric Wants To Sell His Stuff. Fast.
Jack Sparrow Featuring Michael Bolton
Nyan Cat
Songify This – Winning – A Song By Charlie Sheen
The Force: Volkswagen Commercial
Einstien VS Stephen Hawking – Epic Rap Battle
Emerson – Mommy’s Nose Is Scary

 Top YouTube videos worldwide:
Rebecca Black – Friday
Ultimate Dog Tease
Jack Sparrow Featuring Michael Bolton
Talking Twin Babies
Nyan Cat
Look At Me Now (Karmin Cover)
The Creep
Maria Aragon – Born This Way (Cover) By Lady Gaga
The Force
Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten

Sources: youtube.com, cbc.ca

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