Viral fan videos propel Harlem Shake track into charts
- Published
What is the Harlem Shake?
Thousands of viral video clips made by music fans have helped propel Harlem Shake into the top 25 of the UK's official midweek chart.
The music is the adopted soundtrack for a dance craze which sees fans make 30-second long movies and upload them online.
The track is the creation of New York producer Baauer.
In a blog, YouTube, external claim 4,000 of these style videos are currently being uploaded every day.
The official charts company have called the trend "quite remarkable".
Gangnam style?
In the official midweek chart (13 February) the song reached number 22.
YouTube said these home-made clips have been viewed more than 44 million times.
Martin Talbot from the Official Charts Company said they haven't seen fan-made videos drive sales of a song on this scale before.
"We've had lots of records which have had their own videos which have promoted or created their own dance craze which then other people have picked up on.
"What we haven't really had, in any shape or form, is this kind of crowd sourced video. People are making their own promos and putting them together.
"The nearest thing to it is Gangnam Style from last year."
'Blowing my mind'
The 23-year-old DJ behind the track, Baauer, first put the song online in 2011.
He's tweeted saying the craze is "blowing my mind".
The staff of Maker Studios, external have created what's currently the most-viewed version of Harlem Shake with over nine million.
Elsewhere there are versions recorded by fire fighters, students and swimming teams all doing the dance.
A number of UK media outlets have also recorded their own versions.
The Harlem Shake, where typically a performer swings their shoulders back and forth, originated in Harlem, New York in the 1980s.
Martin Talbot said: "The track's made massive progress through the week. The momentum is absolutely with it - it's clearly a phenomenon already. It looks like it's going to be a big hit."
This week's official singles chart will be revealed on Sunday 17 February at 4pm on BBC Radio 1.
- Published1 October 2012
