NZ's top YouTube vids for 2009

BY KELLY BURNS

Videos of TV stars Bill and Ben riding a goat, a cabin crew baring all and a never-been-kissed singing superstar are on this year's YouTube hit lists.

YouTube have revealed its most viewed videos for 2009.

The most-watched Kiwi-created videos revolved around music and body paint, but globally quirky clips  including roller babies and a funky wedding entrance dance gained millions of hits.

Overall Kiwis tended to search for tunes with our top five viewed videos, which were all music clips.

However, our taste in music varied wildly from Scottish singer Susan Boyle to tween queen Miley Cyrus to home-grown hip hop Smashproof.

Susan Boyle's audition on Britain's Got Talent that catapulted her to stardom was the most viewed video in New Zealand and worldwide.

Her version of I Dreamed a Dream has had more than 120 million views  more than triple the second most watched video of David After the Dentist.

Though Boyle, who joked she had "never been kissed" and still lives in her family home with cat Pebbles, was runner-up in the talent show she became an instant online hit.

Her debut album released last month made number one in the charts in Britain, Australia and here.

For Kiwis, the Smashproof hit single Brother, featuring Gin Wigmore, was the most viewed Kiwi-made video  and second overall behind Susan Boyle, followed by J Williams' Ghetto Flower clip.

Pulp Sport's Bill and Ben's I'm on a Goat parody was the third most-watched in the Kiwi-made video section.

Air New Zealand's cabin crew's two body paint advertisements also made the top-five in that group.

Google New Zealand spokeswoman Annie Baxter said YouTube offered Kiwis a way to share in the big and small moments around the country and world.

YouTube also examined billions of queries people typed into the search and identified the fastest-rising searches each month.

In April it was Susan Boyle, in June and July it was Michael Jackson and this month so far Tiger Woods takes the title.

YouTube gets more than one billion views a day worldwide.

Warning: some videos may contain objectionable content.

Top five New Zealand-created videos 

1. Smashproof (featuring Gin Wigmore) - Brother

2. J Williams - Ghetto Flower

3. Pulp Sport (ft P Diggs) - I'm On A Goat

4. Air New Zealand staff have nothing to hide

5. Bare essentials of safety from Air New Zealand

 

Top 5 most watched videos overall in New Zealand

1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent

2. Smashproof (featuring Gin Wigmore) - Brother

3. I'm On A Boat - The Lonely Island

4. Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA

5. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down

 

Top 5 most watched videos worldwide

1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent (120+ million views)

2. David After Dentist (36+ million views)

3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)

4. New Moon Movie Trailer (30+ million views)

5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views) 

- © Fairfax NZ News