Is 2007 the Golden Age of YouTube?

For great procrastinators out there, YouTube is one of the culprits for all the lost productivity in any setting (especially corporate ones.) There is no doubt that lots of video streaming websites have sprouted, but none as great and as widely patronised as what YouTube is today. However, as much as we might expect, the present is not YouTube’s golden age.

YouTube, of course, has gone through a lot since being acquired by Google and offering advertising options for huge conglomerates, trying to reach the modern audience. The art of short form video and the genre it introduced through the times, bringing Vimeo and Vine, are the catalyst for the masses to introduce themselves to the world. Let their existence be known so to speak.

Many avid internet junkies argue that it is between the years 2006 to 2009. It is because it is a time when YouTube wasn’t used for monetary purposes, where people uploaded videos as a hobby, and where passion for musical videos are at a peak of convergence with the less known majority.

Hence, for all of you who has been beaten by nostalgia or just forgotten things that used to be good, I have collated five YouTube videos, all of which uploaded in the year 2007, which have begun the YouTube revolution and what I personally consider to be the golden age of YouTube.

Let me start you off with…

“YouTube Is My Life” by Church of Blow (Bernard Smith)

As eerie as that was, it was very moving when I first saw it. It definitely beats the late show skit vids of that era. It featured some of the well-known YouTubers at the time and gave a standard on how insane the intellectual wavelength of the people had then.

“The Mysterious Ticking Noise” by the Potter Puppet Pals (Neil Cicierega)

Yes, I’m a Potterhead as much as the next guy; however, the simplicity and the straightforward nature of this video show the world that no matter how meek uttering names in a tune can be, it still has a subconscious impact – one that entertains millions of viewers.

“Chocolate Rain” by Tay Zonday

Apart from the social significance of the lyrics by Tay Zonday, Chocolate Rain shows the diverse status of art and its musical portrayal based on a very influential recording. Even the nuance of going away from the microphone to breathe air has made strides in pop culture reference and made such a ripple in new media.

“Daft Hands – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Fr.Eckle Studios

In a time when Daft Punk was introducing dubstep and more futuristic tunes as the genre of the 21^st century, the convergence between innovation and analogue means are prevalent. We were at a transition, and what better way to show it than with our hands.

Something Pretty by Scott Bazzle

Finally, I leave you with something pretty, a Celtic-type tune made by Scott Bazzle, a relatively obscure YouTuber who took a chance with Tin Trio videos. Of course, this video is done by one person only; however, some are still confused from time to time. To listen to the music right away, skip to 03:25. This music reminds us not to forget the past as we rage on to the future because if don’t remember what used to be good, how can we determine what will be good in the future?

Do you think there is a video I’ve missed? Let me know at gatdula.jayr@gmail.com.