2019 was a wild one — you’re not alone in looking back and saying “…what the hell happened this year?”
We know the feeling. We’ve been busy innovating short-form content with the launch of Animated Emojis and Text, GIPHY SDK for developers, a powerful branded content platform via GIPHY for Marketers, and an addictive and shareable game platform called GIPHY Arcade.
However, when it comes to actually understanding what happened this year… it all comes down to content. Sure, there will be plenty of annual recaps over the coming weeks, but do any of those really capture how we felt in 2019? Our Top 25 most-viewed GIFs mirror the world’s shifting moods, reactions, and emotions. So, what’s the takeaway? Plenty of joy, a healthy amount of frustration, a dash of indifference, and a LOT of OOP.
To start, here are the top partner and artist channels on GIPHY in 2019:
- Partners: Saturday Night Live led the way with 9.6 billion views. Not far behind was its parent network, NBC. Sports also had a big moment on GIPHY with the NBA and MLB taking top channel spots as well!
- Artists: megan motown led the artist category with 14.2 billion views. She was closely followed by Chris Timmons, Nora Fikse, Aisforai, and Sarah The Palmer.
And now for the big reveal. See below for the 25 GIFs that absolutely dominated the GIF world in 2019!
#1: “And I Oop” by Jasmine Masters — 419.1 million views
“And I Oop” is the best meme of 2019, period. Jasmine Masters, the iconic drag queen from the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is to thank for this perfect GIF.
#2: “Angry” by Shameless — 382.1 million views
The most popular GIFs of the year are typically reactions and this GIF from Showtime’s “Shameless” is no exception. There’s no better way to express your anger, disgust, or disapproval to someone than by sharing this GIF with them!
#3: “Say Hello” by Nick Jonas — 289.1 million views
Nick Jonas GIFs are always popular, but this one he made with us at GIPHY resonated the most. It is easy to see why, it’s a great GIF to send to simply say, “sup.”
#4: “Happy” by Samm Henshaw — 261.6 million views
This popular Samm Henshaw GIF has such positive energy, it’s no wonder why it’s so popular. It comes from the fantastic video for his song, “Church.”
“Wake up and get yourself to church Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah”
#5: “Great Job” by Bounce TV — 259.6 million views
“Thumbs up” consistently ranks high as a term users are searching for on GIPHY and Carl Payne’s (from Bounce TV’s Last Call) is a great one!
#6: “Happy Cheering” by Bluesbear — 197.3 million views
What’s not to love about this animated GIF?! This cutie wholesomely and happily cheering you on is the exact motivation a friend needs to keep going.
#7: Keanu Reeves “Thank You” by Netflix — 195.4 million views
Keanu’s role in Always Be My Maybe was VERY much loved by fans. The movie was super popular and seeing Keanu let his hair down and show his sillier side made everyone love him even more than they already did… if that was possible.
#8: “I Love You” by Mia Page — 181.6 million views
“Love” is far and away the most popular emotion searched and shared on GIPHY. So it’s no surprise that this sweet animated GIF is included in this list. Our GIPHY Artist community is huge and with GIF artist Mia Page creating these characters to be actual hearts themselves — it’s a perfect and creative way to express love.
#9: “No Way SMH” by Desus & Mero — 179 million views
The Kid Mero — one half of the Bodega Boys, who host a popular podcast and the “Number 1 Show in Late Night” (self-proclaimed by them) — is always good for a great reaction GIF, whether you want to express Bronx Pride, Dominican Pride, New York City Pride, or just a plain old “No.” This popular one from their Showtime show is no exception.
#10: “Happy Excited Dance” by Khalid — 169.7 million views
Khalid had a fantastic 2019 and is only growing in popularity, but this is just a great “having a good time so don’t bother me I just want to vibe” GIF from his music video “Young Dumb and Broke.”
#11: “Whatever” by Friends — 168.5 million views
FRIENDS had quite a year in 2019! Not only did the show celebrate its 25th anniversary, but an official FRIENDS library channel launched on GIPHY! It’s no shock that this funny reaction GIF of Phoebe really blew up, as it’s something that could appeal to both FRIENDS fans and general GIPHY users alike!
#12: “Jack Nicholson ‘Yes’” by Nick Kroll — 162.3 million views
Nick Kroll’s version of the classic Jack Nicholson nodding GIF is spot on. This year he stopped by GIPHY to recreate a bunch of classic GIFs, including his own take on this year’s top GIF (“And I Oop”).
#13: “Dog Yes” by TikTok — 158.9 million views
2019 was the year of TikTok (which includes our partnership with them!) and, to be honest, every year is the year of a good dog! This good boy popping up with a solid nod “YES” is exactly what the users want — a surprise, a super cute dog, and a definite reaction. Did someone say, “Treats?!”
#14: “Awkward” by Jonas Brothers — 151.5 million views
In need of a GIF for that cringeworthy moment? Did you text someone the wrong thing? Are you getting roasted in a group chat? You can’t go wrong with this GIF from GIPHY’s shoot with the Jonas Brothers.
#15: “Kit Harington Wink” by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — 146.5 million views
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon topped our list in 2018, and it made the cut again this year! This time it’s for a GIF of Kit Harington winking into the camera. We have a feeling Game of Thrones fans may be responsible for its popularity!
#16: “Meme Scroll” by 2019 MTV Video Music Awards — 146.3 milllion views
This funny GIF of Lil Nas X accepting the award for Song of the Year at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards is ripe for meme-ability. It immediately went viral on Twitter, with people adding their own funny captions like “Me leaving CVS” and “Me opening The Cheesecake Factory Menu”.
#17: “Killing Eve Popcorn” by BBC America — 144.3 million views
GIPHY loves drama and OH MY did Sandra Oh deliver. The Killing Eve star gives us a flawless piece of content all of us can use while meddling in other peoples’ business.
#18: “Xavier Woods ‘Nope’” by WWE — 140.7 million views
Not sure a stank-face can get much better than this. Everyone should take a moment to thank Xavier Woods and The New Day for this epic expression.
#19: “Drake ‘Unimpressed’” by Apple Music — 136 million views
Almost everything Drake does goes viral at this point, and this reaction from the “No Guidance” music video was no different. It’s the perfect sarcastic reaction GIF.
#20: “Fun Love” by pigx3–135.1 million views
This GIF from artist pigx3 is the definition of cute! Characters such as this dominate messaging platforms because of their ability to connect with people… Who wouldn’t relate to this GIF when eating something delicious?!
#21: “Excited” by Preity G Zinta — 134.4 million views
Preity G Zinta is a beloved actress in the Bollywood industry (for the past 20 years!) and she was the FIRST Bollywood actress to launch a custom GIPHY reaction pack. Her expression and the high quality animation combined makes this a great GIF for celebrities to express themselves.
#22: “Happy High Heels” by Hilbrand Bos Illustrator — 133.9 million views
We all mope around from Monday to Friday just waiting for the weekend to roll around. Good thing we have lifestyle and fashion illustrator, Hilbrand Bos, to remind us when the week is finally over and the party begins!
#23: “Lizzo ‘Whatever’” by MTV Movie & TV Awards — 133.4 million views
2019 was essentially the Year of Lizzo, and a lot of that was due to her presence at the Video Music Awards. She gave an epic performance and won viewers over with her hilarious audience reaction shots — case in point, this GIF!
#24: “Disgusted” by HiHo Kids — 133 million views
We all know that kids do and say the darndest things with absolutely no filter, so do yourself a favor and visit HiHo Kids’ GIPHY page for more reactions like this absolutely perfect “disgusted” GIF.
#25: “Excited Ilana Glazer” by Broad City — 130.7 million views
Broad City is one of the most GIFable shows ever thanks to its hysterical and expressive co-stars, and this GIF of an excited Ilana is a perfect example of that. The show may have ended in 2019, but it will forever live on in our hearts — and GIFs!
That concludes our Top 25 list for 2019! For more from GIPHY, follow us on Twitter and Instagram!
