meme-review
KYM Review: The Top 10 Memes Of 2020
t’s nearly the end of 2020 and the annual community choice poll to select the Meme of the Year has come to an end. Needless to say, it’s been quite an action-packed year for all of us, and one chock-full of memorable formats scattered throughout the endless sea of coronavirus memes. Despite the turmoil “in these trying times,” the internet managed to produce a ton of hilarious new formats this year and even revived some old favorites with a new twist.
This month, we asked you to help us narrow down the best memes of the year from all your favorites, so without further ado, we present the Top 10 Memes of 2020 below. Be sure to check out our other 2020 meme roundups section for more of the year’s best viral phenomena.
10. Money Printer Go Brr
Peak Month: April
Votes: (2.56%)
Kicking off the year with a strong showing back in March, Money Printer Go Brr marked the earliest major format of 2020 with its series of Wojaks representing the Federal Reserve printing money in an attempt to prevent economic decline. From there, the original transformed into a wide range of Wojak Comics with one character replying "Haha X Go Brrr" to an extensive argument made by the other character in opposition. As just one of the many Wojak Comics to spawn from 2020, Money Printer Go Brr was perhaps the most memorable and widespread, so it’s no surprise that makes the list. See the rest of 2020's Top Wojaks of the Year in our meme review.
9. CatJAM / Vibing Cat
Peak Month: November
Votes: (2.56%)
Originating from a seemingly insignificant TikTok video in April of a man pushing a cat’s head to the rhythm of a beat, CatJAM became a well-known star after it was turned into a Twitch emote and picked up by several big streamers. It then went on to gain even more popularity upon transforming into Vibing Cat, where it served as a source of meme material for reacting to music or other positive situations. Proving its versatility even further, Vibing Cat was revamped a third time in the Cat Vibing to Street Musician's Ievan Polkka meme just a couple of months ago. Given the internet’s immortal love for all things cats and its ability to work in a range of situations, CatJAM was an easy pick for one of 2020’s top memes.
8. PogChamp
Peak Month: December
Votes: (3.01%)
Joining the ranks of several noteworthy meme revivals in a year of nostalgia, PogChamp made a surprising return in 2020 despite the fact that it’s now over a decade old and one of Twitch’s first emotes. Depicting streamer Ryan Gutierrez making an exaggerated face with his mouth and eyes wide open in surprise, the term “PogChamp” and other "Pog" derivatives became more than just emotes on Twitch, entering the broader internet lexicon through memes like “POGGERS” and other slang to express hype and other exciting emotions, although sometimes sarcastically. Also showing its ability to adapt, the term became a form of endearment more recently through the My Little PogChamp series of memes. Perhaps it was due to an increase in Twitch usage from lockdowns keeping people indoors and online, but we’re willing to bet that nobody saw this one coming.
7. Cover Yourself in Oil
Peak Month: December
Votes: (3.91%)
Continuing the trend of nostalgic meme revivals, as well as unexpected favorites of 2020, Cover Yourself in Oil made its mark by rejuvenating the trend of old Troll Science memes from the days of Rage Comics. Picturing the classic Trollface dousing themselves in oil to fly in the rain (since oil is less dense than water), the original was posted to 9GAG way back in February before spreading and transforming into a range of ironic memes based on the concept. Although many initially thought that the meme was far older, Cover Yourself in Oil perfectly demonstrates 2020’s tendency to reminisce on the “golden age” of meme culture. For more of those, view our Top Meme Revivals of 2020 roundup.
6. Return to Monke
Peak Month: November
Votes: (4.06%)
Though this meme traces back its origins to 2018, Return to Monke became a breakout hit this year after the phrase was coined in May. Encompassing a diverse array of formats with a unifying theme, this meme is closely associated with anarcho-primitivism and romanticizes a simplistic, archaic lifestyle attributed to apes and monkeys. Many have theorized that this meme became a success this year due to the depressing nature of 2020’s several horrid events. With such a year of turmoil, it’s no wonder that the simple life of our closest existing relatives seems extra appealing to many in 2020.
5. Are Ya Winning, Son?
Peak Month: July
Votes: (5.71%)
Yet another example of an old meme resurfacing this year, Are Ya Winning, Son? saw an unforeseen resurgence over the past several months. Borrowing elements from the original series that was based on an MS Paint webcomic where a father walks in on his son playing a hentai VR game, this timeless format was revived through a spike in wholesome, surreal and anti-meme variants on sites from Twitter to Reddit as users found new ways to reimagine it for 2020.
4. Wait, It's All Ohio? Always Has Been
Peak Month: July
Votes: (5.71%)
Not quite a “revival” despite originally appearing online sporadically since 2016, Wait, It's All Ohio? Always Has Been was seemingly everywhere this year. An exploitable depicting two astronauts in space with one learning an earth-shattering truth and the other preparing to make sure it never comes to light, memers continuously reinvented the format through new themes by redrawing the original or photoshopping in new elements. Due to its sheer versatility, Always Has Been proved to be one of the most prominent memes of 2020, and even won our Meme of the Month poll back-to-back in June and July.
3. Dame Da Ne / Baka Mitai
Peak Month: August
Votes: (6.62%)
With the earliest versions appearing on YouTube back in 2018, Dame Da Ne truly hit its stride this year and quickly became a favorite. Referencing a lyric in the pop ballad "Baka Mitai" from the karaoke sections of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 5, the meme was popularized in 2020 via First Order Motion Model facemorphs and other facemorphing technology during the summer. With a plethora of humorous remixes on YouTube and other sites, countless pop culture icons, memes and other various objects sang along to “Baka Mitai” in unison and helped propel it into one of the most significant memes of the year.
2. Abby Choke Edits / Chokeposting
Peak Month: May
Votes: (9.47%)
Coming in at just shy of the top spot, Abby Choke Edits picturing The Last of Us Part II antagonist Abby choking its protagonist Ellie produced thousands of different redraws over the summer after originating on 4chan's /v/ board. Reimagined and redrawn to include characters from a massive array of anime, video games, movies and more, Chokeposting proved itself to be one of the year’s most adaptable formats, even spawning other iterations such as Lev Punch Edits. Whether or not you view the game itself as a success, Abby Choke Edits were undoubtedly one of 2020’s biggest gaming memes.
1. Coffin Dance / Dancing Pallbearers
Peak Month: May
Votes: (11.88%)
It’s extremely fitting that none other than Coffin Dance and the iconic Dancing Pallbearers climbed the ranks of 2020’s top memes to the number one spot. With a year that will forever be synonymous with the coronavirus pandemic, clips of Ghanian pallbearers dancing with a coffin to the EDM song "Astronomia" by Tony Igy feels like the perfect meme to encapsulate such a dismal year. Seeing an insurmountable number of derivatives portraying the sharp-dressed pallbearers prepped to take the meme’s subject into the afterlife (even one shared by Donald Trump himself), Coffin Dance served as the perfect, unifying expression to help the world cope with their dour situation. Images or reenactments of the meme were even used as a way to convey the dangers of COVID-19 across the globe.
During our interview with Benjamin Aidoo, CEO of the pallbearing business that’s shown in the meme, he told us that he not only embraces its use for humor around the world but also hopes it serves as a future reminder to encourage people to think twice before making risky decisions in their lives. As we wind down the end of 2020, Aidoo’s own words feel like the perfect way to conclude the top meme of the year.
“I give thanks to everybody who is happy with my video or have embraced my video and made something out of it, I am happy and grateful.”
Note: Percentages are of all votes cast not top 10 only.
Looking for more of this year's best viral phenomena and memes? Be sure to check out our other 2020 meme roundups below: