Gangnam Style Breaks World Record for Most YouTube Likes

LMFAO, Justin Beiber, Adele, Gotye and Eminem. All of them are big-time artists beloved world wide, but they are no matches for PSY.

It was recently announced that Park Jae-Sang, better known as Korean Pop Superstar PSY, has entered the Guinness World Record Book. PSY’s song “Gangnam Style” has become the most liked video in YouTube history. The song currently sits at 2,462,869 likes on YouTube and climbing. For a comparison, LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” sits in second with 1,578,502 likes, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” comes in at third with 1,432,730 likes and finally, Justin Bieber’s “Baby” comes in with 1,330,860 likes.

This feat is all the more impressive when you consider that “Gangnam Style” has only been around since July 15. “Party Rock” has been available since March of last year and “Baby” has been around since February of 2010. In a year, there is no telling how high “Gangnam” can climb at its current rate.

“Gangnam Style” has been sweeping the nation. Just in the last couple of months, PSY has appeared on “Ellen,” the “Today Show,” “MTV’s Video Music Awards” and the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” The song also marks the first time a South Korean artist has topped the iTunes charts.

Though not quite as successful, the sudden rise of PSY bears a resemblance to Rebecca Black Who’s “Friday” video took off overnight back in September of 2011. The video was viewed over 30 million times on YouTube in a week. Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert performed the song on Fallon’s Late Night Show, and the song was covered on the hit show “Glee.” Black herself played the song on such stages as “Good Morning America” and the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

Although “Gangnam Style” is the song to put PSY on the map in America, he didn’t just randomly show up over night. PSY has found some previous success in Korea. He has currently released six albums, his debut titled PSY from the Psycho World released back in 2001. He has three top ten singles in Korea and two number ones. PSY has also won a multiple number of awards in Korea including Best Male Solo Artist, Songwriter of the year and a Best Album Award. All of PSY’s work can be found on iTunes for everyone’s listening pleasure if anyone is curious to find out what else he has to offer.

Not only is “Gangnam Style” the first Korean song to top the iTunes charts; it marks one of the rare non-English speaking songs to find success in the U.S. With the prominence of YouTube and social media, it makes it easier for unknowns to become famous overnight. Whether that is a good thing is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure, The Guinness Book of World Records has a new entry, and his name is PSY.