😂Best Memes of All Time

Rickroll▲ Rising

Rick Astley's 1987 hit became the internet's ultimate bait-and-switch starting in 2007 on 4chan. The signature moment arrived when it infiltrated mainstream events and media, cementing its place as the prank that never dies. It earns the top spot by proving a meme can outlast its platform and still fool new victims today.

Year: 2007Origin: 4chanVirality: 9.8/10Cultural Impact: 9.5/10Format: video

added by IJR

Pepe the Frog▲ Rising

Matt Furie's comic character escaped into 4chan in 2005 and evolved into countless expressions over the next decade. Its signature moment came when variants spread across every platform while maintaining a core sad or smug face. Pepe tops lists because it became the default visual shorthand for online emotion.

Year: 2005Origin: 4chanVirality: 9.7/10Cultural Impact: 9.6/10Format: image

added by IJRPepe the Frog

Distracted Boyfriend▲ Rising

A 2017 stock photo of a man checking out another woman became the template for every bad decision and temptation. Its signature moment was rapid adoption across Twitter and Instagram as the default infidelity metaphor. It earns its place by becoming the most versatile stock-photo meme of its decade.

Year: 2017Origin: TwitterVirality: 9.1/10Cultural Impact: 8.8/10Format: image

added by IJR

Doge▲ Rising

A Shiba Inu photo from 2010 exploded on Tumblr in 2013 with colorful Comic Sans captions. Its signature moment was turning a single dog into the face of cryptocurrency hype and everyday internal monologue. Doge earns its rank by proving a simple animal photo could spawn an entire economy and dialect.

Year: 2013Origin: TumblrVirality: 9.5/10Cultural Impact: 9/10Format: image

added by IJRDOGE

Grumpy Cat▲ Rising

Tardar Sauce's permanently annoyed face hit Reddit in 2012 and became the internet's go-to reaction image. The signature moment was when major brands licensed the cat for ads and movies, proving memes could be big business. It holds its place by showing how one animal's expression defined an entire era of reaction memes.

Year: 2012Origin: RedditVirality: 9.3/10Cultural Impact: 8.7/10Format: image

added by IJRGrumpy Cat

This is Fine

KC Green's 2013 comic showed a dog ignoring a burning room and became the perfect metaphor for denial. Its signature moment arrived during major crises when the panel was endlessly shared as shorthand for societal collapse. It earns its spot because it moved from webcomic to universal political commentary.

Year: 2013Origin: WebcomicVirality: 9.2/10Cultural Impact: 9.1/10Format: image

added by IJRin 2 rankingsThis is Fine

Woman Yelling at a Cat

A 2018 Twitter photo of a woman screaming paired with a confused cat from a TV show became the go-to argument format. Its signature moment was the instant pairing that created a perfect two-panel dialogue. It earns its rank by solving the problem of how to show both sides of an absurd debate.

Year: 2018Origin: TwitterVirality: 9/10Cultural Impact: 8.6/10Format: image

added by IJRwoman yelling at a cat

LOLcats

The 2005 wave of captioned cat photos on 4chan and I Can Has Cheezburger defined the early image-macro era. Its signature moment was turning everyday cat pictures into broken-English commentary. It earns its rank as the meme that launched a thousand image macros.

Year: 2005Origin: 4chanVirality: 8/10Cultural Impact: 8.2/10Format: image

added by IJR

Keyboard Cat

A 2007 video of a cat playing a toy piano became the original 'fail' button. Its signature moment was being appended to every blooper clip on YouTube. It earns its spot by creating the template for reaction videos.

Year: 2007Origin: YouTubeVirality: 8.1/10Cultural Impact: 7.7/10Format: video

added by IJRKeyboard Cat

Scumbag Steve

A 2011 photo of a teen in a sideways hat became the face of selfish behavior. Its signature moment was the wave of captions detailing everyday annoyances. It earns its place by creating the perfect villain for small-scale betrayals.

Year: 2011Origin: RedditVirality: 7.7/10Cultural Impact: 7.3/10Format: image

added by IJRScumbag Steve

Mocking SpongeBob

A 2017 SpongeBob screenshot became the face of sarcastic repetition. Its signature moment was the flood of alternating caps text that mocked any statement. It earns its rank by giving users the perfect mocking tone in image form.

Year: 2017Origin: TwitterVirality: 8.4/10Cultural Impact: 7.9/10Format: image

added by IJR

Philosoraptor

A 2008 image of a thoughtful velociraptor spawned deep or absurd philosophical questions. Its signature moment was turning a dinosaur into the face of overthinking everything. It earns its spot by proving even dinosaurs could host late-night thoughts.

Year: 2008Origin: RedditVirality: 8.5/10Cultural Impact: 7.9/10Format: image

added by IJR

Nyan Cat

A flying Pop-Tart cat with a rainbow trail debuted on YouTube in 2011 and racked up hundreds of millions of views. The signature moment was its instant spread into games, shirts, and endless remixes. Nyan Cat earns its rank by proving a simple looping animation could become a global earworm.

Year: 2011Origin: YouTubeVirality: 9/10Cultural Impact: 8.5/10Format: video

added by IJRNyan Cat

Futurama Fry

A 2011 screenshot of Fry squinting became the face of skepticism and conspiracy thinking. Its signature moment was the wave of 'not sure if' captions that turned doubt into a template. It earns its rank by giving users a perfect unsure expression.

Year: 2011Origin: RedditVirality: 7.4/10Cultural Impact: 7/10Format: image

added by IJR

Expanding Brain

A 2017 series of increasingly large brains became the visual ladder for escalating intelligence or absurdity. Its signature moment was the rapid spread of multi-panel versions comparing ideas from dumb to galaxy-brain. It earns its rank by creating a new way to rank concepts visually.

Year: 2017Origin: RedditVirality: 8.6/10Cultural Impact: 8.1/10Format: image

added by IJR

Drake Hotline Bling

A 2015 music video frame became the two-panel yes/no template for preferences. Its signature moment was the instant pairing of approval and disapproval poses. It earns its place by solving the problem of showing clear preference in one image.

Year: 2015Origin: TwitterVirality: 8.5/10Cultural Impact: 8.3/10Format: image

added by IJR

Change My Mind

A 2018 photo of Steven Crowder at a table became the template for every controversial opinion. Its signature moment was the flood of parody signs that turned it into a debate format. It earns its place by giving users a simple way to invite or mock arguments.

Year: 2018Origin: TwitterVirality: 8.7/10Cultural Impact: 8/10Format: image

added by IJRChange My Mind

Bad Luck Brian

A 2011 yearbook photo of a smiling teen became the face of every unfortunate event. Its signature moment was the flood of captions about comically bad luck that made the meme a staple. It earns its place by giving users a universal unlucky everyman.

Year: 2011Origin: RedditVirality: 8.4/10Cultural Impact: 7.8/10Format: image

added by IJR

Doge but with Elon

The 2021 revival of Doge with Elon Musk references turned the old meme into crypto commentary. Its signature moment was the surge during Dogecoin price spikes. It earns its rank by showing how old memes can be revived with new context.

Year: 2021Origin: TwitterVirality: 7.2/10Cultural Impact: 6.8/10Format: image

added by IJR

Confession Bear

A 2012 photo of a sad bear became the template for anonymous confessions. Its signature moment was the flood of deeply personal or absurd admissions. It earns its place by creating a safe space for uncomfortable truths.

Year: 2012Origin: RedditVirality: 7.5/10Cultural Impact: 7.1/10Format: image

added by IJR

Borat 'My Wife'

A 2006 movie line became a 2010s meme for awkward declarations. Its signature moment was the endless variations replacing the original wife with absurd objects. It earns its place by turning a catchphrase into a flexible punchline.

Year: 2006Origin: YouTubeVirality: 7.3/10Cultural Impact: 6.9/10Format: video

added by IJR

All Your Base

A 2001 video remix of a poorly translated 1989 game became the first major internet video meme. Its signature moment was the coordinated global spread that put the phrase on billboards and news. It earns its place as the grandfather of video memes.

Year: 2001Origin: Something AwfulVirality: 8.2/10Cultural Impact: 8.4/10Format: video

added by IJR

Success Kid

A toddler's fist-pump photo from 2007 turned into the ultimate victory pose on Reddit. Its signature moment came when the kid's family used meme money to pay medical bills, showing real-world payoff. Success Kid earns its spot by representing pure, uncomplicated triumph.

Year: 2007Origin: RedditVirality: 8.9/10Cultural Impact: 8.3/10Format: image

added by IJRSuccess Kid

Ancient Aliens

A 2010 History Channel clip of Giorgio Tsoukalos gesturing wildly became the face of wild theories. Its signature moment was the instant pairing with any unexplained event. It earns its place by giving conspiracy thinking a single memorable face.

Year: 2010Origin: RedditVirality: 7.9/10Cultural Impact: 7.6/10Format: image

added by IJRAncient Aliens

Conspiracy Keanu

A 2010 photo of Keanu Reeves looking thoughtful spawned endless 'what if' scenarios. Its signature moment was the flood of captions turning everyday observations into deep plots. It earns its rank by giving users a calm face for wild ideas.

Year: 2010Origin: RedditVirality: 7.8/10Cultural Impact: 7.5/10Format: image

added by IJR

Overly Attached Girlfriend▼ Falling

A 2012 webcam photo became the face of clingy behavior and intense affection. Its signature moment was the rapid spread of captions about relationship extremes. It earns its rank by giving users a memorable face for romantic obsession.

Year: 2012Origin: RedditVirality: 7.6/10Cultural Impact: 7.2/10Format: image

added by IJROverly Attached Girlfriend

Surprised Pikachu

A 2018 screenshot from the Pokémon anime captured Pikachu's shocked face and became the reaction for obvious outcomes. Its signature moment was spreading across every platform within weeks as the universal 'of course' face. It earns its spot by showing how one anime frame could replace dozens of reaction images.

Year: 2018Origin: TwitterVirality: 8.8/10Cultural Impact: 8.2/10Format: image

added by IJR

One Does Not Simply

Boromir's line from the 2001 Lord of the Rings film became a 2010s meme template for impossible tasks. Its signature moment was the endless variations replacing the original quest with everyday hurdles. It earns its rank by turning a movie quote into a universal warning.

Year: 2010Origin: RedditVirality: 8.3/10Cultural Impact: 8/10Format: image

added by IJR