# Why do some people become viral after creating their own music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 2, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815 "2020-03-02T19:40:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/1 "2020-03-02T19:40:25Z")
Even though most people in the world aren’t blessed with musical talent, I still find it interesting that Soundcloud rappers and random singers are becoming famous out of no where. For example, 2 elderly men created their own rap music through World Star Hip Hop, while kids who’re still in high school are becoming famous from their own music. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/2 "2020-03-02T19:57:37Z")
Because if you go viral doing music someone else created you face copyright problems? The situation you describe: wild success after creating, producing, and promoting your own material, is the very heart of punk rock as opposed to Megavinyl. Most punk rockers don’t go anywhere, many make a comfortable living at it. Presumably there are as many reasons for fame as there are artists who become famous. Surely a lot of it has to do with getting your product in front of people inclined to pay to enjoy more of it. Was you question meant to be more specific than that? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/3 "2020-03-02T20:55:46Z")
Why does anything go viral? ---
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/4 "2020-03-03T06:10:08Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Because if you go viral doing music someone else created you face copyright problems? > > The situation you describe: wild success after creating, producing, and promoting your own material, is the very heart of punk rock as opposed to Megavinyl. Most punk rockers don’t go anywhere, many make a comfortable living at it. Presumably there are as many reasons for fame as there are artists who become famous. Surely a lot of it has to do with getting your product in front of people inclined to pay to enjoy more of it. Was you question meant to be more specific than that? If I were to post something on YouTube or social media, it may or may not blow up, depending on the type of content. Every user on this website has ability to create something viral, yet we’re too focused on other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/5 "2020-03-03T23:26:05Z")
I should post some banjo music and call myself a disease. Go Viral With Meningitis! ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/6 "2020-03-03T23:35:33Z")
Colbie Caillat started out on Myspace before youtube was around. It probably helped that her father produced some big name artists like Fleetwood Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/7 "2020-03-04T00:43:46Z")
Yeah, I’m thinking it was her dad mostly that got her noticed. The woman has boatloads of talent though. Being connected is no guarantee of stardom. Bieber was a viral find initially, correct? ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/8 "2020-03-04T00:46:27Z")
How many hits constitute “viral”? My son and his friends were delighted that they got 35K or so hits. They made about a hundred bucks between YouTube and Spotify, and spent it all at Taco Bell. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/9 "2020-03-04T02:47:54Z")
People are stupid? Oh fuck. I just remembered I’m the guy first posted the ‘Sex Toys’ new man gaff, and I didn’t see a cent off it. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/10 "2020-03-05T05:23:21Z")
“Why are some artists suddenly successful?” was a question long before the internet. Everyone my age remembers wondering “Why did these four kids from Liverpool suddenly appear, and become stars seemingly overnight? And why do they have long, uncombed hair?” And we all remember going _“What the fuuuuu…?”_ when Tiny Tim showed up out of nowhere, with his [ukulele and tresses and falsetto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMbQsKJ64S0). Click on that, whippersnappers. I dare you… and then I dare you to explain why he was so popular. There have always been “overnight sensation” viral musicians. (If I knew my music history better, I could add something like “And how 'bout that Felix of Florence when he crashed Pope Leo’s brunch and started jamming with Charlemagne’s favorite lute ensemble? Man, all the Holy Roman Empire was talking about that blistering krummhorn solo!”) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/11 "2020-03-05T19:55:14Z")
In the late 80s a college roommate’s brother had a couple of hit songs because a big name producer heard his music and got him a record deal. He even played himself on the show Full House . ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/12 "2020-03-05T20:18:42Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > In the late 80s a college roommate’s brother had a couple of hit songs because a big name producer heard his music and got him a record deal. He even played himself on the show Full House . Frankie Avalon? Damn, you old… Or Frankie Valli… wait, ok, looked it up. They did have Tommy Page, the only under-70 musician guest star. Or did you room with Wayne Newton? You can tell us… ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/13 "2020-03-05T22:21:44Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Everyone my age remembers wondering “Why did these four kids from Liverpool suddenly appear, and become stars seemingly overnight? And why do they have long, uncombed hair?” Not since they handed smallpox-infected blankets to the Odawa have the British mounted so contemptible a viral assault on American soil as The Boy Band. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-become-viral-after-creating-their-own-music/848815/14 "2020-03-05T23:03:02Z")
It is Tommy Page, sadly he died 3 years ago. I roomed with his brother, not Tommy