Susan Boyle an online hit
2009-05-06 10:50
Sydney - British singing sensation Susan Boyle, who became an overnight star with her surprising performance on a British talent show, has made the top 5 in a list of the most watched viral videos of all-time.
Visible Measures, which measures the use of online videos across more than 150 video-sharing sites, has compiled a list called the "100 Million Views Club" which is of online videos that have topped the 100 million viewership.
Topping the list is a music video by rapper Soulja Boy of Crank That which recorded 356 million hits, followed by a trailer for the vampire movie Twilight with 267 million clicks.
In third and four places, with 230 million and 197 million views respectively, came Mariah Carey's Touch My Body music video and a user generated video by American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham called "Achmed the Dead Terrorist."
Boyle, who performed on Britain's Got Talent, was in fifth place with 186 million views.
Boyle, 47, with her untamed hair and plain-spoken manner, captivated millions of music lovers and confounded celebrity watchers after stunning judges with a voice that belied an appearance dubbed "frumpy" and "dowdy" by the British media.
She has appeared on Larry King Live in the United States and in countless newspaper and internet articles, fuelling the number of people viewing the online clip of her song.
"The most impressive aspect of her viral video success is the fact that she burst onto the scene just three weeks ago," said Visible Measures in a statement.
Boyle is due to appear in the semi-finals of the TV talent show in the week of May 25. The final will be held on May 30.