11.17.09 - 11:00AM
- by
Urlesque Staff

Best Remix of the Year -- 2009 Urlies

topic:
Humor
Videos
Mash-Ups
Remixes
2009 Urlies

2009 Urlies MEME | VIRAL VIDEO | REMIX | PHOTOBOMB/PHOTOSHOP | SINGLE-TOPIC BLOG | BEST BUYS | TWITTER TREND | COOLEST KID | VIRAL CAMPAIGN | WORST OF '09 | SITE | BLOGGER'S CHOICE | LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT | SEE ALL WINNERS

Nothing is quite as satisfying as stumbling upon a good Internet-related remix. (Well, maybe except for making one.) A well-executed remix takes something that we already hold near and dear to our hearts, like a beloved Web clip, and gives it a sweet, sweet beat. This year's standouts include everything from an infomercial standard to bacon to, of course, Rick Astley.

And the nominees for the Best Remix of 2009 are ...

Auto-Tune the News (Series)

This recurring video series created by the Brooklyn-based trio The Gregory Brothers takes the news of the day and, using a melody-producing musical effect called Auto-tuning, turns the words of media pundits and politicians into ridiculously awesome songs that manage to satirize everyone involved. There have now been nine installments of Auto-Tune the News tackling subjects ranging from the health-care debate to Hugo Chavez's speech before the U.N. to Michael Jackson's death that rapidly became required viewing for Web surfers everywhere. They continue to roll on without losing any of the originality that made them so hilarious when they first came out. Who knew Katie Couric could sing so well?

Bacon Is Good for Me

It's a scientifically proven fact that bacon makes the Internet go 'round. "The Bacon Is Good for Me" remix used as its inspiration footage from the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," in which a replacement mom and her new son got into a heated argument over the merits of having bacon as a part of the family's diet. Removing his beloved bacon from the fridge so offends the young kid that he packed a bag and threatened to run away from home. The Internet remix turns his temper-tantrum into a techno joyride, with "bacon is good for me" as the repeated chorus; and the YouTube video features a montage of bacon-related photos that really takes things to the next level.

Christian Bale Rant

When an audio clip of Christian Bale berating the director of photography on the set of "Terminator Salvation" was leaked onto the Internet in February, Web aficionados started counting down the days until it would be remixed a thousand ways from Sunday. Coming on the heels of the Bill O'Reilly "Do It Live" freakout, Lucian Piane set Bale's freakout to a techno beat, inserted some Barbara Streisand dialogue and created an Internet phenomenon known as "Bale Out -- RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix!" It spread like wildfire, garnering over 200,000 YouTube views on its first day. It now has close to 4 million. NSFW (language)!

Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit Up

The Internet's long-running obsession with Rick Rolling -- sending an unsuspecting person a link to the music video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" -- may have run its course in '09. But a German DJ who goes by DJ Morgoth took the meme in another direction by mixing the audio of the Astley tune with the Nirvana grunge anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit." As the Nirvana instrumental proceeds, Rick Astley's pop vocals play over it to create a bizarre mashup of musical styles. When a YouTube user made a video mashup of the whole thing, viralness ensued. It now has nearly 2 million views.

Slap Chop Rap

There was a time when the infomercial for the Slap Chop was one of the most annoying things on television. Then DJ Steve Porter got a hold of it, threw in some Auto-tuning and remixing, and turned it into an Internet anthem that refused to exit people's brains. When pitchman Vince Shlomi was arrested later in the year after biting a prostitute, his bizarre cult-figure status on the Internet only grew. Go figure. The Slap Chop remix now has over 7 million views on YouTube.

All 2009 Urlies Winners