Viral song 'Gangnam Style' hits 3 billion views on YouTube

The song's music video was uploaded more than five years ago on July 15, 2012 and it went viral because of its catchy horse-riding choreography.

Psy in 'Gangnam Style'
Psy in 'Gangnam Style' Twitter

Korean rapper Psy's worldwide hit song "Gangnam Style" has reached three billion views on YouTube.

The song's music video was uploaded more than five years ago on July 15, 2012, and it went viral because of its catchy horse-riding choreography.

"#GANGNAMSTYLE got 3 billion views!! THX #PSY #싸이 #강남스타일 #GANGNAMSTYLE #MV #3BILLION #YOUTUBE #YG," Psy posted on Twitter today.

"Gangnam Style" reached the three-billion milestone at around 8 am on Sunday. Currently, it has 13 million likes and 4.82 million comments on YouTube.

After it went viral, "Gangnam Style" spawned parodies and reached 500 million in 100 days and western media including BBC and CNN highlighted the phenomenon. "Gangnam Style" ranked No. 1 as the most viewed video in all categories on YouTube.

In December 2012, it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.

With the song, Psy rose to fame worldwide and in 2014, YouTube upgraded its viewing system as "Gangnam Style" reached 2.1 billion views.

"Gangnam Style" also garnered awards and topped music charts. It stayed on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for seven consecutive weeks and it was the first Korean artist to top the US iTunes music video chart.

It won best video at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards and New Media Award at the American Music Awards, top streaming song at the Billboard Music Awards, and international song and music video of the year at the NRJ Music Awards in France.

Guinness World Records awarded "Gangnam Style" the certification as the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube. It also earned the most watched video online and and most liked video online titles.

After "Gangnam Style," Psy tried to replicate the song's success with singles such as "Gentleman," "Daddy" and "Hangover."

Psy is set to hold concerts on December 22 to 24 in Busan, and December 28 to 31 in Seoul.