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GIPHY’s No. 1 GIF of 2016 was an illustrated take on Barack Obama’s mic drop—not footage of the moment itself. The service published its 25-item ranking on December 15, 2016, using a combination of site traffic and social shares. The list spans election-year reactions, TV and film, animals, memes, and artist-made animations.
GIPHY’s top 25 GIFs of 2016
The entries below follow GIPHY’s ranking. Ranks 6–8 are identified in contemporaneous reproductions of the list; the visible text of GIPHY’s post gives its first five entries and then resumes at No. 9. Descriptions identify the depicted moment or source where established, rather than implying every GIF began in 2016.
| Rank | GIF | What it shows or where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barack Obama dropping the mic | Julie Winegard’s illustrated interpretation of Obama’s final White House Correspondents’ Dinner mic drop. |
| 2 | Crying Jordan | The familiar crying-face image of basketball legend Michael Jordan, used as a reaction meme. |
| 3 | Flash the sloth | The slow-moving DMV sloth from Zootopia. |
| 4 | The unamused older woman | A reaction clip taken from a GIPHY promotional video. |
| 5 | Chris Christie barely applauding | Christie’s restrained applause at the 2016 Republican National Convention. |
| 6 | Broad City | A reaction moment from the comedy series; the ranking’s short identification does not specify a scene. |
| 7 | Leonardo DiCaprio at the Golden Globes | DiCaprio’s reaction as Lady Gaga passed him. |
| 8 | Hello Bear | A friendly, waving bear reaction GIF. |
| 9 | Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark | A reaction from FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson. |
| 10 | Deal With It Cat | A cat wearing sunglasses, used as a confident or dismissive reaction. |
| 11 | Hillary Clinton high five | Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton impression on Saturday Night Live. |
| 12 | Excited Minions | A celebratory reaction featuring the Minions. |
| 13 | Flower scares a cat | A cat reacts dramatically to a flower. |
| 14 | “Sup?” Seal | A seal appears to greet or acknowledge the viewer. |
| 15 | Showbiz Pizza training video | An odd, retro training-video clip. |
| 16 | Slipping Penguin | A penguin losing its footing. |
| 17 | Captain Obvious mic drop | A comic mic-drop reaction. |
| 18 | Hugging monkeys | Two monkeys embracing. |
| 19 | Rad Dogman OK! | An “OK!” reaction animation by artist Rad Dogman. |
| 20 | Buffy Summers: “Yuck!” | A disgusted reaction from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. |
| 21 | Happy pandas | A cheerful panda GIF by Nicky Rojo. |
| 22 | Rihanna waving | A wave from Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money” video. |
| 23 | Rob Huebel / Children’s Hospital celebration | A celebratory, confetti-filled reaction associated with the comedy series. |
| 24 | 100% Soft heart hamburger | An animated heart-shaped hamburger by 100% Soft. |
| 25 | The Simpsons “MWAH!” | An affectionate kissing reaction from the animated series. |
GIPHY’s original post names the ranking and methodology, describes the first five entries, and identifies the remaining entries from No. 9 onward. Contemporaneous coverage fills in Nos. 6–8. See GIPHY’s original ranking and the VentureBeat reproduction.
What was GIPHY’s No. 1 GIF?
It was Julie Winegard’s illustrated version of Obama’s mic drop at his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner. That distinction matters: the winning GIF was an artist’s interpretation, not simply a loop of the original video. GIPHY said the illustration substantially outperformed the original and every other GIF in its ranking.
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How did GIPHY decide what counted as popular?
GIPHY said it combined traffic on its site with social shares. It did not publish a complete table of raw counts for the 25 entries, so the ranking is not a verified leaderboard of GIF views alone. “Most popular” is the accurate description; “most-viewed” overstates what the published method establishes. The ranking reflects activity in GIPHY’s service and distribution, not a documented measure of worldwide use.
Popularity also does not mean that a GIF, its source event, or its underlying meme originated in 2016. Crying Jordan, for example, predates the list; its high position reflects continued appeal that year. GIPHY’s post also notes that the Zootopia sloth material had appeared earlier and continued circulating.
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Why do reaction GIFs fill the ranking?
Many entries are compact responses to familiar social situations: disappointment in Crying Jordan, irritation in the unamused-woman and Buffy GIFs, celebration from the Minions or Children’s Hospital, and greeting or approval from the bear, seal, and Rad Dogman. Animals, absurd clips, and expressive faces all work as conversational shorthand: they let a sender convey a mood without writing it out.
Politics is another clear thread in this election-year snapshot. Obama’s mic drop leads; Christie’s convention reaction ranked fifth; and Kate McKinnon’s Clinton impression appears at No. 11. GIPHY characterized the Christie entry as the most popular GIF associated with the 2016 U.S. election. That is GIPHY’s description of its own ranking, not an independently audited election-media statistic. Crying Jordan adds a politically resonant meme, though it was not created for the election.
What kinds of culture made the list?
The ranking mixes scripted entertainment, live events, celebrity footage, memes, animals, and original animations. Its TV and film sources include Zootopia, Broad City, The People v. O.J. Simpson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Children’s Hospital, and the Minions. It also reaches into the Golden Globes and Rihanna’s music video.
Several entries foreground creator-made or platform-related work: Winegard’s Obama illustration, the promotional-video reaction at No. 4, Nicky Rojo’s pandas, Rad Dogman’s animation, and 100% Soft’s heart hamburger. GIPHY’s account of 2016 also discussed original GIF content, creator tools, integrations, and artist and brand participation. The list was therefore not just a ranking of extracted film and television clips.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is this the same as other “best GIFs of 2016” lists?
No. This is GIPHY’s 25-entry popularity compilation, published December 15, 2016. TIME published a separate editorial selection of 10 GIFs, combining popularity, views, and curation to represent the year’s zeitgeist. The two lists should not be merged or treated as competing versions of one official ranking. See TIME’s separate 2016 selection.
For the original GIPHY post and its year-end context, consult GIPHY’s ranking, its 2016 year-in-review archive, and its Best Of 2016 exploration page. The GIFs draw on copyrighted shows, films, music, and public figures; their availability on a GIF platform does not by itself grant permission to reuse them in a new publication.
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