The end of the calendar year always generates lists and rankings and reviews that try and make sense of the twelve months past. One set of lists I've really enjoyed this year are the collections of viral videos. I think 2008 will be regarded as a turning point when it comes to a lot of things, including the influence and reach of online videos.

What makes a video viral is its infectiousness, and the degree to which people spontaneously share them with friends and strangers alike. However one key trend I've noticed is the increasing amount of attention and resources that traditional media properties and empires have put into creating and launching viral media. When you look at the top 10 lists a lot of the videos are produced by or even clips from mainstream sources.

There's nothing wrong with this of course, it just demonstrates that online video is ready for prime time. Yet we can't lose sight of the true potential of viral media which is a leveling effect that allows anyone to potentially create a video that gets millions of views. An important thing to watch in the months to come is the degree or extent to which average folk are still able to produce and launch viral videos.

With that in mind, here are my top 5 picks in reverse order:

You have to include Will.i.am's video in any list. It had such an immediate and lasting impact in galvanizing Obama supporters. Hopefully future elections and political events will include such creative mashups.

Yes We can HD from lol on Vimeo.

Where is Matt is the best in an emerging genre of online travel videos.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The Tiger Woods Walking on Water video is a great example of a company successfully creating a viral video in response to another viral video.

I thought the Harper Dictatorship video was hilarious, and The Globe and Mail even wrote an article about the genre.

And how can you not mention Rickrolling. Mr. Astley has had a good year.