If you were to look for the most popular memes right now, you’ll go wild with the collection floating on the internet. Undoubtedly, memes have become a universal language that connects people across the globe.

From viral challenges that get everyone talking to visuals depicting relatable experiences, memes can bring people together and spark conversations.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the top most popular memes right now, that are taking the internet by storm.

Characteristics of Successful Memes

While the internet is flooded with countless memes, only a few achieve true viral status. These successful memes often share certain characteristics that make them resonate with a wide audience:

Relatability

The most successful memes are those that tap into universal human experiences, emotions, or situations that many people can relate to. By capturing a relatable moment or sentiment, memes can foster a sense of connection and understanding among internet users.

Humor

Humor is a key ingredient in many successful memes. Memes that are funny, clever, or witty tend to be more shareable and memorable than those that lack a humorous element. Effective meme humor often relies on relatable jokes, puns, or pop culture references.

Shareability

The most viral memes are those that are easy to share and reproduce across various platforms and contexts. Memes with simple, recognizable formats or templates, such as reaction images or exploitable meme formats, are particularly shareable. Furthermore, they can be adapted to fit different situations or jokes. You can even create GIFs out of memes at times.

Popular Memes Right Now

As we explore the popular memes right now it’s clear that viral challenges, recognizable formats, and relatable themes shows no signs of slowing down.

Here are some of the most popular meme challenges that went viral in 2024:

Viral Meme Challenges

• The “Flip the Switch” Challenge: Inspired by a scene from the TV show “Schitt’s Creek,” this challenge had people switching outfits and personas with their friends or partners. With it’s often hilarious effect, it tops amongst popular TikTok memes right now.
• The “Silhouette Challenge: This challenge involved posing in a sultry silhouette against a red-lit background. It became a sensation on TikTok and Instagram, sparking countless imitations and parodies.
• The “Wipe It Down” Challenge: Set to the tune of BMW Kenny’s “Wipe It Down,” this challenge had people transforming their appearances in front of a mirror. This led to often revealing a surprising alter ego.

Funny Memes Trending Today

• “It’s Corn!” Meme: This is among the most popular memes right now funny. It features a man’s enthusiastic declaration of love for corn in a bizarre interview. It’s become a remixable format with people inserting their own passionate statements about random things. Similarly, you can convert funny comments into viral memes.
• Drawn-On Eyebrow Memes: Exaggerated, poorly drawn eyebrows are paired with funny captions or situations. Imagine someone with ridiculously thick, uneven eyebrows trying to solve a complex math equation, with the caption “Me trying to adult today.”
• “Hard to Swallow Pills” Meme: This meme uses a picture of pills labeled with difficult truths or challenges to present in a humorous way. For example, the pills might be labeled “Student Loan Debt,” “Adulting Responsibilities,” and “The Urge to Procrastinate.”
• “Wholesome vs. Edgy” Meme: This meme compares two images, typically showcasing a sweet or wholesome scenario contrasted with a more edgy or dark one. An example could be a picture of a child’s colorful drawing of a happy family next to a black and white drawing of a stick figure family arguing.

TV Shows and Movies

• “The Last of Us”: The post-apocalyptic drama series “The Last of Us” became a cultural phenomenon in 2024. This inspired countless memes that referenced its grim setting, complex characters, and heart-wrenching moments.
• “Barbie”: The release of the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie in 2024 sparked a wave of memes. These memes poked fun at the film’s over-the-top aesthetic, star-studded cast, and the ongoing discourse surrounding its cultural impact.
• “Succession”: The hit HBO series “Succession” continued to provide ample material for meme-makers in 2024. Fans started creating countless memes that captured the show’s sharp wit, dysfunctional family dynamics, and iconic one-liners.

Music

• “Butter” by BTS: The infectious K-pop hit “Butter” by BTS spawned countless memes in 2024. This included fans creating humorous remixes, parodies, and dance challenges that showcased their love for the song.
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift: Taylor Swift’s introspective single “Anti-Hero” became the subject of numerous memes this year. Fans began creating memes that poked fun at the song’s themes of self-doubt and insecurity.
• “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna: Rihanna’s highly anticipated return to music with “Lift Me Up” for the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack inspired a wave of memes.  These celebrated the singer’s comeback and the song’s emotional impact.

Celebrities

• Zendaya: The young actress and style icon Zendaya was the subject of numerous memes. Fans created memes that celebrated her fashion sense, acting chops, and her ability to slay on the red carpet.
• Keanu Reeves: The beloved actor Keanu Reeves continued to be a meme favorite in 2024. The memes highligh his kind-hearted nature, his impressive acting skills, and his enduring popularity as a Hollywood icon.
• Lizzo: The multi-talented artist Lizzo got fans creating memes that celebrated her body positivity. Her infectious energy, and her ability to slay on stage and in the studio.

Twitter Memes

• #ThrowbackThursday: The classic hashtag challenge “#ThrowbackThursday” is among trending memes this week. Almost every week, users tend to share nostalgic photos and videos from their past, often accompanied by humorous captions or relatable experiences.
• Viral Tweets: Certain tweets in 2024 went viral for their wit, relatability, or sheer absurdity. These tweets often sparked countless memes, parodies, and reactions from other users, creating a domino effect of meme creation and sharing.
• Subtweet Memes: Subtweeting, the practice of tweeting about someone without directly mentioning them, became a popular source of meme inspiration in 2024. Users created countless memes that poked fun at the art of subtweeting and the often passive-aggressive nature of these tweets.

Gaming Memes

• “Elden Ring” Memes: The release of the highly anticipated game “Elden Ring” in 2024 spawned countless memes that poked fun at the game’s difficulty, iconic characters, and memorable moments.
• “Wordle” Gaming Memes: The popular word game “Wordle” inspired a wave of gaming-related memes in 2024, with players creating humorous variations that incorporated gaming references or inside jokes.
• “Minecraft” Memes: The enduring popularity of “Minecraft” continued to inspire memes in 2024, with players creating memes that referenced the game’s iconic blocks, characters, and gameplay mechanics.

Esports Memes

• “Faker” Memes: The legendary “League of Legends” player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok continued to be a meme favorite in 2024, with fans creating memes that celebrated his skill, sportsmanship, and iconic moments.
• “Twitch Emote” Memes: Twitch, the popular streaming platform for gamers, inspired a wave of memes in 2024 that incorporated the platform’s iconic emotes, such as “PogChamp” or “Kappa,” to express reactions or inside jokes.
• “Esports Tournament” Memes: Major esports tournaments, such as the League of Legends World Championship or the Dota 2 International, spawned countless memes in 2024 that captured the excitement, drama, and humor of the events.

Gaming Franchises

• “Super Mario” Memes: The enduring popularity of the “Super Mario” franchise inspired countless memes in 2024, with players creating memes that referenced the game’s iconic characters, such as Mario or Luigi, or memorable moments, such as jumping on Goombas or collecting coins.
• “Pokémon” Memes: The “Pokémon” franchise, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, continued to inspire memes that referenced the game’s iconic characters, such as Pikachu or Charizard, or gameplay mechanics, such as catching Pokémon or battling gym leaders.
• “The Legend of Zelda” Memes: The release of a new “The Legend of Zelda” game in 2024 spawned countless memes that referenced the franchise’s iconic characters, such as Link or Zelda, or memorable moments, such as solving puzzles or exploring dungeons.

Political Memes

• “Binders Full of Women” Meme: The resurfacing of Mitt Romney’s infamous “binders full of women” comment from the 2012 election inspired a wave of memes in 2024 that poked fun at the former presidential candidate’s gaffe and its lasting impact on his political legacy.
• “Covfefe” Meme: Donald Trump’s infamous late-night tweet featuring the nonsensical word “covfefe” continued to inspire memes in 2024, with users creating humorous variations that commented on the former president’s communication style and the absurdity of his presidency.
• “AOC Clapping” Meme: A photo of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez clapping at the 2024 State of the Union address inspired countless memes that captured the Congresswoman’s wit, passion, and ability to steal the spotlight from her colleagues.

Social Issues Memes

• “Black Lives Matter” Memes: The ongoing Black Lives Matter movement contines to inspire memes in 2024. These highlight issues of racial injustice, police brutality, and the need for systemic change.
• “Me Too” Memes: The Me Too movement inspired memes that called out sexual harassment, supported survivors, and pushed for greater accountability in workplaces and institutions.
• “Climate Change” Memes: The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly dire in 2024. Thus, we can find more memes to raise awareness about the crisis. The memes criticize political inaction, and promote sustainable solutions.

Conclusion

To sum up, trending memes on Instagram or any other social platform often convey a specific idea, emotion, or message. This tends to resonate with a large audience. They allow internet users to express their humor, creativity, and shared experiences. This fosters a sense of community and connection in the digital world.

Throughout the year, memes continued to serve as a powerful tool for communication, entertainment, and social commentary. Undoubtedly, memes will continue to play a significant role in shaping online culture and discourse.

Are you excited to see even more creative memes emerge in the years to come? How often do you use a meme generator to spice up your content?

FAQs

How do I find current trending memes?

Check popular meme websites, and search for memes on social media using hashtags. You can also follow meme accounts that curate the latest trends.

What is the most iconic meme?

Some of the most iconic memes include Doge, Grumpy Cat, Scumbag Steve, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Philosoraptor, and Success Kid.

Where can I find memes?

Memes can be found on dedicated websites, social media platforms, meme generator tools. You may also explore curated meme accounts, and websites that compile popular memes. Popular memes right now Reddit is another good place to find them.

How to stay up to date with memes?

Follow popular meme accounts, check meme websites regularly, explore trending hashtags and topics. Additionally, use meme generator tools with trending templates, join online meme communities, and pay attention to viral internet trends.

Where is trending on Google?

Google’s “Trending Searches” feature shows the most popular search queries in real-time. Whereas, Google Trends provides data on search interest over time for specific keywords and topics.

Where is meme original?

The term “meme” was coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976. However, the modern internet usage of the term to refer to viral content emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This happened once online communities and social media platforms came in the picture.