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Library/Music/Pharrell Williams: Happy
Grade B17 sourcesHIS-01016

Pharrell Williams: Happy

Music · 2013 · Notable

43Editable slideCertificate

A soundtrack song passed 1 million UK sales amid a global dance-video wave.

Original · Pharrell Williams / iamOTHER
ABC's "Good Morning America" - 2014
TIME
Pharrell Williams: Happy: cover art
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Pharrell Williams - Happy (Official Music Video)
iamOTHER on YouTube
Unstoppable Pharrell scores chart record hat-trick as Happy smashes a million
Official Charts Company
Watch People From Around the World Celebrate Happiness Day by Dancing to Pharrell's "Happy"
TIME
People Love Watching 'Happy' Pharrell Cry for Oprah (Video)
TheWrap
Weird Al's Star-Studded Parody of Pharrell's 'Happy' Is Perfection
WIRED
The Top 100 biggest songs of 2014 on the Official Chart
Official Charts Company

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth50VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet43

Numbers

UK single sales
>1M
Cumulative by Mar 2, 2014 · Audio · Official Charts Company
Seed to milestone
9 months
May 21 ’13 to Feb 27 ’14
Platforms
4
Started on Audio
Origin
Seeded
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Response chainPrimary
  • Challenge
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Happy moved from a soundtrack premiere to a dance-video release and international chart success. Fans made local tribute videos; Pharrell and the UN Foundation then invited and showcased more submissions.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

May ’13JulOctDecFeb ’14AprJunAugNovJan ’15AudioYouTubeOpen webTV
AudioYouTubeOpen webTV

12 more events on this chart

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Timeline (15)

  1. May 2013

    Pharrell Williams seed · May 21 ’13

    The finished song streamed publicly; The FADER credited Rolling Stone with its premiere.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. November 2013

    Pharrell Williams / iamOTHER platform jump · Nov 21 ’13

    Pharrell released a 24-hour dance video and a shorter YouTube edit.[2][3]

    Pharrell Williams - Happy (Official Music Video)

  3. December 2013

    Columbia Records owner response · Dec 17 ’13

    Columbia announced Pharrell’s signing and plans to include Happy on his next album.[4]

Changelogupdated Oct 16 ’26
  1. 2026-10-16Added 1 event · Added 1 source · Added 2 numbers
  2. 2026-10-15Added: 14 events, 16 sources · Score 31
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
UK single sales
>1M
Cumulative by Mar 2, 2014 · Audio · Official Charts Company
Evidence
Grade B

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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May ’13JulOctDecFeb ’14AprJunAugNovJan ’15AudioYouTubeOpen webTV
AudioYouTubeOpen webTV

12 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. May 2013

    Pharrell Williams seed · May 21 ’13

    The finished song streamed publicly; The FADER credited Rolling Stone with its premiere.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. November 2013

    Pharrell Williams / iamOTHER platform jump · Nov 21 ’13

    Pharrell released a 24-hour dance video and a shorter YouTube edit.[2][3]

    Pharrell Williams - Happy (Official Music Video)

  3. December 2013

    Columbia Records owner response · Dec 17 ’13

    Columbia announced Pharrell’s signing and plans to include Happy on his next album.[4]

  1. commercial · Dec 29 ’13

  2. milestone · Feb 27 ’14

Join free to see the other 12 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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