10 - Vince McMahon gif
Owner of wrestling organisation WWE Vince McMahon’s hyper-expressive face has been the base for lots of gifs over the past year. The one we have featured above is perhaps the best known.
9. Dancing Groot gif
The hit Guardians of the Galaxy film included a sequence where a baby version of the humanoid tree played by Vin Diesel danced to the Jackson 5. Voila!
8. Ashley Wagner gif
American figure skater Ashley Wagner was not happy with the score she got for her dance at the Sochi Olympics and her face showed it. This reaction led to the first meme of that year’s winter games, according to Deadspin.
7. Robin Williams gif
When the news broke that Robin Williams had died, his fans rushed to pay tribute to him on social media. This inevitably included a large selection of gifs from his many iconic films.
6. Shmoney Dance
Rapper Bobby Shmurda’s two-step dance in the video for his single “Hot Nigga” went viral earlier this year. It proved so popular that even Beyonce and Jay-Z in paid tribute to it.
5. Godzilla gif
The new Godzilla movie was released earlier this year. That’s as good a reason as any why these varied compilations of the gargantuan lizard smashing cities were being shared everywhere.
4. Madden gif
The latest incarnation of the extremely popular football game Madden was accompanied by a website which allowed users to upload their own gifs. It proved popular, as its fourth place in the ranking shows.
3. Luis Suarez gif
There has never been a more giffable footballer than Luis Suarez. Whether it’s the moments of controversy (biting, stopping opponent’s goals with his hand) or showing skills so amazing it actually hurts.
2. Frozen gif
The animated film Frozen was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, following its release in November last year. It proved equally popular with gif makers worldwide. The above one is much more common, but though the reindeer gif also deserved an honourable mention.
1. Miguel Herrera gif
One of the highlights of the World Cup was the extreme reactions of Mexican coach Miguel Herrera. His emotional investment in the games combined with the wet weather produced the gem above. Germany may have eventually won the competition but it’s good that Herrera is finishing first in something this year.