Take Me Higher
When Creed first started making music in the late 90s and early 2000s, they were fairly successful in their niche scene, however, until recently, they had gone radio-silent. Now, reborn through memeification, Creed has risen the ranks in popularity, either ironically or because their music tugs the right heartstrings at just the right time.
According to Google Trends, searches for Creed are at an all-time high in the last several years. Without even releasing any new songs in almost two-and-a-half decades, everyone is nostalgically revisiting Creed again, because they’ve been memeified. “We crave the simplicity of ’99, the sincerity of its rock music, and even the ambiance of a mediocre chain restaurant. And that’s why we’re bringing Creed back,” claims Magdalene Taylor, a lifestyle journalist from Vice.
Creed has become a super-meme because of their gaudy, dated music video aesthetics coupled with the lead singer, Scott Stapp’s, unusual word pronunciation. Modern memes mock the hyper masculinity that Creed once embodied, repopularizing their artistry by tipping the scales back towards flamboyancy. This once somber band now forefronts our humor receptors, laughing away the pain their songs once invoked. Like a thinly veiled joke that hides our real emotions, Creed memes point out the ever-dramatic nature of humanity through humor.
Although not every meme of Creed comes out in a pleasant light, with many TikToks and memes linking Creed tunes with excessive inebriation at your local Chili’s after 12 Dolla-ritas, the band has leaned into their newfound fame. All press is good press according to frontman, Scott Stapp. “I’ve seen so many [memes],” Stapp said in an interview with Wired, “Some are hilarious and I find myself just laughing, and some are really heartwarming in terms of how much time and energy the fan has put into creating the video.” So, while Creed memes can be seen in a slightly unfavorable light, ultimately the band was memed back into existence, shining a spotlight on songs that many Gen Z folks may have only heard if they were digging through their parents’ old CD’s in the attic.
And it looks like the band is happily accepting their reputation as the kings of ‘Butt Rock’ as it comes with the benefit of sold out shows, a whole slew of new fans, and every rocker’s dream of going down in the history books as a legend—one way or another.
Via u/djxgam1ng
Similarly, many other pop culture icons have been resurfacing once again, trumping their original success upon release and soaring to new heights in popularity. All it takes is one viral video or meme to turn the Internet’s fleeting spotlight onto a song or artist and the royalties will start flowing. Fleetwood Mac soared to the top of the charts again because a man went viral for a selfie video of himself skateboarding, chugging cranberry juice, and simply vibing to the 45-year-old tune of “Dreams.” Similarly, Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill” went viral and topped the charts recently after being featured in the popular TV show, Stranger Things.
Via u/Marsinthesky
Perhaps society just wasn’t ready for certain innovations yet, critiquing what later became a masterpiece in its own right. And since the only way to gain any recognition in 2025 is to become a trending meme, it’s finally time to shine for many decade-old classics that deserve an encore, a reunion tour, or simply a rewatch.
Get Out of My Swamp
When it comes to modern culture, memeability promotes longevity. Because most pop culture pieces are ephemeral, when something transcends the flashbang nature of our society’s collective attention span, it’s practically a miracle. However, once carved into the Internet’s hieroglyphs, lore has a chance of sticking around. Through either its memeable appearance, jokes, or overall vibe, memes give art a chance to be upcycled through social media, often taking on a humorous form that the original creators may have never intended.
“Many lines from [Shrek] work well out of context. And, of course, the slightly dated and weird animation gave birth to a ton of exaggerated facial expressions which are practically begging to be memed,” says Brandon Rollins, a marketing analyst who reviewed the movie’s Gen Z resurrection. Memeable in its own right, Shrek has the perfect ingredients to become an everlasting trope online because it was highly quotable, had slightly cringey/dated animation, and was just weird enough to make us all laugh—and keep laughing. Now, over 20 years after its release, Shrek has morphed into a behemoth of nostalgia and a haven for fresh memes.
The cult of Shrek (2001) was born a decade after the movie’s original release, not surprisingly around the same time that personal computers became more common and the kids decided the Internet was where they belonged. “The Shrek films were an instant hit upon release… and they’ve become even more popular in the two decades since,” notes Poppie Platt, a cultural journalist with Telegraph UK. Clearly, there’s something everlasting about a movie that can segway from cleverly hidden adult references—like jokes about the OJ Simpson trials—to silly, kid-friendly toilet humor.
Via u/shrekbae
Silly is Making a Comeback
For decades, the “cool guy” was always some slick-haired, stoic dude wearing a leather jacket and dropping hard one-liners, but now, Gen Z’s definition of coolness has changed. Shrek is cool. And sweater-wearing silly guys and good-humored cleverness is far cooler in the eyes of the youth because, quite frankly, we’ve seen enough of the muscle-clad Chads with no personality. Memes have not only shaped an entire generation’s personality preferences, but have severely altered the way humanity views popularity as a concept.
“[Shrek] is even persuading members of the famously anti-social generation [Gen Z]—more likely to spend their evenings ‘bed rotting’... than downing tequila shots—to visit nightclubs.” In fact, a viral event called “Shrek Rave” has become a sensation with club-goers in recent years, drawing out goofy, costumed young people who are relieved to attend an event that has nothing to do with the “trendy” aesthetics. Young people are pretty tired of pretending to be cool when deep-down we’re more like the peculiar characters from Shrek, claiming our corner of the universe in a swamp and finding likeminded weirdos willing to do the same.
‘It’s dumb, just come have fun’
Via u/shrekrave
Modern culture has reshaped and redefined the meaning of cultural icons, and nostalgic memes are just one example of how Gen Z is redefining their own version of cool. Every generation benchmarks their decade’s inherent coolness, it’s just that Gen Z’s version of cool has more to do with humor and virality.
Better out than in, I always say
Memeable or not, the biggest reason many things are making a comeback is because of trending exposure. Upon release, most of these pop icons had the bones and the brawn to top the charts on their own merit, proving to be well-made songs, movies, and shows, but despite their success-level upon release, the optimal era for their audience is right now, in 2025.
Without memes, Creed would still be reliving the past glory days, rewatching old clips of their famous football halftime show performance. Instead, they’re on tour again, selling out shows with tunes they made 25 years ago. And Shrek might be collecting dust in some museum of archaic animation, but instead, we’re still happily watching and rewatching a donkey peer-pressure an ogre into identifying as a parfait instead of an onion.
At the end of the day, we’re all just wanting to see our favorite icons of the past get the recognition they deserve, getting taken higher through society’s collective meme-ory.
Via u/ElectionLegal