Baby Shark YouTube viewsVinyl record sales in the US
Between 2016 and 2023, Baby Shark YouTube views and vinyl record sales both grew, correlating at 0.9627 across eight data points. The pairing of the most annoying children's song in history with the most pretentious music format is either a commentary on the full spectrum of audio consumption or evidence that parents who buy vinyl are producing children who demand Baby Shark. The vinyl collector and the toddler coexist in the same household, and the household's audio output—ranging from 180-gram pressings of Radiohead to a 14th consecutive play of doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo—reflects the full human experience.
Both 2020 surges are about what happens when families are stuck at home for months. Screen time for children's programming — Baby Shark is its poster child — went through the roof, while the vinyl revival hit new heights as housebound adults rediscovered physical music. Two very different soundtracks for the same lockdown living room.
A viral children's video and a niche music format will correlate across any shared growth window. The toddler and the audiophile share a household, not a playlist.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Baby Shark YouTube views” vs “Vinyl record sales in the US” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
