In late January, Newsweek printed an article about the “Top Ten Dying Cities,” three of which were in Michigan: Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids. The people of Grand Rapids took exception. In May, the city released a video of nearly 5,000 residents, all enjoying the city while lip-dubbing to a live version of Don McLean’s “American Pie” in what film critic Roger Ebert calls “the greatest music video ever made.” The video immediately went viral and in 12 days time, was already up to more than 2.7 million views on YouTube.
Fans of the video plastered Newsweek’s Facebook page with hundreds of posts, to which Newsweek responded: “First off, we LOVE your YouTube LipDub. We're big fans, and are inspired by your love of the city you call home.” They went on to explain that the list they used was actually compiled by another website, and used as part of a content-sharing agreement. The methodology used was neither approved nor endorsed by Newsweek’s editorial team.
The video also demonstrates a technical accomplishment of some note. It's one ten-minute continuous shot, primarily from the back of a constantly moving John Deere Gator as it drives the streets of Grand Rapids, and it was done in one take. See it for yourself:
If you are aimlessly browsing through our website – which we encourage you to do – you might be looking for the ideal gift. We find that Box Sets make perfect gifts, and have included a new category in the far left column to facilitate your search for that special gift.
Included in our Box Sets category are artists from every genre of music.
