Before 2017, these dank memes ruled the internet like legends—unforgettable, wild, and forever frozen in time

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:41:52 +0000

Before 2017: The Dauntless Kings of the Internet—Forgotten Diehard Memes That Shaped a Culture Before 2017, the internet wasn’t just a place to share news or photos—it was a wild, chaotic frontier where memes ruled like legends. In this bygone era, meme culture wasn’t just funny—it was legendary: unforgettable, wildly unpredictable, and forever etched into digital folklore. These “dank memes” weren’t just images; they were cultural artifacts that brought people together, sparked inside jokes, and dominated forums, Reddit, 4chan, and Vine like royalty. ### The Dawn of “Dank” Culture: A Rebellion Against Mainstream Humor For years before 2017, mainstream internet humor leaned toward clean, shareable jokes or viral challenges. But a countercurrent emerged—all about absurdity, randomness, and subversive wit. This new wave gave birth to what we now call dank memes: intentionally over-the-top visuals, surreal absurdity, and memes that felt deeper (and often darker) than they appeared.