First sold in 1999, Big Mouth Billy Bass was a plastic mounted fish that detected passersby, turned its head, flapped its tail, and sang “Take Me to the River.” The gag gift became a full cultural phenomenon and reached peak frenzy during the 2000 holiday season. It was funny once, which was more than enough reason to install nearly a million opportunities to hear it again.
Sources: American Historical Association · Gemmy Industries · CNN/Fortune Small Business
Image: Kevin Burkett / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.