10 Throwback Fun Facts About MySpace You Probably Forgot

1. Tom Was Everyone’s First Friend

When you signed up for MySpace, you were instantly greeted by Tom Anderson, the co-founder, as your first friend. This wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a strategic move to make new users feel welcome in the era before algorithms. Tom’s profile picture, with him smiling in a white T-shirt in front of a whiteboard, became iconic. He was the friendly digital neighbor who never unfriended you. Over time, Tom’s presence became a pop culture reference, symbolizing simpler social media days when “friends” meant actual people, not faceless accounts or marketing bots.

2. You Could Fully Customize Your Profile with HTML and CSS

Unlike today’s cookie-cutter social media templates, MySpace gave users almost total creative control over their profile pages. With a little HTML and CSS, you could add glitter backgrounds, scrolling marquees, custom music players, and animated GIFs. For many, this was the first time they ever wrote code, even if it was just copy-pasting snippets from online tutorials. MySpace unintentionally became the gateway to learning web design for an entire generation. Sure, some pages were chaotic and eye-burning, but it was raw self-expression—and a level of customization we rarely see on mainstream platforms today.

3. The Infamous “Top 8” Friends List

The Top 8 friends list on MySpace was both a badge of honor and a source of drama. You could choose eight friends to be featured at the top of your profile, which often led to friendship politics. People would notice if they dropped from #1 to #3 or got removed entirely. Some users got creative by filling their Top 8 with bands, celebrities, or humorous placeholders instead. This simple feature managed to blend social clout, passive-aggressive messaging, and playful competition into a digital soap opera that kept users constantly rearranging their rankings.

4. It Was the Biggest Social Network in the World

Before Facebook became the social media giant, MySpace was king. From 2005 to 2008, MySpace was the most visited social networking site in the world. In fact, for a short time in 2006, it even surpassed Google as the most visited website in the United States. With millions of daily logins, it became the ultimate hub for teens, musicians, and anyone wanting to carve out a little corner of the internet. MySpace shaped how people thought about online friendships, self-promotion, and digital community long before “going viral” was a thing.

5. It Kickstarted the Careers of Many Musicians

MySpace wasn’t just a social network—it was a music platform. Artists could upload tracks, share tour dates, and interact directly with fans. Bands like Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, and Panic! at the Disco owe much of their early fame to MySpace’s ability to let anyone discover new music. The platform’s music player let you autoplay songs on your profile, which was both a cool personal touch and a powerful promotional tool for artists. In many ways, MySpace was Spotify, SoundCloud, and Instagram rolled into one, years before those platforms even existed.

6. Tom Sold MySpace for $580 Million

In 2005, News Corporation bought MySpace for a jaw-dropping $580 million. At the time, it seemed like a bargain for the fastest-growing website on the planet. Tom Anderson and co-founder Chris DeWolfe cashed in, and Tom famously retired young to travel the world and take up photography. However, within a few years, Facebook overtook MySpace, and the site’s value plummeted. Still, the sale remains one of the most legendary internet business deals, often cited as an example of perfect timing in the fast-moving tech world.

7. It Had Over 100 Million Accounts by 2006

By mid-2006, MySpace had crossed the milestone of 100 million accounts, which was massive for the internet at the time. This was before smartphones were common, meaning most users logged in from desktops or shared family computers. MySpace had become so culturally dominant that TV shows, movies, and even songs referenced it. It wasn’t just a platform—it was part of the mainstream conversation, shaping how people thought about online identity and communication. That reach gave it immense influence over trends, music, and internet culture in the mid-2000s.

8. Your Profile Song Defined You

One of MySpace’s most beloved features was the ability to choose a profile song. When someone visited your page, the song would autoplay, instantly setting the vibe. Whether it was emo rock, pop, rap, or an underground indie track, your choice said a lot about you. Friends would change their song to match their mood, celebrate a holiday, or hint at their feelings without saying a word. This feature turned MySpace into a soundtrack for social networking and remains one of the most requested “bring-back” ideas in modern platforms.

9. MySpace Had Its Own “Bulletin Board” Feature

Long before Facebook introduced the News Feed, MySpace had the Bulletin Board—a way to post messages that all your friends could see. Bulletins were often used for sharing surveys, chain messages, event invites, or personal updates. The format felt more intimate than today’s public feeds because only friends could see them. This made bulletins a mix between a group text and a public announcement board. It encouraged engagement in a way that felt personal, quirky, and community-driven—something many users miss in today’s algorithm-heavy social media world.

10. It Still Exists Today—But Very Different

Most people assume MySpace is gone, but it’s actually still online, now focusing mainly on music and entertainment content. The modern MySpace looks nothing like its early 2000s version, and many of the iconic features are gone. While it’s no longer a social media powerhouse, it remains a fascinating relic of the internet’s past. Some users still log in for nostalgia, digging through old photos and posts like a time capsule. MySpace’s survival, even in a reduced form, shows the enduring impact it had on digital culture.