10 Most Viewed and Popular YouTube Videos of all Time
Interested to know about the most popular YouTube videos of all time? Do you know the number of views and likes obtained by the top 10 YouTube videos? Does your favorite YouTube video feature in this list of popular videos on the YouTube channel? Please check further details in this article.
There was a time MTV was near synonymous with Music videos, and over time its switchover to reality TV programming mode was rather saddening. However, the void has been filled by YouTube quite successfully over the last decade. YouTube outshined rival online streaming services like Spotify and Pandora eventually. Now, it is the de facto online destination for watching music and other videos. Some YouTube videos, however, have made headlines by touching new viewership records. Below listed are the top 10 most viewed as well as popular YouTube videos till date. Some of them are highly followed even today and you go 'WOW' when viewed.
First unveiled in July 15, 2012, this funny video occupies top slot in list of most popular and watched YouTube Videos. Till now, it has crossed more than 2,510,601,825 views approximately. Nobody expected the "Gangnam Style" video, made by Psy -a South Korean musician to achieve the stupendous popularity and viewership record when it was originally released. Its unusual yet catchy music and amusing visuals helped the music video to soar to the top of popularity charts worldwide. It was fun seeing everyone from grave- faced corporate honchos to fun loving teens watching the K-pop video over and again everywhere.
The Gangnam Style is actually a reference to lifestyle of residents in Seoul's posh Gangnam area. It is true that dance style that became a rage in the days after release of the video is no longer a hit but that has hardly affected the popularity and ranking of the video. It has a liking rate of 10460361 as of now. As it stands, this was the video song to reach 1 billion YouTube views in the shortest time span.
The pretty and petite singer enjoys a huge fan base worldwide and her singing skills have been proven several times. Her pop album '1989' made headlines and set cash registers ringing 2 years back. While the album has stayed at top of charts for long the single- "Blank Space" has become one of the most viewed videos in YouTube and other online platforms. With a staggering 1,445,055,580 views and 5107603 likes in YouTube- it races ahead of most contenders in the popular streaming platform.
Some critics took a while to realize the inner message of the video. It takes guts for a singer of her stature to come up with something like a self-parody to be viewed by the world! It covers her ex-boyfriends and shows the singer presenting a blown out version of her perceived image. Swift joined hands with Joseph Kahn to make this amazing video. Shot in Long island over two days, Blank Space was released in November 10, 2014.
You do not always need amusing elements and weird things to make a video a hit with YouTube viewers. That became evident when US Rapper Wiz Khalifa's song 'See you Again' became a YouTube hit last year. The song featuring Singer Charlie Puth beat the viewership records of several heavyweight contenders. Post its release on April 6, 2015- the song became a favorite with YouTube users and has garnered 1,416,117,044 views and 8711291 likes till date. It also won a Grammy nomination.
The single was recorded to pay tribute to actor Paul Walker, who passed away in an accident while shooting for Fast and Furious 7. It shows Khalifa on a road at sunset and Puth is depicted singing the chorus. The track merges footage of Furious 7 with the singers beautifully. The touching final scene of the video shows actors Paul Walker and Vin Diesel driving before parting ways.
After its release on 19 Nov 2014, the Uptown Funk video smashed many records and now it stands at the position of 4th most viewed YouTube video ever. With 1,340,341,198 views and 5641433 likes, Uptown Funk also got nomination for a couple of Grammys. The song received near universal praise for its lyrics, picturization and style. The song recorded by Mark Jonson has vocals by US singer Bruno Mars.
While the song itself is captivating, you cannot help laughing and enjoying its raunchy type visuals too. It shows Ronson, Mars and a number of rowdy companions exploring a city. The bright suits and accessories worn by them are also attention grabbing. Actually, the video was shot in a number of cities- as Mars said later in an interview given to Ellen DeGeneres.
The queen bee of pop music-aka Taylor Swift hardly does anything wrong! From her trendy outfits to her innovative music videos- she makes headlines mostly for the right reasons. Her fifth studio album named '1989' proved to a chartbuster upon its release in 2014. Particularly, the song "Shake It Off" was a hit with YouTube viewers. Its musical style and video got major praise and critics described it as a departure from her usual style.
On August 18, 2014 the song's music video was released. It has a viewer count of 1,306,542,876 and a like count of 4315430. The colorful costume of the girls and boys in the songs are bound to grab attention of viewers. The song has an overall funky feel about it. Critics noted it has similarities with Beyoncé's "Mine" video. The blend of ballet and modern dance in it is enticing.
Justin Bieber is a big music star today but back in 2010- he was perceived more as a kid who burst into showbiz rather unexpectedly. The 'Baby' song, released on Uploaded on 19 Feb 2010 now ranks as the 6th most viewed YouTube video. With 1,296,571,269 views and 3977519 likes it remains one of the most talked about videos on YouTube.
The music video shot in a mall/bowling-alley location shows the young singer pursuing a girl. It also features cameos by artists like Lil Twist and rapper Drake. Director of the video Ray Kay has also worked for stars like Cheryl Cole and Ally Gaga previously. Bieber's love interest was played by actress Jasmine Villegas in this video. It continued to be the most viewed video on YouTube until the iconic Gangnam style overtook it in 2012!
The music videos of singer Katy Perry draws attention as much for their vocal appeal as for the stunning vocals. The Music video of her hit 'Dark Horse' from the 4th studio album 'Prism' was unveiled on 20 Feb 2014. It now has a viewer count of 1,277,382,512 and like count of 3987686. To say the video is visually amazing is like making an understatement. Katy Perry experimented with the looks and costumes to give it a quintessential Egyptian look.
Directed by Mathew Cullen, this video scrolled up the popularity list in YouTube fast. The video shows the US singer donning the looks of an Egyptian queen with a white wig and matching costumes in a boat. The scene changes soon as does her attire and backdrop. This video drew some controversy post its release but that has not affected its popularity much.
Released on 11 Apr 2014, Enrique Iglesias's Bailando became a chartbuster and also one of the most watched YouTube videos. The singer released Spanish and Spanglish versions for it. The song was a part of 'Sex and Love'- his 10th studio album. In the original Spanish version of the video- the Cuban artists Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno have been featured. The video was directed by Alejandro Perez featuring is Ana Karla Suarez and others. Its popularity surpassed that of another video of the singer- namely "I Like It" which came in 2010.
Bailando was the first ever Spanish-language music video that crossed one billion in viewership and the latest count is 1,275,623,474. The liking count stands at 3059398. What catches your attention is dancing style of Enrique and others and there is a peppy and catchy feel about it.
The songs of Katy Perry mostly hit the boxes and her music videos do not fail to grab your attention either. Roar- is a popular track from 'Prism' - her fourth studio album. Upon its release on September 5, 2013, it became a huge hit with YouTube viewers. The song contains traces of arena rock and glam rock. It has a viewer count of 1,246,350,152 and like count of 4321729.
Under direction of Mark Kudsi and Grady Hall, the video was shot at Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The hilarious yet enticing visuals showing the singer with her boyfriend post a plane crash at a jungle will blow your mind. The visual effects are top notch as is the concept of Perry becoming the queen of the animals. The scenes of her taming the tiger with roars are captivating as are the scenes with a monkey she befriends.
The debut single of Meghan Trainor, noted US singer and songwriter was released as a music video on YouTube in 11 Jun 2014. All About That Bass was a pop hit that have influences of different music genres like country, hip hop and R&B. The track focuses on positive body image concepts. It has a viewer count of 1,245,480,313. It enjoys a like count of 4267346.
The music video for 'All About That Bass' was directed by Fatima Robinson and it went viral soon after release. There is a fun and lighthearted spirit in the video that makes you sit up and take note. The girl next door looks of Trainor and her pastel costumes make it soothing on your eyes. The white knee sock and sweaters make Trainor look absolutely cute. Her co-dancers also look really enticing in the video.