The YouTube epidemic has taken over the world since its creation in 2005. Today, over 1.3 billion people have YouTube accounts, and watch nearly 5 billion videos per day! Although music only accounts for 4.3% of YouTube’s content, it accounts for 11% of the views. It is not surprising that the most popular YouTube videos of all time are primarily music videos. Here are the current top 10 hits:

Top 10 Most Popular YouTube Videos of All Time

By Kyleigh Eaton

Despacito

Despacito by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee rose to fame in 2017, and currently has over 5 billion views. The music video for this popular Spanish tune takes place in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee are from! This video goes to show YouTube is popular in countries all around the world, as the song topped the charts of 47 countries at its peak.

See You Again

See You Again by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth held YouTube’s number one video for a whole month in 2017 and is the video that finally broke “Gangnam Style’s” lengthy streak as the top YouTube videos of all time. The video gained its fame from being the hit song of the popular film Furious 7.

Shape of You

Shape of You by Ed Sheeran has received over 3 billion views! But who’s surprised? Many of Ed Sheeran’s songs have been on the charts worldwide in recent years, and Shape of You is no exception. This video became one of the fastest videos to reach 1 billion views on YouTube at its release. Since its release, it has become among the top 10 most watched videos of all time!

Gangnam Style

This unexpected hit by Psy has 3 billion views and counting, and has set records on YouTube since its release. The comedic and catchy music video is famous for the signature dance accompanying the song. This video remained as the number one video on YouTube for 1,689 days, beating out pop stars such as Justin Bieber! To everyone’s surprise, it was the first video to ever hit 1 billion views in 2012.

Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster

This video is not a music video, but has surpassed some of the most watched music videos of all time! It is a Russian animated television series based on a popular children’s tale. This children’s show has received so much attention for its ability to appeal to audiences worldwide. The series can also be found on Netflix!  

Uptown Funk

Released in 2014, Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars was an instant hit. It spent 14 weeks straight at number one on US Billboard 100 along with many other countries. The music video depicts Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, and friends roaming around cities Bruno Mars was touring at the time in wacky suits and chains.

Sorry

It is no wonder that Justin Bieber, one of the most popular artists of all time, is on this top 10 list. With over 3 billion views, his music video for his hit song Sorry is among the top 10 videos of all time. Shot in New Zealand and featuring New Zealand dancers, this music video was originally intended to simply be a lyric video but later became an official music video. This video was the fifth fastest to reach 1 billion views!

Sugar

This popular Maroon 5 song peaked at number two on US Billboard 100 in 2015. This may be the most unique music video of all time, as it shows the band Maroon 5 crashing the weddings of their fans across LA! Each groom was given notice and agreed to allow an unnamed, but famous, band crash their wedding. The surprised faces of each couple were priceless! Adam Levine later stated, “It was an out of body experience. I had no idea I would be affected by the overwhelming reaction we received from the couples and guests.”

Shake It Off

Taylor Swift was bound to land a spot on this top 10 list, given how popular her music videos are across the world! With 2.6 billion views, Shake It Off is Taylor’s most successful Billboard Hot 100 song to date, as it stayed on the charts for 50 weeks straight! This creative video incorporates various styles of dance, such as hip-hop, ballet, jazz, lyrical, and cheerleading.

Bailando

With 2.5 billion views, Bailando by Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zona takes the final spot on this list! This video highlights the internationality of YouTube, as this song is originally in Spanish. The Spanish version of this song/music video was recorded in the beautiful Dominican Republic and has become increasingly popular!

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