Think of online video streaming and YouTube is the only name that pops into mind. That’s the dominance of the social media platform. Ever since its launch in 2005, it has become a household name the world over, with hundreds of hours of videos watched on its website and app every single minute. The most watched videos on YouTube have raked in billions of views, and with the astounding popularity of the social media platform, many videos get tens of millions of views in just 24 hours of upload.
10 Most Watched Videos on YouTube
Baby Shark Dance
- Views: 10 billion+
- Upload date: Jun 18, 2016
Released in 2016, Baby Shark Dance has garnered more than 10 billion views on YouTube, becoming the most watched video on YouTube. What’s more incredible is that this children’s song achieved this amazing feat in just 5.5 years of its upload.
Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee
- Views: 7.7 billion+
- Upload date: Jan 13, 2017
Music transcends all borders and languages, and Luis Fonsi’s Despacito is a testament to that. The Spanish song released in early 2017 has been streamed more than 7.5 billion times on the video streaming service, becoming the second most watched video on YouTube.
Johny Johny Yes Papa
- Views: 6.1 billion+
- Upload date: Oct 8, 2016
Johny Johny Yes Papa is another children’s song on the list of most watched videos on YouTube. The evergreen song is a kids’ favourite with its catchy tune and lyrics.
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Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
- Views: 5.5 billion+
- Upload date: Jan 30, 2017
It’s almost impossible to resist humming along this song, right? The song was all everyone was listening to when it was initially released in 2017.
See You Again
- Views: 5.3 billion+
- Upload date: Apr 7, 2015
See You Again, by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth was the official soundtrack for the blockbuster Furious 7 and a tribute to the late actor Paul Walker who died in a car accident in 2013. It is the two singers’ biggest hit till date, and spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at the helm of the US Billboard Hot 100.
Bath Song
- Views: 4.8 billion+
- Upload date: May 2, 2018
Bath Song, with its 5 billion+ views testifies to the popularity of YouTube among kids. The song has been keeping kids laughing, dancing, singing, and playing along since its release in mid-2018.
Masha and The Bear
- Views: 4.48 billion+
- Upload date: Jan 31, 2012
Masha and the Bear is an extremely popular Russian animated television series which has been translated into over 40 languages. It holds the record for most views for a video on YouTube that is not a music video.
Uptown Funk
- Views: 4.43 billion+
- Upload date: Nov 19, 2014
Uptown Funk brought countless awards for British-American record producer Mark Ronson and American singer Bruno Mars with over 4.4 billion views on YouTube. A massive this worldwide, it topped the charts in 19 countries and reached the elite list of top 10 in 15 more.
Phonics Song with Two Words
- Views: 4.42 billion+
- Upload date: Mar 7, 2014
Another children’s song on the list of the most watched videos on YouTube, Phonics Song has taught the alphabet to millions of kids worldwide.
Gangnam Style
- Views: 4.3 billion+
- Upload date: Jul 15, 2012
Gangnam Style put Korean rap on the world map and made Psy an overnight global success. The video pokes fun at the style of Gangnam District in Seoul, known for its affluence, high rents and lavish lifestyle.
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Interesting Facts About YouTube
- YouTube is the most visited website in the world, with Google, its parent company, taking the first spot.
- More than a billion hours of video content is watched on YouTube every single day.
- YouTube has more than 2 billion logged-in monthly users, only behind Facebook. However, since many people use the video streaming platform without logging in, the number is probably under reported.
- Adele’s Hello holds the record for the fastest video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube, accumulating the staggering number of streams within 88 days of its release.
- With estimated more than 20 million dislikes, YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind is the most disliked video on the platform.