The YouTube video has a carefree element which makes it easy to just allow yourself to be entertained while watching. And let’s be honest, you’ve probably tried Psy’s dance moves yourself. The silly dance moves in unexpected places just makes this an all around fun video to watch. The song is undeniably catchy, but the video shines with a level of quirkiness mainstream American media hadn’t seen before. Gangnam Style was once the most viewed YouTube video of all time, as it was the first YouTube video to reach one billion views. Gangnam Style by Psy – 3.3 Billion YouTube Views The video itself has an old-school feel to it which makes it a unique watch that you don’t really see in music videos anymore.
Another interesting tidbit is that Bruno Mars performed at the 2014 Super Bowl halftime show, which helped elevate his popularity and make his video more viral. And as we’ve seen with other songs on this list, a number one hit makes it easier to score one of the most viewed YouTube videos. These two elements make the song stand out. According to Joe Bennett, a music professor at Bath Spa University, the song’s popularity is due to two key elements: a lack of a chorus and a slower tempo. Uptown Funk was the number one song of 2015 on the Billboard Hot 100. Plus, the story has some funny moments to entertain young children. The storytelling element is understood even if you don’t speak Russian, which makes this an easy watch. Kid-friendly content tends to perform well on YouTube (you’ll learn about another example later in this article). What’s made this Russian animation short so popular? It’s likely that the short became popular because it’s made for kids. Shockingly, the video somehow has a high percentage of dislikes, clocking in at about 2.4 million dislikes while only 4.4 million likes. The only non-music video on this list, Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster, is the fourth most viewed YouTube video with over 3.55 billion video views. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster by Get Movies – 3.55 YouTube Views Everyone can relate to the pain you feel from losing a loved one, which helps make this one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time. Emotions can play a big role in helping make a video go viral. The sad tone of the song and video make it worth watching over and over again. The song in the video was also popular enough to earn a number three spot in the Billboard Hot 1. If you take a look at the video’s comments, you’ll see several notes about Paul Walker, suggesting that the video went viral because of his sudden death. The song and music video are a tribute to Paul Walker and his journey in the Fast and Furious series. One of the stars, Paul Walker, died in an infamous car crash shortly before its release. See You Again is the main song for the Fast and Furious 7 movie. See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – 4.08 Billion YouTube Views It also has a profound female empowerment message in it: Sheeran is a weakling compared to his love interest. There are also some funny moments where Ed Sheeran and a sumo wrestler fight in the ultimate match.
The movie style music video isn’t too common, which makes it a compelling love story to watch. Unlike most videos, where the singer sings in front of the camera, Shape of You is like a 4-minute movie telling the story of an athletic couple, and the song is just background music. Another interesting tidbit is that it was actually the number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of 2017, beating out Despacito. The second most viewed YouTube video is the Shape of You music video with over 4.17 billion video views. Shape of You by Ed Sheeran – 4.17 Billion YouTube Views The song is entirely in Spanish, making it one of the three on this top ten most viewed YouTube videos list that aren’t in English. Despacito’s video has all the trademarks of a popular music video: dance sequences, good-looking people, palm trees, naturescapes, club scene, and of course the catchiest song to sing along to. And back in 2017 Spotify was popular, but not as popular as it is today. You have the music repeat factor where you watch it over again just to hear the song. And with over 6.15 billion video views, it’s pretty clear why this is the most watched YouTube video. It’s pretty clear that popular songs can also become highly watched YouTube videos. If you take a look at Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of 2017, you’ll find Despacito in the number two spot. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee – 6.15 Billion YouTube Views Top 10 Most Viewed YouTube Videos of All Time 1. Hire yourself and start calling the shots.