It takes a lot for a video to go viral nowadays, but what are the top 10 most watched videos on YouTube and what makes them so special?
Data analysts at Best Sport Betting Canada have compiled a list of the top 10 most-viewed YouTube videos of all time as of 2022.
10 . “Gangnam Style” – PSY (4.5 billion views)
Coming in at tenth on the list is the music video for Gangnam Style, which was a smash hit in 2012 when it was first released and has been in the top ten most viewed videos ever since. The video shows popular South Korean artist PSY doing his iconic Gangnam style dance throughout the viral music video, which sent the song soaring to fame.
The catchy video launched PSY to fame when it was released and with remixes and mashups galore over the past decade, PSY still remains in the top ten after all these years.
9. “Learning Colors – Colorful Eggs on a Farm” – Miroshka TV (4.6 billion views)
Just edging Gangnam Style to ninth spot on the list is the slightly creepy ‘Learning Colors’ music video, which is supposedly aimed at kids to help learn colors.
The Russian video, made by Miroshka TV, teaches children the six ‘essential’ colors: black, brown, pink, white, red and blue, however the strange eggs getting their heads sliced off and filled with slime, before being smashed up is an interesting way of teaching kids the basics.
8. “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (4.6 billion views)
Number 8 on the list is Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s catchy song ‘Uptown Funk’, which was released in 2015 and earned both the Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards.
The music video is a classic Bruno Mars video, as the singer energetically bounces around with well-choreographed dances throughout that is enough to get anyone’s toes tapping along to the beat.
7. “Phonics Song with Two Words” – ChuChu TV (4.8 billion views)
Another educational video that makes the top ten see’s ChuChu TV’s attempt at teaching the alphabet at number 7.
The video is very simple as it teaches the alphabet through a catchy song that kids can sing along to. A slightly less creepy educational video than the first on the list, this children’s video released in 2014 is still accumulating views 8 years later.
6. “Bath Song” – Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes (5.6 billion views)
“Bath Song” is yet ANOTHER creepy looking educational video that makes the list, this time as a song about hygiene that was released in 2018.
With 5.6 billion views, the mashup between the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” as well as “Baby Shark” is another creepy addition to the list with the intention of sending a good message, but yet again there is something a bit odd about the animation.
5. “See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth (5.6 billion views)
One of the more recognisable videos on the list is the popular Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth music video for See You Again that was released in 2015 as part of the ‘Furious 7’ soundtrack.
See You Again is probably the most emotional video on the top ten list as the song is dedicated to the late Paul Walker, who starred in the Fast and Furious movies until passing away in 2013. The moving vocals from Charlie Puth alongside Wiz Khalifa is enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye, even if you haven’t seen the Fast and Furious franchise.
4. “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran (5.8 billion views)
Ed Sheeran seems to almost never miss when he produces music and ‘Shape Of You’ is a perfect example of that, as the video to his 2017 song skyrocketed to number 4 on the list with 5.8 billion views.
The upbeat song is one of three Ed Sheeran hits from his 2017 album ‘Divide’ that make the top 30 watched videos on YouTube, as ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘Perfect’ also come in at 18th and 28th.
3. “Johnny Johnny Yes Papa” – LooLoo Kids (6.4 billion views)
After two music videos on the list, we return to the category of slightly creepy kids animations, as ‘Johny Johny Yes Papa’ ranks third with 6.4 billion views.
This strange song released in 2020 takes the melody to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and creates a song about little Johnny lying to his family about eating sugar, in what is another strange song that went viral on both TikTok and Twitter which sent the video’s views soaring.
2. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
We take a huge jump in views from number 3 on the list, as number 2 is Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Spanish song Despacito.
Released in 2017, Despacito quickly became the most watched YouTube video of all time (before eventually being overtaken by number one on the list) and it’s no surprise it was so popular, with one of the top pop songs of all time still being played everywhere five years later.
1. “Baby Shark Dance” – Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories
It would be a challenge to find someone who hasn’t heard some version of the song that is number one on our list, as the infamous ‘Baby Shark’ is the most viewed YouTube video of all time with a staggering 11.3 billion views.
Baby Shark went viral four years after it initially came out (2016) and eventually took over from Despacito at top spot on the list in 2020, making the children’s dancing video the first video to ever hit 10 billion views on YouTube.
