This past weekend saw the anniversary of the first-ever YouTube video, uploaded on 23 April 2005. Titled ‘Me at the zoo’, the video has gone on to garner over 228 million views since its debut. Posted by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim, the video is about as low quality as it gets, both in terms of looks and effort. Of course, it gets a pass, since it helped build the foundation YouTube currently stands atop.
If you’re curious to see the video, here it is.
In honour of this insane achievement, we’ve compiled a list of the 15 most-watched videos on the platform. Some of these you will know. Others may be a little more… kid-friendly. All of them have one thing in common — several billion views, at the time of writing. We’ve embedded the videos where we could. Most of the music videos have embeds disabled.
15 – “Roar” by Katy Perry
Views: 3.56 billion
Starting the list off is Katy Perry with her hit single ‘Roar’. The video was released in 2013, has been viewed by almost half of the world’s population. There was a stage when you couldn’t step out of the house without hearing Roar wherever you went. To be honest, while writing this list it was hard to resist the play again button.
14 – “Sugar” by Maroon 5
Views: 3.68 billion
Maroon 5 released their song ‘Sugar‘ in early 2015. The video – which features 3.68 billion views so far – features Maroon 5 crashing random people’s weddings and playing as their band. While the video is great, it was easier to resist the urge to play it again… unlike, say, #15.
13 – “Dame Tu Cosita” by El Chombo
Views: 3.92 billion
This is where things get weird… “Dame Tu Cosita” which translates to “Give me your little thingy” is a music video from Jamaican artist El Chombo. It was released in 2018. It quickly became an extremely popular internet meme, which led to the music video earning 3.92 billion views in a space of four years. No, we have no idea what it’s doing here either. The power of memes is a terrible thing.
12 – “Wheels on the Bus” by Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes
Views: 3.92 billion
If you’re older than four, and don’t have any kids of that age, this one probably passed you by. Posted by Cocomelon, a channel famous for its 3D-animated videos aimed at young children. It’s an animated rendition of the nursery school song, and it’s largely unremarkable. Besides the fact that it has 3.92 billion views, that is. This isn’t the last time we’ll see Cocomelon on the list. The channel has grown to become the second-largest channel on YouTube, a position that used to belong to Pewdiepie. Like taking views from a baby.
11 – “Gangnam Style” by Psy
Views: 4.39 billion
One of only eleven videos on YouTube to have over 4 billion views, ‘Gangnam Style ‘is a song we all know – whether we want to or not. It seems to be the former, however, with the video being the fifth most liked video on the platform. Gangnam Style dominated YouTube when it was first uploaded. It also decimated the radio airwaves. The South Korean hit was the first video to ever cross 1 billion views, all the way back in 2012.
10 – “Masha and The Bear – Recipe for disaster” by Get Movies
Views: 4.49 billion
Another one for the kids. ‘Masha and the Bear – Recipe for disaster‘ is a Russian TV show for kids. The show has performed extremely well across YouTube for the past few years, with ‘Recipe for disaster’ becoming the show’s showcase feature on the platform. Why there isn’t more Russian kids programming on this list is a bit of a mystery. It’s probably one of those internet oddities that crop up sometimes.
9 – “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson
Views: 4.53 billion
When Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars teamed up to release ‘Uptown Funk‘ they took the world by storm. Their efforts earned them a place in the top 10 videos on YouTube. More importantly, the pair secured a Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Unfortunately, the pair also faced a battery of lawsuits from folks claiming they wrote the song before Ronson and Mars started getting all this attention (and money).
8 – “Learning Colors – Colorful Eggs on a Farm” by Miroshka TV
Views: 4.56 billion
And just like that, we’re on another children’s program. The video does exactly what it says on the tin – it teaches colours. Set to a version of ‘Old MacDonald had a Farm’, the video features 3D animations of colours being poured into eggs. Which then change colour. It’s not exactly rocket science. That’s a different video entirely. Whether this helps children learn colours or not, it’s still a little strange.
7 – “Phonics Song with Two Words” by ChuChu TV
Views: 4.56 billion
Based on the title, you can imagine why the video has now become the seventh most popular video on YouTube. Parents are always looking for ways to teach basic principles to kids, which is what ‘Phonics Song with Two Words’ was going for. The educational element adds to the video’s staying power in the Top 10, where it seems it will remain for the foreseeable future.
6 – “Bath Song” by Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes
Views: 5.23 billion.
It’s no surprise to see Cocomelon back on the list. This time around it’s the ‘Bath Song‘, another 3D animated video that may leave adults with nightmares. The point of the Bath Song is to get kids to take their baths, making for an easier job for parents. It clearly seems to work, as the video has now reached over 5 billion views on YouTube, one of only six to do so.
5 – “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa
Views: 5.47 billion
When Wiz Khalifa teamed up with Charlie Putin, the resulting song became a huge hit. However, the circumstances that led to the song’s fame are quite sad. During filming for the seventh Fast and Furious movie, the film’s co-lead actor Paul Walker passed away. The song was used as a tribute to Walker at the end of the film. Since the film’s 2015 release, the video has kept its place among the Top 10 YouTube videos of all time. It’s easy to see why. After all, you don’t turn your back on family.
4 – “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
Views: 5.68 billion
‘Shape of You‘ by Ed Sheeran was released in 2017, first as a single, and then appearing on the almost-as-famous ‘Divide’ album. While this song is definitely Sheeran’s most popular song, his ‘Thinking Out Loud‘ and ‘Perfect‘ also feature in the top 30 most viewed videos on YouTube. To date, ‘Shape of You‘ is a huge video that hasn’t left the cultural zeitgeist just yet. This may or may not have something to do with people getting married on a regular basis.
3 – “Johny Johny Yes Papa” by LooLooKids
Views: 6.28 billion.
We’re here. The top three. ‘Johny Johny Yes Papa‘ was just begging to be turned into a meme in 2018. And oh boy, was it. The video features a tune similar to that of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star‘, merged with dances from ‘Baby Shark‘ and ‘Gangnam Style‘. Despite the 6-billion view count, the video also became one of the most disliked videos on the platform. Luckily for LooLooKids, YouTube has since removed dislikes from videos. If you want to be creeped out, go give it a watch.
2 – “Despacito” by Luis Fonzi
Views: 7.81 billion
If you haven’t heard this song, welcome back from your extended stay in the coma ward. Despacito means ‘slowly’. It’s ironic then, that the song shot to fame so soon after its release. After gaining loads of attention through memes and YouTube’s trending page, the song has become stuck in the head of anybody who’s heard it. It’s also one of only two videos to ever cross 7 billion views.
1 – “Baby Shark Dance” by Pinkfong Baby Shark – Kids’ Songs & Stories
Views: 10.48 billion
We’ve made it to the most viewed video on YouTube of all time. ‘Baby Shark Dance‘ has more views than there are people on Earth. In January 2022, the video became the first ever to get over 10 billion views on the platform. And it isn’t slowing down. Every day more and more kids come to see the Baby Shark song and the accompanying dance. If you’re already sick of this video, just remember that you’re not the target audience. Toddlers, probably wearing headphones, are.