The Most-Watched YouTube Videos of All Time Have Something in Common

You might think you’ve seen all that’s good on YouTube, but if you haven’t seen the top ten listed here, then you’re being left out of the global zeitgeist. These charts show both the most watched videos, as well as the most liked and disliked videos (as indicated by viewers handing out thumbs-ups). All of them are music videos specifically—no shorts or long-form videos come close. 

While the majority appear to be US-centric, there’s a bit of a global vibe thanks to the inclusion of music videos for songs like “Despacito” and “Gangnam Style”—videos that were also hugely popular in the US. Half of the top ten most viewed videos directly target children. 

The number of views underscores the importance of multiple views for a video; Statista says YouTube only has 2.1 billion users worldwide, yet seven times that many have views belong to Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark Dance.”

That video is currently the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, and has held that title for quite a while. “Baby Shark Dance” debuted in June 2016. It was the first and only video in YouTube history (thus far) to reach 10 billion views, which it hit in less than six years, in January 2022. It has added another 4.32 billion views since that milestone. 

Naturally, some parents hate this tune (and many of the other kids’ songs on this list) because of its vapid content (the Verge called the “Johny Johny Yes Papa" video “a godforsaken nightmare“) or the maddeningly infectious melody, sometimes known as an "earworm." Usually both. 

That earworm part is key. It’s why so many kids will watch them over and over. There’s a reason the only video maker on this list twice is Cocomelon; a channel that primarily posts videos for children.

Another interesting thing to note is that, among YouTube's top videos, there's a disconnect between likes and views. You might think the most viewed would also be the most liked, but that’s only the case with three videos. “Despacito,” “Baby Shark Dance,” and Ed Sheeran’s video for “Shape of You” are on both lists. (If you look at the history of videos that held the most liked spot for a long time, "Gangnam Style" is in there.) MrBeast has a couple of videos on the most-liked list: "Would you fly to Paris for a Baguette?" and "Giving iPhones Instead of Candy on Halloween," both from late 2022.

In fact, a couple of the most watched videos also have the most thumbs-down votes. Specifically, that “Johny Johny Yes Papa” nightmare and, courtesy of having so many repeat views, “Baby Shark Dance.” Six out of ten of the most disliked videos are for children—that’s some seriously disgruntled parents!

Did you miss out? Here are the top 10 most-watched videos for your viewing pleasure (or the opposite). 

"Baby Shark Dance"

Live since June 2016, Baby Shark Dance from Pinkong is performed by Korean-American singer Hope Segoine, with two child actors playing the parts. 

"Despacito"

Despacito by Luis Fonsi, which translates to “Slowly,” with its mix of guitar, rap, and reggaeton styles took the world by storm in 2017 and continues to get plenty of views. It was the first Spanish language song in the US Billboard Hot 100 top spot since Macarena in 1996.

"Johny Johny Yes Papa"

Presented by LooLoo Kids in 2016, the aforementioned “nightmare” is innocent enough on the surface but doesn’t stand up to repeat viewings for anyone above the age of three years.

"Bath Song"

The first of two Cocomelon songs on the most-watched list. Both date from 2018. It doesn’t hurt that Cocomelon’s show on Netflix is a huge hit, and that it’s got the 3rd-most-subscribed channel on all of YouTube, of course (behind MrBeast and T-Series from India). But what truly helped was the huge number of recommendations it got from the YouTube algorithm.

"Shape of You"

Ed Sheeran’s 2017’s song, off his third album, hit number one on the charts of 34 different countries and was Bilboard’s best performing song of the year. The video features model Jennie Pegouskie in a bit of a remake of Rocky. The video hit 1 billion views in just 97 days, and the song itself was the most streamed tune of the year.

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"See You Again"

This 2015 song by Wiz Khalifa and featuring Charlie Puth, was commissioned for the soundtrack to the film Furious 7, to serve as a tribute to the franchise’s late star Paul Walker, who died in a crash in 2013.

"Wheels on the Bus”

Back to the kids music, this rendition of the classic song that dates back to at least 1937 is another entry on the list from Cocomelon. This video’s 2018 premiere coincided with a rebranding of the YouTube channel, which previously was known as ABC Kid TV. 

"Phonics Song with Two Words"

Basic phonics have their place in the firmament with this straightforward 2014 video recounting two words for each letter of the alphabet. 

"Uptown Funk"

Many think of the now-immortal “Uptown Funk” as a Bruno Mars song—he’s in the video foreground throughout, after all—but this bit of modern funk is mainly the brainchild of Mark Ronson. His YouTube channel hosts the video. 

"Gangnam Style"

The oldest video still in the top 10 for views, South Korean rapper Psy’s "Gangnam Style"—about how the newly rich people of Seoul live—came out in the summer of 2012. It went viral because who can look away from that man’s dancing? It was the first YouTube video to hit 1 billion views, in December of that year.