The 20 Most Viewed YouTube Videos

20. “Faded” by Alan Walker (3.16bn views)

To start things off, we have Alan Walker’s 2015 hit “Faded”.

19. “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry (3.16bn views)

Next it's the music video for Katy Perry's 2014 track "Dark Horse" - or rather, it's actually neck and neck with Alan Walker's Faded.

18. “Wheels on the Bus” by Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes (3.31bn views)

Our first video aimed at children on the list (and there are many), we have a video for this famous tune.

17. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran (3.34bn views)

Now it’s Ed Sheeran’s turn, with his “Thinking Out Loud” video racking up a huge amount of views over the years.

16. “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic (3.42bn views)

In case you were wondering, yes, most of these are going to be music videos. Next it’s this 2013 video from OneRepublic.

15. “Roar” by Katy Perry (3.45bn views)

Katy Perry is the only female musician to make this list - and she makes it twice. Nice.

14. “Sorry” by Justin Bieber (3.48bn views)

Justin Bieber was literally discovered on YouTube, so it’s perfectly natural for him to make the list. While his 2010 track “Baby” was itself a huge hit on YouTube way back when, his more recent track “Sorry” has vastly surpassed it.

13. “Sugar” by Maroon 5 (3.57bn views)

Next up we have Maroon 5.

12. “Dame Tu Cosita” by El Chombo, featuring Cutty Ranks (3.66bn views)

This strange and short video is up next. Depicting an alien-type creature dancing to “Dame Tu Cosita” by El Chombo, you would never guess it has over three billion views.

11. “Gangnam Style” by Psy (4.23bn views)

The archetype of viral YouTube videos, and one of the oldest ones on this list, it’s the K-pop megastar Psy with “Gangnam Style”.

While it’s been usurped since, it spent 1,689 days as the most viewed video on YouTube. No one else has yet come close to that record.

10. “Phonics Song with Two Words” by ChuChu TV (4.25bn views)

We’ve reached our first non-music video on the list. This time it’s an educational one aimed at kids (and this is by no means the last one). In this video, the song is used to help children understand words and the alphabet.

9. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars (4.34bn views)

Although from 2017, it’s one of the newer videos on this list. Here we have Mark Ronson, with his global hit “Uptown Funk”.

8. “Masha and the Bear – Recipe for Disaster” by Get Movies (4.46bn views)

Now we have some kids entertainment again. This Russian video is from the Masha and the Bear series, all about a fatherly bear who looks after said Masha.

7. “Learning Colors – Colorful Eggs on a Farm” by Miroshka TV (4.52bn views)

Next up is another educational video for kids. This is an animation that uses anthropomorphised eggs to teach them about colours. Not terrifying at all.

6. “Bath Song” by Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes (4.55bn views)

Here’s another video aimed at children. This one is simply a kids song about taking a bath, with accompanying animation. We suppose this technically makes it a music video. Watch out K.Pez and Bieber.

5. “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa, featuring Charlie Puth (5.30bn views)

It’s back to music videos for the final stretch now, with Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again”. Have a watch to transport yourself back to 2015.

4. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (5.50bn views)

Ed Sheeran makes the list again, making him one of a select group that have two videos in the top 20 most viewed YouTube videos. Impressive stuff.

3. “Johny Johny Yes Papa” by LooLoo Kids (5.82bn views)

An animation set to an old nursery rhyme, this video also went viral after it was endlessly memed on Twitter due to it’s slightly surreal and bizarre nature.

2. “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, featuring Daddy Yankee (7.59bn views)

This huge track once held the top spot for 1,186 days, and has likely been put on at millions upon millions of parties since it was uploaded.

1. “Baby Shark Dance” by Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories (9.53bn views)

We reach our journey’s end, and what else could it be, but a music video and a video for children? The combo that generates views with ease.

You’ve probably already heard this incredibly catchy song, since it went viral around the world a few years ago. It’s continued to rack up the views since.

Be warned – if you watch you'll have the song stuck in your head for at least 72 hours.