YouTube has become a key part of online culture, racking up more than 4 billion views every day and earning its spot as the 3rd most visited website globally. However, despite YouTube’s massive reach, many small businesses struggle to understand how to make their videos go viral. This blog post will cover:
- The Top 25 Most Popular YouTube Videos to date
- Factors that contribute to a video’s popularity
- Tips and tricks for creating viral videos
Top 25 YouTube Videos of All Time
Let’s dive into the most popular YouTube videos that have garnered the most views and what led to their success, focusing on the catchy summer hit “Call Me Maybe” and the global sensation “Gangnam Style.”
- PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V – 795,294,541 views
- Justin Bieber – Baby ft. Ludacris – 803,225,890 views
- Jennifer Lopez – On The Floor ft. Pitbull – 623,842,109 views
- Eminem – Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna – 516,705,966 views
- LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem ft. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock – 502,507,173 views
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA Word Cup (TM) Song) – 500,667,104 views
- Lady Gaga – Bad Romance – 497,082,520 views
- Charlie bit my finger – again ! – 497,222,405 views
- Michel Teló – Ai Se Eu Te Pego – Oficial (Assim você me mata) – 460,537,547 views
- Don Omar – Danza Kuduro ft. Lucenzo – 405,843,529 views
- Eminem – Not Afraid – 363,839,245 views
- Pitbull – Rain Over Me ft. Marc Anthony – 346,601,042 views
- Justin Bieber – Never Say Never ft. Jaden Smith – 339,056,556 views
- Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song [OFFICIAL VIDEO] – 336,595,959 views
- Adele – Rolling In The Deep – 334,705,493 views
- Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) – 327,179,630 views
- Katy Perry – Firework – 323,791,296 views
- Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A. – 302,276,163 views
- Justin Bieber – One Time – 301,932,299 views
- Nicki Minaj – Super Bass – 281,519,265 views
- Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe – 278,438,533 views
- Rihanna – What’s My Name? ft. Drake – 270,131,195 views
- Bruno Mars – Grenade [OFFICIAL VIDEO] – 269,659,761 views
- Pitbull – Give Me Everything ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer – 259,337,175 views
- Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are [OFFICIAL VIDEO] – 256,400,502 views
The Dominance of Music Videos
It might seem odd that music videos dominate the most popular YouTube videos, with “Charlie Bit My Finger” as a lone exception from the early internet days. Where are the viral sensations like David after the Dentist, laughing babies, and ninja kittens? The truth is, it makes sense that music videos reign supreme on YouTube. People often use YouTube as a free music streaming platform instead of paying for downloads. While Spotify and Pandora exist, YouTube provides instant access to songs. Most top YouTube videos are popular hits among younger audiences, who are less likely to pay for music downloads. In this context, these videos aren’t popular because of exceptional video quality – Just Bieber’s “Baby” video is quite ordinary unless you’re really into disco-themed bowling alleys. Viewers primarily engage with the audio. It feels somewhat misleading to label them as “most viewed” when many people probably don’t actually watch the video.
Analyzing the Success of “Gangnam Style” and “Call Me Maybe”
A recent YouTube trends blog post analyzed Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and “Call Me Maybe,” both of which gained massive popularity in the summer of 2012.
As YouTube blogger Kevin Allocca pointed out, “Call Me Maybe” saw a gradual rise in popularity over six months, while “Gangnam Style” exploded rapidly over a shorter period.
When the analysis was done, “Gangnam Style” lagged behind but eventually surpassed “Call Me Maybe.”
“Call Me Maybe” accumulated an impressive 270 million views since its March 1st upload. Remarkably, “Gangnam Style” surpassed Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit in just a few months, exceeding 300 million views since July 15th. “Call Me Maybe” demonstrated its staying power, dominating airwaves throughout the summer. Its YouTube popularity likely stems from its audio – few people could probably recall more than a few scenes from the video. “Gangnam Style,” on the other hand, undoubtedly owes much of its success to its wacky, bizarre video, although the catchy tune also played a significant role. Psy’s blend of incredibly catchy beats and an incredibly strange music video turned “Gangnam Style” into an internet sensation, earning it the title of recognized by Guinness World Records as the “Most ‘Liked’ Video in YouTube History.”
The Power of Sharing – Parodies and Covers
What else do these two YouTube sensations share besides being 2012 summer hits? Both spawned countless parodies. Many popular YouTube videos, including “Call Me Maybe” and “Gangnam Style,” benefit greatly from parodies and covers. Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” inspired countless parodies and personal renditions featuring celebrities, Olympic swimming teams, President Obama, and even Cookie Monster.
“Gangnam Style” Parodies
The potential of encouraging “fair use” is evident in the success of “Gangnam Style.” Its numerous and quickly-produced parodies gained significant attention.
When a video has many parodies, it attracts the attention of mainstream media. Talk show hosts discuss the online spin-offs, inviting popular parody creators onto their shows, further amplifying the video’s reach.
Another significant factor contributing to the global recognition of both “Gangnam Style” and “Call Me Maybe” is the support of popular celebrities. Carly Rae Jepsen acknowledged that a positive tweet from Justin Bieber about her song fueled the “Call Me Maybe” frenzy. “Gangnam Style” also received shout-outs from numerous celebrities, culminating in Britney Spears performing Psy’s signature horse-riding dance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
When musicians and studios encourage others to use their songs for personal creations, it often boosts the song’s popularity. New listeners might discover the original song through a spin-off. Encouraging parody videos allows listeners to connect with the song personally, turning it into something they cherish.
The Ones That Got Away: Removed Videos
It’s unfortunate that studios sometimes remove popular skit videos due to legal issues, hindering a video’s viral potential. If some popular Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits remained on YouTube, they might be competing with Bruno Mars in terms of views. Observing YouTube’s most popular videos reveals that openness and minimal concern over copyright infringement are key to success (looking at you, Apple).
Factors Contributing to a Mega-Popular YouTube Video
Analyzing the most popular YouTube videos highlights several factors that can help a video become a mega-hit:
- Encourage parodies and covers
- Embrace unconventionality
- Feature catchy beats
- Get a shout-out from a celebrity While this recipe is challenging for most businesses to replicate, incorporating one or two of these elements can increase the chances of creating a viral video. Remember, reaching 100 million views is highly unlikely for most. Instead, aim for a viral video that gains immense popularity quickly but might not have long-lasting appeal. While creating a viral YouTube hit is still difficult, you don’t need to appear on Ellen to achieve it.
Leveraging Humor for YouTube Success
You’ll notice a lack of humorous videos in the Top 25 Most Viewed Videos on YouTube (with “Charlie Bit My Finger” as the outlier). Ignoring the music giants, humor and informational videos dominate. One successful technique is combining humor with music, tapping into two avenues of YouTube popularity. The Lonely Island have mastered this, consistently producing videos that top both the YouTube website and mobile app. (Warning: The following video contains explicit language not suitable for work)
Hopefully, this examination of YouTube’s most popular videos provided insights into creating a viral video. Good luck! (Read More: How To Advertise in YouTube Videos)