Top 10 Most Viewed YouTube Videos of All Time (2025 Update)
Marketing
3 min read
uPDATED ON
Jun 30, 2025
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YouTube is home to countless viral sensations, but only a select few uploads have climbed into the billions-of-views club. If you’re searching for the most viewed YouTube video 2025, the most watched YouTube video ever, or just curious about the YouTube videos with the most views, this definitive list has you covered. Interestingly, half of the titles below are children’s nursery rhymes, while the rest are chart-topping music videos—proof that both kid-friendly content and pop hits dominate the platform. Let’s count down the top 10 most-viewed YouTube videos of all time and see which clips still reign supreme.
Why it’s #1: A relentlessly catchy tune, a simple dance routine, and endless replays by toddlers worldwide propelled Baby Shark to become the most watched YouTube video of all time and the first to break 10 billion views.
2. Despacito – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
Approximate views: 8.7 billion
Uploaded: January 12, 2017
Why it’s legendary: This reggaeton smash became a global anthem, briefly holding the record for most viewed YouTube video ever and still ranking as the most-watched music video on the site.
3. Wheels on the Bus – Cocomelon
Approximate views: 7.6 billion
Uploaded: May 24, 2018
Kid-power factor: Parents everywhere play this nursery rhyme on repeat, driving up views and proving toddler content can outperform big-budget productions.
4. Bath Song – Cocomelon
Approximate views: 7.1 billion
Uploaded: May 2, 2018
Why kids love it: A bouncy bath-time tune paired with bright animation makes this one of the top trending videos on YouTube for the preschool crowd.
5. Johny Johny Yes Papa – LooLoo Kids
Approximate views: 7.0 billion
Uploaded: October 8, 2016
Viral appeal: A simple story about sneaking sugar spawned memes and endless replays, showing how a short 2-minute clip can become one of the most watched YouTube videos ever.
6. See You Again – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
Approximate views: 6.7 billion
Uploaded: April 6, 2015
Emotional punch: Written as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, this heartfelt ballad ruled the charts and even topped the YouTube view leaderboard briefly in 2017.
7. Phonics Song with Two Words – ChuChu TV
Approximate views: 6.5 billion
Uploaded: March 6, 2014
Educational win: Teaching the alphabet through catchy phonics, this video edges out major pop hits and underscores how educational kids’ content racks up billions of views on YouTube.
8. Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
Approximate views: 6.5 billion
Uploaded: January 30, 2017
Pop dominance: Ed Sheeran’s mega-hit became only the second video to cross four billion views and remains the most-watched clip by a solo British artist.
9. Gangnam Style – Psy
Approximate views: 5.6 billion
Uploaded: July 15, 2012
Cultural milestone: The first video to hit one billion views, Psy’s quirky K-pop anthem introduced billions to the famous horse-riding dance and proved YouTube’s global reach.
10. Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Approximate views: 5.6 billion
Uploaded: November 19, 2014
Feel-good groove: This retro-inspired funk track’s stylish video has staying power, keeping it firmly in the top 10 most viewed YouTube videos a decade after release.
Why These Videos Dominate
Whether it’s a preschool earworm or a worldwide pop smash, each entry here taps into repeatability, broad appeal, and social-media buzz—key factors behind every viral YouTube video. As of mid-2025, Baby Shark Dance holds the crown for the most viewed YouTube video ever, but the rankings can shift as new hits emerge. For now, these ten clips sit atop the YouTube videos with billions of views leaderboard, illustrating the platform’s immense power to turn songs and simple animations into global phenomena.
FAQ
What is the most viewed YouTube video ever in 2025?
“Baby Shark Dance” by Pinkfong tops the list with about 15.9 billion views, making it the most watched YouTube video of all time.
How many YouTube videos have over 10 billion views?
As of 2025 only one video—“Baby Shark Dance”—has crossed the 10 billion-view milestone.
Which music video holds the record for most views?
“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee is the most viewed music video on YouTube, with roughly 8.7 billion views.
Why do kids’ nursery rhymes dominate the top-viewed list?
Parents play these short, catchy videos repeatedly, driving massive view counts and propelling songs like “Wheels on the Bus” and “Bath Song” into the billions.
Can older viral hits still enter the top 10 most viewed list?
Yes—videos like Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” show that timeless popularity and global replay can keep older uploads climbing the all-time rankings.
Disclosure: This list is intended as an informational resource and is based on independent research and publicly available information. It does not imply that these businesses are the absolute best in their category. Learn more here.
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Arash F. serves as a Research Specialist and Junior Journalist at Brand Vision Insights. With a background in psychology and scientific writing, he offers practical insights into human behavior that shape brand strategies and content development. By blending data-driven approaches with a passion for storytelling, Arash creates helpful insights in all his articles.