Baby Shark Dance has been viewed more than 14 billion times — almost twice for every human on Earth.
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Top 10 Most-Viewed YouTube Videos
The most-viewed YouTube videos are dominated by children’s content (Baby Shark, Cocomelon nursery rhymes) and Latin-American/Spanish-language music videos. The first English-language song in the top 10 is Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ at #6.
| # | Name | Views (billions) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baby Shark Dance | 14.50 | billions |
| 2 | Despacito | 8.60 | billions |
| 3 | Bath Song (Cocomelon) | 7.10 | billions |
| 4 | Phonics Song with Two Words | 7 | billions |
| 5 | Wheels on the Bus (Cocomelon) | 6.90 | billions |
| 6 | Johny Johny Yes Papa | 6.60 | billions |
| 7 | Shape of You — Ed Sheeran | 6.40 | billions |
| 8 | See You Again — Wiz Khalifa | 6.40 | billions |
| 9 | Learning Colors with Cocomelon | 5.50 | billions |
| 10 | Uptown Funk — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | 5.50 | billions |
How YouTube Views Accumulate
YouTube views are counted when a viewer watches at least 30 seconds of a video. View counts are aggregated and updated near-real-time on the platform. The most-viewed videos accumulate views over years — Baby Shark’s 14.5 billion was reached over 8+ years (uploaded 2016).
Children’s content dominates the top of the chart for a structural reason: kids rewatch favorite videos repeatedly, often dozens of times. A 4-year-old who plays Baby Shark 100 times generates 100 views. Algorithms detect this engagement pattern and recommend the video to other young viewers, creating compounding view growth.
Music videos benefit from being playlists in the background — listeners often play music videos while doing something else. ‘Despacito’ became the first video to reach 1 billion views (2017), then 5 billion (2018). Spanish-language music has grown enormously on YouTube as Latin America became a major streaming market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most-viewed YouTube video?
Baby Shark Dance (Pinkfong) at 14.5+ billion views. It became the first video to cross 10 billion views in 2022.
Why are children's videos so popular?
Young children rewatch favorites repeatedly. This pattern compounds — a single child’s repeat viewings drive millions of total views, and YouTube’s algorithm amplifies the trend by recommending the same videos to other young viewers.
What's the most-viewed music video?
‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee at 8.6 billion views. It was the first music video to cross 5 billion views.
Are YouTube views measured the same as Spotify streams?
No. YouTube views require 30+ seconds of watch time. Spotify streams require 30+ seconds of listen time. The two platforms count engagement differently.
Note: View counts in billions per YouTube as of late 2024. Active videos accumulate more views; values are subject to change.
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