During the early days of YouTube, popular videos on the platform were funny little sketches or focused on content creation.
When I go down the YouTube rabbit hole I always watch Ellen Videos or adorable animals doing ridiculously funny things. My ultimate favorite video is the Dancing Pony. It gets me every single time.
While YouTube is still home to these type of videos, the platform has become the home music videos like those on the old school MTV. Nine of the top ten most popular YouTube videos of the decade were music videos.
Check it out for yourself. Here are the top ten most popular YouTube videos of the 2010s Decade!
1. Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s hit song, Despacito, debuted on YouTube on January 12, 2017. It earns the title of the number one watched YouTube video of the decade with 6.58 billion views.
This song was played so many times at the weddings we’ve photographed over the past few years.
2. Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
Ed Sheeran’s song Shape of You comes as the second most watched video of the decade with 4.54 billion views. The video was uploaded to YouTube on January 30, 2017.
I really just dislike Ed’s music, but good for him.
3. Wiz Khalifa – See You Again ft. Charlie Puth
The third most watched video of the decade was Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s song, See You Again. The song appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack. The song debuted on YouTube April 6, 2015, and has reached 4.34 billion views.
4. Masha and the Bear – Recipe for Disaster
The fourth video on our list is the first and only video that is not a music video. Masha and the Bear is a popular Russian children’s cartoon. The episode, Recipe for Disaster, was uploaded to YouTube on January 31, 2012. At the end of the decade, the video now has 4.21 billion views.
I’ve never seen or heard of this, but I’ll give it a watch and add to it’s view count.
5. Pinkfong- Baby Shark Dance
At the half-way point of our list, we have the Baby Shark Dance video. This video was produced by the Korean pop manufacturer, Pinkfong. The video debuted on YouTube on June 17, 2016, and has reached 4.21 billion views.
This song made it on my top Spotify played songs for 2019 because I play it and/or sing it at nearly every single one of my family sessions.
6. Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars
Uptown Funk, sung by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, is the sixth most watched YouTube video of the decade. The song was first uploaded to YouTube on November 19, 2014. The video currently has 3.75 billion views on YouTube.
7. PSY – Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style was uploaded to YouTube on July 15, 2012, by PSY. The video sits at number seven on our list with 3.48 billion views. This video was the very first video on YouTube to reach more than a billion views.
It still amazes me how popular this ridiculous song it. It’s pretty funny what people do and do not like.
8. Justin Bieber – Sorry
The number eight most viewed YouTube video of the decade is Justin Bieber’s music video, Sorry. The video was first uploaded to the YouTube platform on October 22, 2015. The video now has 3.23 billion views on YouTube.
9. Maroon 5 – Sugar
The music video Sugar by Maroon 5 comes in at number nine on our list. The video debuted on YouTube on January 14, 2015. At the end of the decade the video has 3.1 billion views on the YouTube platform.
10. Katy Perry – Roar
The final video on our list is Katy Perry’s Roar. The music video was uploaded to YouTube on September 5, 2013, and has since accumulated 2.98 billion views on YouTube.
I was pretty surprised by a few of these – what about you? What are your favorite YouTube videos from the last decade?