The most viewed video of all time, including music videos, is "Baby Shark Dance" by Pinkfong, with over 16 billion views, but the most viewed traditional music video is often cited as "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee, with around 8-9 billion views, though "Baby Shark" also holds the top spot in many music video lists as well, blurring the lines between children's content and music.
All-Time Most Viewed Music Videos
In January 2021, Baby Shark Dance became the first YouTube video to surpass 10 billion views, after snatching the crown of most-viewed YouTube video of all time from the former record holder "Despacito" one year before.
“Gangnam Style” by South Korean musician PSY became the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views. By the end of 2012, the song had topped music charts in more than 30 countries around the world. #song4theweekend #PSY #GangnamStyle #musichistory #music.
There's no single "best" music video, as it's subjective, but Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer", Beyoncé's "Formation" and "Single Ladies", A-ha's "Take On Me", and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" consistently appear on lists by publications like Rolling Stone, Forbes, and The AV Club for their cultural impact, innovation, and artistry, alongside classics like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Childish Gambino's "This Is America".
The number one streamed song of all time, primarily on Spotify, is "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd, having surpassed 5 billion streams and holding the top spot over other massive hits like Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and The Weeknd's "Starboy".
The music video for "Scream" by Michael Jackson (left) and Janet Jackson (right) has the highest-ever disclosed budget for a music video—both nominally and adjusted for inflation.
It became a global phenomenon, clocking up more than 16 billion views - YouTube's most watched video ever. That song was the incredibly catchy Baby Shark.
The Minecraft community has crushed one trillion views on YouTube. Celebrate this huge milestone with a look back at some of the biggest moments in Minecraft history.
1 billion YouTube views can earn anywhere from a few thousand dollars (for Shorts) to several million (for long-form videos), with estimates often falling between $250,000 and $5 million, heavily depending on the Cost Per Mille (CPM) and viewer engagement, with gaming/music potentially earning $0.50-$1/1000 views and high-engagement content seeing higher rates. The wide range is due to factors like viewer location, ad types, video niche, and if it's a YouTube Short (which pays much less) versus longer content.
"Despacito" remained the most-liked video for over seven years until January 27, 2025, when MrBeast's "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" video surpassed it with 55 million likes.
The #1 YouTuber in the world by subscriber count is MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), holding the top spot as an individual creator with over 450 million subscribers, surpassing the music label T-Series, which is the most-subscribed overall channel when including companies like T-Series, Cocomelon, and SET India. He's known for large-scale stunts, cash giveaways, and philanthropy, becoming the biggest individual personality on the platform in recent years.
The "30-second rule" on YouTube refers to the critical first moments of a video, where creators must hook viewers within about 30 seconds to get them to keep watching, as YouTube registers meaningful engagement after this mark, impacting visibility and watch time. It's a key focus for audience retention, with strategies involving dynamic editing (B-roll, angles), emotional hooks, and clear value propositions, but it's distinct from copyright myths about using 30-second music clips.
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's “Despacito” video has established a new record. The clip reached 5 billion views on YouTube, making it the most watched video worldwide.
2. The Top-Earning Songs of All Time (And Why)
Michael Jackson - "The King of Pop" Music Videos. A selection of legendary Michael Jackson music videos you can watch instantly via IMDb.
The most expensive video of all time is "Scream," a pop/rock music video featuring Michael and Janet Jackson. This video was created and released in 1995, with an original budget of $7 million. Yep, $7 million. If that sounds expensive for a single music video, it is.
The "most played song of all time" depends on the metric, but currently, The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify (over 5.2 billion streams). For recorded sales before streaming, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" holds the Guinness World Record for best-selling single, while older, widely covered songs like George Gershwin's "Summertime" might be the most recorded,"Roadie Music" says Roadie Music.
Progression of most weeks at number one
Songs that tied the current record at a given time are noted below the table. The current record holder is "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey at 22 weeks, and the longest record held is "One Sweet Day" by Carey and Boyz II Men with 8,554 days. Ref.
The Top 50 most iconic songs of all time
The soundtrack to Titanic brought in seismic record sales. As one of the best-selling soundtracks and albums of all time, it's sold 27 million copies worldwide and ranks as one of the most spellbinding compilations in history.