What are the most-watched YouTube videos of all time as of 2025? In a world where digital content is consumed in staggering volumes, the highest-viewed YouTube videos offer fascinating insight into global entertainment trends. These viral sensations span cultures, generations, and genres, from music videos that became global anthems to kid-friendly content that parents hit replay on daily.
This updated list for 2025 reveals the enduring power of certain videos that continue to attract billions of views, even years after their release. With billions of clicks separating the top contenders, these videos have broken records, shaped pop culture, and redefined what it means to go viral.
Whether you’re curious about what still dominates YouTube view counts or looking for the most iconic viral hits of all time, this countdown highlights the content that has truly stood the test of time. Dive in and explore the 10 most viewed YouTube videos in 2025 and discover why the world just can’t stop watching
10. Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
Released on November 19, 2014, on the MarkRonsonVEVO YouTube channel, “Uptown Funk” continues to hold its ground in 2025 as one of the most iconic and most-watched videos on YouTube. As of June 2025, the video has racked up an eye-popping 5.6+ billion views, making it firmly part of the list of YouTube videos with most views. Produced by the ever-slick British hitmaker Mark Ronson and featuring the always-smooth Bruno Mars, the track fused retro funk vibes with unstoppable swagger. The result? A certified banger that refuses to leave the cultural dance floor.
Even a decade later, “Uptown Funk” keeps strutting its stuff thanks to a rare mix of universal appeal and algorithmic immortality. Its catchy hook is as sticky as a toddler’s hands at a candy store, and it’s still getting love from Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Millennials, and probably even a few funky time travelers. The music video has become a meme magnet—endlessly reimagined in dance compilations, lip-syncs, movie scene remixes, and wedding highlight reels. Basically, if someone has ever danced in public on camera, there’s a 60% chance they’ve done it to “Uptown Funk.”
Fun-sized trivia bites for click-happy humans
| Trivia Nugget | Funky Factoid |
|---|---|
| Awards haul | Record of the Year at the 2016 Grammys plus a trophy cabinet’s worth of MTV & BRIT gongs. en.wikipedia.org |
| Cameo king | Heard in ads for Cadillac, Garnier, Skippy peanut butter, the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, and—no joke—more wedding highlight reels than any other song in the 2010s. en.wikipedia.org |
| Dance-along difficulty | 11 hip thrusts, 6 spins, and 1 perfectly timed “Hallelujah!” shout per chorus (give or take, depending on coffee intake). |
So yes, if you’re searching phrases like “Uptown Funk YouTube views 2025” or “why is Uptown Funk still popular in 2025,” now you know. It’s a viral time capsule, a funk-fueled juggernaut, and a YouTube legend that refuses to quit. Stay tuned for the next entry in our Highest YouTube Viewed Videos 2025 series…🎶🎺
9. Gangnam Style
PSY
Once upon a time in the land of 2012, a wild music video galloped into the internet and changed everything. Enter “Gangnam Style” — the cultural earthquake unleashed by South Korean artist PSY, uploaded on July 15, 2012, to the official officialpsy YouTube channel. What began as a tongue-in-cheek satire of Seoul’s ritzy Gangnam district became a global phenomenon, breaking records and hips along the way.
Back in the day, “Gangnam Style” didn’t just go viral—it invented a new level of viral. It was the first video in YouTube history to hit one billion views, forcing Google engineers to upgrade their counter system because it broke the view meter (yes, really). As of 2025, it’s still doing the invisible horse dance up in the cloud with over 5.6+ billion views, making it one of the most played videos on YouTube more than a decade after its release.
So how did a Korean-language electro-pop satire with a dancing man in a tuxedo become an international anthem? It was lightning in a bottle: hilarious visuals, unforgettable choreography, infectious energy, and a beat that drilled its way into your skull like a glitter-covered jackhammer. You didn’t just watch Gangnam Style—you became part of it. Flash mobs, parodies, sports mascots, politicians, and even astronauts have recreated the dance. Humanity had a collective moment, and it involved imaginary reins and invisible ponies.
Gangnam Style: Trivia Tidbits Served with Kimchi
- 🥇 First-ever YouTube video to reach 1 billion views (December 2012 — long before TikTok was even a glimmer in the algorithm’s eye).
- 🧠 PSY is a Berklee College of Music alum, which means this global meme was crafted by a legit music theory wizard in sunglasses.
- 🏇 The dance was inspired by horseback riding, though most of us looked more like flailing flamingos when we tried it.
- 📺 Mentioned by Barack Obama, Ban Ki-moon, and Madonna, all of whom either danced to it or referenced it publicly (and some arguably never fully recovered from the experience).
- 🎮 Featured in everything from “Just Dance” to “Grand Theft Auto” mods. If there was a screen, PSY was on it.
In short, “Gangnam Style” didn’t just ride in on an invisible horse—it galloped into the history books. If you’re searching for “Gangnam Style YouTube views in 2025” or wondering “is Gangnam Style still one of the most played videos on YouTube?”—yep, it’s still waving from the upper ranks like a K-pop cowboy.
8. Shape of You
Ed Sheeran
“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran became a global hit upon its release in 2017, blending catchy pop hooks with dancehall-inspired beats. Originally written for Rihanna, the song ended up as one of Sheeran’s signature tracks and a massive commercial success.
Its upbeat rhythm, simple lyrics, and universal theme of attraction made it an instant favorite on streaming platforms and radio worldwide. The music video, featuring Sheeran training for a boxing match and falling in love, added a narrative element that helped boost its replay value.
As of 2025, “Shape of You” has racked up over 6.5+ billion views, placing it on the list of most viewed YouTube videos. Its success is driven by global appeal, catchy melody, and massive streaming across all age groups. Despite being nearly a decade old, its popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
8. Phonics Song with Two Words
ChuChu TV
Don’t let the gentle melody and rainbow visuals fool you — “Phonics Song with Two Words” is a total beast on YouTube. Released by ChuChu TV, an Indian kids’ content channel, this alphabet-learning anthem has racked up more than 6.6+ billion views as of 2025, making it firmly in the list of most watched videos in YouTube history. It first debuted on March 7, 2014, and has since become the unofficial background music for millions of toddlers around the globe.
The video teaches phonics using two-word examples (“A for Apple, A for Ant”) and packs in vivid animations, a soothing narrator voice, and a musical tone that somehow hypnotizes both children and the exhausted parents nearby. While not as flashy as pop hits or meme-fueled dance videos, it succeeds by doing one thing extremely well: being replayed 46,000 times by every child with an iPad. That’s the real power move.
Part of what makes “Phonics Song with Two Words” so wildly successful is its simple but powerful educational value. The video is designed to teach phonics and vocabulary using colorful animations and repetitive, kid-friendly melodies — and it’s now used in classrooms in over 40 countries around the world. That’s some serious preschool street cred.
Backing it all up is ChuChu TV, one of the top children’s YouTube channels globally, boasting over 100 million subscribers as of 2025. Their content is available in multiple languages and has become a go-to digital babysitter (and learning tool) for parents everywhere.
And speaking of parents… the video’s true superpower is its toddler replay factor. It’s been known to run on loop for hours in households around the globe, leading to dramatically improved phonics skills for kids — and the occasional mild existential crisis for adults who’ve heard the phrase “B for Ball” 67 times before breakfast.
So if you’ve been googling “Phonics Song with Two Words YouTube views in 2025” or “why is ChuChu TV so popular?”, now you’ve got the answer: it’s toddler-approved, algorithm-blessed, and making in the list of most watched videos in YouTube year after year.
6. See You Again
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
“See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth was released in 2015 as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, who died during the filming of Furious 7. The song plays during the film’s emotional final scene, marking the farewell between Walker’s character and Vin Diesel’s. Charlie Puth, who co-wrote the song, had recently lost a friend in a car accident, giving the lyrics even more emotional weight.
The combination of heartfelt lyrics, a powerful backstory, and a global fanbase turned “See You Again” into a viral sensation. Wiz Khalifa’s verses about loss and family, paired with Puth’s haunting chorus, struck a chord with millions.
As of 2025, the video has over 6.7+ billion views, making it one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. Its continued popularity comes not just from fans of the Fast & Furious franchise, but from anyone moved by its universal message of remembrance and love.
5. Johny Johny Yes Papa
LooLoo Kids
Released on 8 October 2016 and sitting pretty at about 7+ billion views as of mid-2025, “Johny Johny Yes Papa” has leap-frogged into internet immortality. This brightly coloured nursery-rhyme earworm is one of the top YouTube videos for toddlers 2025, proving that all you really need to conquer the algorithm is a mischievous kid, a bowl of sugar, and a looping chorus that parents can’t escape.
LooLoo Kids uploaded the clip as part of its ever-expanding catalogue of animated sing-alongs, and the replay power is brutal: toddlers smash the replay button like it dispenses cookies. The result? Hour-long living-room dance parties, parents slowly losing grasp of reality, and a neon avalanche of views that few “grown-up” music videos can match.
A few fun nuggets hide beneath the candy-coated surface. First, LooLoo Kids itself is a kids’-content colossus, boasting around 60+ million subscribers and more than 37 billion total channel views—respectable stats for a channel that basically shouts the alphabet for a living.
Second, the “Johny Johny” meme escaped YouTube and rampaged across social media in 2018, spawning parodies that ranged from charming to genuinely unsettling (CGI Johnny being devoured by his dad, anyone?).
What keeps the numbers climbing? Simple repetition, bright primary colours, and a run-time short enough for a child’s attention span yet long enough to rack up ad-friendly watch minutes. It’s toddler kryptonite with a sugar high—literally.
So the next time you hear a tiny voice chant “Eating sugar? No, Papa!” just remember: you’re witnessing one of the most unstoppable engagement machines in YouTube history, still chugging along in 2025 with no sign of slowing down. Buckle up—because our countdown of record-shattering videos isn’t over yet.
4. Bath Song
Cocomelon
🛁 QUICK-SPLASH STATS
- Upload date: May 2 2018
- Uploader: Moonbug’s toddler-taming juggernaut CoComelon – Nursery Rhymes
- Views (June 2025): 7.1 billion and counting – enough playbacks to fill every bathtub on Earth with rubber ducks twice over.
- Rank: Locked in the official list of most viewed YouTube videos 2025, usually floating around the global Top 5.
🧽 WHY KIDS CAN’T QUIT THIS TUNE
- Replay Magnetism – At 2 minutes 53 seconds, it’s perfectly snack-sized for toddler attention spans yet long enough to rack up ad-friendly watch time.
- Visual Candy – Giant 3-D bubbles, neon bathroom tiles, and a baby that never blinks. Mesmerising (or mildly unsettling) depending on your caffeine level.
- Parent Pacifier – Need three minutes to microwave coffee for the fourth time? Hit play and watch peace descend like fragrant bath-steam.
- Algorithm Bubble-Bath – High retention + global subtitles = YouTube’s recommendation engine happily rubber-stamps endless autoplay loops.
🦆 “DUCK, DUCK, FACT!” CHECKLIST
Channel Muscle: CoComelon boasts 196+ million subscribers and a library that could soundtrack an entire preschool year.
Global Sing-Along: The song’s been translated, remixed, and adapted for sign language classes, ESL lessons, and even a TikTok “soap-slip challenge” (please don’t).
Meme Momentum: In 2024 a viral tweet dubbed the video “cocaine-melon for toddlers”—sparking debates about screen-time addiction and gifting CoComelon even more publicity.
☕ FINAL RINSE
If you’re looking up “Bath Song view count 2025” or “top YouTube videos for kids”, the answer is: yes, this sudsy anthem is still splashing happily in the upper echelons of YouTube’s view charts. Until children everywhere decide hygiene is overrated, expect those numbers—and the chorus—to keep swirling down the drain of your subconscious.
3. Wheels on the Bus
Cocomelon
🚌 Route Card: “Wheels on the Bus” – CoComelon Express
All aboard the bounciest ride on YouTube! First uploaded on May 24 2018 to the CoComelon – Nursery Rhymes channel, “Wheels on the Bus” has now chauffeured about 7.8+ billion views-riders down digital streets as of June 2025, firmly parking itself among the most viewed kids songs on YouTube 2025 and even cruising into the overall all-time Top 5.
With CoComelon’s powerhouse network of 194 million subscribers—a virtual preschool the size of Brazil—the video runs on an endless loop of bright 3-D buses, bobble-headed passengers, and relentlessly peppy vocals designed to keep toddlers buckled in (and grown-ups mildly delirious). It’s algorithmic gold: a tight 2-minute runtime that maximizes retention, universal lyrics that need no translation, and visuals so saturated they could double as night-lights. Every replay adds fresh fuel to the view counter, turning snack time, car rides, and “just-one-more-video” bribes into an unstoppable traffic jam of clicks.
Stops along the route:
- The Door Goes Open-and-Shut — perfect toddler choreography for tiny hands.
- Parents Go “Shh, Shh, Shh” — also parents at 3 a.m. begging YouTube to autoplay something—anything—else.
- Driver Goes “Move On Back” — which is what the song tells older chart rivals every few months.
So if you find yourself humming “round and round” while loading the dishwasher, remember: you’ve just punched another ticket on one of YouTube’s most reliable view buses—destination: Infinity Loop. 🎶
2. Despacito
Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
📌 Article: Despacito (YouTube Phenomenon)
Language: Spanish (with global fluency)
Genre: Reggaetón / Latin Pop / Global Earworm
Uploaded by: LuisFonsiVEVO
Release date: January 12, 2017
Total views (as of 2025): Over 8.7+ billion
Status: One of the highest viewed music videos on YouTube 2025
Mood: Steamy, beachy, and universally irresistible.
🧠 Overview
“Despacito” (Spanish for “slowly,” ironically) is the musical equivalent of a passport stamp to global virality. Sung by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, featuring reggaetón royalty Daddy Yankee, the song sparked a seismic shift in global pop. It became the first Spanish-language track in years to dominate charts worldwide—without needing translation.
The music video, a colorful tribute to Puerto Rico’s culture, beaches, and hips that do not lie, quickly became a juggernaut. Within months, it broke streaming records. By mid-2017, it had already dethroned previous title-holders. And by 2025, it’s still sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of YouTube’s most watched content, with more views than most countries have people.
📈 Cultural Significance
- Revived Global Latin Pop: It opened the floodgates for non-English tracks in mainstream Western charts.
- Bieber Effect: A Justin Bieber remix helped rocket the song into the stratosphere, even if he famously forgot the lyrics live.
- Dancefloor Dominator: From wedding receptions to gas station radios in Iceland, it was everywhere in 2017—and somehow still in playlists today.
- Puerto Rican Tourism Spike: Yes, the video literally boosted vacation bookings to La Perla, the neighborhood featured in the video.
💡 Fun Fact Box
| Factoid | Detail |
|---|---|
| First video to reach 3B, 4B, 5B… | Basically invented the billion-view milestone trend. |
| Subtitle-ready | Lyrics available in 15+ languages on official uploads. |
| Meme Magnet | “Despacito 2” parodies spread like digital wildfire in 2018. |
| Still charting in karaoke apps | Somewhere, someone is still butchering “Pasito a pasito” weekly. |
👏 Legacy
“Despacito” didn’t just dominate YouTube — it redefined it. It reminded the world that great music doesn’t need translation, and that smooth vocals, catchy beats, and hip-swaying rhythm can build cultural bridges even faster than internet memes.
Whether you love it, danced to it, or secretly resent how often it played in 2017 — one thing is clear: “Despacito” earned its spot as one of the highest viewed music videos on YouTube 2025. And like its title implies… it’s not going anywhere fast.
Coming up next: the #1 video of them all. You already know the melody. You already feel slightly triggered. Say it with us… Baby Shark doo doo doo doo doo doo… 🦈
1. Baby Shark Dance
Pinkfong
🏆 Welcome to the Shark Side:
Ladies, gentlemen, and exhausted caretakers of screen-addicted children — we have arrived at the apex predator of YouTube. With over 16+ billion views (yes, billion, with a B), “Baby Shark Dance” has officially become the most-played, most-repeated, most-earwormed video in history, topping the charts of YouTube’s biggest hits by view count 2025.
Uploaded by Pinkfong on June 17, 2016, the video was once just a bright, bouncy children’s tune with a few digital fish. Now? It’s a global pop-cultural leviathan. It’s been remixed, meme’d, turned into toys, books, a Netflix series, and a stage show. There was even a real-life Baby Shark cereal. If this thing ran for president, it might win.
🎣 Reasons for world domination:
🔁 Infinite Replayability:
Kids don’t just watch Baby Shark. They loop it until the Wi-Fi gives up.
🦷 Simple Choreography:
Even babies who just learned to clap can follow along. Bonus: parents now have abs from involuntary dancing.
🌍 Global Language Immunity:
With minimal lyrics and maximum repetition, no translation is needed. Whether you speak English, Korean, Spanish or gibberish—Baby Shark’s got you.
📺 Cross-Media Conquest:
TV shows, live tours, Happy Meal toys… this shark swims in every ocean.
🎤 Real-Life Reactions:
- “I’ve heard it more than my own wedding song.” — Anonymous Dad
- “Played it at my spin class ironically. Left the gym humming it unironically.” — A Millennial Who Now Fears Sharks
- “My toddler watched it 7 times in a row. I blinked and he’s now in college.” — Time-Lost Parent
🎊 Fun Shark Stats:
| Baby Shark Facts | Totally Real Numbers™ |
|---|---|
| # of views (2025) | 16+ billion |
| Toddler dances triggered | ∞ (Unquantifiable) |
| Grown-up breakdowns caused | Roughly 1 per replay |
| Time it would take to watch 16B times | Longer than recorded human civilization |
🏁 Final Thoughts:
“Baby Shark Dance” didn’t just break the internet. It ate the internet, did a cute dance, and giggled while doing it. As of 2025, it still swims happily at the top of YouTube’s biggest hits by view count, and no challenger seems strong enough (or neon-colored enough) to dethrone it.
So, whether you love it, tolerate it, or whisper “doo doo doo doo doo doo” in your sleep, one thing’s certain:
The shark reigns supreme.
Now hit replay… if you dare. 🦈💃🎶
