Every minute, more than 4 million users watch videos on YouTube. Like most of the web's leading sites, in just a few years, the site has managed to establish itself as an essential reference.
The first video to surpass one million views was a Nike ad featuring Ronaldinho in 2005. Less than 10 years later in 2012, the Gangnam Style phenomenon became the first video to reach one billion views; at the time it surpassed Justin Bieber's song Baby to become the most-watched video on the web.
But does Gangnam Style still hold the record? Here’s a recap of the 15 most-watched YouTube videos of all time…
15. Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On
Number of views: 2.37 billion
Lean On is an electronic dance track that reached number one in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Mexico, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland. It reached the top five in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Most of the video was recorded in Maharashtra, India, although some shots were filmed in Stockholm.
14. Adele - Hello
Number of views: 2.38 billion
Adele's 2015 hit, Hello was the lead single from his third studio album, 25. It became the first song in the United States to sell over a million digital copies in one week.
Thanks to a collaboration with IMAX theaters, the song's video was the first in the world to use the IMAX format. Hello also holds the record for the fastest video to reach 100 million views on Vevo.
13. Katy Perry – Dark Horse
Number of views: 2.40 billion
Katy Perry's Dark Horse has been on YouTube for a year longer than Adele's song, with less than two million views ahead of Adele. We can expect a drop in the rankings in the near future.
12. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Number of views: 2.45 billion
Ed Sheeran is one of the most followed artists on Spotify; his success has clearly been reflected on YouTube.
The video shows Ed Sheeran performing a ballroom dance with a contestant on the American TV show So You Think You Think You Can DanceBefore filming, the singer had to train five hours a day for several weeks during a tour.
11. Enrique Iglesias – Bailando
Number of views: 2.56 billion
The first reggaeton song on the list is Bailando by Enrique Iglesias. Although Iglesias also recorded the song in English and Portuguese, it is the Spanish version that has garnered the most attention.
In fact, it was the first Spanish-language video on YouTube to garner more than a billion views.
10. Katy Perry - Roar
Number of views: 2.60 billion
Katy Perry is one of two artists to have two videos in the top 15. Her second entry, Roar, is a pop song that reached number one in several countries.
Upon its release, many fans accused the song of copying Sara Bareilles' "Brave".
9. Taylor Swift – Shake it Off
Number of views: 2.62 billion
The first single from Taylor Swift's fifth album, this song is a departure from the country artist's usual style. The music video surpassed one billion views on YouTube in August 2015.
8. Maroon Five – Sugar
Number of views: 2.72 billion
Maroon Five's Sugar video is the most innovative on this list. The band teamed up with the director of Serial party animals David Dobkin and traveled around Los Angeles surprising couples by inviting himself to their weddings.
The video is completely authentic.
7. Justin Bieber - Sorry
Number of views: 2.99 billion
Bieber's only song in the top 15 isn't Toddler but his 2015 hit, Sorry.
The song is catchy, but the video is tragically bad (unless you like repetitive dance moves and 90s fashion).
6. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars
Number of views: 3.19 billion
Drawing heavily on the sounds of 1980s funk music, Uptown Funk was number one in the US for 14 consecutive weeks and won two Grammys and a Brit.
The song has been the subject of accusations of plagiarism and copyright infringement; Ronson and Mars have been sued five times. Two of these cases have been settled out of court, one resulted in other artists being added to the song's official list of songwriters, and two cases are still ongoing.
5. Psy – Gangnam Style
Number of views: 3.20 billion
You were certainly waiting for it, it is one of the two videos in the top 15 that was a real global phenomenon.
Number one in 30 countries, stars around the world have taken up Psy's dance moves.
4. Masha and The Bear – Recipe for Disaster (Ep. 17)
Number of views: 3.23 billion
The biggest surprise of this top 15, Masha and The Bear – Recipe for Disaster (Episode 17) is the most watched non-music video on YouTube and ranks fourth in the list.
A Russian-language animated children's show, it tells the story of Masha and her teddy bear as they try to stay out of trouble. In this episode, Masha cooks too much porridge and puts her forest in danger.
3. Ed Sheeran - Shape of You
Number of views: 3.71 billion
Back to music. Ed Sheeran joins Katy Perry as the second double-billed artist. The Shape of You is a pop song inspired by Jamaican music. The song reached number one in 34 countries.
The video stars American dancer Jennie Pegouskie and retired sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama Ryuta.
2. Wiz Khalifa - See You Again feat. Charlie Puth
Number of views: 3.72 billion
See You Again was written for the film Fast & Furious 7 as a tribute to former franchise star Paul Walker.
The film was in the middle of filming when Walker died in a car accident in 2013. Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, served as stand-ins to complete the remaining scenes.
1. Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee
Number of views: 5.44 billion
Luis Fonsi's reggaeton hit Despacito was another global megahit. The song reached number one in 47 countries and reached the top 10 in six other countries. It became the first Spanish-language album to reach number one in the United States since the Macarena in 1996.
The song also set a record for the fastest song to reach one billion views, in just 97 days. In comparison, it took Gangnam Style five months to reach the same milestone.
What about Justin Bieber's Baby?
What happened to the former record holder, Toddler Justin Bieber's? With 1,94 billion views, it's clinging to a spot in the top 25.
However, by a curious coincidence, it is also the number one most disliked video on YouTube.
So, did you know this top 15?
