Revealed: YouTube’s Most Watched Online Videos Of 2016

YouTube, the popular video-sharing website, unveiled its list of the most popular memes, songs, videos and events, depending on what has topped the trending list that year. The list was made based on the view count, number of shares, comments, likes and more. For ads, YouTube said the top 10 list included the “most watched and engaging ads of the year globally.”

This is the eighth year in a row that YouTube has released its “top 10” lists, and Kevin Allocca, YouTube head of culture and trends at Google, found some concrete similarities as well as some fascinating surprises.

“This year the list of top trending videos is so diverse, [serving as] a broad cross-section of YouTube,” said Allocca. “In itself that’s a big statement about how the site is changing and evolving.”

“We still have the classic viral anesthesia video with “Brothers Convince Little Sister of Zombie Apocalypse,” but we’re also seeing stuff like “The $21,000 First Class Airplane Seat.” And YouTube personality Casey Neistat also had “a huge year,” said Allocca, gaining “2 million new subscribers just this year.”

This year’s edition, reportedly featuring “at least 77 channels”, kicks off with the popular American actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

The list of over 200 YouTubers which ranges from the Mannequin Challenge to Superwoman Lily Singh to Liza Koshy to James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke and AIB, will blow your mind.

Given below is the list of 2016’s top-trending videos, which feature a vast collection of content including Japanese comedy, European soccer, and uploads by some of YouTube’s most popular creators.

Overall, these 10 top videos collected 550 million views and were watched for over 25 million hours.

Here are the top 10 trending videos for the year:

  1. Adele Carpool Karaoke
  2. Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen/PIKO-TARO
  3. What’s inside a Rattlesnake Rattle?
  4. Nike Football Presents: The Switch ft. Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Anthony Martial & More
  5. Grace VanderWaal: 12-Year-Old Ukulele Player Gets Golden Buzzer – America’s Got Talent 2016
  6. Water Bottle Flip Edition | Dude Perfect
  7. Channing Tatum & Beyonce’s “Run The World (Girls)” vs. Jenna Dewan-Tatum’s “Pony” | Lip Sync Battle
  8. Donald Trump: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
  9. THE $21,000 FIRST CLASS AIRPLANE SEAT
  10. Brothers Convince Little Sister of Zombie Apocalypse

In the meantime, Fifth Harmony had the top music video of the year, followed by Calvin Harris in second place.

Here are the top 10 music videos of the year:

  1. Fifth Harmony – Work from Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign
  2. Calvin Harris – This Is What You Came For (Official Video) ft. Rihanna
  3. Hasta el Amanecer – Nicky Jam | Video Oficial
  4. The Chainsmokers – Closer (Lyric) ft. Halsey
  5. Rihanna – Work (Explicit) ft. Drake
  6. Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) (Explicit)
  7. Sia – Cheap Thrills (Lyric Video) ft. Sean Paul
  8. ZAYN – PILLOWTALK
  9. Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend (Official video)
  10. twenty one pilots: Heathens (from Suicide Squad: The Album) [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Finally, the top ad on YouTube in 2016 was a commercial for Machine Zone’s Mobile Strike mobile game, which was followed by Knorr’s #LoveAtFirstTaste ad.

Here are the top 10 ads of the year:

  1. Official Mobile Strike Super Bowl 50 TV Commercial | Arnold’s Fight [EXTENDED Edition]
  2. Knorr #LoveAtFirstTaste
  3. Nike Football Presents: The Switch ft. Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Anthony Martial & More
  4. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge: Official Introduction
  5. Clash Royale: Theme Song (Official TV Commercial)
  6. Mountain Dew Kickstart: Puppymonkeybaby | Super Bowl Spot
  7. Always #LikeAGirl – Keep Playing
  8. The Chase – Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial | The 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  9. #Pokemon20: Pokémon Super Bowl Commercial
  10. Skittles: “The Portrait” w/ Steven Tyler. Super Bowl 50 Commercial