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These Are the 10 Most-Watched YouTube Videos of All Time (2026 Ranking)

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Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark Dance” is the most-watched individual YouTube video by public view count. In the latest 2026 ranking snapshot, it is followed by CoComelon’s “Wheels on the Bus” and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito.” Five of the top 10 are children’s songs, while the other five are mainstream music videos.

This is a ranking of accumulated public views on individual, long-form YouTube uploads—not unique viewers, total watch time, channel views, music streams, or combined views from multiple versions. Counts are approximate because YouTube’s counter changes continuously.

Important date note: YouTube view totals are live and the source material contains slightly different snapshot labels for the 2026 table and later ranking updates. The figures below should therefore be treated as an approximate 2026 snapshot rather than a permanent leaderboard. The closest races—especially Nos. 2–3 and Nos. 9–10—can change.

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The 10 most-watched YouTube videos

Rank Video Uploader or artist Approximate views Published
1 Baby Shark Dance Pinkfong Baby Shark – Kids’ Songs & Stories 17.06 billion June 17, 2016
2 Wheels on the Bus CoComelon – Nursery Rhymes 9.06 billion May 24, 2018
3 Despacito Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee 9.06 billion January 12, 2017
4 Bath Song CoComelon – Nursery Rhymes 7.50 billion May 2, 2018
5 Johny Johny Yes Papa LooLoo Kids 7.20 billion October 8, 2016
6 See You Again Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth 7.01 billion April 6, 2015
7 Phonics Song with TWO Words ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs 6.99 billion March 6, 2014
8 Shape of You Ed Sheeran 6.74 billion January 30, 2017
9 Gangnam Style PSY 6.04 billion July 15, 2012
10 Axel F Crazy Frog 5.96 billion June 16, 2009*

Source for the ranking, scope, rounded totals and dates: the current list of most-viewed YouTube videos. The figures are approximate, not fixed historical totals.

*Some third-party trackers display “Axel F” as published on June 17, 2009, apparently because of date or timezone handling. The ranking source displays June 16.

What each video means in the ranking

1. “Baby Shark Dance” — Pinkfong

“Baby Shark Dance” is not merely first by a narrow margin. Its approximately 17.06 billion views put it nearly twice as far ahead as the videos around Nos. 2 and 3. The record applies to this specific Pinkfong upload, not to every “Baby Shark” recording, language version, cover, compilation or reupload.

Guinness World Records recorded 16,643,177,027 views for the video on February 4, 2026. That independently documented figure is a dated record snapshot, while later public tracking places the upload above 17 billion. Guinness’s record page is available at Guinness World Records.

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“Baby Shark” became YouTube’s most-viewed video in November 2020 after passing “Despacito.” On January 13, 2022, it became the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views. Those milestones refer to the same enormously successful upload.

2. “Wheels on the Bus” — CoComelon

CoComelon’s animated “Wheels on the Bus” is the most important recent change in the overall ranking. It passed “Despacito” around June 27–28, 2026, moving from a familiar second-place music-video ranking to the current No. 2 position overall.

Its total represents the specific CoComelon upload linked above. It does not include every “Wheels on the Bus” video on YouTube, other CoComelon episodes, or nursery-rhyme versions uploaded by other channels.

3. “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee

“Despacito” is currently the most-viewed music video, even though it is no longer No. 2 overall. Its approximate 9.06 billion views place it behind “Wheels on the Bus” and ahead of every other commercial music video in this top 10.

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The song held YouTube’s all-time view record from August 2017 until “Baby Shark Dance” overtook it in November 2020. It was the first video to reach 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 billion views, and the second to reach 8 billion. YouTube for Artists documented its 2017 record-setting milestone in its announcement about “Despacito” becoming the most-viewed video.

4. “Bath Song” — CoComelon

“Bath Song” is the second CoComelon upload in the top 10. Its presence shows how individual children’s videos can outperform many globally famous pop releases when they accumulate years of repeat viewing from a worldwide audience.

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As with the other entries, the approximately 7.50 billion views belong to one upload. They are not the combined total for all bath-themed songs, CoComelon videos or nursery-rhyme videos.

5. “Johny Johny Yes Papa” — LooLoo Kids

LooLoo Kids’ “Johny Johny Yes Papa” has approximately 7.20 billion views. The official title uses the spelling “Johny Johny,” not “Johnny Johnny.” Alternate spellings generally refer to different versions or discussions of the nursery rhyme and should not be merged into this entry.

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The video is another example of a children’s song exceeding the reach of most conventional music videos when measured by repeated plays on one long-running YouTube upload.

6. “See You Again” — Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

“See You Again,” associated with the Furious 7 soundtrack, has approximately 7.01 billion views. The video briefly held the all-time YouTube record in July 2017 before “Despacito” passed it.

It remains one of the small group of commercial music videos above 7 billion views and is the highest-ranked entry in the table that is not a children’s song.

7. “Phonics Song with TWO Words” — ChuChu TV

The exact title matters here: “Phonics Song with TWO Words” is not interchangeable with the many other videos called “Phonics Song.” This ChuChu TV educational children’s song has approximately 6.99 billion views.

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The ranking’s notes identify it as the highest-viewed video whose public ratings are disabled by the uploader. That does not make it the most disliked or least-liked video. View counts, likes, dislikes and ratings availability are separate measurements.

8. “Shape of You” — Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s official “Shape of You” video has approximately 6.74 billion views. It became the second video to reach 4 billion views, the third to reach 5 billion, and the fifth to reach 6 billion.

Its position illustrates the difference between a video’s cultural fame and its current ranking: it remains one of the biggest pop videos ever uploaded, but children’s content now occupies half of the overall top 10.

9. “Gangnam Style” — PSY

PSY’s “Gangnam Style” has approximately 6.04 billion views and is one of YouTube’s defining early viral successes. It became the first video to reach 1 billion views in December 2012, when that threshold was still considered exceptional.

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Older lists often place “Gangnam Style” much higher because it once held the all-time record. It is now below “Shape of You” and narrowly ahead of “Axel F.”

10. “Axel F” — Crazy Frog

Crazy Frog’s animated “Axel F” is the current No. 10 entry, with approximately 5.96 billion views. July 2026 reporting identified it as a new arrival in the top 10, ahead of “Gangnam Style” and pushing “Uptown Funk” out.

The margin between “Axel F” and “Gangnam Style” is relatively small compared with the totals involved, so this is one of the positions to recheck before republishing the article. An independent comparison of the two videos is available through SocialCounts.

What changed in the latest ranking?

Two developments make many older “most-watched YouTube videos” articles unreliable:

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  • “Wheels on the Bus” passed “Despacito.” Older articles commonly call “Despacito” the second-most-viewed video. That was accurate before the late-June 2026 crossover, but it is no longer the current overall order.
  • “Axel F” entered the top 10. Earlier lists often include Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” at No. 10. July 2026 coverage places “Axel F” in that position instead.

Because the numbers are constantly changing, a responsible ranking should display both the approximate totals and the date or research window used to compile them. A list without a checked-on date can become wrong without its wording changing.

Why do children’s videos dominate the list?

Five of the current top 10 are children’s songs: “Baby Shark Dance,” “Wheels on the Bus,” “Bath Song,” “Johny Johny Yes Papa” and “Phonics Song with TWO Words.” Their dominance is not explained by one proven mechanism, and the available evidence does not justify saying that autoplay alone created these results. Several broader factors are more defensible:

  • Repeat viewing: Nursery songs are short, repetitive and easy for young children to request again and again.
  • On-demand household use: Parents and caregivers often use YouTube as a readily available source of songs, routines and educational entertainment.
  • International reach: Familiar melodies, simple animation and limited spoken language can travel across countries more easily than dialogue-heavy programming.
  • Recommendation ecosystems: YouTube says that videos marked “made for kids” are more likely to be recommended alongside other children’s videos. That can help content circulate within a large, specialized viewing environment.

YouTube considers factors including characters, songs, themes, toys and games when determining whether content is directed toward children or has children as its primary audience. Its made-for-kids FAQ explains the recommendation context.

Made-for-kids status also changes the available features. Comments, personalized advertising, notifications, cards, end screens and other functions may be restricted or disabled. Those restrictions should not be interpreted as evidence that the videos have little audience engagement or cultural importance; they are platform and privacy measures.

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Are 17 billion views the same as 17 billion people?

No. A public YouTube view count is not a count of unique human beings.

The same person can watch a video repeatedly. A household watching on one television may produce a play even though several people are present. Public views are accumulated plays recorded under YouTube’s counting systems, not a direct census of viewers or a measure of total watch time.

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YouTube also notes that public watch-page figures and a creator’s real-time analytics may not always match exactly. Its explanation of how engagement metrics are counted is available through YouTube Help.

For that reason, the most accurate description of this list is: the 10 individual YouTube uploads with the highest publicly displayed view counts in the stated snapshot. Calling “Baby Shark” the video watched by 17 billion people would make a claim the metric cannot support.

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Does “Baby Shark” include every version?

No. The No. 1 entry is the specific Pinkfong “Baby Shark Dance” upload linked in the table. Pinkfong has other language versions, and YouTube also contains covers, compilations, reuploads and related videos. Their views are separate and must not be added to the total for the ranked upload.

The same rule applies to all entries. A ranking of individual uploads cannot combine an official music video with its lyric video, remix, live performance, cover or alternate-language version. It also cannot combine several CoComelon videos that use the same nursery rhyme.

Historical record holders

The current top 10 is not the same thing as a history of YouTube’s all-time leaders. The record has moved between viral clips, music videos and children’s songs as the platform’s audience and viewing habits have changed.

  1. Early viral-video era: Videos such as “Evolution of Dance” and “Baby” were once among YouTube’s defining view leaders.
  2. “Bad Romance” — April 2010: The historical ranking notes “Bad Romance” as the first video to become the most-viewed YouTube upload after the earliest viral-video era. Later leaders have been music videos or children’s songs.
  3. “Gangnam Style” — December 2012: PSY’s video became the first YouTube upload to reach 1 billion views.
  4. “See You Again” — July 2017: The Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth video briefly became the all-time leader.
  5. “Despacito” — August 4, 2017: It passed “See You Again” and held the record until 2020. YouTube for Artists documented the achievement at YouTube for Artists.
  6. “Baby Shark Dance” — November 2020: Pinkfong’s upload overtook “Despacito” to become the most-viewed video.
  7. “Baby Shark Dance” — January 13, 2022: It became the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views, according to contemporary reporting from CNN.
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How this ranking should be interpreted

It ranks public views, not every kind of popularity

“Most-watched” in this article means highest public view count. That is different from:

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  • Most unique viewers
  • Most total watch time
  • Most likes
  • Most comments
  • Most subscribers generated
  • Most streams across music services
  • Most views across an entire channel or franchise

A video can be highly influential, widely recognized or heavily shared without appearing at the top of this particular chart.

It ranks one upload at a time

The list does not measure the total popularity of a song or brand. It measures the number attached to one canonical upload. That distinction is especially important for “Baby Shark,” “Wheels on the Bus” and “Johny Johny Yes Papa,” each of which has many separate versions on YouTube.

It is a long-form ranking

The ranking source covers long-form videos. YouTube Shorts should not be mixed into the list without a separate methodology. YouTube has changed how it counts organic Shorts views, and comparing those figures with traditional long-form video views may not be like-for-like.

Availability can vary by country

A video may be blocked, restricted or otherwise unavailable in some regions because of licensing, platform rules or local restrictions. The ranking reflects public totals on YouTube; it does not guarantee that every viewer can open every upload from every country.

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Counts can be adjusted

YouTube may detect and remove invalid traffic. The platform defines invalid traffic as activity that does not come from a real user or genuine interest, including automated or incentivized activity. Such adjustments are one reason public totals should be treated as changing platform measurements rather than immutable historical facts. See YouTube’s invalid-traffic guidance.

How often should the list be updated?

A live version of this article should be checked at least monthly and immediately after a major ranking crossover. The figures above were assembled from the latest supplied 2026 ranking material and later reported changes through July 14, 2026. Before treating the list as a definitive live leaderboard, open the linked YouTube pages and recheck the public totals, particularly for “Wheels on the Bus” versus “Despacito” and “Axel F” versus “Gangnam Style.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most-viewed YouTube video of all time?

Pinkfong’s specific “Baby Shark Dance” upload is the current leader by publicly displayed YouTube view count, with approximately 17.06 billion views in the latest 2026 snapshot. The number changes continuously, and it does not represent 17 billion unique people.

Is “Despacito” still the second-most-viewed YouTube video?

No. In the latest 2026 ranking, CoComelon’s “Wheels on the Bus” is No. 2 after passing “Despacito” around June 27–28, 2026. “Despacito” remains the most-viewed commercial music video.

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Does the “Baby Shark” total include all versions?

No. The ranking counts one Pinkfong upload, “Baby Shark Dance.” Other language versions, covers, compilations and reuploads have separate view counts and are not combined.

Are these view totals the number of people who watched each video?

No. Public views measure accumulated plays, not unique viewers. One person can watch repeatedly, and a household viewing together does not provide a precise count of individual people.

Why are so many children’s videos in the top 10?

Children’s songs are often short, repetitive, globally accessible and repeatedly requested by young viewers. YouTube also says made-for-kids videos are more likely to be recommended alongside other children’s videos. These are contributing factors, not proof that one feature such as autoplay explains every ranking.

Are YouTube Shorts included in this ranking?

No. This list uses a long-form-video ranking. Shorts should be handled separately because YouTube’s Shorts view-counting system and the resulting figures are not necessarily directly comparable with traditional long-form views.

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Why do different websites show different rankings?

Counts change continuously, websites update at different times, and some sources use different definitions or combine related uploads. YouTube may also adjust counts after identifying invalid traffic. A reliable list should state its scope, snapshot date and whether it ranks individual uploads.

The Bottom Line

“Baby Shark Dance” is the clear No. 1 by public YouTube views, but the rest of the leaderboard is moving. CoComelon’s “Wheels on the Bus” has overtaken “Despacito” for No. 2, and Crazy Frog’s “Axel F” has entered the top 10. Since these are accumulated views rather than unique viewers—and since YouTube totals change constantly—the ranking is best read as a dated snapshot of individual long-form uploads, not a permanent measure of every kind of popularity.

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