Likes are everything on YouTube, and it’s worth learning what makes the platform’s biggest vids so popular. The most liked YouTube video, for example, tells you a lot about what people search for online. In this blog post, we look at YT’s most popular videos and explain why they’re so big.
What Is the Most Liked Video on YouTube?
The music video for the song Despacito is currently the YouTube video with the most likes. This video reached first place in July 2017 with 16 million likes — and now has over 53 million. As of 2024, it is still the most liked video in YouTube history, but it’s not without its challenges.
Despacito is a reggaeton/Latin pop song by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. The former released the music video on his own channel in January 2017. While it took a few months to surpass the previous record-holder, Despacito has maintained this ranking for over seven years.
For three years, Despacito was also the most-viewed YouTube video. It beat the music video for See You Again in August 2017 with 2.99 billion views. This grew to seven billion, though the Baby Shark Dance video surpassed this in November 2020.
Factors Behind the Most Liked YouTube Video
Despacito’s immense popularity is undeniable. But what allowed the video to get so many likes, to the point of breaking a record? There are many factors at work, though the song’s catchiness definitely has a part to play.
Here are the main reasons the video got so many likes:
- Universal appeal: A clear reason it became the most liked YouTube video is that people simply like the song. In fact, critics lauded it for its melodic hook and memorable chorus.
- General popularity: At one point or another, Despacito topped the music charts in most countries. As a result, it’s no surprise that the music video similarly got a lot of love.
- Collaboration: The video and song also include Daddy Yankee, a big reggaeton star. This alone allowed it to get more views and likes, even from people who don’t know Fonsi.
- Fun video: It’s a simple fact that epic music videos get a ton of likes. And the Despacito video is no exception, mixing great vistas of Puerto Rico with fun partying scenes.
- Justin Bieber remix: Justin Bieber released a remix of the song in April 2017. This may have also given the original video a popularity boost among his audience.
- Latin pop explosion: In 2017, several other Latin pop songs also gained a billion views. The genre itself has become highly popular, even among non-Spanish audiences.
- Viral marketing: The song’s catchy nature also helped it become a meme pretty quickly. It even used YT’s own viral features, including hashtags, to help the video find more people.
What Are the Most Likes on a YouTube Video Before Despacito?
Wiz Khalifa’s 2015 song See You Again had 16 million likes before Despacito overtook it. It first gained the top spot with 11.2 million likes, surpassing Psy’s Gangnam Style. Music is especially popular on the platform. The most liked YT video has actually been a music video for over 12 years.
See You Again enjoyed 332 days as the video with the most likes on YouTube. However, it only reached this in August 2016, over a year after its release. Sometimes, a video just takes time to reach the top, even with high levels of acclaim.
The song exists mainly to tribute Paul Walker, star of the Fast and the Furious franchise. In fact, this emotional resonance is a key reason for the song’s popularity. The video includes clips from the film series, and acts as a montage of sorts. It even ends showing his character’s final scene, where he parts ways with the other characters.
What Are the Most Liked Non-Music Videos on YouTube?
In the top 20 most liked YouTube videos, five of them are song videos. Extending this to the top 30, the number rises to 13. This includes Shape of You by Ed Sheeran and Faded by Alan Walker.
YouTube is, in part, a music-sharing platform. But there are still a lot of videos that don’t fit this bill. Here are the top three.
1. Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette? (MrBeast)
This video shows MrBeast, famous for his giveaway ideas, offering a man $300 to buy him a Parisian baguette. It follows the man as he boards a flight, buys twelve baguettes, and returns. With over 51 million likes, this is currently the most liked video on YouTube Shorts.
2. Our MOST INTENSE Balloon Popping Race (How Ridiculous)
Another incredibly popular short, this video shows two people trying to pop as many balloons as possible. How Ridiculous is mainly known for trick shots and social media challenges such as this. The video has 41 million likes, showing it’s possible to create exciting challenges in under a minute.
3. If Cleaning Was a Timed Sport. Part 2 (Daniel LaBelle)
This insane video short has over 38 million likes and depicts Daniel LaBelle rapidly cleaning his home. In doing so, he jumps over a table and through a window. The slapstick-esque physical comedy ends with him almost slipping while trying to stop his timer.
But what are the most likes on a YouTube video that isn’t a short or a song? This is 30 million, yet it’s only the 17th most liked video overall. The video in question is MrBeast’s “Make This Video the Most Liked Video on YouTube” from 2019.
The Most Liked Video on YouTube in 24 Hours
The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer achieved 8.9 million likes in just 24 hours. The hype behind this game literally broke records — partly due to its predecessor’s enduring popularity. In addition to being the most liked video in 24 hours, it’s the most-viewed game reveal in the same timeframe.
The Guinness World Records website reported this achievement in December 2023. Notably, it only has 11 million likes today. While it got a lot of likes right away, it hasn’t been able to sustain this over time. Most of the people interested in it already saw and liked it in December.
Being the most liked video on YouTube in 24 hours doesn’t make it one of the most liked vids. In fact, in terms of likes, the trailer isn’t even in the top 100 YouTube videos.
What Is the Fastest Liked Video on YouTube?
The music video for Butter by BTS broke several records. First, it was the fastest video to reach one million likes. And only 34 hours after uploading, it became the fastest video to reach 10 million likes. It currently has 23.4 million, putting it in the top 20 most liked music videos.
BTS is a K-pop (Korean pop) group, a genre known for its ties to “stan culture.” This means they have an incredibly devoted fanbase who mass-like each video. This is how the video’s likes can break records without reaching the site’s overall top 30. The next fastest liked video on YouTube is quite likely to be another BTS song.
How To Get Likes on YouTube: 6 Top Tips
A video with a lot of likes will perform well in YouTube’s algorithm. Even if you can’t keep up with the heavy hitters, you can still succeed in your niche.
Here’s how to get more likes on YouTube:
- Promote your content: Do you have a thriving Instagram account with the same audience as your YouTube? Make sure you share your videos across every network you have.
- Remind viewers: Each view is a potential like — but you might have to give them a little push. Tell your viewers to hit the like button and promise more great content in return.
- Use Shorts: The most liked non-music videos on YouTube are mostly Shorts, which last under a minute. Make the most of this format and embrace snappy, short-form content.
- Be consistent: A like is a way of telling a creator they should post more. Make sure your upload schedule is consistent — or viewers won’t see the point in liking your videos.
- Take on feedback: You’ll naturally want to make your videos a certain way. But if people are leaving feedback, it might be worth changing your style to win more users over.
- Use hashtags: YouTube’s tag system makes it easier for people to find videos that they will enjoy. Consider using a YouTube hashtag generator to find popular, high-impact tags.
Frequently Asked Questions
[FAQ] What YouTube video has the most dislikes ever?
The fake prank video “Revenge 😂” by Lucas and Marcus currently has 29 million dislikes. This video shows Marcus popping a pool inflatable that Lucas and his girlfriend are sleeping on. The comments are full of people claiming this was staged.
[FAQ] What is the most liked Short on YouTube?
“Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?” by MrBeast is currently the most liked Short. The video follows a man journeying to Paris and back to give MrBeast a baguette. In return, he gets $300.
[FAQ] Which is the most watched video on YouTube?
The Baby Shark Dance music video has 14.9 billion views. This is nearly seven billion more views than the planet’s population. However, if you’re instead wondering, “What is the most liked video on YouTube?” the answer is Despacito.
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