YouTube has wracked up hundreds, if not thousands of billions of views over the last year. But which videos were the most popular? It’s no surprise that the world has been switched onto YouTube during lockdowns and social distancing – with 2 billion users watching videos every single month.
And with over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it can be a bit overwhelming. What’s everyone else been watching?
Per YouTube itself, here are the 10 top trending videos this year:
We’ve all got friends who take board games way too seriously, but which Game Night Stereotype are you? This hilarious video from Dude Perfect shines a light on some of the most irritating gamers you can find. The forever dice roller makes me want to scream.
This impressive video sees Forge Labs create the Mustard Virus in Minecraft… and spend 100 days trying to survive without succumbing to the encroaching apocalypse. The kicker? The virus mutates every 10 days after day 20, resulting in zombies that are better, faster, stronger.
It’s a day we all remember – Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States. The video, created by the Biden Inaugural Committee, documents the inauguration of the new president, alongside his VP, Kamala Harris.
Next up, it’s America’s Got Talent with an original song from Nightbirde. Her song, ‘It’s Okay’, tells the emotional story of the last year of her life, dealing with cancer of the lungs, spine and liver. Needless to say, it has the audience in tears, as well as the usually stoney-faced judge, Simon Cowell.
This next video from Dhar Mann subverts people’s expectation of autism – specifically tackling how children can sometimes be mean to other kids with autism. It’s a superb way of tackling the stigma around the condition and shines a light on how thinking differently is definitely not something to be mocked.
Part music video, part playthrough, CoryxKenshin takes on Friday Night Funkin, the 2020 rhythm game with some truly excellent beats. It’s basically an animated rap battle with the comedy stylings of one of our favourite YouTubers. Great stuff.
The NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show is a highlight of the year, and 2021 was no exception. Starring The Weeknd, this video shows his full Halftime set include absolute bangers such as Call out my Name, Starboy, and Blinding Lights.
This hilarious video from Mark Rober sets up a phone scammer to be caught on camera – using a glitterbomb to give the scammer a surprise, as well as identifying him to the police. But it’s more than that – Rober takes it up a notch, using his glitterbomb to help Homeland Security bring down a network of scammers. Impressive.
Another Minecraft video makes the Top 10, this time Dream attempts to speedrun the game while 5 of his friends hunt him down. It’s essentially Minecraft meets Dead by Daylight, with a lot more at stake. This tense game of cat and mouse sees him start with nothing, working his way up to tools and weapons as his friends hunt him down.
That’s right – the most watched video of 2021 is Mr Beast’s 50 Hours Buried Alive, where he spends a total of 50 hours, well, buried in a plexiglass coffin. This insane stunt saw his team seal Mr Beast inside the see-through box before covering it with earth and adding a tombstone. Absolutely terrifying.
As you can see, it’s been a pretty impressive year for YouTube with some hilarious, emotional and downright terrifying videos. But who was the top YouTuber in 2021?
According to YouTube, here’s how they stacked up in 2021:
Don’t forget to subscribe to IGN’s own YouTube account for video games, tech, TV, movie news, reviews, exclusive previews, and home-brewed shows like Devs React to Speedruns and IGN Inside Stories.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
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And with over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it can be a bit overwhelming. What’s everyone else been watching?
Per YouTube itself, here are the 10 top trending videos this year:
10) Game Night Stereotypes
We’ve all got friends who take board games way too seriously, but which Game Night Stereotype are you? This hilarious video from Dude Perfect shines a light on some of the most irritating gamers you can find. The forever dice roller makes me want to scream.
9) I Spent 100 Days in a Zombie Apocalypse in Minecraft... Here's What Happened
This impressive video sees Forge Labs create the Mustard Virus in Minecraft… and spend 100 days trying to survive without succumbing to the encroaching apocalypse. The kicker? The virus mutates every 10 days after day 20, resulting in zombies that are better, faster, stronger.
8) The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris | Jan. 20th, 2021
It’s a day we all remember – Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States. The video, created by the Biden Inaugural Committee, documents the inauguration of the new president, alongside his VP, Kamala Harris.
7) Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde's Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional
Next up, it’s America’s Got Talent with an original song from Nightbirde. Her song, ‘It’s Okay’, tells the emotional story of the last year of her life, dealing with cancer of the lungs, spine and liver. Needless to say, it has the audience in tears, as well as the usually stoney-faced judge, Simon Cowell.
6) Kids MAKE FUN OF Boy With AUTISM, They Instantly Regret It
This next video from Dhar Mann subverts people’s expectation of autism – specifically tackling how children can sometimes be mean to other kids with autism. It’s a superb way of tackling the stigma around the condition and shines a light on how thinking differently is definitely not something to be mocked.
5) Friday Night Funkin' KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER (Part 2)
Part music video, part playthrough, CoryxKenshin takes on Friday Night Funkin, the 2020 rhythm game with some truly excellent beats. It’s basically an animated rap battle with the comedy stylings of one of our favourite YouTubers. Great stuff.
4) The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show
The NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show is a highlight of the year, and 2021 was no exception. Starring The Weeknd, this video shows his full Halftime set include absolute bangers such as Call out my Name, Starboy, and Blinding Lights.
3) Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who gets arrested)
This hilarious video from Mark Rober sets up a phone scammer to be caught on camera – using a glitterbomb to give the scammer a surprise, as well as identifying him to the police. But it’s more than that – Rober takes it up a notch, using his glitterbomb to help Homeland Security bring down a network of scammers. Impressive.
2) Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters
Another Minecraft video makes the Top 10, this time Dream attempts to speedrun the game while 5 of his friends hunt him down. It’s essentially Minecraft meets Dead by Daylight, with a lot more at stake. This tense game of cat and mouse sees him start with nothing, working his way up to tools and weapons as his friends hunt him down.
1) I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive
That’s right – the most watched video of 2021 is Mr Beast’s 50 Hours Buried Alive, where he spends a total of 50 hours, well, buried in a plexiglass coffin. This insane stunt saw his team seal Mr Beast inside the see-through box before covering it with earth and adding a tombstone. Absolutely terrifying.
As you can see, it’s been a pretty impressive year for YouTube with some hilarious, emotional and downright terrifying videos. But who was the top YouTuber in 2021?
According to YouTube, here’s how they stacked up in 2021:
- MrBeast
- Dhar Mann
- SSSniperWolf
- CoryxKenshin
- Dream
- TommyInnit
- Mark Rober
- Kallmekris
- Technoblade
- The Royalty Family
Don’t forget to subscribe to IGN’s own YouTube account for video games, tech, TV, movie news, reviews, exclusive previews, and home-brewed shows like Devs React to Speedruns and IGN Inside Stories.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Continue reading...