Aside from Facebook and Twitter, YouTube is probably one of the few internet sites that are visited by hundreds of millions of internet users every day. This site is a video-sharing site has been owned by Google since late 2006, and which allows users to upload, view and share videos to their peers without limits. Millions of internet users visit this site every day as it displays a wide variety of user-generated video content such as video clips, television clips and music videos. Some individuals who have their own accounts on YouTube also upload amateur content such as video blogging, short original videos and educational videos. This website is so interesting that thousands of internet users around the world are added up to its subscribers. Unregistered users of this video sharing site are free to watch videos, while registered ones can upload an unlimited number of videos in their own accounts and decide on the privacy of their files. Through the years, several people have risen to fame because of YouTube, including international artists like Justin Bieber and Charice who made it to the international music scene after their talents were discovered on YouTube videos. Here is a list of the 10 top YouTube videos this year according to number of views:
10. Selena Gomez- Come & Get It
Video Source: www.youtube.com
Recorded by American singer Selena Gomez for her debut studio album Stars Dance, Come & Get It was written by Ester Dean and produced by Stargate. This song features electro-pop and Indian music, and discusses a female lover’s attempt to rekindle a previously ended romance. Since its release, it has had a strong commercial success, peaking inside the Top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Its music video features Gomez performing a dance routine. Since it premiered on YouTube in May, the video has already had over 190 million views on the video sharing site.
9. Avicii- Wake Me Up
Video Source: www.youtube.com
This song by Swedish DJ and singer Avicii features vocals from American singer Aloe Blacc and acoustic guitar from Incubus’ Mike Einziger. This song received generally critical and commercial success as it was released worldwide. It peaked at No. 1 in much of Europe and charted as well in the English-speaking world. The video of this song was first released on YouTube in June 2013, featuring Russian fashion model Kristina Romanova and Laneya Grace. As of December this year, the video has already had over 205 million hits on YouTube.
8. Naughty Boy- La La La ft. Sam Smith, Naughty Boy
Video Source: www.youtube.com
Released on May 18, 2013 as the second single from Naughty Boy’s debut album Hotel Cabana, Naughty Boy features vocals from Sam Smith. This track reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart and was recently dubbed by the Official Charts Company as the fastest selling single of 2013 in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, and Italy. Its accompanying music video was first released on YouTube in April and already has over 216 million views as of today.
7. Rihanna- Stay ft. Mikky Ekko, Rihanna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjm62wY4A_g
Video Source: www.youtube.com
Released in January 2013, Stay is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Included in her seventh studio album entitled Unapologetic, this song features guest vocals by Mikky Ekko. A pop ballad, it features piano and guitar chords and its lyrical content regards the temptation and failure of resisting a true love. Since its release, this song has garnered mostly positive response from music critics, describing it as a standout track on the album. Upon the release of the Unapologetic album, Stay charted on multiple charts worldwide, and its music video depicting Rihanna naked in a bathtub filled with cloudy water became a YouTube hit. As of today, the video already has over 225 million hits on YouTube.
6. Robin Thicke- Blurred Lines ft. T.I. Pharrell
Video Source: www.youtube.com
This song was recorded by American recording artist Robin Thicke for his Blurred Lines album which was released this 2013. Blurred Lines features guest vocals from American rapper T.T. and American singer and producer Pharrell Williams. It has peaked at number one on the U.S.Billboard Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs chart and has become Thicke’s most successful song on the Billboard Hot 100. Since its release, it has been a worldwide hit, topping charts in many other countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Portugal and Switzerland. To date, its music video on YouTube has already had over 232 million views.
5. Pink- Just Give Me a Reason ft. Nate Ruess
Video Source: www.youtube.com
Written and recorded by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, Just Give Me a Reason was the third single from her sixth studio album, The Truth About Love. This pop ballad starts off with a simple melody played on the piano until it introduces drum machines and bass. Before its release, the song topped music charts in several regions due to its strong digital sales. It talks about the desire to hold on to a relationship even when it appears to be breaking down. Just Give Me a Reason received generally critical acclaim and has attained worldwide success. Its music video featured Nate Ruess and Pink’s husband, motocross racer Carey Hart, in a romantic setting resembling an artificial marsh. Since the video was uploaded on YouTube, it has had over 260 million views from subscribers around the world.
4. Katy Perry- Roar
Video Source: www.youtube.com
Recorded by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry, Roar was released on August 10, 2013 and was serviced to radios as the lead single of Perry’s fourth studio album Prism. Written by Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut, this song primarily addresses standing up for oneself and self-empowerment. Since its release, this song has received generally mixed to positive reviews, with some music critics appreciating it for its easy and poppy beat while some criticizing its lyrics for containing too much clichés. The music video of this song was directed by Grady Hall and Mark Kudsi, and it featured Perry trying to adapt to the jungle where she survived a plane crash.
3. Miley Cyrus- We Can’t Stop
Video Source: www.youtube.com
We Can’t Stop is another song by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. This song was included in her fourth studio album Bangerz and was released in June 2013 by RCA Records. Written by Mike L. Williams II, Pierre Ramon Slaughter, Timothy Thomas, Theron Thomas, Miley Cyrus, Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters, this song was produced by Williams II and is a pop, R&B and dance song that lyrically talks about a house party. We Can’t Stop received mixed reviews from music critics upon its release. It reached the second spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and has exceeded sales of two million copies. The accompanying music video of this song was directed by Diane Martel. Thirty-seven days since it premiered, the song broke the record for the fastest video clip to reach 100 million views across all VEVO platforms on YouTube.
2. Miley Cyrus- Wrecking Ball
Video Source: www.youtube.com
A song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball is from her fourth studio album Bangerz which was released in August 2013. Written by MoZella, Stephan Moccio, Sacha Skarbek, Lukasz Gottwald and Henry Russell Walter, this song lyrically discusses the deterioration of a relationship. When It was released, the song earned generally mixed reviews from music critics because of its lyrical content and overall production, though it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 of the United States at number 50. It later became the first number one single of Cyrus in the United States after the release of its controversial music video, and retained its peak position during the weeks that followed. The accompanying music video of this song was released last September and featured close-up scenes of Miley Cyrus tearfully, singing and swinging on a wrecking ball. The video currently holds record for being the fastest clip to reach 100 million views on YouTube.
1. Psy- Gentleman
Video Source: www.youtube.com
This K-pop song by South Korean artist Psy was released on April 2013 and served as his 19th single. Gentleman is the follow-up to his another international hit single in 2012, Gangnam Style, which has been viewed on YouTube over 1.5 billion times since it was uploaded last year. Psy first had his public performance of the Gentleman song in April this year at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, where he revealed that the obscured world in the line “I’m a mother f***** gentleman” was actually “father.” As of November this year, the video of the song has been watched over 581 million times on YouTube. In the video sharing site, it has set records for most views in its first 24 hours, most views in any 24 hours, and fastest music video to have reached 100 million, 200 million and 300 million views.