The 20 Most-Liked Videos on YouTube

YouTube is the second-most used website on the internet and has propelled people from their bedrooms to international stardom (or infamy). YouTube is into its third decade and has changed the world of entertainment and celebrity forever.

Being the most-liked video on YouTube really means something, and it’s an incredibly hard thing to achieve. After all, your video competes with 20 million other uploaded videos each day.

We’ve listed the most-liked YouTube videos below so you can see what it takes.

Note: being a famous pop star – or MrBeast – definitely helps.

20. “Gangnam Style” by Psy (31m likes)

We open this list with Psy’s viral juggernaut, which came out 13 years ago. While it might feel like ancient history now, its impressive popularity created a long-lasting legacy. 

Spawning a mass of dance recreations and endless radio plays, it was the first YouTube video to hit 1 billion views and has now reached 5.7 billion. It was also the most-liked YouTube video for over 1,400 days.

19. “How Zach King Gets Away With Doing Graffiti” by Zach King (30m likes)

American illusionist Zach King magicked himself millions of likes on YouTube by sharing sleight-of-hand tricks.

This fun video showing the novel way he avoids getting caught spray painting has propelled him into YouTube superstardom and earned him a spot in the top 20 most-liked videos.

The video has also been viewed 1.2 billion times.

18. “Power Tools Racing is INTENSE” by How Ridiculous (31m likes)

Next up is a race to pop balloons and extinguish candles using weed wackers and leaf blowers. Yep, that’s what we watch on YouTube these days!

This irresistible mixture of extreme risk and silliness has prompted over 30 million viewers to hit the “like” button.   

This is the first of many YouTube Shorts in the top 20 – there are 13 in total – proving that short-format video has been incredibly successful on the platform. 

17. “I drew Khaby Lame and Bella Poarch and gave it to them (crazy reaction!)” by Devon Rodriguez (31m likes)

In this Short, unsuspecting social media influencers are handed impromptu sketches of themselves drawn by artist Devon Rodriguez. 

Whilst their reactions upon receiving said sketches are friendly enough, the title does do a bit of click-baiting – which might go some way to explain this video’s popularity. 

16. “Real Life Transforming Cinderella Dress” by Justinflom (32m likes)

Fresh in at 16, another Short with a simple concept. YouTube creator Justin Flom watches as his (now ex) wife Jocelyn tries on three outfits in VERY quick succession. 

The video received a lot of engagement with viewers puzzled as to whether he noticed the secret to the trick – overlapping dresses.

15. “Revenge” by Lucas and Marcus (32m likes)

Massively successful YouTube creators Lucas and Marcus (one half of the Dobre Brothers) are known for their pranks and other silly shenanigans.

In this short, a floating lilo is punctured, waking up a couple soundly “sleeping” on top of it. While it appears to be a scripted set-up, viewers don’t seem to mind.

14. “Home Alone in a Rush” by DanielLabelle (32m likes)

DanielLabelle is popular for his short physical comedy videos. In this one, he performs scenes from the movie “Home Alone” as fast as possible.

Daniel has two videos in the most-liked list, and they’ve both held on for a few years now – proving his staying power. 

13. “Rating Strangers Shots (Crazy Fail Compilation)” by Tuvok (33m likes)

In this video, a basketball is thrown at random people in the street to see if they’ll catch it and attempt to shoot it in a nearby hoop. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people avoid the ball at all costs, and this compilation focuses on those “fails.”

Creator Tuvok has built his channel around these basketball challenges, but it’s the fails that seem to resonate the most with viewers.

12. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran (34m likes)

Ed Sheeran has held a spot on this list for quite a while now, and it’s only recently that this video for his 2017 megahit “Shape of You” dropped out of the top 10.

As well as being one of the most-liked videos on the platform, it was one of the fastest to hit 1 billion views on YouTube.

11. “OMG Best Teacher” by Dednahype (34m likes)

Dednahype is a YouTuber from Latvia creating comedy videos. In this sketch, he promotes some headphones.

Interestingly, this is the only product placement making the top 20 list, suggesting that ads from creators work best when they fit seamlessly into their content.

10. “The Rock Vs MrBeast For $100,000” by MrBeast (35m likes)

This is a new entry on the list, and the first of four videos in the top 10 from YouTube’s most popular creator, MrBeast. With the most-followed channel on YouTube, it’s not surprising that he’s making this list.

In this video, MrBeast challenges The Rock (AKA Dwayne Johnson) to a game of Rock Paper Scissors with the promise of a big donation to charity. In the end, they both commit to donating $100,000.

9. “Katana Vs Bullet” by MrBeast (37m likes)

Here’s MrBeast again, this time challenging a master swordsman to slice a moving bullet in half. 

These stunt-based videos clearly pull in a lot of engagement for the man with more subscribers than any other YouTube channel.

8. “Dynamite” by BTS (38m likes)

K-pop is huge on YouTube, reflecting its swift rise in popularity over the last few years.

In the past, pop giants like BTS and BlackPink have dominated this list, but currently only BTS hold a top 20 spot. Here’s their 2020 video for “Dynamite.”

7. “If Cleaning Was a Timed Sport. Part 2” by DanielLabelle (39m likes)

Next, we have Speedy Gonzales DanielLabelle again and you might have guessed: He’s in a hurry. This time he treats cleaning as a timed sports activity.

These quick challenges are perfectly suited to the YouTube Shorts format, so it’s no wonder they’re popular.

6. “Giving iPhones Instead Of Candy on Halloween” by MrBeast (40m likes)

MrBeast is known for his signature giveaways, so it’s not surprising that one of them makes this list. 

In this video, he delights shocked trick-or-treaters by being unusually generous.

5. "Our MOST INTENSE Balloon Popping Race” by How Ridiculous (43m likes)

Another balloon popping video from How Ridiculous – three Australians who have a lot of fun (or so they claim in their channel description). 

In this video, two guys compete to pop balloons and try to win the race (this time, without power tools).

4. “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth (45m likes)

Previously the most-liked video on YouTube, this Wiz Khalifa video now sits in fourth place. 

Outside YouTube, this track hit number one in the charts in the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

3. “Baby Shark Dance” from Pinkfong (46m likes)

Who knew a kid’s song would become one of the biggest viral hits of its day, leading to a dance craze and it being used by Lebanese protestors to soothe a 15-month-old boy?

One of the more bizarre entries on the list, but it’s definitely one of the best.

2. “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee (55m likes)

Only recently knocked off the top spot, the music video for Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” was previously the most-liked video on YouTube for over 2,100 days.

Beyond that, it’s also the second most-watched video in YouTube history, with close to 9 billion views.

1. “Would you fly to Paris for a Baguette” by MrBeast (57m likes)

In first place, we have MrBeast again. Interestingly, the last time we checked this video was in fourth place, but it’s since received even more adoration from viewers.

In this most-liked YouTube video of all time, he challenges strangers to go to Paris to buy a baguette in exchange for a few dollars.

Again, this is a YouTube Short, highlighting the success of the short-form video format on the platform.

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