1980s

1. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine 1.1B
2. a-ha - Take on Me 1B
3. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun 829M
4. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean 807M
5. The Police - Every Breath You Take 771M
6. Europe - The Final Countdown 770M
7. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up 725M
8. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart 707M
9. Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer 694M
10. Michael Jackson - Thriller 672M

1990s

1. Guns N' Roses - November Rain 1.3B
2. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit 1B
3. The Cranberries - Zombie 1B
4. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You 959M
5. 4 Non Blondes - What's Up 872M
6. Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way 793M
7. Scorpions - Wind of Change 775M
8. Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg - Still D.R.E. 766M
9. Aqua - Barbie Girl 761M
10. No Doubt - Don't Speak 753M

2000s

1. Axel F - Crazy Frog 2.2B
2. Linkin Park - Numb 1.4B
3. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance 1.2B
4. Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me 1B
5. Beyoncé - Halo 1B
6. Linkin Park - In the End
7. Chris Brown - Loyal (Explicit) ft. Lil Wayne, Tyga 989M
8. Katy Perry - Hot N Cold 977M
9. System of a Down - Chop Suey! 968M
10. 50 Cent - In Da Club (Int'l Version) 944M

2010s

1. Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee - 6.8B
2. Ed Sheeran - Shape of You - 4.8B
3. Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth - Furious 7 Soundtrack 4.6B
4. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars 3.8B
5. PSY - Gangnam Style 3.7B
6. Justin Bieber - Sorry 3.3B
7. Maroon 5 - Sugar 3.2B
8. Katy Perry - Roar 3.1B
9. OneRepublic - Counting Stars 3B
10. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud 3B

I must say I was surprised to see Europe and the Scorpions on this list. Both of those songs are gawd awful IMO. Another surprise was the Cranberries and 4 Non Blondes. I don't mind either of those songs but I wouldn't expect them to be that popular.

Interesting GNR topped the list for both the 80s and 90s - though I think November Rain is a dreadful song and Paradise City should have more views than it.

I was surprised Rihanna didn't make the top 10 but I think she has the most videos (either hers or where she's featured) that have 500M+ views. I didn't add all of them up but she's probably the most viewed musical artist on YouTube.

I'm not surprised at all that GNR is at the top for 80s and 90s. That's what the people who were teenagers or in their early-20s during those decades listened to a whole and that's what the teenagers and people that are in their early-20s today listen to from those decades if they're into rock. It's the same for Metallica, although "Nothing Else Matters" didn't make the list (I think it's had more views than, for example, any MJ track from that decade though).

What REALLY surprised me was how popular Linkin' Park still is I found about their view counts a while ago and had NO idea that people still listen to them. When I go over to their videos they're filled with all kinds of "TRUE LEGENDS" and "MUSIC WAS SO MUCH BETTER IN THE OLD DAYS" type of comments.

novabrkr said:

I'm not surprised at all that GNR is at the top for 80s and 90s. That's what the people who were teenagers or in their early-20s during those decades listened to a whole and that's what the teenagers and people that are in their early-20s today listen to from those decades if they're into rock. It's the same for Metallica, although "Nothing Else Matters" didn't make the list (I think it's had more views than, for example, any MJ track from that decade though).

What REALLY surprised me was how popular Linkin' Park still is I found about their view counts a while ago and had NO idea that people still listen to them. When I go over to their videos they're filled with all kinds of "TRUE LEGENDS" and "MUSIC WAS SO MUCH BETTER IN THE OLD DAYS" type of comments.

Thanks for mentioning Metallica. That video is actually #5 of the 90s. My original post is incorrect.

MotownSubdivision said:

SantanaMaitreya said:

WTF is Axel F - Crazy Frog ??????

datdude said:

datdude said:

interesting. my thought is that since there WAS no YT prior to Nipplegate until 2005ish (Nipplegate with Janet was the impetus and happened in Feb of 2004, for those who might not've known). are theDr numbers a true reflection of the zeitgeist for when those videos came out?! I think not. Thriller was an EVENT video that ppl raced home to see. Not so (at least not in my circles) for GnR. Think abt Gungam Style or This Is America to have a more accurate idea of the timing and popularity that I'm thinking and speaking of. Its a Retrospective List rather than an Accurate one IMHO

The list is based completely on cummulative viewership. If you go to youtube and type in "GNR Sweet Chile of Mine"... you will see 1.1 B views and if you do the same for Thriller you will see 673 million.

You are certainly right that Thriller had way more impact...but folks are viewing Sweet Child of mIne almost twice as much on youtube over the years.

To the original poster can you please put the link of your source. I searched and found a billboard article...but would need a pro membership to see it completely...I hope its somewhere else.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8546103/youtube-most-watched-videos-of-the-decade-list

Free2BMe said:

A little tidbit that not many people acknowledge or may not know is that Michael was the first and ONLY artist who INSISTED that his videos premier on BET simultaneously with MTV. At the time, MTV insisted that they have exclusive first time premieres. Michael Jackson changed that policy for his videos. He did NOT have to insist on BET getting the same exclusive rights as MTV. Let’s not forget that he was the biggest star in the world at the time and didn’t have to recognize BET, but he did. No other artist ever did that.

Thanks for that Tidbit. And you should add too that back then, BET was black-owned, unlike today where it is owned by Viacom.

DonRants said:

datdude said:

interesting. my thought is that since there WAS no YT prior to Nipplegate until 2005ish (Nipplegate with Janet was the impetus and happened in Feb of 2004, for those who might not've known). are theDr numbers a true reflection of the zeitgeist for when those videos came out?! I think not. Thriller was an EVENT video that ppl raced home to see. Not so (at least not in my circles) for GnR. Think abt Gungam Style or This Is America to have a more accurate idea of the timing and popularity that I'm thinking and speaking of. Its a Retrospective List rather than an Accurate one IMHO

The list is based completely on cummulative viewership. If you go to youtube and type in "GNR Sweet Chile of Mine"... you will see 1.1 B views and if you do the same for Thriller you will see 673 million.

You are certainly right that Thriller had way more impact...but folks are viewing Sweet Child of mIne almost twice as much on youtube over the years.

To the original poster can you please put the link of your source. I searched and found a billboard article...but would need a pro membership to see it completely...I hope its somewhere else.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8546103/youtube-most-watched-videos-of-the-decade-list

I think mine came from the Hollywood Reporter. Though I'm guessing it's the same list. It wasn't 100% accurate as it was missing a Metallica video.

DonRants said:

Free2BMe said:

DonRants said:

Thanks for that Tidbit. And you should add too that back then, BET was black-owned, unlike today where it is owned by Viacom.

Thank you for reminding me that BET is no longer black owned. I had forgotten about the Viacom purchase. Btw, that was the very reason that I mentioned how important it was that MJ insisted that BET have the SAME exclusive rights as MTV. Again, Michael was the biggest artist in the world and didn’t have to insist that BET have equal rights as MTV. He ALWAYS did things like that for black media, history, music, etc. It’s a shame people have been brainwashed into thinking that he didn’t care about his “blackness.”

True, true...I always remember the great interviews you would get from Michael in the black press particularly Ebony, Jet and Right On Magazines. For me that started with that interview in 1982/83 issue of Ebony with Mike and ET on the cover. Great pictures and Michael seemed like such a real person in those interviews.

Who has been brainwashed to think he didn't care about his blackness and black issues? I pity the fool...LOL...to quote another 80s icon.

[Edited 7/27/20 14:57pm]

Free2BMe said:

datdude said:

interesting. my thought is that since there WAS no YT prior to Nipplegate until 2005ish (Nipplegate with Janet was the impetus and happened in Feb of 2004, for those who might not've known). are theDr numbers a true reflection of the zeitgeist for when those videos came out?! I think not. Thriller was an EVENT video that ppl raced home to see. Not so (at least not in my circles) for GnR. Think abt Gungam Style or This Is America to have a more accurate idea of the timing and popularity that I'm thinking and speaking of. Its a Retrospective List rather than an Accurate one IMHO

You are correct about Thriller being an EVENT. MJ’s other videos were also events because he premiered them not only on MTV, VH1 and BET, but on regular TV like FOX,as well. A little tidbit that not many people acknowledge or may not know is that Michael was the first and ONLY artist who INSISTED that his videos premier on BET simultaneously with MTV. At the time, MTV insisted that they have exclusive first time premieres. Michael Jackson changed that policy for his videos. He did NOT have to insist on BET getting the same exclusive rights as MTV. Let’s not forget that he was the biggest star in the world at the time and didn’t have to recognize BET, but he did. No other artist ever did that.

super important and you are correct! thanks for pointing that out. michael was massive then and leveraged his starpower in ways we take for granted. i GET that the tallies are cumulative viewership, all i'm saying is the list should be designated differently for pre-YT views and post. to capture their actual popularity at the time (for those post YT vids)

One thing though, we must remember too that it was MTV that resisted playing his videos...a slight that a black owned media company would never do to Michael. So MJ would have seen first-hand the need for support of Black Media companies like BET. When you think of it, its crazy. Michael was about to launch the biggest album of all time, with the most ground breaking videos...videos which still stand as classics today...and the white gatekeepers at MTV just said..."No, our audience doesn't want to see or hear your music because you are not Rock! GTFOH

So its deeper than Michael being "woke"..its Michael being intelligent.

Edit: When I think of MTV's decision even now...it sticks in my craw. Michael had just come off the massive Triumph Tour, and the massive selling crossover album "Off the Wall." and MTV could just say NO.. I mean... Wow.

[Edited 7/30/20 19:32pm]

emesem said:

WTF is Axel F - Crazy Frog ??????

did you watch it on youtube yet? It was pretty popular in germany back then.