You’ve no doubt guessed that the debut of Susan Boyle on “Britain’s Got Talent” was the video viewed the most times on YouTube in 2009. The online video site has now released its first-ever official most watched lists.
“From a new singer’s debut on the world stage to newlyweds dancing down the aisle, YouTube offers everyone a way to experience and share in the big or small moments that touch millions of people around the world,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube.
In addition to compiling the YouTube Most Watched lists, YouTube also examined the billions of queries that people typed into YouTube search in 2009 to identify some of the fastest-rising search terms for each month. Like Google Zeitgeist, these lists reveal the interests, issues, and entertainment that connected the world throughout the year.
Top 5 Most Watched YouTube videos (Global):
1. Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)
Top 5 Most Watched music videos on YouTube (Global):
1. Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (82+ million views)
2. Miley Cyrus – The Climb (64+ million views)
3. Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A (54+ million views)
4. The Lonely Island – I’m On A Boat (48+ million views)
5. Keri Hilson – Knock You Down (35+ million views)
Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (Global):
January: inauguration
February: christian bale
March: the climb
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao vs hatton
June: michael jackson thriller
July: michael jackson
August: usain bolt
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: bad romance
December: tiger woods
Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (U.S.):
January: obama inauguration
February: on a boat
March: watchmen
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao
June: michael jackson thriller
July: wedding
August: send it on
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: adam lambert
December: tiger woods
YouTube LLC, based in San Bruno, CA, is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
RBR-TVBR observation: This editor is only a casual viewer of videos on YouTube. Even so, I’d seen four of the top five, which gives some indication of how videos go “viral” through Internet buzz and draw us all in. And now, of course, I’ve seen five out of five.
