Video killed the radio and internet killed cable TV. For we don’t sit in front of the television any more waiting for MTV to play our favourite music videos, like our elder brothers or sisters did. We simply log into YouTube and play whatever we want. Music videos rule YouTube as far as the view counts are concerned. And these numbers on YouTube today are a major parameter for judging which music video is a hit and which one is just about average or a flop.
While Psy’s 2012 hit Gangnam Style is the most watched YouTube video ever with over 2 billion views and counting, a few tracks have managed to climb up the ladder to be in the most viewed category in spite of having released in 2015.
See You Again with over 1,26,33,66,119 views ranks first in our list. This song recorded by American rapper Wiz Khalifa featuring American singer Charlie Puth was commissioned for the soundtrack of the 2015 action film Furious 7 as a tribute to the late Paul Walker, who died in a road accident before the filming of the movie was finished.
A song that was shot by making Maroon V perform at random weddings on a particular day caught quite a few eye balls. Sugar by Maroon 5 comes second in our list with over 93,31,55,391 views. With its catchy feel and retro vibe, Sugar peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the Maroon 5›s third top 10 single from V, and eighth consecutive top 10 hit. It is the 68th song in history to score at least 20 weeks in the Top 10 of the Hot 100.
Third is Lean On by Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MO with over 92,71,86,432 views. This is perhaps the only song of the year on which someone with even two left feet can dance! With a groovy tune and a fun choreography, the signature step of this song went viral. This video was filmed in ND Studios, Karjat and Kaul Heritage City, Vasai in Maharashtra. The dance sequences were choreographed by Paresh Shirodkar.
Fifty Shades of Grey may not have done great business at the box office but its soundtrack was certainly a big hit.Love me like you do by Elle Goulding, which was the OST for the movie, ranks fourth in our list. It can easily be passed on as the love song of the year with over 86,62,03,649 views on you tube. The song was written by Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Tove Lo, Max Martin and Ali Payami. Martin and Payami also produced it.
Fifth in our list is the phone call heard ‹round the world. Adele›s beautiful, sepia-tinted face and heavenly voice made this video an instant classic. The 698,648,954 views for Hello prove that you don›t need glitz or crazy dance routines to get people to tune in. Adele’s Hello went into the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Nov. 14) at No. 1, setting a record for the most US downloads sold in a week: 1.11 million, according to Nielsen Music. It›s the first song ever to sell at least 1 million downloads in a week.
Taylor Swift›s girl gang became the ultimate of #SquadGoals in 2015. You can thank her video Bad Blood for that. Its 665,942,366 views probably have something to do with the crazy fight sequences featuring Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba, Zendaya, Hailee Steinfeld, Cara Delevingne, Cindy Crawford, and basically every female celebrity ever.
David Guetta took desert partying to an entirely new level with the music video Hey Mama. Mixing together a futuristic machine, desert drag-racing (only to be outdone by Mad Max), and a holographic Nicki Minaj, Guetta’s video registered 515,427,957 views in 2015, making him seventh in our list.
There was no public space or TV show dance sequence that didn›t include Fifth Harmony›s Worth It, which probably explains its 492,112,890 views, making it the eighth most viewed music video of the year. The video itself just shows the Fifth Harmony girls in various outfits that would be deemed inappropriate for the office.
Sorry in advance for getting this song stuck in your head for the next few hours. But with 477,258,130 views and counting, “Watch Me (Whip/ Nae Nae)» was definitely one of the most viral videos of the year. Everyone from little kids to teachers and Jimmy Fallon was whipping and nae nae-ing in 2015.
The music video for Sia›s «Elastic Heart» racked up 473,925,869 views in 2015, thanks to an epic and emotional cage match between dancer Maddie Ziegler and actor Shia LaBeouf. The success of the unique concept proves that originality and creativity can make for an epic music video. Elastic Heart was well received by music critics and peaked at number 7 on the singles chart of New Zealand and was certified gold by the Recorded Music NZ.