back to article YouTube’s 10 years of hits: Global recognition at last for Rick Astley

YouTube’s top 10 most watched non-music videos of 2015 feature a rapper from Atlanta (Silento #WatchMeDanceOn), Liam Neeson's spot in a US Superbowl ad, the Star Wars Episode Seven (or is it VII?) trailer, and a US law enforcement official busting some rhymes from behind the wheel (carefully captured on his dash cam). But …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Badgers was originally posted around 2000, and it was a flash animation. If you played it long enough the audio went out of sync.

    1. Steven Raith

      Also a useful and entertaining way to test an internet connection, Flash, and to show someone new to the internet what they could expect.

      Good times.

      Steven R

      1. Mark 85

        It's still much more interesting and fun than the "you are an idiot" page that plays once and opens a new browser window with each interation. That darn thing would require a reboot to stop it. But it was always good to teach some a lesson about blindly clicking on links in an email.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          That darn thing would require a reboot to stop it.

          `killall netscape` did the trick for me. (Pretty sure that was the era for that particular prank.)

  2. Zog_but_not_the_first
    Trollface

    Serious omission Shirley?

    What? No mention of "Indiscretions the politicians didn't want you to see?".

  3. EvanPyle

    Read next on el reg: "best clickbait titles of 2015"

    Poss off, YouTube videos aren't news.

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Seriously, what did you expect?

  4. Ole Juul

    What does the Fox say is insanely catchy ?

    I guess my attention span isn't what it used to be since I couldn't make it past the first refrain before I figured I got it all.

    1. Turtle

      Re: What does the Fox say is insanely catchy ?

      I'd never heard it, nor had I heard of it. I tried to watch / listen to it but I couldn't do it; I couldn't make it through the first chorus. I found it "insanely" puerile and moronic. And if there was anything catchy in there, it didn't catch me. Furries are stupid, the video was stupid, the song is stupid.

      Which brings us to, perhaps, the in-article observation that "somewhat strangely, it’s often foreign releases that have major breakthroughs".

      I listen to a considerable amount of foreign music and the reason is fairly simple: When the lyrics are sung in a language that I don't understand, I do not need to know how fatuous and inane those lyrics are. If I assume that most Youtube viewers are English-speakers, then this factor could also be operative for at least some of them too. And considering how many Youtube users there are, a fraction of them could still translate to a very large number.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What does the Fox say is insanely catchy ?

        Whoa calm down there Turtle, you'll have an attack if you're not careful!

        It's pop music, all pop music is shite, it's designed to be catchy, annoying, crap, moronic, packaged and sold. If you want depth in your music then you tend to head of in the direction of the likes of Steve Wilson. I dare anyone to watch Routine or or Drive Home and not cry!

    2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: What does the Fox say is insanely catchy ?

      I don't think it's nearly as catchy as an actual fox call.

      Now that I could listen to anytime. You might want to listen to the full collection.

      It's well-known that "foxes have the finest call in nature".

  5. The Axe

    Haven't seen any of them...

    ... in 2015. I might have seen one or two in previous years though.

  6. dmacleo

    the numa numa link is to removed item, this one works for now

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk

  7. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Dash Cam?

    US law enforcement official busting some rhymes from behind the wheel (carefully captured on his dash cam)."

    Oh, so he has the working one then? I always wondered where it was. That'll be "fixed" in the next maintenance schedule.

  8. Florida1920
    Pint

    Managed to make it

    All the way through 2015 without seeing any of these. 2016 can only get better!

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      Re: Managed to make it

      Have an upvote. And another coldie :-)

  9. This post has been deleted by its author

  10. Tim99 Silver badge

    OK, I'm shallow and sexist...

    I can't believe that Steve Winwood/Eric Prydz did not make the list - A bit NSFW.

    Or for something cool from 1965: Jaan Pehchan Ho - Mohammed Rafi, Gumnaam

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      Re: OK, I'm shallow and sexist...

      This is only slightly deeper and still sexist. Probably NSFW in the less enlightened parts of the world.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-GQ63NStxk

    2. ChrisBedford

      Re: OK, I'm shallow and sexist...

      "NSFW"? Gosh we used to have a morning "exercise class" on TV every day while the kids were eating their Kornflakes, with two or more girls dressed exactly like this. And one extremely camp guy, who naturally (being the "male") was the one giving instructions.

      And *NO-ONE* did the exercises. But everyone watched.

    3. greenawayr
      Coat

      Re: OK, I'm shallow and sexist...

      Geez, I wonder how many pervy women tuned in to watch 5 minutes of that guy doing his exercises in short shorts.

  11. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    No farting Hippos?

    As a tech resource (laptop/phone disassembly) YT has some use but otherwise I have no use for it and never casually watch it. Nice to see Rick Astley is finally getting some recognition however.

  12. BinkyTheMagicPaperclip Silver badge

    PSY's latest is much better than Gangnam Style

    Go and watch 'Daddy' - it's quite something, and horribly catchy.

  13. Soap Distant

    Gangnam Style made me realise I wasn't sexy anymore.

    :(

    SD

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Sexy is as sexy does.

  14. ScaredyCat
    Coat

    Rick Roll 118m Views?

    Never! I don't believe this figure at all.

    Going to say that I've been personally responsible for more than 118m Rick Rolls.

    To say that RR has only had 118m views just seems very, very wrong.

    Give us some credit, most RR videos appear as people learn the URIs

    You can't have added them all up, they appear all the time.

    Up that number anyway because I've just found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ - look at the number of views.

  15. Yag
    Trollface

    "Chocolate rain" is about racism?

    Always thought it was about coprophilia.

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