From partnering with Disney to the creation of new professional channels, YouTube experienced exponential growth and enhanced mainstream coverage in 2011—a trend that will only increase with the site’s recent redesign.
In total, YouTube received more than 1 trillion playbacks this year, or roughly “140 views for every person on the earth,” according an official post.
A significant portion of those views came from the site’s 10 most popular videos, an enthralling collection of cover songs, parody raps by the Lonely Island, and, of course, the Hater’s Person of the Year, Rebecca Black, who personally introduced the list in a company video.
The Daily Dot compiled YouTube’s biggest hits from 2011 in the following Storify. Also worth noting, however, is YouTube’s genre-specific collection of most-watched videos.
- Zach Wahls Speaks About Family was the most-watched political video
- Japan Earthquake: Helicopter aerial view
- Video of giant tsunami waves was the most-watched news video
- 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes! was the most watched “how-to” video
- iPhone 5 Concept Features was the most-watched science/technology video
- Immortals was the most-watched movie trailer
- Mountain Biker gets taken out by Buck was the most-watched sports video
