YouTube Music CEO, Lyor Cohen said, “If you cut a French person open, they bleed cinema. If you cut a person from the UK open, they bleed music. So why not be here? And the best music is coming out of the UK.” Expressing his admiration for the vibrant music scene in the UK, he adds that its the most captivating worldwide in a Financial Times interview.
Boasting more than 2.3 billion users globally, YouTube reigns supreme as the foremost music platform and is ahead of all social media platforms, except Facebook. At the same time, the United Kingdom is home to some of the most globally recognized music videos, from the irresistibly infectious “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran to the electrifying collaboration of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars in the chart-topping sensation, “Uptown Funk.”
On this post millennial virtual video box, known for record-breaking view counts, soaring into the billions, UK artists register their undeniable impact with cultural hits that dominate the globe. This WMV research dives into the 8 most viewed music videos by UK artists (British and Ireland) and hint hint, there is a Jamaican in there.
1|Ed Sheeran – Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Views: 6.1 billion
‘Shape Of You’ by Ed Sheeran released in 2017 is the second most viewed music video on YouTube and the most viewed by a British artist worldwide.The singer-songwriter transforms into a committed athlete for the visuals of this dancehall R&B infused track, donning boxing gloves and immersing himself in the world of a fighter. The video playfully hints at a potential cameo from the iconic Rocky Balboa.As Sheeran diligently trains in the gym, the storyline unfolds with encounters between him and a fellow boxer, marked by flirtatious glances. The video transitions through scenes of lighthearted sparring on the streets and intimate moments shared over fried chicken at a diner, culminating in a passionate make-out session in the back of a taxi.However, the romantic bliss takes a sharp turn when Sheeran’s love interest abruptly exits the scene. Feeling the sting of rejection, Sheeran channels his emotions at the gym, complete with tire-flipping sessions, as he gears up for an imminent match.
2| Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk (Official Video) ft. Bruno Mars
Views: 5,118,651,668
Released on the platform November 19, 2014, the official music video for ‘Uptown Funk’ was shot at the “New York Street” backlot in Los Angeles, located at 20th Century Fox Studios. Co-directed by Bruno Mars and his frequent collaborator Cameron Duddy with 1970s and 1980s aesthetics, it is the ninth most-viewed YouTube video of all time and sedan most-viewed by a UK artist.Mars donning a distinctive “salmon-colored blazer” and Ronson, Mars, and The Hooligans singing, walking, and dancing in the streets.
The narrative includes scenes of the duo getting their hair styled in perm curlers at a salon and having their shoes shined. Mars’ lyrics come to life as he instructs a bandmate to fill his cup with liquor.
In 2015, the video was nominated for British Video of the Year at the BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards, it received nominations for Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, Best Collaboration, and Best Direction, winning Best Male Video that same year.The UK Music Video Awards honored it with Best Pop Video-UK, and it earned a nomination for Best Male Video at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.The video won Video of the Year and received a Best Dance Performance nomination at the 2015 Soul Train Music Awards.
3| Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud (Official Music Video)
Views: 3.7 Billion
This Emil Nava directed music video was filmed in the Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The video made its debut on YouTube October 7, 2014, and within the first 24 hours, it hit 2.7 million views.Sheeran stepped into the forefront for “Thinking Out Loud” as the lead role, engaging in a captivating contemporary dance alongside Brittany Cherry, a participant from So You Think You Can Dance TV show. The dance routine, choreographed by Nappytabs with training assistance from Paul Karmiryan, required Sheeran’s dedicated commitment, with five hours of daily practice over three weeks while on a concert tour.This is the 13th most viewed music video on YouTube overall and Ed had to fight to retain his rights to the song after he was accused of stealing parts of Marvin Gaye’s “Lets Get It On.”Notably, the music video received four nominations at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year and Best Male Video.
4| Ed Sheeran – Perfect (Official Music Video)Views: 3.6 Billion
Jason Koeing who also directed “Shape Of You” was tagged for “Perfect” music video directions and it was released November 9, 2017, on YouTube. The video features Zoey Deutch and captures another angle to Ed’s love stories, this time amid the snow-covered landscape of the Austrian ski resort of Hintertux. Sheeran and Deutch embark on a ski trip with friends, dancing in the snow and ultimately finding themselves in a cozy cabin together.
As of January 2024 , “Perfect” is the 15th most viewed music video of all time on YouTube. most-viewed video on the platform. Additionally, the video earned nominations at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards for Song of the Year, Best Pop Video, and Best Direction.
5| Passenger | Let Her Go (Official Video)Views: 3.5 Billion
Directed and produced by the Australian video artist Dave Jensen and Tavic, “Let Her Go” was released on July 25, 2012. The video depicts the preparation of the stage for a Passenger concert, featuring footage of Passenger’s performance with his backing band and shots capturing the audience’s reactions.
The song and video was a breakthrough hit upon its released and on November 10, 2023, the English singer-songwriter Passenger celebrated the 10th anniversary of his breakthrough hit, with a special duet featuring Ed Sheeran. This new rendition is part of a commemorative edition of Passenger’s 2013 album, “All the Little Lights,” for which he re-recorded the entire LP.Although officially released in 2012, “Let Her Go” and the album “All the Little Lights” gained recognition in 2013, reaching Number Five on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieving widespread success in Europe and the U.K.
6| Adele – Hello (Official Music Video)
Views: 3.1 Billion
Upon hearing the song by Adele, Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan envisioned a story immediately for the “Hello” music video, describing it as not particularly original in the La Times he said, “The video is highly unoriginal. The lyrics are ‘Hello, it’s me’ and then you see someone picking up a phone.”Dolan, said not inclined towards highly conceptual videos, preferred a narrative where Adele walks around a house, makes phone calls, and eventually finds herself in a forest, possibly with some flashbacks.
“I’m not good at imagining super-conceptual videos. I just thought it would be nice to have her walk around the house and make phone calls and end up in a forest, with maybe some flashbacks in it,” he added.The video’s theme revolves around a young woman who has recently experienced a breakup, calling a younger version of herself and it was the first music video recorded in IMAX format.
Dolan drew inspiration from his semi-autobiographical debut film, “I Killed My Mother,” which he created when he was just 20. The filming took place on a farm in Quebec over four days in September 2015.The music video for “Hello” set a Vevo Record surpassing 27.7 million views within the first 24 hours, breaking the previous record held by Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.” It continued to break records, including Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” record for reaching 100 million views in five days. While on YouTube searches, “Adele hello” became the top search term, with one million views per hour during the initial two days of its release. As of January 2024 “Hello” is the 27th most-viewed video on YouTube , and on 17 January 2016, it earned the Guinness World Record for the “fastest time for a video to reach 1 billion views” in 87 days.
7| Dua Lipa – New Rules
Views: 2.9 Billion
Henry Scholfield, the director behind Dua Lipa’s previous visual, “Lost in Your Light,” took on the reins for the music video of “New Rules.” Lipa drew inspiration from a 1980s campaign image featuring model Naomi Campbell carrying another model on her back.“I had saved pictures on my phone to use as reference points for the video,” the 21-year-old singer told the Cut. “There was an image I’d saved of Naomi Campbell in the ‘80s — I think it was a Versace campaign — where she is basically holding another girl on her back. I loved the idea of girls looking after each other like that, holding each other, that sense of humility, that sense of strength.”
Scholfield enlisted Teresa Barcelo to choreograph the dance routines, drawing inspiration from the graceful movements of flamingos.Over 200 women auditioned for the video, but only eight were ultimately selected and it was shot on location in June 2017 at The Confidante, a Miami Beach hotel affiliated with the Unbound Collection brand by Hyatt.
8| Clean Bandit – Rockabye (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
Views: 2.8 Billion
This list of top YouTube British hits would not be complete without some Jamaican affiliation; Directed by Grace Chatto and Jack Patterson of Clean Bandit it is YouTube 33rd most viewed video of all time. It is Sean Paul’s biggest collaboration and his most viewed video on YouTube.
