YouTube’s top trending US video was from Netflix, thanks to Dave Chappelle

YouTube‘s top trending video within the US this yr was an authentic piece of stand-up comedy posted by Netflix, an organization that usually pegs YouTube as considered one of its hardest streaming-video rivals — however they each have comic Dave Chappelle to thank for it.

The video, titled 8:46, was a virtually half-hour recording of the Chappelle performing a stand-up set plumbing his ideas concerning the homicide of George Floyd, the following Black Lives Matter protests and the Black expertise of justice within the US. It got here out on top of the annual rankings of Google’s huge video web site this yr, forward of lighthearted movies riffing on life within the COVID-19 pandemic, confessional vlogs by influencers and that squirrel-trap impediment course.

YouTube‘s lists of top-trending movies are extra than simply energy rankings for web stars. With greater than 2 billion viewers every month worldwide, YouTube is one methodology to measure the heartbeat of the world’s pursuits, and its trending rankings can replicate the problems most absorbing our consideration.

This yr within the US, the top trending video encapsulated two of the defining components of US society in 2020: the coronavirus pandemic and a reckoning with legislation enforcement’s remedy of Black residents. Chappelle’s taped efficiency in June was one of many first stay “concerts” of its sort to happen since many of the leisure business locked down, he states on the tape. And his monologue is nearly fully devoted to contemplations of racial justice; its title — 8:46 — is the size of time {that a} white police officer pressed his knee onto Floyd’s neck.

Chappelle has launched official stand-up specials on Netflix’s personal service earlier than, however this was one thing totally different — “an impromptu purging of feelings and thoughts delivered by Dave,” because the video description places it. The similar video was additionally posted on Chappelle’s Instagram account.

Chappelle, who would not function a YouTube channel, supplied the video to Netflix to put up on its Netflix Is A Joke comedy-focused channel to amplify its message, an individual accustomed to the matter stated. Netflix Is A Joke had about 1 million channel subscribers on YouTube on the time — a quantity that has since ballooned to practically 1.7 million.

And the video would not embrace any adverts, both — which means that the top-trending YouTube video within the US this yr generated no direct income for both YouTube or Netflix.

The remainder of the trending top 10 contains some movies that have a tendency to be perennially well-liked on YouTube. The No. 2 video was Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder, a posting by Mark Rober, whose “Glitter Bomb” video had been a sensation the yr earlier than. The top 10 included confessional movies from magnificence influencers, with Jeffrree Star explaining his breakup and Nikkie de Jager popping out publicly as transgender. The listing comprises well-liked movies from inside the normal media business, with an SNL opening sketch in there and comic Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes monologue, and it rounds out on the finish with some coronavirus associated uploads, similar to actor John Krasinski’s first episode of his Some Good News parody newscasts.

YouTube determines its top trending lists from various metrics, the largest being a video’s in-country view rely.

But YouTube additionally ranks its top “breakout” creators of the yr, which in 2020 included some personalities whose rise to prominence was first fueled on TikTok, in addition to channels that target actions which have change into well-liked at residence in the course of the pandemic, like residence exercises and social gaming.

And once more in 2020, music movies had been amongst a number of the most seen objects on YouTube. This yr’s rating of the top music movies is fully populated by hip-hop.

YouTube’s full rankings for the US this yr are beneath:

Top trending movies

1. 8:46 – Dave Chappelle – Netflix is a Joke
2. Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder – Mark Rober
3. First Debate Cold Open – Saturday Night Live
4. We Broke Up. – jeffrreestar
5. I Bought The World’s Largest Firework ($600,000) – MrBeast
6. I’m Coming Out. – NikkieTutorials
7. Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters GRAND FINALE – Dream
8. Ricky Gervais’ Monologue – 2020 Golden Globes – NBC
9. Quarantine Stereotypes – Dude Perfect
10. Some Good News with John Krasinski Ep. 1 – SomeGoodNews

Top breakout creators

1. Dream
2. Tiko 
3. Chloe Ting
4. EddieVR
5. charli d’amelio
6. GeorgeNotFound
7. Dixie D’Amelio
8. Corpse Husband
9. SomeGoodNews
10. Hyram

Top creators

1. MrBeast
2. Dream
3. ZHC
4. SSSniperwolf
5. Tiko
6. Chloe Ting
7. JoshDub
8. The Royalty Family
9. LazarBeam
10. James Charles

Music movies

1. Future – Life Is Good (Official Music Video) ft. Drake
2. 6IX9INE- GOOBA (Official Music Video)
3. Lil Baby x 42 Dugg – We Paid (Official Video)
4. NLE Choppa – Walk Em Down feat. Roddy Ricch (Official Music Video)
5. Cardi B – WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion [Official Music Video]
6. DaBaby – ROCKSTAR FT RODDY RICCH [Audio]
7. Roddy Ricch – The Box [Official Music Video]
8. Drake – Laugh Now Cry Later (Official Music Video) ft. Lil Durk
9. YoungBoy Never Broke Again – Lil Top [Official Music Video]
10. Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture (Official Music Video)