Entertainment

Dave Chappelle, 'SNL' and Ricky Gervais top US YouTube videos of 2020

Parodies, standup and good news were among the themes that helped users make it through this difficult year

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 02 Dec 2020 4:00PM

Dave Chappelle, 'SNL' and Ricky Gervais top US YouTube videos of 2020
Dave Chappelle's '8:46' video was viewed more than 29 million times on YouTube this year. – AFP pic, December 2, 2020

WHICH videos were most watched by US YouTube viewers in 2020? The video platform unveiled its top 10 ranking on December 1. Parodies, standup and good news were among the themes defining the key videos that helped US internet users make it through this difficult year.

As the end of 2020 approaches, YouTube has unveiled its ranking of videos for the year in the USA. The ten most-watched videos were greatly influenced by a year marked by turmoil, the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrations against police brutality and, of course, a fierce presidential election.

Comedian Dave Chappelle leads the pack with his '8:46' special, shot in June 2020. The headline of his stand-up show references the death of George Floyd, a Black citizen who choked after a police officer placed a knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. This tragic event, captured on video, contributed to mass demonstrations against police brutality under the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the USA and the world.

The US presidential election makes an appearance in the top 10 videos of the year. A 'Saturday Night Live' parody of a debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden (played by Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey, respectively) ranks third. 

In the midst of a nerve-wracking year, Internet users also shared light and fun content. For instance, the video showing Mark Rober building a squirrel-proof bird feeder ranks second. Ricky Gervais's Golden Globe speech from last January also ranked in the top 10. Good news also became viral, notably thanks to John Krasinski's 'Some Good News' series that tackled positive topics during this gloomy period. – ETX Studio, December 2, 2020

The top 10 most popular videos on YouTube in 2020 in the USA

1. Netflix Is A Joke – 8:46, Dave Chappelle

2. Mark Rober – Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

3. SNL – First Debate Cold Open

4. JeffreeStar – We Broke Up

5. MrBeast – I Bought The World's Largest Firework

6. NikkieTutorials, I'm Coming Out.

7. Dream, Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters Grand Finale

8. NBC – Ricky Gervais' Monologue – 2020 Golden Globes

9. Dude Perfect – Quarantine Stereotypes

10. SomeGoodNews – Some Good News with John Krasinski – Ep 1

Related News

Malaysia / 1w

MACC, Customs task force must become catalyst for smarter border and better container governance

Opinion / 6mth

The 'Age of Apps': Making daily life easier, not harder

Malaysia / 1y

Anwar wants digital technology, AI to be mastered at school level

Malaysia / 1y

AI porn case: Critical need to enhance digital safety, says Teo Nie Ching

Opinion / 1y

Food security: Our moral and economic imperative

Malaysia / 1y

Penang to use latest technology to overcome mounting solid waste problems

Spotlight

Malaysia

Myanmar hotel worker charged over alleged sexual assault of three-year-old Australian boy in Penang

Health

MOH weighs HFMD vaccine strategy as cases plunge 83%

World

Trump links Saudi nuclear deal to Israel recognition as pact heads to Congress

Malaysia

Shah Alam brawl turns deadly as car strikes man after machete attack (video)

Music

‘Queen of Country’, Dolly Parton dies at 80

Sports & Fitness

Global cricket legends urge Pakistan to honour court order on Imran Khan’s medical care

Malaysia

Should PH work with Bersama to defeat a common enemy?

Business

Nation’s economic outlook strengthens as leading index signals continued growth

You may be interested

Music

‘Queen of Country’, Dolly Parton dies at 80