YouTube's most viral 2014 hits: Spider dogs, devil babies, bendy iPhones, Cristiano Ronaldo and Super Bowl 'Puppy Love'
As 2014 nears its end YouTube has announced its top ten most viewed videos of the year, with a fair share of candid pranks, talent show shocks and alluring ads making the list.
The devil baby terrorised passers-by
10. 10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman by Street Harassment Video
In tenth is the footage of a woman’s real struggle with pick-up artists and sleazy men in New York as she quietly commutes in modest clothing. This eye-opening video has been viewed 37.66m times since it was published in October.
9. Goku vs Superman. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 3. by ERB
The hero of the anime Dragon Ball Z clashed with the DC Comic’s Man of Steel in this intense rap battle. Over 41m viewers have witnessed the resulting chaos since it was published in May.
8. Devil Baby Attack by DevilsDueNYC
Up next is a candid prank featuring an animatronic ‘Devil Baby’ rolling through New York’s streets in a remote-control stroller. The gruesome kid has frightened almost 49m viewers since he was first uploaded in January.
7. Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial
Budweiser's emotional portrayal of the love between a puppy and a horse, featuring Passenger’s hit ‘Let it Go’, has received 53.68m views since it first broke hearts in January at the Super Bowl.
6. Bars & Melody - Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer act | Britain's Got Talent 2014
Rap duet Bars & Melody’s passionate performance on Britain’s got Talent raked in 57m views since first being broadcast in May.
5. iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test by Unbox Therapy
After its release in September, the internet exploded in shock at the iPhone 6 Plus's habit of bending in users’ pockets; the scandal was dubbed #Bendgate on Twitter.
This video from Unbox Therapy addressed the issue first ‘for the sake of science’. It has accumulated 59.45m views.
4. The Voice IT | Serie 2 | Blind 2 | Suor Cristina Scuccia - #TEAMJ-AX by TheVoiceOfItaly
Getting somewhat more obscure is this sublime performance from sister Cristina Scuccia on Italy's ‘the Voice’. Her God-given talent attracted 66.36m viewers since she hit YouTube in March.
3. First Kiss by Tatia PIlieva
This is followed by ‘First Kiss’, a curious video showing 20 strangers kissing (awkwardly) for the first time. Released in March, it has accumulated 94.45m views.
2. Nike Football: Winner Stays
Next is Nike’s star-studded World Cup ad. Created by Wieden + Kennedy, the video featured football greats including Cristiano Renaldo, Neymar Jr and Wayne Rooney doing what they do best. From its release in April, it has accumulated 99.2m views.
1. Mutant Giant Spider Dog by SA Wardega
And finally, taking the top spot is the Mutant Giant Spider Dog prank. It struck terror into the hearts of 114.25m viewers in 2014, candidly shooting the public's reactions to a dog dressed as a giant spider.
Earlier today The Drum took a look at YouTube's top ads of 2014.