In line with other platforms, YouTube is rolling out its end-of-year moments for users – and it marks the 20th anniversary year for the platform.
YouTube Recap is the first ever personalised feature, which launches today (December 3) alongside the annual release of the End Of Year Trending Lists, highlighting the creators, songs and cultural moments that defined 2025.
The UK rankings below are based on in-country views of songs that debuted in 2025 or saw significant year-on-year growth including official music videos, lyric video, and art track videos.
YouTube UK Top Songs 2025
1 Rosé, Bruno Mars – Apt
2 Alex Warren – Ordinary
3 Huntr/x (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – Golden
4 Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – Soda Pop
5 Chrystal – The Days
6 Huntr/x (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – How It’s Done
7 Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – Your Idol
8 Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, Shenseea – Shake It To The Max (Fly) (Remix)
9 Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club
10 Lola Young – Messy
UK Top Songs On Shorts 2025
1 Atlxs – Passo Bem Solto (Slowed)
2 Joyful – Chess
3 Black Eyed Peas – Rock That Body
4 Connie Francis – Pretty Little Baby
5 Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
6 Doechii – Anxiety
7 Moliy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, Silent Addy – Shake It To The Max (Fly) (Remix)
8 Billie Eilish – Ocean Eyes
9 Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – Soda Pop
10 Jiandro, Ola.wav – Confess Your Love
The music lists show a strong return of women artists in the charts, though UK artist representation is lower than in previous years – Chrystal and Lola Young fly the flag for Britain.
Meanwhile, older songs are breaking through due to their relation to specific memes and dance challenges on YouTube Shorts.
UK rap views still remain high on the platform but there’s no Top 10 appearance like last year’s by Central Cee.
YouTube identified the collective fandom around phenomena like K-pop Demon Hunters, which has pushed other content down the trending lists.
Here, Roya Zeitoune, head of YouTube culture & trends, EMEA, takes a closer look at the key music videos on the platform in 2025…
How significant has K-pop been across the platform – in terms of consumption trends in 2025? Do you expect to see this continue in 2026?
“K-pop has been a major cultural and consumption force on YouTube throughout 2025, but its impact on the platform has been felt really since Psy burst onto the scene with Gangnam Style – the first video to hit one billion views on YouTube – back in 2012. Since then, we have consistently seen K-pop acts break records, especially around premieres [the views accumulated in the first 24 hours after upload]. This growth is driven by the communities that flourish on YouTube.
“Fans have so many different ways to engage deeply with music that when artists are able to tap into those dynamics, it allows this kind of popularity to flourish. K-pop Demon Hunters is an example of this. The film lends itself to reactions, remixes, commentary and more, because it blends topics that are already huge on YouTube, like South Korean culture, animation, music. These fan- and community-driven trends show no sign of slowing down. We know that YouTube is the number one platform for fans to engage in the things that they love, so artists who lean into that dynamic in 2026 will continue to thrive.”
Across the main platform and Shorts, how is international music (including non-English language) impacting the UK this year? What’s driving that rise of music from other parts of the world?
“Music tastes are becoming global, and YouTube has played a major role in enabling that shift. The success of Gangnam Style and the fact that the most watched music video on the platform is Despacito reflects a long-standing appetite for music beyond English-language releases. This year we’ve seen that trend really come into fruition, though it’s been burgeoning for a while – not only in the UK but in markets worldwide.”
Music tastes are becoming global, and YouTube has played a major role in enabling that shift
Roya Zeitoune
We’ve seen more success from UK talent in 2025, including Lola Young, Olivia Dean and Raye, how have they performed on YouTube?
“The success of those artists has been remarkable! We’ve seen them hit phenomenal numbers on the platform. Lola Young made the list of Top Songs, and other UK artists were just outside, like Olivia Dean and Raye. This year with the particular situation of fan reactions to K-pop Demon Hunters, as we have seen, significantly influenced the top 10.”
Central Cee was big in 2024, why do you think UK rap has not performed as strongly in its home market in 2025?
“UK rap has enjoyed sustained success on YouTube for many years. Just a couple of years ago the Top Songs list was almost entirely UK rap. I think this year, with the exception of Dave, there haven’t been so many big releases or tours, which means the fans have had less material to play with. Culture is so participative now, where audiences want to be part of the moment. This year it feels like there were fewer catalysts for fan communities to mobilise around, but the popularity of UK rap is definitely enduring.”
What has been key to catalogue success on YouTube this year – what can help to reinvigorate those songs for a new or returning audience?
“Short-form video continues to play a major role in breathing new life into catalogue titles. When a trend emerges with a particular audio attached, often audiences continue to seek out the full version on our platform to explore it properly. What I also find intriguing is looking at a song like Anxiety by Doechii, which was released through Doechii’s creator channel on YouTube as a fun, experimental piece, but it really kicked off this year because it felt so resonant for so much of the audience. Showing that sometimes it’s the relatability that trumps the timeliness of a movement.”
The full YouTube global culture and trends report is available here.
PHOTO: Nicky J Sims/Getty Images