10 Most Viewed Afrobeats Videos of All Time

By Kinyua Mwangi

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For years now, some of the biggest tunes on YouTube are Nigerian Afrobeats tunes with millions of streams. 

Afrobeats has become popular due to its upbeat sound and its ability to bring people together and connect them through music and dance. The genre has gained popularity globally, especially through the use of social media platforms such as YouTube, where people can easily discover and share music. Additionally, the kind of energy we all see with Naija artists is infectious, to say the least. They keep growing their fan base and the end result is millions of streams.

Recently, Rema's "Calm Down" smashed the record to become the most-viewed Afrobeats music video. In this vein, here are the most streamed Afrobeats tunes on YouTube. 

1. Calm Down – Rema

‘Calm Down’ by Rema is the new kid on the block holding the top spot as the most streamed song on YouTube from Nigeria. It has more than 356 million views. Besides remixing the record with Selena Gomez, it also peaked at No.1 on Indian music charts.

2. Love Nwantiti Remix – Ckay ft Joeboy, Kuami Eugene

Up until Rema came out with ‘Calm Down’, ‘Love Nwantiti’ remix by Ckay featuring Joeboy and Kuami Eugene held the spot as the all-time most viewed Afrobeats music video on YouTube with over 355 million streams. CKay released the video in 2021 and when the song became a global sensation in 2022 the music video as expected became the most-viewed Afrobeats video of all time before Rema's Calm Down displaced it to number 2. 

3. On The Low – Burna Boy

Off Burna Boy’s fourth studio album ‘African Giant’ is one of his most successful tracks ‘On The Low’ with an impressive 315 million views on YouTube. Released in 2019, the record is gold certified in France. Four years later, the song never lost its allure.

4. Fall – Davido

With 256 million streams alone, ‘Fall’ went platinum in the U.S. and topped many other charts in and outside Nigeria. The song's remarkable success is evidence of Nigerian pop's expanding impact in the world of music, as well as the American music industry's tardy recognition of its brilliance. 

5. Pana – Tekno
When Tekno heard Krizbeatz making the beat to Pana for another artist, he loved it and was instantly inspired. He politely asked the artist to allow him to freestyle on it so he could use it to make another record. When the artist heard the freestyle, it was so good that he gave up the beat to Tekno and that's how the smash hit record was birthed. The witty metaphors employed in this song and the instrumentals charmed their way to the hearts and minds of people that 197 million views colour it on YouTube. Pana is Tekno's biggest song yet. 

6. If – Davido

Besides amassing 160 million views, Davido’s ‘If’, a 2017 release got Gold certification in the US after selling over 500,000 copies by 2021. The record is one of Davido's most successful records and his second entry on this list. 

7. Last Last – Burna Boy

‘Last Last’ is off his sixth and most recent studio album ‘Love Damini’. The video has garnered 157 million views in just seven months of release. He sampled beats from ‘He Wasn’t Man Enough’ by Toni Braxton and its biggest market since then is the US and the UK.

8. Yemi Alade - Johnny 

Released in 2014, the Selebobo-produced single had a prolonged run as the most-watched Afrobeats video before being displaced by more recent records. The record was not only a hit in Nigeria but it crossed the border to other African countries. Johnny is Yemi Alade's most successful record to date. The video has been watched over 152 million times on YouTube. 

9. Mad Over You – Runtown

At 146 million views, ‘Mad Over You’ remains a big tune since its release in 2015. The allure is still there.

10. Peru Remix – Fireboy DML ft Ed Sheeran

Afrobeats superstar Fireboy DML enjoyed the success of “Peru” remix with British pop star Ed Sheeran. Besides topping YouTube charts for a very long time, it became an international sensation, especially in the UK. It sits with a pretty 143 million YouTube views with multiple awards.