Stop what you're doing and watch our all-time favourite YouTube videos

YouTube Star Wars

The first ever YouTube video was uploaded on this day ten years ago: it shows one of the founders, Jawed Karim, in front of an elephant enclosure.

Since it was shot, YouTube has come to dominate the video sharing scene, via a $1.65 billion acquisition by Google.

Over the last ten years, internet speeds have got faster, mobile cameras have got better, and YouTube has grown to include movie trailers, music videos, professional vlogger channels and live streams as well as homemade clips from the zoo.

In a fitting homage, we asked the TechRadar team to supply their favourite online clips ever. We expected weird but then we got THESE...

Patrick Goss - TechRadar Global EIC

Grape lady falls: "This is the epitome of an amazing YouTube video - a pratfall from a stage is good, someone making that noise when they land is sublime. If you aren't laughing/cringing at the same time when you see this then you are probably not human."

Christian the Lion: "A man is reunited with the lion he raised as a cub despite being told it might be dangerous. If you don't cry at this then you have either never owned a pet or your heart is made of granite."

Steve Wright - Head of Social

Epic sax guy 10 hours: "Absolutely hypnotic and my introduction to the frankly terrifying world of 10 hour YouTube videos. It gets REALLY good about the four-hour mark."

Honey Badger don't care: "The voiceover that spawned a million memes."

Kate Solomon - Freelance writer

Jurassic Park Theme Song (Melodica Cover): "It's been three years since I first saw this video and it still makes me laugh every single time. The majesty of the moment, the timing of the melodica part, the earnestness of the player... everything about it is perfect."

Kane Fulton - Computing Editor

Guthrie Govan - Fives: "You will not find a more technically impressive guitar performance on YouTube (or anywhere else). Guthrie's rendition of 'Fives' quite rightly made him the "Hendrix of the Internet", inspiring a bazillion guitarists in the process."

John McCann - Phones & Tablets Dep Ed

Watford 3-1 Leicester Play Off | AMAZING!: "If you don't get goosebumps watching this then you're not human, or you're a Leicester fan."

#SELFIE (Official Music Video) - The Chainsmokers: "When a smartphone craze meets the music industry you get gold like this. Sit back, fire up your camera app, and enjoy."

James Peckham - Phones & Tablets Writer

Mark Gormley - Without You: "Everybody can be a rock star in the world of YouTube and there's no better proof of that than Mark Gormley. Without YouTube I'd never have enjoyed the sombre tones of the Florida singer/songwriter/sex bomb and I wouldn't have joined him on his journey to the moon and back, all for one woman's heart."

David Nield - Freelance writer

I've Told Every Little Pumpkin (mashed by ToToM - video by Reborn Identity): "I can't really pick my favourite video of all time, but I love this one and it sums up everything I like about YouTube: people being creative and making something new to share with the world. I preferred the site back in the days of the zoo video though, before it went all commercial."

James Rogerson - Freelance writer

Safety Dance - literal version: "Music videos are often very silly things and this is proof. Utterly hilarious proof. I don't even like Safety Dance, but this I could watch/listen to all day."

Gareth Beavis - Phones and Tablets Editor

Take on me - literal version: "This is another amazing parody with the literal version - for my money, better than safety dance."

Full Japanese Dole banana ad campaign: "There are no words needed for this. Except I now want all the bananas."

James Rivington - Editor, Commercial Content

Secret of the Stars: "It's exactly the sort of thing that wouldn't exist without YouTube. It's a brilliant example of auto-tune, video editing and amazing creativity. Also, it's a good song and more importantly it's about SPACE and space is awesome."

One Dimension - Story of My Life (shred): "I understand that One Dimension are a well liked pop group among youths and on the evidence of this video I can see why. I will probably buy their next wax cylinder."

Duncan Bell - Tech Lifestyle Editor

Tim and Eric's Universe: "Extremely awkward and disturbing Adult Swim comedy that has been viewed by 1.5 million people, somehow. See also."

Desire Athow - TR Pro editor

12 hours of Waves: "When my daughter was a toddler, the soothing sound of waves crashing on a beach was one of the few things that could send her to sleep. That particular one lasts 12 hours which is the longest on Youtube and is the perfect antidote after a busy working day."

Marc Chacksfield - Content Team Lead

The Shining Recut: "The was the first wave of recut trailers and still the best. It shows The Shining rejigged as a romantic comedy and it's superb. Not only is it fun to watch, it shows the power of editing - I am sure this was used in Media Studies lessons the world over when it first came out."

TechRadar - Anonymous submission

Anyone Can Build A PC - Here's How The Experts Do It: "Just watch this. The video editors have stitched up Computing Editor Kane Fulton and have managed to make it look like he can never, ever, ever stop nodding."

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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