Top 20 Videos of 2010

Choosing the top videos of 2010 is a combination of science and judgment. The science part is easy: All of the videos on our list were culled from YouTube's 40 most-watched videos of the year. The judgment part is where you may disagree. We decided to take some liberty and shuffle the order a bit, because no matter how many times Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga break YouTube records, a moving painting is still a really cool video. So get ready to gripe, but hold your comments until the end. Let us know what you think of our list of the top 20 videos of 2010.

20. 'Mine,' Taylor Swift
Until the second half of 2010, it was a rather slow year for Taylor Swift. Then she got back to the hectic, always-in-the-news lifestyle we've become accustomed to seeing from her. And it all started with 'Mine.' The first single from Swift's 2010 'Speak Now' album, 'Mine' centers around some heavy relationship issues. Shot in Kennebunkport and Portland, Maine, the video time-travels, showing Swift being deeply troubled by the relationship and fighting with her parents, following her through adulthood, her own wild relationship and eventual marriage.




19. 'Firework,' Katy Perry
Coming out a mere week after her marriage to Russell Brand, Katy Perry's 'Firework' video might be the closest to her real persona as we've seen from the pop star. This video was not only personal for Perry but also for the 250 Katy Perry fans who won the opportunity to be featured in the video. Shot in Budapest, Hungary, the 'Firework' video also features real people -- as in, not actors -- from Hungary, in an attempt to make the video as far removed from Hollywood as possible.




18. 'Drop the World,' Lil Wayne Feat. Eminem
Most of Lil Wayne's 2010 was spent in prison, and at the time this video with Eminem equated to the last vision we would have of the incarcerated rapper. 'Drop the World' appeared on Lil Wayne's 'Rebirth' album, an attempt to mash rap and hard rock that was met with mixed reviews, but it's hard not to pick a video with two of hip-hop's finest as a choice for top videos of 2010.




17. 'Your Love,' Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj's single 'Your Love' reached No. 1 on Billboard's Rap Songs chart without even a proper release. First leaked on her 'Barbie World' mixtape, the album version featured in this video has different lyrics in the pre-chorus, and is sung at a noticeably slower pace. The Queens, N.Y. MC and Young Money member plays a samurai in love with her sensei, played by actor/martial artist Michael Jai White. Of course, she's not the only student battling for his love.




16. 'Find Your Love,' Drake
The Young Money crew keeps rolling along with its third video in a row on our list. Like Minaj's video, Drake's for 'Find Your Love' came out way ahead of its album release, and is still the best video in his short career. Directed by Anthony Mandler, 'Find Your Love' is set in Jamaica and features Drake stepping on the toes of the island's own Mavado when he romances the Gangsta Ras artist's girl. Romance and intrigue make this an easy choice for a top video of 2010.




15. 'Club Can't Handle Me,' Flo Rida Feat. David Guetta
Adding to the popularity of this video was its inclusion in the soundtrack for 'Step Up 3D.' Flo Rida's club-ready single, 'Club Can't Handle Me,' was produced by famed French DJ David Guetta, and, like its predecessors on this list, it came out way before its album release. The poppy, dance video, with its singalong "Yeah-eh-eh"s, is near impossible to stop singing after watching it.





14. 'The Only Exception,' Paramore
Paramore's 'The Only Exception' is exactly that, as one of the few rock-ready videos to make our list of the top videos of 2010. Ironically, it's one of Paramore's least rocking songs. Released on Valentine's Day this year, they song brings the love in the video for this stripped-down ballad as frontwoman Hayley Williams is seen lying down among scattered pink cards and narrated tracing back her journey to find her true love.




13. 'Dynamite,' Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz became one of 2010's breakout artists when the British pop singer's single for 'Break Your Heart' featuring Ludacris became an international hit. We chose the video for 'Dynamite' to make our list, however, because it was this, the lead single for the US rerelease of his second album, 'Rokstarr,' which catapulted him to international chart-topping success in 2010.





12. 'I Like It,' Enrique Iglesias Feat. Pitbull
Enrique Iglesias and the 'Jersey Shore' were a match made in heaven in 2010. 'I Like It' was the lead single from Iglesias' bilingual ninth studio album and it instantly became a crossover hit. Of course, having the immensely popular Cuban-American rapper Pitbull guest on the track didn't hurt. Neither did sampling Lionel Richie's 1983 hit 'All Night Long.' But it was hard to deny the impact of being the theme song for MTV's 'Jersey Shore.'




11. 'Can't Be Tamed,' Miley Cyrus
If you ever wondered when Miley Cyrus would make the transition from teen starlet to adult artist, the answer was May 2010, with her 'Can't Be Tamed' video. Much like the title and lyrics of the song, 'Tamed' is a massive departure from Miley's lighthearted music of the past, revealing a sexy, dark edge. While many wondered whether it's too sexy for a 17-year-old, one thing is for sure: This ain't 'Hannah Montana.'




10. 'Only Girl (in the World),' Rihanna
Rihanna's 'Only Girl (in the World)' video might be her sexiest to date. The lead single from her fifth studio album, 'Loud,' showed a change of direction compared to the dark overtones of 2009's 'Rated R.' Aside from multiple sexy outfits (including, at times, a lack of one), Rihanna debuted her vibrant red hair in this video and spends the entire video "alone." It might seem a tad cliché, but no one's going to complain about a full video of just Rihanna.




09. 'Teenage Dream,' Katy Perry
We break into the top 10 videos of 2010 with one of the year's most talked-about people. Katy Perry's video for 'Teenage Dream' showed that Russell Brand's rock 'n' roll attitude was starting to rub off on his then-fiancée. In this video for the title track from her 2010 album, Katy Perry ditches the fluffy prom dresses and sheds the Candyland of 'California Gurls' for slinky outfits and skintight jeans.




08. 'Alejandro' Lady Gaga
For the record, we limited ourselves to two Lady Gaga videos, but 'Alejandro' was an easy choice. Naturally, the Steven Klein-directed clip is a pretty intense affair, clocking in at 8:44 and described by Gaga herself as a "celebration and an admiration of gay love -- it confesses my envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together." The homoerotic, military-themed video quickly became one of the most watched videos this year.




07. 'Power,' Kanye West
Like any good Kanye West video, it's a true artistic statement and Kanye is the only star. What can only be described as a moving painting, in his video for 'Power,' Kanye cuts straight to the chase. The scene is heaven, and it's filled with angels and beautiful horned women -- and guess who is playing God? Its artistic vision alone makes it one of the top videos of 2010.




06. 'Rude Boy,' Rihanna
The official 'Rude Boy' video is a no-brainer for our top videos of 2010 list. Unlike many of her videos, this Rihanna clip for one her most popular songs is a lighthearted affair and includes Rihanna doing various '90s dancehall moves like the Bogle, the Butterfly, and the Tatti.




05. 'Not Afraid,' Eminem
'Not Afraid' was the first single off of Eminem's hugely popular 2010 album, 'Recovery.' This Rich Lee-directed video for the deep and though-provoking smash hit is laced with plenty of special effects and ultimately shows Eminem pondering suicide. However, like in real life, he faces his demons and, in turn, puts out one of the most memorable videos of 2010.




04. 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),' Shakira
Shakira's 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' could be hailed as the summer anthem of 2010. The official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Shakira capped off this year's tournament by performing it at the closing ceremonies after she spent the month in South Africa. This is important to note, because the official video (one was created for the Spanish version around the World Cup) is a very personal look at the time she spent there. Black-and-white documentary-style footage is interwoven with colorful footage from the original video and her performance in South Africa to create a beautiful time capsule.




03. 'Telephone,' Lady Gaga Feat. Beyoncé
Featuring two of music's leading ladies, we kick off our Top Three videos of 2010 with Lady Gaga's 'Telephone.' A continuation of her video for 'Paparazzi,' in 'Telephone' we see Gaga get released from prison only to keep her murderous streak going with Beyoncé as her partner in crime. The pair are on the run in a tricked-out truck after they start a massacre in a diner, with one of the casualties being Beyoncé's boyfriend, played by actor/model Tyrese Gibson.




02. 'Love the Way You Lie,' Eminem Feat. Rihanna
Our No. 2 top video of 2010 is another pairing of the music elite. Eminem's second single from his highly acclaimed 'Recovery' album, 'Love the Way You Lie' features Rihanna and centers around a couple -- played by 'Transformers' beauty Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan of 'Lost' -- caught in the havoc of an abusive relationship, a subject that is personal for both Eminem and Rihanna.




01. 'Baby,' Justin Bieber Feat. Ludacris
Like Lady Gaga, we limited the amount of Justin Bieber on our list, because between the two of them it wouldn't be fair. In 2010, their videos were watched way more than anyone else, and none more than Bieber's 'Baby' featuring Ludacris. An easy choice for the top video of 2010, 'Baby' is the most watched music video in YouTube history. Closing in on 400 million views, this video is the ultimate proof that 2010 was owned by Justin Bieber.