The Best 10 Popular songs on YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts, the short-form video platform launched by YouTube in 2020, has quickly become one of the hottest new social media platforms. Offering creators a way to make vertical videos under 60 seconds, Shorts has proven hugely popular, with videos racking up billions of views. A key ingredient in many top-performing Shorts is music, with creators utilizing popular songs to capture viewers' attention and complement their video content.
As Shorts continues its meteoric growth, popular songs are emerging as driving forces behind videos that go viral. In this article, we dive into the current top 10 most popular YouTube shorts songs and explore what makes them so ubiquitous in this booming short-form video sphere.
Part 1. The Role of Music in YouTube Shorts
Music plays an integral role in the appeal and engagement of YouTube Shorts. The right background track can quickly capture a viewer's attention, convey the right mood, and make a Short feel more dynamic and entertaining. Using popular songs and recognizable melodies taps into people's musical memory, making the Shorts more enjoyable and shareable. This trend holds true across genres like pop, hip-hop, country, and more. Creators have caught onto this, frequently employing hooks from trendy tracks or classic crowd-pleasers in their Shorts to boost views, comments, likes, and shares.
However, creators must be mindful of copyright. Simply including full songs, especially chart-toppers, without permission is a violation. Strategically pruning samples to under 60 seconds can skirt penalties. Even better is tapping into YouTube's official library of cleared music tracks and sound effects that creators can safely monetize. Remixes, covers, and user-created music also make excellent backgrounds without licensing issues.
Overall, songs are integral Shorts ingredients, setting the vibe, engaging ears and emotions, and fueling viral success - when used properly. The most successful Shorts creators mix music mastery with video creativity while respecting intellectual property laws.
Part 2. Top 10 Popular Songs for YouTube Shorts
1. "Levitating" by Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa's infectious disco-pop smash is hugely popular for dance routines and lip-syncs thanks to its retro-tinged production and singalong chorus. The track's themes of empowerment also make it a great fit for flexing videos or sharing ups and downs.
2. "Stay" by The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber
This brooding, guitar-driven ballad ruled the charts thanks to The Kid LAROI and Bieber's seamless chemistry. Its raw lyrics about clinging to a doomed romance despite the odds inspire dramatic acting shorts or open diary-style videos. If you are searching for popular songs on YouTube shorts, this should come to the top of your list.
3. "Savage Love" by Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo
Blending Derulo's buttery vocals with Jawsh 685's TikTok-famous "Laxed - Siren Beat," this track took over as a dance challenge. Its pulse-quickening tropical grooves energize comedy, prank, and influencer videos with swagger and fun.
4. "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
The Weeknd's signature synth-wave sound reaches a fever pitch on this 80's-esque banger about dangerous romance. Its mysterious, after-hours vibe and pulsating rhythm electrify action-heavy shorts. This is one of the most used YouTube shorts songs that you can find.
5. "Peaches" by Justin Bieber
Bieber trades love songs for laidback lyrics about summer crushes and fruit on this breezy hit. Backed by sweet whistles and smash drums, its playful energy suits everything from couple dances to food videos. This YouTube shorts background music is quite popular worldwide.
6. "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo's generation-defining piano ballad beautifully captures the angst of young heartbreak. Set to weeping pianos and emotional vocals, it soundtracks dramatic acting, breakup stories or moving life updates.
7. "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X
With triumphant production and unapologetic lyrics celebrating his sexuality, Lil Nas X's barrier-breaking hit is a queer pride anthem. Its confidence drives self-expression and empowerment shorts by LGBTQ+ creators. It is one of the trending YouTube shorts songs that you can find.
8. "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo
In a blistering reinvention into pop punk, Rodrigo vents about an ex who moved on fast over explosive drums and thrashing guitars. Short creators pair its cathartic fury with rants about backstabbing friends or partners.
9. "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
Evoking carefree summer vibes, this breezy come-on to a lover made Styles a global pop icon. Its lighthearted flintiness complements thirst traps, cooking demos, and other videos showing good times. Anyone would instantly fall in love with this YouTube shorts music.
10. "Dance Monkey" by Tones and I
Featuring warped, vocoder-like vocals over bounding dance beats, this offbeat track was inescapable on TikTok. Its infectious energy and chorus still drive eye-catching dance routines on YouTube Shorts.
Part 3. How to Save YouTube Shorts with Trending Music
With music playing such a vital role in YouTube Shorts' appeal, many viewers want to save copies of their favorite Shorts to rewatch. However, YouTube doesn't provide a straightforward option to download Shorts. That's where HitPaw Video Converter comes in handy.
HitPaw Video Converter is an easy-to-use tool for converting and downloading online videos, music, and more from over 1000 sites, including YouTube. With just a couple clicks, you can save YouTube Shorts along with their iconic music before they disappear from the channel.
Key Features of HitPaw Video Converter
HitPaw Video Converter - All-in-one Video Solutions for Win & Mac
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- Download 1000+ Sites: Supports Shorts and long-form YouTube videos as well as content from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and 1000+ other media sites. With YouTube support, you can easily download the most popular YouTube shorts songs without a challenge.
- Lossless Video Quality: This tool downloads videos without quality loss in formats like MP4 at their original resolution and FPS. This is applicable for the audio files you download to use in YouTube shorts as well.
- Custom Subtitles & Audio: Save subtitles or extract and download just the audio track from videos as MP3. The ability to extract MP3 files can provide a helping hand to you with making YouTube shorts.
- 120x Faster Downloads: You don't have to waste your time unnecessarily as you try to download songs for YouTube shorts with HitPaw Video Converter. This can help you to save time.
- Video Converter: Convert downloaded clips to formats like MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, and more for cross-device playback. You will also be able to convert to different audio file formats such as WAV and MP3 to be used on YouTube shorts.
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Guide to Download YouTube Shorts Video with Popular Song
Step 1 - Download and Install HitPaw Video Converter
First, you'll need to download and install a video converter tool like HitPaw on your computer. This specialized software makes it easy to identify and save YouTube Shorts containing popular songs.
Step 2 - Copy the YouTube URL
Next, open the YouTube app or website, and copy the URL of the Shorts channel containing the specific video you want to download. Popular TikTok creators or music labels often have Shorts channels dedicated to their top songs.
Step 3 - Go to HitPaw Video Downloader
Now open HitPaw, click the "Download" tab, and paste the Shorts channel URL into the bar. HitPaw will scan the channel and populate a list of all available Shorts to choose from.
Step 4 - Browse through the Shorts and Pick What to Download
Browse the list of Shorts and check the box next to your desired videos. You can also use filters to sort by video quality, file type, subtitles, and more based on your preferences. Along with that, you can also pick the output format and the quality where you need to download.
Step 5 - Start Downloading
Once your downloads are queued up, simply click the "Download All" button. The software will automatically download each Short you selected to your device storage.
Step 6 - complete the download
Finally, head to the folder location you designated to access your new YouTube Shorts video collection. Now you can watch favorite music videos or creator content offline and saved for repeat viewing!
Part 4. Tips for Creating Engaging YouTube Shorts with Popular Songs
Popular songs open endless creative possibilities for YouTube Shorts content. Trending tracks are ideal for showcasing your best dance moves in a dance challenge that other viewers can participate in. Upbeat hits lend themselves seamlessly to fun lip-sync performances full of joy and self-expression. Slower jams create the perfect backdrop for filming an odd-satisfying how-to tutorial or cooking something delicious.
When editing your Short, use cuts, transitions, and text overlays to highlight stand-out lyrics and musical moments. Time key clips to the beat drops to make high-impact visual statements. Employ zoom effects, filters, and color tweaks that match the song's mood and tones. This enhances the viewing experience by fully integrating the music with the visual content through a unified style and rhythm.
Conclusion for YouTube Shorts Trending Music
As YouTube Shorts continues gaining momentum, music remains one of the most critical ingredients for creating shorts that engage audiences and get widely shared across platforms. Understanding the current most popular tracks—from pop chart-toppers to throwbacks to indie sleeper hits—provides endless inspiration for brainstorming the next viral Short.
Services like HitPaw Video Converter even allow downloading audio from videos to remix into original background music, opening more options for legal use. No matter how the songs define the platform at any moment, skillful short creators will arrange visuals around music in ways that make fans hit replay while showing their personality and talent. Strategically selecting the right song to complement your unique content idea instantly makes it more compelling, emotional, and entertaining for viewers.
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Joshua Hill
Editor-in-Chief
I have been working as a freelancer for more than five years. It always impresses me when I find new things and the latest knowledge. I think life is boundless but I know no bounds.
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