Netflix soundtrack dominates as YouTube charts reveal fragmented listening

The first week of 2026 showcased how entertainment franchises drive music consumption while regional preferences fragment what constitutes mainstream listening. Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" animated film continued generating chart success weeks after its release, with the soundtrack claiming the number one position on YouTube's United States Weekly Top Songs chart for December 26, 2025 through January 1, 2026.

"Golden" by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI and KPop Demon Hunters Cast accumulated 9,348,447 views during the seven-day tracking period. The track climbed one position from the previous week while maintaining its presence on the chart for 28 consecutive weeks. According to the chart data, this represents sustained performance rather than a sudden viral moment, distinguishing it from debut entries that capture immediate attention but lack staying power.

The soundtrack's commercial momentum stems from Netflix's strategic positioning of "KPop Demon Hunters" as one of the streaming platform's most-watched productions throughout 2025. Multiple tracks from the animated film's soundtrack penetrated the top 100, with "Soda Pop" reaching position five with 4,355,531 views, "Your Idol" claiming position seven with 3,652,552 views, and "How It's Done" securing position 12 with 2,635,084 views. All four tracks have maintained chart presence for 28 weeks, indicating the film's sustained cultural impact rather than brief promotional cycles.

The connection between video entertainment and music consumption demonstrates how marketing professionals must account for cross-platform content strategies. Soundtrack placements in high-viewership productions generate sustained chart performance that extends months beyond initial release windows. YouTube withdrew its streaming data from Billboard charts effective January 16, 2026, creating measurement complications for campaigns that previously relied on Billboard rankings as success metrics.

Pooh Shiesty's "FDO" maintained the second position with 5,571,927 views across its third week on the chart. The Memphis rapper's track demonstrated stronger staying power than debut entries, advancing two positions from the previous week. Shakira's "Zoo" occupied the third position with 4,872,331 views in its fifth week, climbing three positions while maintaining momentum weeks after initial release.

Ice Spice's "Big Guy" generated 4,832,816 views at position four, advancing six positions in its fourth week on the chart. The Bronx rapper's track showed acceleration patterns typical of songs gaining traction through social media amplification and playlist inclusion rather than traditional radio promotion. The viewership numbers place "Big Guy" among the week's most-watched new releases, though the song's trajectory suggests it has not yet reached peak consumption levels.

Regional music dominated multiple chart positions during the tracking period. Mexican artists Peso Pluma and Tito Double P placed four new entries on the chart: "dopamina" debuted at position 37 with 1,555,862 views, "daño" entered at position 56 with 1,197,382 views, "bckpckbyz" debuted at position 70 with 1,056,839 views, and "ni pedo" appeared at position 85 with 889,850 views. The simultaneous debuts demonstrate coordinated release strategies designed to maximize chart impact through album drops rather than staggered single releases.

Peso Pluma's chart presence reflects how regional Mexican music, particularly the corridos tumbados subgenre, has expanded beyond traditional Latin music audiences to capture broader streaming consumption. The artist's previous collaborations and solo work consistently appear across YouTube's charts in markets with substantial Mexican-American populations, particularly in southwestern United States regions. Marketing campaigns targeting these audiences must account for regional language preferences and cultural contexts that differ substantially from English-language mainstream campaigns.

Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" climbed 14 positions to reach number 10 with 2,814,300 views in its 13th week on the chart. The track's sustained chart presence demonstrates how established artists maintain viewership through catalog consumption and fan engagement rather than relying exclusively on promotional cycles surrounding new releases. Swift's consistent chart performance across multiple weeks indicates that her audience actively seeks content between album releases, creating opportunities for sustained marketing engagement.

The chart's movement patterns revealed substantial volatility beyond the top five positions. Djo's "End of Beginning" jumped 52 positions to reach number 27 with 1,849,014 views in its 10th week, representing the largest single-week movement on the chart. Such dramatic position changes typically indicate viral moments driven by social media trends, television placements, or algorithmic promotion rather than coordinated marketing campaigns.

KATSEYE's multiple chart entries demonstrated how new groups attempt to establish presence through volume strategies. "Gabriela" reached position 13 with 2,419,403 views, "Gnarly" appeared at position 18 with 2,115,164 views, and "Touch" climbed to position 46 with 1,306,240 views. The girl group's three simultaneous chart entries in their debut period reflect industry strategies that prioritize establishing broad awareness across multiple tracks rather than concentrating promotion on single releases.

Twelve tracks debuted on the chart during the December 26-January 1 tracking period. These new entries represented diverse genres including hip-hop, regional Mexican music, electronic dance music, and mainstream pop. The highest debut came from Peso Pluma's "dopamina" at position 37, while several classic tracks returned to the chart including Flo Rida's "Low (feat. T-Pain)" at position 90, Zara Larsson's "Lush Life" at position 91, and Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha's "In The Name Of Love" at position 88.

The return of catalog tracks to the chart demonstrates how YouTube's consumption patterns differ from traditional radio or streaming services. Users actively search for and consume older content alongside new releases, creating marketing opportunities for catalog monetization that extend years beyond initial release dates. These patterns contrast with radio formats that prioritize current releases and streaming platforms that emphasize algorithmic recommendations of recent content.

Hip-hop artist Rod Wave's "Feel The Streets" debuted at position 53 with 1,255,909 views. The Florida rapper's consistent chart presence across multiple releases indicates established audience relationships that generate immediate viewership upon new releases. Marketing campaigns for established artists can rely on these existing audience connections for baseline performance metrics, reducing dependence on broad promotional spending compared to campaigns launching new artists without established followings.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again placed three tracks on the chart: "What You Is" with Mellow Rackz at position 11 (2,745,762 views), "Wine & Dine" at position 23 (1,975,421 views), and "Where I Been / Shot Callin" at position 29 (1,830,940 views). The Louisiana rapper's multiple simultaneous chart positions demonstrate how prolific content creation drives sustained audience engagement. Artists releasing music at high volumes can maintain constant chart presence, creating continuous opportunities for monetization and audience development.

Regional preferences fragmented the chart beyond top positions. Latin music occupied substantial chart space through Fuerza Regida's "Marlboro Rojo" at position 8, Los Dareyes De La Sierra's "Frecuencia" at position 20, and Grupo Firme's "Qué Onda Perdida" at position 65. These Mexican regional tracks demonstrate how specific demographic segments drive viewership patterns that differ substantially from mainstream pop consumption.

Electronic music variations appeared through tracks like Lenar's "Montagem Miau (Ultra Slowed)" at position 22 with 1,987,044 views and ZXKAI & slxughter's "NO BATIDÃO (SLOWED)" at position 30 with 1,828,487 views. The prominence of slowed and remixed versions indicates how YouTube audiences consume modified versions of tracks rather than exclusively engaging with original recordings. Short-form content consumption differs substantially from traditional music video viewership, with Shorts charts showing preferences for remixed, slowed, and modified versions of tracks.

Classic tracks maintained chart presence throughout the tracking period. Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" appeared at position 35, demonstrating sustained consumption driven by the song's 2022 resurgence through "Stranger Things" placement. The track's continued chart presence three years after its viral moment illustrates how major cultural moments create lasting catalog value that extends well beyond initial promotional windows.

The Police's "Every Breath You Take" appeared at position 49, Audioslave's "Like a Stone" reached position 83, and Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" claimed position 100. These catalog placements demonstrate how multiple generations of listeners consume music simultaneously on YouTube, creating complex audience segmentation challenges for marketing campaigns that must address both contemporary fans and legacy listeners.

Morgan Wallen placed two tracks on the chart with "I Got Better" at position 31 and "I'm The Problem" at position 32. The country star's consistent chart performance reflects how genre-specific audiences maintain loyalty to particular artists while broader pop audiences fragment across multiple new releases. Country music marketing strategies can rely on established radio relationships and touring cycles that differ substantially from hip-hop or pop promotional approaches.

Seasonal content saw dramatic declines following the December 25 holiday period. Tony Camargo's "El Año Viejo" debuted at position 60 with 1,167,974 views during the week that included New Year's Eve. Christmas songs had dominated charts the previous week, with Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" accumulating 57,130,536 views during the December 19-25 period. The rapid shift from holiday to non-holiday content illustrates how seasonal marketing windows close abruptly rather than trailing off gradually.

International K-pop group TWICE's "TAKEDOWN (feat. Jeongyeon, JIHY & CHAEYOUNG)" reached position 16 with 2,249,511 views in its 27th week on the chart. The track's sustained performance demonstrates how K-pop marketing strategies emphasize long-term audience cultivation through consistent content releases, fan engagement, and cross-platform promotion rather than relying on single hit records.

The chart data revealed how different artists employ distinct strategies for maintaining audience attention. Some release multiple tracks simultaneously to capture broad chart space, others focus promotional resources on single releases, while established catalog artists benefit from sustained consumption across years of releases. Marketing professionals must adapt strategies to match artist development stages and audience expectations within specific genres.

Streaming platform dynamics create challenges for cross-border marketing campaigns. Artists achieving top positions in Western markets show minimal penetration in Asian, African, and South American territories where local content preferences dominate consumption patterns. Marketing budgets must account for territory-specific promotion rather than assuming global viral potential, particularly as YouTube now maintains independent chart systems across global markets following the termination of its Billboard partnership.

The December 26-January 1 chart demonstrated several patterns relevant to marketing professionals working with music content. Regional market fragmentation creates challenges for campaigns seeking cross-border reach. Content tied to major entertainment properties generates sustained viewership beyond initial promotional windows. Multiple simultaneous releases can establish broader chart presence than single-focused campaigns. Catalog content maintains value across years through search-driven consumption patterns unique to YouTube's platform.

YouTube Shorts achieved revenue parity with long-form content in the United States market during Q3 2025, demonstrating that brief vertical videos can match or exceed revenue generation capabilities of conventional horizontal content. Marketing strategies must account for these format differences when planning content distribution, potentially creating separate asset packages optimized for vertical video consumption.

The chart's top 100 positions encompassed view counts ranging from 9,348,447 for the number one position down to 853,128 for position 100. This viewership spread demonstrates substantial consumption differences between chart positions, with the top 10 tracks commanding disproportionate attention compared to lower-ranking entries. Marketing campaigns must establish realistic performance expectations based on artist recognition, promotional budgets, and competitive landscape within specific release windows.

Alex Warren's "Ordinary" climbed nine positions to reach number 6 with 3,989,552 views in its 42nd week on the chart. The track's sustained performance across 42 weeks indicates how certain songs maintain consumption through playlist inclusion, social media usage, and algorithmic recommendations rather than requiring continuous promotional investment. Understanding which tracks develop this sustained momentum helps marketing teams allocate resources efficiently across artist rosters.

The presence of multiple decade-old tracks on the chart illustrates YouTube's unique position as both a music streaming service and a video archive. Users search for specific songs from their personal histories, creating consumption patterns that differ fundamentally from radio or subscription streaming services that emphasize new releases and algorithmic discovery. Marketing strategies for YouTube must account for search optimization and metadata accuracy alongside traditional promotional approaches.

Timeline

• December 17, 2025: YouTube announced termination of Billboard charts data partnership effective January 16, 2026 over streaming measurement methodology disputes
• December 19-25, 2025: Christmas content dominated YouTube charts with Mariah Carey's seasonal classic reaching 57.1 million views
• December 26, 2025-January 1, 2026: YouTube charts show "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters Cast leading US rankings with 9.3 million views
• January 2, 2026: Global charts revealed "Golden" accumulated 72.3 million views worldwide during the same tracking period
• July 2025: YouTube closed trending page after decade of operation, shifting toward category-specific charts
• Q3 2025: YouTube Shorts achieved revenue parity with long-form content in United States market
• September 2025: Creators reported viewership drops following algorithm changes to Shorts distribution
• September 26, 2025: YouTube Premium expanded playback features including high-quality audio and 4x speed controls

Summary

Who: YouTube released weekly music charts covering December 26, 2025 through January 1, 2026, featuring artists including HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI, KPop Demon Hunters Cast, Pooh Shiesty, Shakira, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Tito Double P, Taylor Swift, KATSEYE, Rod Wave, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

What: The charts documented the most-viewed songs on YouTube during the first week of 2026, with "Golden" from the KPop Demon Hunters Cast soundtrack leading the United States rankings with 9,348,447 views while 12 new entries debuted across the top 100 positions. Regional preferences fragmented consumption patterns with Mexican regional music, hip-hop, pop, and catalog tracks occupying diverse chart positions.

When: The tracking period covered December 26, 2025 through January 1, 2026, encompassing the week immediately following Christmas and including New Year's Eve. This timing affected chart composition as seasonal holiday content declined while new releases competed for attention during a traditionally high music consumption period.

Where: The charts measured United States viewership specifically, though YouTube maintains separate charts for multiple global territories. Regional music preferences within the United States drove consumption patterns, particularly in markets with substantial Mexican-American populations where Peso Pluma and other regional Mexican artists dominated streaming activity.

Why: The charts matter for the marketing community because they demonstrate how entertainment franchises drive sustained music consumption, reveal regional content preferences requiring localized strategies, provide performance benchmarks for artists and labels, inform advertising placement decisions on the platform, and illustrate how YouTube's independent chart systems operate following the December 17, 2025 announcement terminating the Billboard partnership effective January 16, 2026. The data shows YouTube maintains significant influence over music discovery and consumption across global markets despite disagreements with traditional chart providers over streaming measurement methodologies.