Most Upvoted Reddit Posts: Examples and How to Find Them

Table of Contents▼
Reddit’s Top sort is the best place to start when you’re looking for high-scoring posts. Reddit says Top prioritizes posts with high all-time upvote numbers and comments, and its time filter includes All time.
That feed gives you a useful snapshot, not a permanent record table.
This guide links three original Reddit posts, separates the score evidence each page actually shows, and explains how to compare results without turning a changing feed into a definitive ranking.
Key takeaways:
- Use Reddit’s Top sort and the All time filter to explore high-scoring posts.
- Save the original post URL, community, and date you checked the displayed score.
- Keep post scores separate from comment scores.
- Do not use voting services or coordinated voting; Reddit prohibits vote manipulation.
What does “most upvoted” mean on Reddit?
Reddit’s Top sort is the platform’s way to prioritize posts with high all-time upvote numbers and comments. The sorting guide also lists time filters, including All time.

Reddit’s [sorting guide](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/19695706914196-What-filters-and-sorts-are-available) describes Top. It does not certify a permanent number-one post.
That feed differs from a frozen, site-wide record book.
One limitation is that a Top feed can change, and the score you see belongs to a particular post at the time you inspect it.
A comment score is separate from the score on the post that contains it. If you compare examples, record the date of your check and save the original post link.
Which Reddit posts can you inspect directly?
Here are three original threads worth inspecting, not a complete or verified all-time ranking. They illustrate what each source does and does not establish: one has a dated author score note, while two provide context but no reliable total in this capture.
Original post | What the Reddit source confirms | Score evidence |
|---|---|---|
The original thread is by u/SomeGuyInDeutschland and shows the Times Square billboard post. Reddit marks it archived. | The current page capture confirms the title and thread, but did not expose a reliable total score. No exact count is repeated here. | |
The original thread shows Astley’s 2020 photo and his replies to users. | In a comment on the original thread, Astley noted the post had reached 250,000 and later edited that note to 300,000. That is a dated in-thread snapshot, not a claim about its final score. | |
The original thread is still accessible and appeared in Reddit’s Top, All time results during this source check. | The current text capture does not expose a verified score total, so the post is listed as an example rather than assigned a number or rank. |
The key point is not that these examples share a guaranteed formula. Each post belongs to a different community and moment.
Their direct threads let you inspect the original title, context, and discussion instead of relying on a copied leaderboard.
What patterns do these Reddit examples show?
These threads show that high-scoring posts can arise in different contexts, but they do not reveal a repeatable formula.
One post captures a public event, one is a personal photo, and one uses a familiar film reference.
Inspect each original thread rather than treating one format as a score guarantee.
Use the original threads and dated score snapshots to compare particular examples. Their visible scores do not predict what will happen to a post in another subreddit or time period.
How do you find top Reddit posts in a community?
Use Reddit’s own sort options to build a list you can check again later:
- Choose the scope. Open the community you care about, or start from Reddit’s broader Top feed.
- Select Top. Reddit’s sorting guide explains that this sort prioritizes high all-time upvote numbers and comments.
- Set the time range. Choose All time for a lifetime view, or a shorter range when you want more recent examples.
- Open the post itself. Save its permalink, community, title, and submission date. Record the visible score and the date you checked it.
- Keep posts and comments separate. A high-scoring comment does not make the original post the highest-scoring post.

Reddit’s [sorting guide](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/19695706914196-What-filters-and-sorts-are-available) lists All time alongside shorter ranges. The available controls may differ between views.

This saved feed screenshot illustrates one Reddit feed view. Its posts and scores are not a current ranking or a record list.
For a clean comparison, keep a simple log with the post URL, subreddit, post date, score at capture, and capture date. That makes it clear whether you are comparing the same type of result.
How should you compare Reddit post scores?
Start with posts from the same community and time period. A site-wide example may have had a larger potential audience or landed during a major event.
That makes its raw score a poor target for a smaller niche community. Next, separate observation from cause: you can note a familiar meme format or a long discussion, but one top post does not prove either caused its score.
Finally, compare like with like. A Reddit post, a comment, a subreddit’s Top feed, and Reddit’s broader feed are different things.
Keep the source URL and capture date next to any number you report.
What should you avoid when studying Reddit’s top posts?
Do not try to reproduce a score by buying votes, asking a group to coordinate votes, or using multiple accounts. Reddit’s Disrupting Communities policy prohibits vote manipulation, including voting services and coordinated voting.
Study the topic, format, and community context if that helps you make better posts. Then write something useful for the subreddit and follow its rules.
A historic score is not a promise that the same approach will work again.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most upvoted Reddit posts of all time?
Reddit’s official Top sort is the best place to explore posts with high all-time upvote numbers and comments. It includes an All time filter, but the feed is not a fixed record table. This guide links original threads and states only the score evidence visible in those sources.
What is the most upvoted Reddit post?
This article does not certify a permanent number one.
Reddit’s official Help Center documents Top sorting and time filters, while individual scores and search results are snapshots.
Check the original thread, feed scope, and capture date before repeating a record claim.
How do I find the top posts of all time in a subreddit?
Open the subreddit, choose Top, and set the time range to All time.
Then open each result’s original permalink and record its title, submission date, visible score, and the date you checked it. This gives you an auditable snapshot for that community, not proof of a complete site-wide ranking.
Are post upvotes and comment upvotes the same ranking?
No.
A post and each comment have their own scores. For example, a high-scoring comment inside an AMA is not the same as the score on the original AMA post.
Keep those types separate when you compare Reddit’s most upvoted posts or discuss an all-time record.
What can Rick Astley’s Reddit post tell us about its score?
Rick Astley’s original r/pics thread includes his comment noting the photo post had reached 250,000 and later 300,000 upvotes during June 2020. Those figures are snapshots from his comment at the time. They should not be treated as a verified final score or current rank.
Does crossposting make a Reddit post more popular?
Not necessarily. These three posts do not test crossposting, and an example in a Top feed cannot establish whether sharing a post elsewhere caused its score.
Check each community’s rules before crossposting; do not assume it is allowed or will produce more votes.
Can I buy or coordinate upvotes to recreate a top post?
No. Reddit’s Disrupting Communities policy prohibits voting services, multiple-account vote manipulation, and coordinated voting.
Trying to reproduce a score this way can disrupt communities and violate Reddit’s rules. Focus on making a relevant post and following the rules of the subreddit you choose.

Hey, I'm Sam. I've spent the last 8 years figuring out what actually works on Reddit (and what gets you instantly banned). After growing several brands through organic Reddit presence, I started Upvote to help others do the same - without the trial and error. When I'm not diving into subreddit analytics, you'll find me reading about consumer psychology or debating the best coffee brewing methods.
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