You Won't Believe What America's Favorite "Friends" Episodes Are

It couldn't BE any more surprising.

For as long as humans walk the Earth, they will forever debate which episode of Friends is the best. But which episodes did America actually tune into the most? These are the 20 highest-rated episodes of Friends ever, according to NBC's Research Department.

20. "The One With All the Poker" (Season 1, Episode 18)

NBC / Via misadventuresfromthebrink.blogspot.com

This showdown between the men and women over a game of poker is one of the first classic episodes of the series where every character gets a chance to shine. This solidified the hang-out vibe of the series, and it's no wonder it was watched by so many — it sets the tone for the rest of the series and the way the characters feel like your very own friends.

Total Viewers: 30.362 million

19. "The One With Two Parts, Part 2" (Season 1, Episode 17)

NBC

This episode lured in viewers with a pseudo ER crossover. George Clooney and Noah Wyle show up, but not as their characters Doug Ross and John Carter — they play two doctors who flirt with Monica and Rachel.

Total Viewers: 30.476 million

18. "The One Where Ross Finds Out" (Season 2, Episode 7)

NBC / Via saraalea.tumblr.com

Since Ross never found out that Rachel raced to the airport to say how much she loves him, Ross started dating this perfectly nice and perfectly boring girl Julie. But he doesn't break up her with he finds out Rachel's secret, of course, because where's the drama in that?

Total Viewers: 30.512 million

17. "The One With the Proposal" (Season 6, Episodes 24 & 25)

NBC

Monica and Chandler's PROPOSAL got more viewers than their actual wedding because obviously you'll like someone's "I'm engaged!" status on Facebook but you don't actually want to spend the money to travel to their wedding.

Total Viewers: 30.734 million

16. "The One After Ross Says Rachel" (Season 5, Episode 1)

NBC

Ross saying Rachel's name at the altar during his wedding to Emily was a HUGE water-cooler moment in 1998. Plenty of viewers tuned in to see exactly how many times Emily would punch Ross in the face for ruining her wedding. (It was zero, sadly.)

Total Viewers: 30.906 million

15. "The One Where Eddie Won't Go" (Season 2, Episode 19)

NBC

Things rarely change on sitcoms, so no one expected Chandler's new roommate Eddie to actually replace Joey in the group. But no one also expected him to be a comically hilarious psycho played perfectly by Adam Goldberg.

Total Viewers: 31.181 million

14. "The One Where Joey Moves Out" (Season 2, Episode 16)

NBC / Via thewaysitusedt0be.tumblr.com

Sure, Ross and Rachel, Monica and Chandler, yadda yadda. One of the best relationships on the show that viewers invested in was Chandler and Joey's. Joey moving out of their apartment, if only temporarily, was a landmark moment.

Total Viewers: 31.193 million

13. "The One Where Rachel Finds Out" (Season 1, Episode 24)

NBC

Rachel finally finds a clue buried in that opening credits couch and realizes Ross is in love with her.

Total Viewers: 31.305 million

12. "The One With Ross' Wedding" (Season 4, Episodes 23 & 24)

NBC / Via fyeahfriendsgifs.tumblr.com

Alternate Title: The One Where Ross Shows In London And Emily Is Like, Um, You're Paying For This Entire Wedding Yourself, Thanks

Total Viewers: 31.609 million

11. "The One With the Lesbian Wedding" (Season 2, Episode 11)

NBC

Despite the Defense of Marriage Act being signed into law in 1996, at least 31.6 million people were pro-marriage equality in the form of Ross' ex-wife Carol's wedding to her fiancée Susan.

Total Viewers: 31.667 million

10. "The One After 'I Do'" (Season 8, Episode 1)

NBC

More people tuned in for the episode following Monica and Chandler's wedding than the actual wedding. Proving that once again, people just do NOT want to attend your expensive weddings but if they can swing by the reception for an open bar? Holla.

Total Viewers: 31.696 million

9. "The One With Ross' New Girlfriend" (Season 2, Episode 1)

NBC

fatedxdestiny.tumblr.com

Ross showed up with his new girlfriend Julie and Rachel was NOT having him run up her phone bill with that foolishness.

Total Viewers: 32.095 million

8. "The One With Russ" (Season 2, Episode 10)

NBC / Via letsplaybamboozle.tumblr.com

At the same time Eileen Davidson was playing the wicked Kristen DiMera and her doppelgänger Susan Banks on Days of Our Lives (the show Joey is on in the fictional Friends universe), David Schwimmer also pulled double duty with Ross and Russ.

Total Viewers: 32.402 million

7. "The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know" (Season 2, Episode 15)

NBC / Via fyeahfriendsgifs.tumblr.com

Ross and Rachel have sex in the museum, get discovered by a group of middle schoolers in the morning, and somehow Ross DOESN'T get fired. The patriarchy at work!

Total Viewers: 32.868 million

6. "The One With the List" (Season 2, Episode 8)

NBC / Via Jaimie Etkin / BuzzFeed

Ross makes a list of Julie's and Rachel's pros and cons. Julie's con is that she's only a recurring cast member and is obviously not stealing Jennifer Aniston's love interest.

Total Viewers: 32.903 million

5. "The One With the Prom Video" (Season 2, Episode 14)

NBC

This episode where Rachel realizes just how long Ross has been in love with her is a fan favorite, often ending up at the top of many Best Of lists. It's appropriate that it's one of the episodes with the most viewers in its initial run.

Total Viewers: 33.597 million

4. "The One Where No One Proposes" (Season 9, Episode 1)

NBC

ohyeahfriendsyeah.tumblr.com

Joey accidentally proposes to Rachel while Ross makes plans to try dating Rachel again. You'd think the episode title would've let people know they didn't actually need to watch it (hint: No one's getting engaged!), but before the show was renewed for one last season, many thought this would be the series' final season premiere.

Total Viewers: 34.012 million

3. "The One Where Rachel Has A Baby" (Season 8, Episodes 23 & 24)

NBC / Via ohyeahfriendsyeah.tumblr.com

Weddings and childbirth are the only constants in getting people to tune into a television show. After following Ross and Rachel's romance for years, viewers were more than happy to see their daughter, Emma, brought into the world.

Total Viewers: 34.910 million

2. "The Last One" (Season 10, Episodes 17 & 18)

NBC / Via hindustantimes.com

This many viewers tuning in for a show is unheard of these days, but Friends scored its second-highest ratings ever with the final episode of the series. Over 50 million people tuned in to say good-bye to the friends they'd gotten to know for 10 years.

Total Viewers: 52.462 million

Which leads us to the most watched episode of Friends EVER...

1. "The One After the Superbowl" (Season 2, Episodes 12 & 13)

NBC / Via allstartstofade.tumblr.com

Series finales are nice, but you can only get that many viewers once and then the series is kinda over, so there's the downside. What's the surefire way to get the most eyes on an episode of a television series that doesn't including killing off a character, marrying a couple off, or a baby being born? Air it after the Super Bowl.

Total Viewers: 52.925 million