Top comments

The alternative in the sort menu is Newest first. Top ordering promotes comments with likes and replies, and pinned or hearted comments sit near the front, which means the same handful stays visible for the life of the video while newer ones sink.

For a creator reading sentiment this matters. Top comments over-represent whoever arrived early and got liked, so a video can look warmly received while the recent comments tell a different story. Switch to Newest first before deciding how a video landed, and again a week later, because the two views often disagree.