▲Shanghai is the most populous city in the world, with more than 24 million people. The highlights of its futuristic skyline are the Shanghai Tower and the unmistakable Oriental Pearl Tower.

▲Frankfurt maintains its traditional low-rise European structures, but it has also crafted a modern, high-rise district that lands it in the top 25 skylines in the world.

▲One of America's oldest cities, Boston's skyline paints its waterfront in a dazzling display at night.

▲Taiwan's capital is a high-tech global city with advanced architecture that makes for a gorgeous skyline. The Taipei 101 skyscraper was the tallest building in the world until the Burj Khalifa dethroned it.

▲Dubai is the most architecturally-advanced emirate in the United Arab Emirates. Its incredible skyline features the Burj Khalifa, otherwise known as the world's tallest building.

▲The twin buildings of this capital's skyline are the Petronas Towers. They're the tallest twin structures in the world.

▲The capital of Indonesia has one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, and its most distinctive building, Wisma 46, is the tallest building in the country.

▲Central America's most impressive skyline can be found in Panama City, where high-rises line the curved waterfront.

▲One of the most iconic and recognizable skylines in the world, the "City of Love" has a near-permanent place on this list.

▲The enormous and instantly recognizable Christ the Redeemer statue is the cherry on top of Rio's stunning skyline, which mixes the best of man-made and mother nature's architecture.

▲London's skyline is usually recognized for Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Palace of Westminster, but its cityscape provides an equally impressive collection of buildings like the Pinnacle, 30 St Mary Axe (previously Swiss Re building, but better known as the Gherkin), and Tower 42.

▲The iconic Sydney Opera House, in combination with its highly-developed urban center, lands Australia's most populous city on this list.

▲Especially since hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing's infrastructure has seen fantastic growth. Its skyline features the unique CCTV Headquarters with a radical new shape that no city has seen before.

▲Tokyo's skyline accurately represents the city's reputation as the largest metropolitan area in the world. The Tokyo Sky Tree, jutting out from the skyline, is the tallest tower (and the second tallest structure) in the world.

▲The combination of the Space Needle Observation Tower and Mount Rainer looming in the background makes Seattle's skyline hard to forget.

▲The iconic Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay push the city's already-impressive skyline to the next level.

▲Bangkok's scattered skyline reflects the city's explosive growth, and displays so much beauty in its chaos.

▲The largest city in Texas has over 45 high-rises that exceed 427 ft (130 m), making for an impressive skyline scene from more than one angle.

▲Not too long ago, Shenzhen was just a small fishing village. Now it's commonly referred to as China's "skyscraper capital."

▲The Windy City's skyline shows off the Willis Tower, the second-tallest skyscraper in the United States.

▲Toronto's iconic CN Tower—the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere—in combination with the Rogers Centre and the downtown core's impressive buildings, lands Toronto in the top 10.

▲Singapore's air-traffic control limits how tall its buildings can be, but the city-state still manages to stun with unique structures like the Helix Bridge buildings and the shell-like Gardens by the Bay park.

▲Hong Kong's impressive architecture takes the cake, offering an expertly-designed skyline with over 7,000 high-rises—and four of the tallest 20 skyscrapers in the world—set against a gorgeous mountainous backdrop.

▲The city's downtown core flaunts an incredible skyline of modern buildings that reflects its wealthy population.

▲Seoul's impressive skyline is highlighted by the Lotte World Tower, which has 123 floors and is the tallest building in the country.

▲Turkey's largest city hosts the Istanbul Sapphire, the tallest building in the country, but its more historic structures create a divine skyline that deserves recognition.

▲Gambling and tourism are a large part of this city's revenue, pulling in more money than Las Vegas. The casinos and hotels bring so much life to its skyline at night.

▲New York City is home to the most skyscrapers in the world, including world-famous and culturally significant structures like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and more.

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Dallas' skyline isn't extremely new and although it has high-rises like the Bank of America Plaza which reaches 921 ft, its best feature is the colorful, interactive lighting that adds a layer of festivity and celebration to this already beautiful skyline.

Sources: (List25)

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It seems humans have a natural urge to build bigger and higher, with cities worldwide competing to create the tallest structures and most impressive cityscapes. Skylines emerge like a fingerprint of each city, revealing their unique features through carefully designed architecture and atmosphere. Click through this gallery to see the top 25 skylines in the world, as ranked by List25.