Few things we enjoy more than knowing what people have been searching for on the internet. Looking at the search rankings makes it easy to get an idea of what the year has been like… and maybe even be surprised along the way.
Google has released its annual list of top searches for the year, and if you’re thinking Taylor Swift tops another chart, think again. This list allows us to demystify certain trends we see on social media.
For instance, the second most searched person of the year was Jeremy Renner, who had a serious accident earlier in the year when he was hit by a snowplow. If you’re not familiar, let me help you: Hawkeye.
A meaningful list of searches
Taylor Swift not even making it into the top 10 most searched musicians might be because no one in the world needs Google to tell them who she is.
Meanwhile, Jason Aldean, long a favorite in country music, found his way into a much broader audience when his controversial single “Try That in a Small Town” made headlines last May and was denounced by many as racist and reactionary.
Jeremy Renner led the “Actors” category, followed by Jamie Foxx (hospitalized for a mysterious illness last April), and Danny Masterson, the actor from That ’70s Show, who was sentenced in September to over 30 years in prison for two counts of rape.
In the “Movies” category, Barbie took the top spot over Oppenheimer, and “The Last of Us” was the winner in the “Television Shows” category.
Under “Deaths,” Matthew Perry saw the biggest surge in traffic after his tragic passing at 54 in October. Tina Turner claimed the second spot on the list, followed by Jerry Springer in third. Other deaths that sparked searches included those of Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, and Lisa Marie Presley.
Google Year In Search: the main trend data of 2024
People
- Damar Hamlin
- Jeremy Renner
- Travis Kelce
- Tucker Carlson
- Lil Tay
- Andrew Tate
- Carlee Russell
- Jamie Foxx
- Danny Masterson
- Matt Rife
Deaths
- Matthew Perry
- Tina Turner
- Jerry Springer
- Jimmy Buffett
- Sinéad O’Connor
- Ken Block
- Nicholas Shot
- Lisa Marie Presley
- Suzanne Somers
- Bob Barker
Actors
- Jeremy Renner
- Jamie Foxx
- Danny Masterson
- Matt Rife
- Peter Pascal
- Jonathan Majors
- Sophie Turner
- Russell Brand
- Ke Huy Quan
- Josh Hutcherson
Films
- Barbie
- Oppenhiemer
- Sound of Freedom
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- The Super Mario Bros movie.
- Creed III
- John Wick: Chapter 4
- Five nights at Freddy’s
- Cocaine Bear
TV series
- The Last of Us
- Ginny and Georgia
- Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
- Daisy Jones and the Six
- Wednesday
- That 90’s show
- Kaleidoscope
- Carne
- The Idol
- The Fall of the House of Usher
Okay, okay, you caught me! I’ve definitely looked up some of those names on Google this year. Can’t resist the temptation sometimes, right?
