Yahoo’s 10th annual top searches Year in Review is out, identifying the top trends and stories of the year based on the billions of searches performed by their users. This year, the iPhone was the top search of the year, a spot held by the BP oil spill last year and the always entertaining Miss Britney Spears for four years, from 2005 to 2008.
There are 17 different versions of Yahoo’s Year in Review available; here are the lists from searches in the United States.
Top Yahoo Searches of 2011
Women in pop culture, some famous for their work and others for more nefarious reasons, dominated the list of most searches overall. Surprisingly, only one natural disaster made the top 10 list, while speculation about an iPhone 5 release helped propel Apple’s product to the top.
- iPhone
- Casey Anthony
- Kim Kardashian
- Katy Perry
- Jennifer Lopez
- Lindsay Lohan
- American Idol
- Jennifer Aniston
- Japan earthquake
- Osama bin Laden
Top Mobile Searches of 2011
The iPhone 5, that as yet non-existent source of fascination for techies around the globe, grabbed the top mobile search spot, as well. What else were people on the go looking for? Ways to get ahead in games, winning the lottery, and the end of the world, among other topics.
- iPhone 5
- Powerball
- MLB
- Scrabble cheat
- Casey Anthony
- Hurricane Irene 2011
- Kim Kardashian
- Translator
- Amy Winehouse
- May 21, 2011 Rapture
Top Searched Obsessions of 2011
New to Yahoo’s Year in Review last year, Obsessions are a look at the people, places and things that dominated our interests, at least online, over the course of 2011. Who was more popular than Angry Birds, Tiger Mom, and Rebecca Black’s Friday?
- Charlie Sheen
- The Rapture
- Tiger Mom
- “Friday” (Rebecca Black)
- Angry Birds
- Planking
- Extreme couponing
- Government shutdown
- Game of Thrones
- Mortgage rates
Top Searched Athletes of 2011
While most are known for their athletic prowess, one could argue that at least a few of these athletes made the list thanks to the news-worthiness of their personal lives – take Kris Humphries, for example. His uber-expensive wedding to Kim Kardashian, and subsequent relationship breakdown, helped make him one of the most searched athletes of 2011. Would Lamar Odom have made the list were he not shacked up with another Kardashian sister? We can only guess. Others on the list:
- Danica Patrick
- Tiger Woods
- Manny Pacquiao
- Maria Sharapova
- Serena Williams
- Kris Humphries
- Hope Solo
- Kobe Bryant
- Lamar Odom
- Caroline Wozniacki
Top Politician Searches of 2011
Sarah Palin beat out the President Obama for the most searched politician slot, which is hardly surprising given that she starred in her own reality show late last year (it was axed before a second season). Most of the list, in fact, are better known over controversies than their policy-making skills. So which politicians most intrigued us – at least, enough to make us search for them – this year?
- Sarah Palin
- Barack Obama
- Michele Bachmann
- John Edwards
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Hillary Clinton
- Herman Cain
- Ron Paul
- Rick Perry
- Jesse Ventura
Top News Searches and Stories of 2011
2011 marked a number of events that will stay in the collective consciousness for years to come. The wedding of William & Kate, the death of a monster, and the lack of employment across the nation all made the list, though one legal case in particular took the top spot, as it did on AOL’s Hottest Searches list:
- Casey Anthony trial
- The Royal Wedding
- Death of Osama bin Laden
- Japan earthquake and tsunami
- Amanda Knox trial
- Death of Amy Winehouse
- Arab Spring
- Libya/Ghadafi
- Arizona shooting
- Unemployment
For more Top 10 lists on the most popular searches in finance, music, movies, and even desserts, or lists from other countries including Canada and the United Kingdom, visit Yahoo Year in Review.