The phenomenal YouTube sensation and "Friday" star
Rebecca Black topped the list of Google's fastest-rising global queries,
Google Zeitgeist, for the year 2011.
Here is the rest of the list.
(1) Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black made a big splash on the Internet with the release of her 2011 pop single "Friday." The music video catapulted the then 13-year-old to celebrity status after the video went viral, receiving over 167 million views on YouTube. Searches for Rebecca Black and related searches like Rebecca Black Friday jumped >10,000% between 2010 and 2011, making the young pop singer the #1 fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
The pop singer hit an all-time high the week of March 20, 2011, two weeks after "Friday" was released. An international media frenzy followed.
(2) Google+
In June 2011, Google entered the social networking space with the launch of
Google+. In the three weeks following its announcement, Google+ amassed a user base of more than 10 million people. The social network grabbed the #2 spot on Google’s list of fastest rising searches after Google+ and related searches like Google Plus shot up by >10,000%.
Searches for Google+ peaked the week of July 10, 2011, almost 2 weeks after its launch, and then again on September 20, 2011 with the announcement of open sign-ups. Google+ became a hit in South Asia, with even people like the Dalai Lama and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan creating accounts.
(3) Ryan Dunn
Best known for his daredevil stunts on the reality TV shows "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam,"
Ryan Dunn lost his life in a car accident on June 20, 2011 at the age of 34. The volume of searches for Ryan Dunn grew >10,000% in 2011, making the Ohio native the third fastest rising search on Google.
During the week of June 19, 2011, Ryan Dunn received a lot of attention on Google. The Tuesday after his death, "Viva La Bam" co-star Bam Margera visited the crash site and broke down in tears at the loss of his friend.
(4) Casey Anthony
Young mother
Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder when the remains of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee were found in a wooded area near her home in Orlando, Florida. A jury found her not guilty on July 5, 2011. Searches for Casey Anthony and related searches like Casey Anthony Case grew 2,680% from 2010 to 2011, putting her into the #4 spot of fastest rising searches on Google.
Searches for Casey Anthony skyrocketed during the week of July 3, 2011, after a jury found the 22-year-old mother not guilty, and the public began to fixate on her life after the trial.
(5) Battlefield 3
The highly anticipated release of EA’s first-person shooter video game,
Battlefield 3, sold 5 million copies in its first week. Searches for Battlefield 3 and related searches BF3 jumped 1,773% between 2010 and 2011, making this action game the #5 fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
The video game peaked in popularity the week of October 23, 2011, when it launched in the United States and United Kingdom.
(6) iPhone 5
Consumers and analysts alike anticipated the release of Apple’s newest smartphone many months prior to its arrival. Rumored features included a larger screen, edge-to-edge glass, an 8 megapixel camera, and extensive voice controls. Many believed the phone would be called the
iPhone 5. Searches for iPhone 5 rose 1,658% between 2010 and 2011, making the rumored smartphone the #6 fastest rising search on Google.
Excitement over the iPhone 5 hit its highest point in search the week of September 25, 2011, a week before Apple unveiled the iPhone 4s in a press conference at their headquarters in Cupertino, CA.
(7) Adele
Adele rocked the music industry with the release of her sophomore album "21," which sold 208,000 copies in the UK in its first week and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart for 16 consecutive weeks. The album catapulted the 22-year-old to record-breaking success and international acclaim. Searches for Adele rose 1,588% between 2010 and 2011, making the singer the 7th top rising search on Google.
Searches for Adele spiked the week of August 28, 2011, when the British songstress belted out her piano ballad of “Someone Like You” at the MTV Video Music Awards.
(8) 東京 電力 (TEPCO)
The Japanese government ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents living near the
東京 電力 (TEPCO) Fukushima I Plant after the 2011 earthquake badly damaged several nuclear reactors. Searches for 東京 電力 (TEPCO) shot up 1,470%, making the electric utility company the 8th fastest rising search on Google in 2011.
The utility company reached an all-time high in searches the week of March 13, 2011, two days after the 9.0 earthquake shook Japan and international relief efforts and support poured in from around the world.
(9) Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs inspired millions of people around the world with his passion and creativity. The technological visionary revolutionized the way people live and work with the aid of Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Searches for Steve Jobs grew 982% in 2011, making the creative genius the 9th fastest rising search on Google.
Searches for Steve Jobs topped out the week of October 2, 2011, after he lost a hard-fought battle with cancer and passed away at his home at the age of 56.
(10) iPad2
iPad 2 took the world by storm when 500,000 of the second-generation tablets were sold on their debut weekend. Seen as a sleeker, lightweight alternative to its predecessor, iPad 2 sold out across virtually all channels in its first week. Searches for iPad 2 rose 939% between from 2010 to 2011, making the tablet the 10th fastest rising search on Google.
Searches for iPad 2 hit their peak the week of February 27, 2011, two weeks before Apple began selling the device on the web and in retail stores.
