Welcome to the Top Searches of 2005. Check out the hottest people, places, and events that inspired the world to search this year. The list may surprise you.
2005 was a wild year in Search. Mariah Carey returned with a vengeance, while Britney Spears remained as popular as ever thanks to her new baby with future "Surreal Life" contestant Kevin Federline. Looking past the pop culture hubbub, Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami dominated news searches, while Apple's iPod drew big Buzz as well.
When will we stop caring about Britney, Paris, Lindsay, and Jessica? We didn't this past year, that's for sure. However, that said, some interesting stories did emerge in 2005. Michael Jackson made a comeback (of a sort), and searches surged on Howard Stern, thanks to the hype surrounding his move to satellite radio.
NASCAR, the NFL, and Major League Baseball were all popular in 2005, but Danica Patrick was the real story of the year. The Indy driver became the most searched-on athlete whose last name doesn't end with either "pova" or "kova." Other favorites included Maria Sharapova, Lance Armstrong, and international soccer squads Manchester United and Real Madrid.
When it comes to popular products searched across the Web, it's hard to top the iPod. Apple's omnipresent MP3 player trailed only digital cameras and flowers. Other gadgets worth noting include the xBox 360 and PSP - both consoles scored well and are poised for huge searches (and sales) in the coming year. Sorry, Mom, looks like we won't be getting off the couch any time soon.
News searches ran the gamut from serious to frivolous. The Asian tsunami (which actually struck in late 2004) was the top searched story.
| 1 | Tsunami | 6 | Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie |
| 2 | Iraq | 7 | Hurricane Katrina |
| 3 | Michael Jackson trial | 8 | Cindy Sheehan |
| 4 | Natalee Holloway | 9 | President Bush |
| 5 | Afghanistan | 10 | Tom Cruise |
The Force was strong in Search, thanks to "Revenge of the Sith." 50 Cent proved he had staying power, trailing only Britney in music artist searches and scoring the most searched-on song with "Candy Shop." "American Idol" was just as popular online as it was on TV, beating out ABC's "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives."
Search is a mixture of the expected and the unexpected. The Grammys, March Madness, Johnny Carson, and Pope John Paul II were top Search movers this year.
See how the world has changed. Look back at the Top Searches of 2004.
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