The Top Searches of 2010

Yahoo has released its year-end list of top Web searches, which identify the trends form the past year. There are going to be many of these search lists released between now and the end of the year,  including the top overall searches, top searches by country and top searches in a number of verticals, like finance, sports, questions and "obsessions" (hot items throughout the year).

For the first time ever, a news story (the BP oil spill) made it into this list, and not only that, but it reached the #1 spot. Typically, top searches are more entertainment or celebrity-focused, as the rest of the list clearly shows. But something about the oil spill encouraged the most searches. Not only did people check constantly for updates ("Is it capped yet? How about now? Now?!), Yahoo's Web Trend analyst Vera Chan speculated that the news also tapped into our society's deeper concerns about the role of big government in managing natural and manmade disasters.

Top Searches on Yahoo! in 2010

1. BP oil spill
2. World Cup
3. Miley Cyrus
4. Kim Kardashian
5. Lady Gaga
6. iPhone
7. Megan Fox
8. Justin Bieber
9. American Idol
10. Britney Spears

Its really something that Britney Spears still makes the top-10 list.  No Obama, no miners, no Wikileaks.  Also iPhone shows up, but no iPad.  Interesting.