A Decade-by-Decade Look at the Top Google Searches and Phrases
Discover the most searched phrases on Google from 2000 to 2020. This article takes a decade-by-decade look at the top 10 Google searches and phrases that reveal the most significant events and trends of each year, from the emergence of social media to the rise of technology and health-related searches.
Finding information, news, and entertainment these days requires the use of Google. It has tracked the most popular terms and phrases that people use to search since its founding in 1998. Not only do these searches shed light on our tastes, but they also highlight the most important occasions and movements of the year. This article examines the top 10 Google searches and keywords from 2000 through 2020, looking at each decade in turn.
2000-2009: The Emergence of Pop Culture and Social Media
Pop culture and social media searches increased during the first ten years of the twenty-first century. Most were curious as to what was popular and what their favorite celebs were doing. The internet became a hub for information along with pop culture, and many searches were for resources and educational purposes.
Here are the top 10 searched phrases from 2000-2009:
2000:
Pokemon
Dragon Ball
Eminem
Christina Aguilera
Napster
Big Brother
Britney Spears
The Sims
Sydney Olympics
2001:
Harry Potter
Osama Bin Laden
September 11
Windows XP
Eminem
World Trade Center
Anthrax
Taliban
Enron
Friends
2002:
Spider-Man
Eminem
American Idol
The Lord of the Rings
Iraq War
Shakira
Avril Lavigne
Star Wars
Kelly Clarkson
Nelly
2003:
Britney Spears
Harry Potter
Matrix Reloaded
Iraq War
50 Cent
Finding Nemo
Angelina Jolie
Christina Aguilera
Justin Timberlake
2004:
Janet Jackson
Britney Spears
Tsunami
Usher
The Passion of the Christ
George Bush
Nascar
OutKast
Eminem
John Kerry
2005:
Myspace
Ares
World of Warcraft
Hurricane Katrina
Xbox 360
Shakira
Playstation 3
Eminem
Lindsay Lohan
Desperate Housewives
2006:
Bebo
MySpace
World Cup
YouTube
Shakira
Jessica Simpson
Paris Hilton
American Idol
Beyonce
Lindsay Lohan
2007:
iPhone
YouTube
Brittany Spears
Justin Timberlake
World of Warcraft
Halo 3
Transformers
MySpace
Naruto
2008:
Barack Obama
YouTube
Sarah Palin
Beijing Olympics
Naruto
Zune
Xbox 360
Twilight
World of Warcraft
2009:
Michael Jackson
New Moon
Lady Gaga
Windows 7
Susan Boyle
Adam Lambert
Harry Potter
American Idol
2010-2020: The Age of Technology and Health
Searches for technology and health-related topics increased during the second decade of the twentieth century. People started looking for ways to keep connected and informed as social media and smartphones proliferated. When people looked for advice on how to keep safe and healthy, the coronavirus pandemic had a big influence on search inquiries as well.
Here are the top 10 searched phrases from 2010-2020:
2010:
Chatroulette
iPad
Justin Bieber
Nicki Minaj
World Cup
Glee
Gamezer
iPad
2011:
Rebecca Black
Google+
Ryan Dunn
Casey Anthony
Battlefield 3
iPhone 5
Adele
Osama Bin Laden
Steve Jobs
iPad 2
2012:
Whitney Houston
Gangnam Style
Hurricane Sandy
iPad 3
Diablo 3
Kate Middleton
Hunger Games
Honey Boo Boo
Kony 2012
Kim Kardashian
2013:
Nelson Mandela
Paul Walker
iPhone 5s
Harlem Shake
Pope Francis
Robin Thicke
Boston Marathon bombing
Amanda Bynes
Miley Cyrus
Kim Kardashian
2014:
Robin Williams
World Cup
Ebola
Malaysia Airlines
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Flappy Bird
Conchita Wurst
ISIS
Ferguson
Kim Kardashian
2015:
Charlie Hebdo
Paris attacks
ISIS
Star Wars
Black Lives Matter
Caitlyn Jenner
Donald Trump
Whitney Houston’s daughter
Nepal earthquake
Kim Kardashian
2016:
Donald Trump
Hillary Clinton
Olympics
Brexit
Black Lives Matter
Orlando shooting
Zika virus
David Bowie
Muhammad Ali
Kim Kardashian
2017:
Hurricane Irma
Bitcoin
Las Vegas shooting
North Korea
Solar eclipse
Taylor Swift
Donald Trump
Harvey Weinstein
Game of Thrones
Kim Kardashian
2018:
World Cup
Avicii
Mac Miller
Stan Lee
Black Panther
Meghan Markle
Demi Lovato
Royal Wedding
Election Results
Fortnite
2019:
Avengers: Endgame
Game of Thrones
Area 51
Joker
Notre Dame Cathedral
Baby Yoda
Copa America
Disney Plus
iPhone 11
Kim Kardashian
2020:
Coronavirus
Election results
Kobe Bryant
Zoom
Naya Rivera
Chadwick Boseman
George Floyd
SpaceX launch
Biden-Harris
Kim Kardashian
The top 10 Google searches and keywords of each year have provided us with a window into the most important events and trends of each decade, from the advent of social media and pop culture to the rise of technology and health-related inquiries. The next 10 years should be interesting! See you in 2030, lol!