These are uncertain times, Google admits. And in uncertain times, people look to heroes to remind them of what’s good, what’s possible and what to put their hope in, or just to escape the complicated and messy areas of life.
That’s how the tech giant summed up the theme of a year’s worth of searches—everything from superheroes in capes to scrappy, everyday heroes just fulfilling their duties or pausing to help somebody in need. Sports heroes winning world championships, musical heroes breaking new ground, heroes behind keyboards creating the tech necessary to capture photos of things we’ve never laid eyes on before. The year wasn’t short on controversies, but Google has a way of looking at the last 12 months that makes hopeful heroism so real and wide-reaching that it almost seems like we’ll be all right.
In a collection of Top 10 lists, Google has organized the most popular searches by category. Baby Yoda made it despite its late-in-the-year debut, as did Area 51, Lizzo, Megan Rapinoe, quid pro quo, e-girls and e-boys, and dozens of other 2019 personalities and trends:
Searches
1. Disney Plus
2. Cameron Boyce
3. Nipsey Hussle
4. Hurricane Dorian
5. Antonio Brown
6. Luke Perry
7. Avengers: Endgame
8. Game of Thrones
9. iPhone 11
10. Jussie Smollett
What is…?
1. What is Area 51
2. What is a VSCO girl
3. What is momo
4. What is a boomer
5. What is quid pro quo
6. What is camp fashion
7. What is Disney Plus
8. What is Bird Box about
9. What is a Mandalorian
10. What is Brexit
Outfit ideas
1. EGirl outfit
2. Eboy outfit
3. Soft girl outfit
4. Biker shorts outfit
5. VSCO girl outfit
6. Dickies outfit
7. White jeans outfit
8. Fila outfit
9. Champion outfit
10. Leather pants outfit
News
1. Hurricane Dorian
2. Notre Dame Cathedral
3. Women’s World Cup
4. Area 51 raid
5. Copa America
6. El Paso shooting
7. Sri Lanka
8. Government shutdown
9. Equifax data breach settlement
10. California earthquake
Musicians and Bands
1. R. Kelly
2. 21 Savage
3. Billie Eilish
4. Lil Nas X
5. A$AP Rocky
6. Mötley Crüe
7. Lizzo
8. Gladys Knight
9. Tekashi 69
10. Joy Villa
People
1. Antonio Brown
2. Jussie Smollett
3. James Charles
4. Kevin Hart
5. R. Kelly
6. 21 Savage
7. Lori Loughlin
8. Jordyn Woods
9. Bryce Harper
10. Robert Kraft
Athletes
1. Antonio Brown
2. Bryce Harper
3. David Ortiz
4. Andrew Luck
5. Myles Garrett
6. Megan Rapinoe
7. Russell Westbrook
8. Zion Williamson
9. Melvin Gordon
10. Alex Morgan
Babies
1. Baby Yoda
2. Baby Shark
3. Royal baby
4. Kim Kardashian Kanye West baby
5. Cardi B baby
6. Trey Songz baby
7. Andy Cohen baby
8. Shawn Johnson baby
9. Amy Schumer baby
10. Hoda Kotb baby
Actors
1. Jussie Smollett
2. Kevin Hart
3. Lori Loughlin
4. Felicity Huffman
5. Keanu Reeves
6. Rami Malek
7. Joaquin Phoenix
8. Kate Beckinsale
9. Halle Bailey
10. Maisie Williams
Passings
1. Cameron Boyce
2. Nipsey Hussle
3. Luke Perry
4. Jeffrey Epstein
5. Tyler Skaggs
6. Beth Chapman
7. John Witherspoon
8. John Singleton
9. Eddie Money
10. Elijah Cummings
See Google’s full list of lists here.
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/google-year-in-search-video-2019-lauds-heroes/