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America Online Unveils Top Searches for 2004DULLES, Va. --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 14, 2004 -- Hilary Duff Reigns As Most Searched Person Among Kids and Teens and Britney Spears Reclaims Title of Most Searched Person Overall Online Interest in Carbs, Cookies, Crockpots and Cocktails Soared in 2004 Which people, moments, news and trends captivated Americans in 2004? AOL(R) Search, America Online's popular search destination, announced the year's top searches based on what people and topics received the highest volume of online queries on the AOL(R) service and AOL.com. Platinum recording artist and teen movie star Hilary Duff takes the crown for most searched person among kids and teens and Britney Spears was once again the most searched person overall, though hardly by a landslide. Britney, followed closely by hotel heiress and socialite Paris Hilton, reclaims the top honor this year from rap sensation 50 Cent who dethroned Britney in 2003 after she held the top spot for two years running. But look for Usher, one of 2004's biggest gainers and the year's #1 searched male, who also scored the #1 and #2 searched songs of the year, to give both Britney and Paris a run for their money in the overall category in 2005. Hilary Duff also appeared on the top lists for most searched people overall, female celebrities and celebrities under 21, as well as female music artists. The most searched words overall this year led with "horoscopes," with new topics hitting 2004's top 50 list including: foreclosures (#4); salaries (#5); work at home (#18); home improvement (#19); airline tickets (#27); spyware (#43); credit reports (#43); texas hold 'em poker (#46); and blue book (#49). The Presidential Election was the most searched news topic in 2004, with John Kerry as the most searched politician. This year's World Series ranked among the top searched events, as the Boston Red Sox, ranking #4 in the top sports teams, won for the first time in 86 years. The most searched Red Sox player in 2004 was Johnny Damon, and the most searched athlete overall was Kobe Bryant. The "no" carb craze in 2003 gave way to the "low" carb craze in 2004 with The South Beach Diet ranking as the top searched diet, beating out last year's topper, The Atkins Diet. But on the other end of the spectrum, "cookies" were the most searched recipe, followed by "crockpot recipes" at #2, indicating strong interest in home-cooked comfort food, and "cocktail recipes" rounded out the list at #3 as people continue to log on for how to make new and classic mixed drinks. Arguably the year of "denim," 2004 saw literally dozens of new designer jeans come on the market, and Levi's, a tried and true classic, held rank at #1 in the jeans category. This was a hot year for labels and logos and Louis Vuitton was the most searched designer label, and hard-to-find items like Ugg Boots and popular Throwback Jerseys making the top five list of the most searched fashion trends of 2004. Body ink also seemed to be a growing fashion trend this year, with tribal patterns, butterflies and fairies topping the tattoo design list. At the top of the list for most searched gadgets was cellphones, followed by digital cameras at #2 and MP3 players, including iPods, at #3. "The most searched for topics online are a way to gauge what Americans are interested in, and what they want to know more about. Looking at the top year-end search terms from AOL Search gives us a unique view of what was top-of-mind for our members throughout the year," said Gerry Campbell, Vice President and General Manager, AOL Search & Navigation. "We're committed to offering new tools and useful information to help our members find exactly what they're looking for on America Online and the Internet quickly and easily." AOL Search processes as many as 700 million search queries per month. In October 2004, comScore Networks reported an estimated 35 million unique visitors to AOL Search. Following are highlights from the top 2004 searches on AOL Search: Top Words: 1) horoscopes; 2) lyrics; 3) hairstyles; 4) foreclosures; 5) salaries; 7) cheats and codes; 8) jobs; 9) tattoos; and 10) IRS. Top Searched People Overall: 1) Britney Spears; 2) Paris Hilton, moving up one spot from 2003; 3) Janet Jackson; 4) Oprah Winfrey; 5) Usher; 6) Hilary Duff; 7) Harry Potter; 8) Pamela Anderson; 9) Jessica Simpson; and 10) Orlando Bloom. Top Sports Teams: 1) Dallas Cowboys; 2) New York Yankees; 3) Chicago Cubs; 4) Boston Red Sox; 5) Atlanta Braves; 6) Philadelphia Eagles; 7) New England Patriots; 8) Green Bay Packers; 9) Los Angeles Lakers; and 10) Oakland Raiders. Top Athletes: 1) Kobe Bryant; 2) Bam Margera; 3) Michael Phelps; 4) Lance Armstrong; 5) Serena Williams; 6) Anna Kournikova; 7) Tiger Woods; 8) Michael Jordan; 9) Jackie Robinson and 10) Trish Stratus. Top Celebrity Setbacks: 1) Janet Jackson's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction;" 2) Britney Spears' weddings; 3) Mary-Kate Olsen's eating disorder; 4) Ashlee Simpson's "Saturday Night Live" lip-syncing incident; 5) Tara Reid's "wardrobe malfunction" at P. Diddy's 35th birthday bash; 6) Cameron Diaz's topless video from the 80's; 7) Michael Jackson's sexual abuse case; 8) Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment lawsuit; 9) Vibe Awards fight; and 10) Pacers/Pistons fight. Top Diets: 1) South Beach; 2) Weight Watchers; 3) Atkins; 4) Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution; 5) Cabbage Soup Diet; 6) The Zone; 7) Jenny Craig; 8) LA Weight Loss; 9) Body for Life; and 10) Grapefruit Diet. Top Recipes: 1) cookie recipes; 2) crockpot recipes; 3) mixed drink recipes; 4) turkey; 5) cakes; 6) meatloaf; 7) cheesecake; 8) salsa; 9) banana bread; and 10) brownies. Top Jeans: 1) Levi's; 2) Seven Jeans; 3) Lucky Jeans; 4) Wrangler Jeans; 5) Pepe Jeans; 6) Lee Jeans; 7) Apple Bottom Jeans; 8) Guess Jeans; 9) Citizens of Humanity Jeans; and 10) Bongo Jeans. Top Fashion Labels and Brands: 1) Louis Vuitton; 2) Coach; 3) Uggs; 4) Gucci; 5) Dooney & Bourke; 6) Prada; 7) Polo; 8) Baby Phat; 9) Steve Madden; and 10) Juicy Couture. Top Fashion Trends: 1) Ugg Boots; 2) throwback jerseys; 3) vintage clothing; 4) ponchos; 5) western wear; 6) gothic clothing; 7) skateboard shoes; 8) punk clothes; 9) cowboy boots; and 10) eighties fashion. Top Tattoo Designs: 1) Tribal tattoos; 2) butterfly tattoos; 3) fairy tattoos; 4) cross tattoos; 5) celtic tattoos; 6) star tattoos, 7) temporary tattoos; 8) dragon tattoos; 9) angel tattoos; and 10) religious tattoos. Top Gadgets and Devices: 1) Cell-phones; 2) Digital Cameras; 3) MP3 Players, including iPods; 4) PDA devices; 5) GPS devices; 6) Plasma TVs / HD TV; 7)Laptops; 8) Printers; 9) DVR, PVR and DVD recorders; and 10) Telescopes. Top Television Shows: 1) "American Idol"; 2) "Oprah Winfrey"; 3) "Survivor," moving up five spots from 2003; 4) "Days of Our Lives"; 5) "Apprentice"; 6) "Big Brother"; 7) "The Bachelor"; 8) "The OC"; 9) "The Sopranos"; and 10) "Charmed." Top Movies: 1) Harry Potter; 2) Passion of the Christ; 3) Lord of The Rings; 4) Spider-Man 2; 5) Star Wars; 6) Texas Chainsaw Massacre; 7) Troy; 8) Finding Nemo; 9) Van Helsing; and 10) Shrek 2. Top Celebrity Moms: 1) Julia Roberts; 2) Shar Jackson; 3) Liv Tyler; 4) J.K. Rowling; 5) Kate Hudson; 6) Solange Knowles; 7) Heidi Klum; 8) Leah Remini; 9) Holly Marie Combs; and 10) Monica Bellucci. Top Songs: 1) "Burn" by Usher; 2) "My Boo" by Usher and Alicia Keys; 3) "Just Lose It" by Eminem; 4) "My Band" by D12; 5) "Yeah" by Usher; 6) "Tipsy" by J-Kwon; 7) "Toxic" by Britney Spears; 8) "Broken" by Seether with Amy Lee; 9) "My Immortal" by Evanescence; and 10) "1985" by Bowling for Soup. Top Toys and Gifts: 1) Neopets; 2) Barbie; 3) My Scene dolls; 4) Care Bears; 5) Bratz dolls; 6) Scooters; 7) PlayStation 2; 8) Polly Pockets; 9) Dora The Explorer; and 10) Nintendo Gamecube. For a complete list of AOL Search's most searched words in 2004 and additional information, including categories like Famous Duos, Plastic Surgery Procedures, Destinations, and Dog Breeds can be found at AOL Keyword: AOL Search 2004 or http://hot.aol.com/2004/index.html. Interviews with AOL Search experts are available this week from AOL's Broadcast Studio. In addition, taped sound bites and b-roll are also available. For more information and available times please call 703-265-1746. About AOL Search AOL Search is a popular Internet online search product available on the AOL service and AOL.com. By combining a comprehensive range of features and programming with the reach of Web search powered by Google's advanced technology, AOL Search provides a single destination from where people can find the best and most relevant content and information, news, images, products, local resources, audio and video media, and more online. About America Online, Inc. America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. |
