Google has revealed its yearly statistics for the UK, which show the year’s biggest Google trending topics.
In a year that has seen the UK at the forefront of global media with the Royal Diamond Jubilee and a certain small sporting event, it would seem that us Brits have been as interested in our own country as the rest of the world has.
In the overall top trending searches you get the usual football (Euro 2012), Royals and Apple products in the mix, but this year has also seen a huge surge for streaming service Netflix, while NatWest has garnered what has to be a lot of unwanted attention due to its outage. Finally, there is the case of a Korean sensation called PSY.
Yes, unsurprisingly PSY and his Gangnam Style (the most watched video on the internet) song has burst into the top 10 and the rapper has left his mark in history.
Additionally, more specific lists reveal that the top trending TV show isCBEEBies TV show Mike the Knight, closely followed by Homeland and then TOWIE.
Skyfall, Prometheus and The Hunger Games top the most popular movies in the UK and apparently the top trending music artists are Lucy Spraggan (of X Factor fame), The Military Wives and the pop’s latest torch carrying tweeting-mad pixie Will.i.am.
Top Trending Searches UK 2012
- Euro 2012
- Olympic tickets
- Whitney Houston
- Kate Middleton
- April Jones
- Netflix
- Natwest online
- ipad 3
- Gary Barlow
- Gangnam Style
Full Lists:
Trending People
- Whitney Houston
- Kate Middleton
- Gary Barlow
- Tulisa
- Jessica Ennis
- Fabrice Muamba
- Michael Clarke Duncan
- Morgan Freeman
- Prince Harry
- Usain Bolt
British Olympians most searched
- Andy Murray
- Tom Daley
- Jessica Ennis
- Mo Farah
- Victoria Pendleton
- Bradley Wiggins
- Chris Hoy
- Rebecca Adlington
- Laura Trott
- Louis Smith
Global Olympians most searched
- Usain Bolt
- Michael Phelps
- Roger Federer
- Yohan Blake
- Ryan Lochte
- Venus Williams
- Rafael Nadal
- Novak Djokovic
- Tyson Gay
- Missy Franklin
Trending TV Shows
- Mike the Knight
- Homeland
- TOWIE
- The Jonathan Ross Show
- Celebrity Big Brother
- Sherlock
- The Great British Bake Off
- Game of Thrones
- Big Bang Theory
- How I Met Your Mother
Trending Movies
- Skyfall
- Prometheus
- The Hunger Games
- Magic Mike
- Taken 2
- The Avengers
- The Woman in Black
- The Dictator
- Sinister
- The Devil Inside
Trending Fashion Labels
- Stella McCartney
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Victoria’s Secret
- Alice Temperley
- Versace
- Mulberry
- Marks and Spencer
- Ossie Clark
- Burberry
- LK Bennett
Trending Music Artists
- Lucy Spraggan
- The Military Wives
- Will.i.am
- Emeli Sande
- Psy
- One Direction
- The Spice Girls
- Muse
- Girls Aloud
- Dizzee Rascal
Trending Politicians
- Jeremy Hunt
- Boris Johnson
- Justine Greening
- Alex Salmond
- Michael Gove
- George Osborne
- Louise Mensch
- Nadine Dorries
- Keith Vaz
- Ed Vaizey
Trending Songs
- Gangnam Style
- Call Me Maybe
- Blow Me One Last Kiss
- Beneath Your Beautiful
- The Official Olympic Song (Survival by Muse)
- Skyfall
- Somebody That I Used To Know
- We Are Young
- Too Close
- 212
Trending Sports
- Synchronized Swimming
- Murderball
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Volleyball
- Archery
- 100 metre sprint
- Taekwondo
- Gymnastics
- Cycling
- Athletics
Trending Travel Destinations
- Rio de Janeiro
- Greece
- Brazil
- Dubai
- Paris
- London
- Bruges
- Cornwall
- Edinburgh
- Barcelona
Most searched Cities in Google Maps (UK)
- London
- Bristol
- Manchester
- Edinburgh
- Brighton
- Surrey
- Leeds
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Birmingham
Most searched Local Places in Google Maps (UK)
- Hotel
- Restaurant
- Pubs
- Camping
- Tesco
- Parking
[spoiler]
A Year in the UK: Google’s Top Searches of 2012
Euro 2012, Whitney Houston, Skyfall, Gangnam Style and Rio De Janeiro top this year’s Google Zeitgeist while Love tops this year’s “what is” queries
11th December 2012: Today Google announced its annual Zeitgeist, revealing this year’s most searched celebrities, Olympians, major events and hottest trends based on internet searches conducted in the UK in 2012.
· Euro 2012 was the top trending search term of the year ahead of Olympics tickets
· The late Whitney Houston was the top trending person of the year followed by Kate Middleton.
· Andy Murray was the most searched Olympian, followed by Tom Daley and Jess Ennis
· Gangnam Style overtook all musical hits this year to be the top trending song of 2012
· Rio de Janeiro was the top trending destination as the nation looked ahead to 2016
· Love tops the list of “what is…” queries while ‘kiss’ and ‘flirt’ made the ‘how to’ top 10
Top trends
While most would have expected the Olympics to have eclipsed everything as 2012’s most searched term, it was overtaken by Euro 2012. However, London was the most searched city in Google Maps, Stella McCartney was the top trending designer, and Muse’s ‘Survival’ made the top trending songs – showing the Olympics had a huge impact on the nation’s cultural interests.
People News
Andy Murray took the World by storm leading the charge as the most searched Olympian of 2012 after taking gold and winning the US open, the first British Grand Slam victory since 1936. Murray overtook British Olympic Champions such as Tom Daley, and Jessica Ennis who followed closely behind as number two and three top searched Olympians this year. Meanwhile on the political front, the news agenda put Jeremy Hunt in the spotlight – he became the top trending politician of 2012, followed by Boris Johnson.
Film/TV
Not only did Victoria Pendleton’s Olympic career get her some attention but she also achieved stardom in her role in Strictly Come Dancing and reached top position in the most searched reality TV celebrities. While Skyfall topped the Movie list, children’s hit Mike the Knight beat Homeland and Bake Off to the trending top spot.
Music/Fashion
Smash hit Gangnam Style, which made the world move to its funky beat, was the top trending song this year while the world should watch out for this year’s trending popstar, Lucy Spraggan. In Fashion British Olympic kit designer Stella McCartney was the top trending label of the year.
Travel news
London came top as the most searched city in Google Maps this year, as tourists continued to flood to the country’s capital. Yet as Olympics fans looked to the next Games, Rio de Janeiro became the fastest rising destination of 2012, followed by Greece.
…and more romantic pursuits!
Romantic searches topped the “what is” and “how to” query lists, with British searchers keen to learn “what is love” and “how to kiss” and “how to flirt” to help them be luckier in love. This was closely followed by more serious “what is” queries ranging from the icloud to the illuminati, diabetes and “how to meditate”. It was also a year of creativity as millions searched online for inspiration around “how to draw”, “how to crochet”, “how to knit” and “how to sing”.
Trending Searches 2012
1. Euro 2012
2. Olympic tickets
3. Whitney Houston
4. Kate Middleton
5. April Jones
6. Netflix
7. Natwest online
8. ipad 3
9. Gary Barlow
10. Gangnam Style
Trending People
1. Whitney Houston
2. Kate Middleton
3. Gary Barlow
4. Tulisa
5. Jessica Ennis
6. Fabrice Muamba
7. Michael Clarke Duncan
8. Morgan Freeman
9. Prince Harry
10. Usain Bolt
British Olympians Most searched
1. Andy murray
2. Tom daley
3. Jessica ennis
4. Mo farah
5. Victoria pendleton
6. Bradley wiggins
7. Chris hoy
8. Rebecca adlington
9. Laura trott
10. Louis smith
Global Olympians Most Searched
1. Usain Bolt
2. Michael Phelps
3. Roger Federer
4. Yohan Blake
5. Ryan Lochte
6. Venus Williams
7. Rafael Nadal
8. Novak Djokovic
9. Tyson Gay
10. Missy Franklin
Trending TV Shows
1. Mike the Knight
2. Homeland
3. TOWIE
4. The Jonathan Ross Show
5. Celebrity Big Brother
6. Sherlock
7. The Great British Bake Off
8. Game of Thrones
9. Big Bang Theory
10. How I Met Your Mother
Trending Movies
1. Skyfall
2. Prometheus
3. The Hunger Games
4. Magic Mike
5. Taken 2
6. The Avengers
7. The Woman in Black
8. The Dictator
9. Sinister
10. The Devil Inside
Trending Fashion Labels
1. Stella McCartney
2. Karl Lagerfeld
3. Victoria’s Secret
4. Alice Temperley
5. Versace
6. Mulberry
7. Marks and Spencer
8. Ossie Clark
9. Burberry
10. LK Bennett
Trending Music Artists
1. Lucy Spraggan
2. The Military Wives
3. Will.i.am
4. Emeli Sande
5. Psy
6. One Direction
7. The Spice Girls
8. Muse
9. Girls Aloud
10. Dizzee Rascal
Trending Politicians
1. Jeremy Hunt
2. Boris Johnson
3. Justine Greening
4. Alex Salmond
5. Michael Gove
6. George Osborne
7. Louise Mensch
8. Nadine Dorries
9. Keith Vaz
10. Ed Vaizey
Trending Songs
1. Gangnam Style
2. Call Me Maybe
3. Blow Me One Last Kiss
4. Beneath Your Beautiful
5. The Official Olympic Song (Survival by Muse)
6. Skyfall
7. Somebody That I Used To Know
8. We Are Young
9. Too Close
10. 212
Trending Sports
1. Synchronized Swimming
2. Murderball
3. Wheelchair Basketball
4. Volleyball
5. Archery
6. 100 metre sprint
7. Taekwondo
8. Gymnastics
9. Cycling
10. Athletics
Trending Travel Destinations
1. Rio de Janeiro
2. Greece
3. Brazil
4. Dubai
5. Paris
6. London
7. Bruges
8. Cornwall
9. Edinburgh
10. Barcelona
Most searched Cities in Google Maps (UK)
1. London
2. Bristol
3. Manchester
4. Edinburgh
5. Brighton
6. Surrey
7. Leeds
8. Oxford
9. Cambridge
10. Birmingham
Most searched Local Places in Google Maps (UK)
1. hotel
2. restaurant
3. pubs
4. camping
5. tesco
6. parking
[/spoiler]
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