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Google has released its annual Year in Search, detailing the top-trending searches of 2020. In addition to a whole bunch of specific pandemic-related searches — like “Where to buy face masks” and “dating during coronavirus” — people also were looking for information on their favorite music artists, and Van Halen has landed in the top 10 of that list.
Van Halen was #6 on the tally of top-trending searches in the U.S. for musicians and bands, clearly sparked by the death in October of the group’s co-founder and lead guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. By the way, a “top-trending search” refers to a search that had a high spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2020 versus 2019. At #1 on the list was Shakira, likely due to her appearance at the Super Bowl in February, alongside Jennifer Lopez.
Speaking of Eddie Van Halen, he appears at #6 on the list of top-trending searches in the U.S. for “loss,” that is, someone who died. At the top of this tally was basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January.
Among the song lyrics that were the subjects of the top-trending searches of the year was “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder at #5, because the 1983 tune was widely used on TikTok. Unsurprisingly, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion‘s raunchy “WAP” topped that tally.
Meanwhile, globally, the number-one item on the list of top-trending concert searches was the Lady Gaga-curated, star-studded Together at Home virtual event that took place in April. It included performances by The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong, among many others.
By Matt Friedlander and Andrea Dresdale
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