December 28, 2017
We’re on the cusp of a new year. It’s a time for mourning the last of the Christmas cookies, breaking out holiday presents (A.K.A. my new robe and slow cooker--hygge, here I come!), making New Year’s resolutions, and reflecting on the year past.
Sometimes, our favorite websites and apps do the reflecting for us. That’s where the Year in Review feature comes in. Sites from Amazon to Netflix have put out summaries of what we’ve searched, listened to, read, and watched.
Thus, this review of the best 2017 “Year in Reviews” was born. Listed in no particular order, these compilations provided the best insights into our individual habits and the broader culture as a whole. Let’s go.
Google’s Year in Search 2017
Google Trends puts together a yearly review of the top searches and it’s always peruse-worthy. You can view searches by location and by category, like people, recipes, and TV shows. There’s always something interesting to take note of. For, example, the top global searches range from “Hurricane Irma” in the top spot to “Meghan Markle” (#5) to “Fidget Spinner” (#8). Fidget spinners may be a fad, but they’ll always have their place in Google’s Year in Search 2017.
This year, users searched “how” queries more than ever before. The top three global “how to” searches were “how to make slime,” “how to make solar eclipse glasses,” and “how to buy Bitcoin.” I should’ve searched those queries in 2017--I’m unclear on all of those answers.
Don’t forget to watch the video at the top of the page. It’s a compilation of top queries (think “how to make a protest sign” and “how to watch the eclipse”), news clips, and YouTube videos set to dramatic, swelling music. It might make you cry. You know, if you tear up at that sort of thing. (Please tell me you teared up, too.)
Spotify’s 2017 Wrapped
For the past few years, Spotify has quietly offered up an interactive analysis of your listening habits. Visit this link and discover exactly how many minutes of music you’ve listened to and your top artists, genres, and songs of 2017.
This year’s version included two cool new features. First, Spotify quizzes you on what you think your #1 artist, genre, and song is. You might not be as self-aware as you think. Second, Spotify provides you with a new playlist entitled “The Ones That Got Away.” While Spotify always puts together a playlist of your top songs, this new playlist includes songs similar to your go-to jams that you’ve never actually listened to. It’s a nice touch--even if none of the songs on my playlist were as good as my #2 song of 2017, Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar.”
Also, I need to mention Spotify’s billboards and print ads that share weird user data from 2017. Ads like “Deliver burns as well as the person who streamed ‘Bad Liar’ 86 times the day Sean Spicer resigned” made my walks through Chicago’s CTA stations so much better. (And no, I wasn’t responsible for those 86 plays.) Thanks, Spotify.
Amazon’s This Year in Books
Even if you don’t have a Kindle or use Audible, Amazon’s audiobook service, you should still check out this infographic. It compiles the most-read fiction and nonfiction books from Kindle and Audible.
Scroll through the infographic and discover the top titles sold in your state--it’s most likely The Handmaid’s Tale--and the most highlighted passages in Kindle e-books. You might not be an e-book or audiobook convert, but it’s fascinating to see user data on how quickly users read (or listened to!) books.
In addition to user data, Amazon breaks down book culture in other unique ways. Look out for the section comparing book cover design trends. Who knew that so many books used similar color schemes and fonts? Plus, Amazon’s timeline of top books and 2017 current events tells its own story. Give it a read.
Netflix’s A Year in Bingeing
Need a break from the Netflix binge you’re on? Go meta and read Netflix’s press release on the most-watched shows of 2017.
The most-binged shows are defined by Netflix as those where users watched more than 2 hours per day--and American Vandal made the top of the list. I definitely contributed to that statistic. If you haven’t watched it yet, do it ASAP.
On the other end of the spectrum are the shows that users slowly indulged in for less than 2 hours per day. The Crown, GLOW, and Dear White People all made this list.
Other gems from this review: the biggest streaming day of the year is January 1st, Mexico has the most people streaming every day, and that someone watched Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 365 days in a row. Props.
--
Got another favorite Year in Review? Share them! Tweet us @Perfect_Search.
Senior Manager, Copywriting & Content Strategy
Kayla Hammersmith is a huge fan of Nancy Drew computer games and swears that she can do a very specific impression of Pal, the dog from Arthur. You might often find her snacking on goat cheese as she dreams of one day becoming a cellist savant.