Google Global Monthly Searches

1. 1. Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga – 151,000,000
2. 2. Beyonce, Miley Cyrus – 68,000,000
3. 3. Taylor Swift – 45,500,000
4. 4. Britney Spears – 37,200,000
5. 5. Madonna, Chris Brown – 30,400,000
6. 6. Kanye West – 20,400,000
7. 7. Angelina Jolie, Adam Lambert, Paris Hilton – 11,100,000
8. 8. Kelly Clarkson, Lindsay Lohan – 9,140,000
9. 9. Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba – 6,120,000
10. 10. Brad Pitt – 5,000,000

Bet you could have guessed that—I mean of course the death of the King of Pop Michael Jackson would rank first, and who can resist the shock value of Lady Gaga’s latest stunt? It seems clear why Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie made the list with their never-ending “Team Aniston” vs.” Team Jolie” feud. And of course everyone wants to know what the heck is going on with Lindsay Lohan—is she in jail? Out of jail? Did she really give the big “F*** you” in court? Clearly there are issues we just can’t resist knowing about.

Then there’s Kanye West, infamous for the stunt he pulled with Taylor Swift. No one will ever know whether the incident was staged or not, but regardless of its authenticity, it made for some great TV. Madonna—enough said, but surprising that she’s still in the top ten (top five actually) most Google’d celebrities. She either has some quality search engine optimization going on, or she’s just really really popular and will continue to be for quite awhile (I vote for the latter).

So we’ve made it to the top, with ties for 1st and 2nd place. But Beyonce and Miley Cyrus at number two? There’s no denying that Beyonce has talent, but Miley Cyrus? I guess we’ll see when she makes it through this “I’m not a little girl anymore” phase. Then again, sprouting out of Disney gives you a bit of a following, especially when lap dance videos clash with your “innocent little girl” character.

Speaking of characters, it is absolutely no surprise that Lady Gaga is the number one most Google’d celebrity alive. She’s always in the headlines, and I have to admit that her music is quite catchy. So this begs the question: is she just weird or is her unusual and flat out bizarre appearance pure marketing genius?