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Best Trends forever: 15 years of Google Trends

Illustration of a birthday cake with abstract illustrations of charts and graphs in it. A Google Trends arrow icon is on top of the cake.

What were you doing in 2006? Maybe you were going through your emo phase. Maybe you were loving low rise jeans. Maybe you were mourning Pluto’s (temporary) demotion from planet to dwarf planet.

Maybe you were checking out these trends — and plenty of others — on Google Trends, which went live in the summer of 2006. Though the tool’s data goes back to 2004, it became available two years later. This summer, Google Trends turns 15, so we thought it would be the perfect time to look back on trends of yesteryear and compare what people were searching for back in 2006 to today. 

Graphic showing trends in 2006 against today: Most-searched song lyrics — July 2006, U.S.  Unfaithful - Rhianna Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake Crazy - Gnarls Barkley Buttons - Pussycat Dolls Miss Murder - AFI  Most-searched song lyrics — July 2021, U.S. Fancy Like - Walker Hayes Traitor - Olivia Rodrigo Favorite Crime - Olivia Rodrigo Ain't Shit - Doja Cat Deja Vu - Olivia Rodrigo Most-searched actors — July 2006, U.S.  Oprah  Zac Efron Paris Hilton Channing Tatum Lindsay Lohan Most-searched actors — July 2021, U.S. Olivia Rodrigo Scarlett Johansson Florence Pugh Tom Holland Millie Bobby Brown Most-searched TV shows —  July 2006, U.S. Project Runway Big Brother Lost Miami Vice American Idol Most-searched TV shows — July 2021, U.S.  Big Brother Gossip Girl Grey's Anatomy iCarly Criminal Minds Most-searched Games – July 2006, U.S. 1. Tetris 2. Sonic 3. Halo 3 4. Bejeweled 5. Battlefield 2 Most-searched Games – July 2021, U.S. 1. Sonic 2. Genshin Impact 3. Minesweeper 4. GTA 6 5. Battlefield 2042

Happy birthday, Google Trends! Here’s to many more years of curiosity. 

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