Yahoo Finance Here's what dominated Wikipedia's most-read articles last year
The subjects of Wikipedia’s most read articles in 2019 include a legendary musician, an Oscar nominated film and ... a serial killer.
The online encyclopedia showcased just how powerful Hollywood can be, with nearly all of its top 10 stories connected to the entertainment industry in some way. Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” (DIS) — which was the number one movie last year — nabbed the top spot with 44.2 million clicks.
Next up was Deaths in 2019 (aka: a comprehensive list of the famous people who died last year), Ted Bundy (thank you, Netflix’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”), Freddie Mercury (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” anyone?), and the Chernobyl disaster (shoutout to HBO’s mini-series about the 1986 nuclear incident) round out the top five.
“Wikipedia is a reflection of how people understand the world around them,” Anusha Alikhan, senior director of communications for the Wikimedia Foundation, recently told Yahoo Finance.
“Its top-read articles provide a snapshot into what captured readers attention most - the people they are most curious about and the culture and perspectives that shape their daily lives,” she added. “There is an emotional connection to each of these searches.”
Even in the midst of the streaming takeover — NBC (CMSCA) recently unveiled new details surrounding its ‘Peacock’ streaming service — everyday readers still seem particularly interested in what movies do well at the box office.
According to a Variety estimate, the yearly domestic box office haul for all 2019 films is projected to total about $11.4 billion — a roughly four percent decline from 2018's massive $11.9 billion.
“Avengers: Endgame” contributed roughly $2.8 billion to that number.
How Billie Eilish dominated 2019 — and (so far) 2020
Wikipedia noted one outlier that stands out in the top ten: Billie Eilish, the ninth-most popular article of the year.
The 18-year-old singer dominated 2019 after releasing her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” It reached number one on the Billboard 200 list multiple weeks in a row.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Eilish will write and record the latest James Bond theme song for the upcoming film “No Time to Die.” This makes her the youngest artist to record a Bond song — an opportunity that led both Adele and Sam Smith to their first Oscar wins in 2013 and 2016, respectively.
“No Time to Die” is expected to do just as well if not better than its predecessors.
Alexandra Canal is a Producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193
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