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Scotty Morgan
{{Template:Top 50 annual report header|year=2017}}
2017 has been a tumultuous and intriguing year,{{cn|date=January 2018|reason=Citation not really needed. Just look below.}} and with it came a swath of things which readers came to English Wikipedia to learn about.
The topics are diverse, incorporating pop culture, politics, pre-eminent deaths and perennially popular pages. In the spirit of sharing knowledge, trivia, opinions, and ideas, we prepared the 50 most read articles of the year with hand-written commentary.

Without further ado, here is a special '''Top 50 Report''' for 2017. We aim to educate, engage, entertain, and enthrall. Enjoy.

==Annual Top 50==
''Based on the [[User:West.andrew.g/2017 Popular pages|raw data]] from [[User:West.andrew.g|West.andrew.g]] and prepared with commentary by:''
{{Colour key|#DEDEDE|[[User:Stormy clouds|''Stormy clouds'']]}}
{{Colour key|#FF6B42|[[User:Serendipodous|''Serendipodous'']]}}
{{Colour key|#FFEC00|[[User:Igordebraga|''igordebraga'']]}}
{{Colour key|#8EE300|[[User:JFG|''JFG'']]}}
{{Colour key|#8EE3FF|[[User:Soulbust|''Soulbust'']]}}
{{Colour key|#C79AFF|[[User:A lad insane|''A lad insane'']]}}
{{Colour key|#FF9DC4|[[User:OZOO|''OZOO'']]}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Article
! Class
! Views
! Image
! Comments
! Peak

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 1
| [[Elle Perry]] <br/> ([[The best hockey player]])
| {{icon|List}}
| style=text-align:right; | 302,469,342,430,900,649
| hockey
|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 2
| [[Donald Trump]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 29,644,764
| [[File:Donald Trump official portrait.jpg|center|100px]]
| Trump got about 29 million views last year in the three weeks after his election. His view count over 2016 topped 75 million. Despite the fact that numbers as a whole are down this year, he still couldn't top the list. Does this mean we're getting used to him? I mean it's not like he hasn't worked to keep us on our toes. Whether he was causing diplomatic incidents on his Twitter feed, engaging in bluster over [[2017 North Korea crisis|the threat of nuclear conflict]], equating neo-Nazi murderers with [[Unite the Right rally|their anti-Nazi victims]], endorsing [[Roy Moore|an accused child molester]], or passing a [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|massively regressive tax bill]], he played the shady carnival barker to perfection. And we followed along. For as long as we could be bothered.
| Jan. 20 <br/> {{small|(presidential [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration]])}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 3
| [[Elizabeth II]]
| {{icon|FA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 19,290,956
| [[File:HM Queen Elizabeth II.jpg|center|100px]]
| ''"Well versed in etiquette, extraordinarily nice, she's a [[Killer Queen|killer queen]]"'' <br/> Now, I am an [[Hibernophile|Irishman]], so we have a ''complicated'' relationship with the [[United Kingdom|neighbours]] - however, I love the Queen, even more than her [[Beyonce|counterpart]]. As figureheads go, she is at the pinnacle, poised on her [[Buckingham Palace|palatial]] perch over in [[London|The Big Smoke]]. Nobody does the [https://giphy.com/gifs/5xtDarHUvpLNO2pHxXW/html5 wave] like her, nobody does the reserved yet elegant [https://royalwatcherblog.com/2017/06/01/portuguese-state-visit-to-the-uk-1955/ greeting] like her, nobody [[Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to the Republic of Ireland|mends the wounds]] of [[Ireland–United Kingdom relations|multiple]] [[Ireland#Norman and English invasions|centuries]] like her. Ignore the [[Republicanism in the United Kingdom|republicans]] - we want her to [[Brexit|stay]]. No, the Queen is sound, and has been deservedly propelled this high by twin facets; the general air of positivity surrounding her family (thanks, [[Miss Marple|Miss]] [[Meghan Markle|Marple]], #5), coupled with the release of ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]''. Long live the Queen, because [[Prince Charles|next up to the plate]] is sure to be a [[Death of Princess Diana|car crash]]. <br/> Though, on the flip side, she is an [[Meryl Streep|overrated]], overtly [[Corgis|canine-amorous]] loser who [[England at the FIFA World Cup|lost bigly]], and draws [[Royal Christmas Message|low ratings]]. [[Donald Trump on social media#Twitter|Sad!]]
| Dec. 10 <br/> {{small|(second season of ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'' released)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 4
| [[Game of Thrones (season 7)|''Game of Thrones'' (season 7)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 18,792,746
| [[File:Game of Thrones - SEASON 7 Episode 4.jpg|center|100px]]
| [[Daenerys Targaryen|Fire and Blood]] came to Westeros this season, whipping Wikipedia into a frenzy with more vigor than a [[Dothraki]] horde. The season was divisive, and many loyal ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire|ASOIAF]]'' fans (myself included), were disappointed by many of the plotlines adopted by [[D.B. Weiss|Dan]] and [[David Benioff|Dave]]. However, the cinematography was phenomenal, and the set pieces more breathtaking than a boat trip to Dragonstone. How will it all conclude? I, for one, [[Jon Snow (character)|know nothing]].
| Aug. 28 <br/> {{small|(broadcast of [[The Dragon and the Wolf|last episode]])}}

|-
| style="background:#C79AFF;" | 5
| [[Meghan Markle]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 16,944,130
| [[File:Meghan Markle 3441.jpg|center|100px]]
| [[Prince Harry]] has been in love since 2016, but in November 2017 the pair announced their engagement, and their intention to marry on May 19, 2018. There's just a ''teensy'' issue with that: it's the day of the [[FA Cup Final]]. Attendees may very well be caught sneaking a look at the progress of the match on their mobile phones while the royal couple says their vows, and [[Prince William]] is expected to attend both. Should be interesting to see how it turns out.
| Nov. 27 <br/> {{small|(engagement announced)}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 6
| {{nobr|[[Game of Thrones|''Game of Thrones'']]}}
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 16,833,302
| [[File:Game of Thrones 2011 logo.svg|center|100px]]
| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs7xO5P3Az4?t=36s "''There are Starks and there are Lannisters, and Targaryens, and of course there's some unknowns / Welcome to the crazy, wacky world of Game of Thrones."'']<br/>The latest season (season 7, #4 above) got more attention, but the show itself, full of sex, blood, political intrigue, [[Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire#Dragons|dragons]], [[White Walker|ice zombies]], and horrible things happening to any character who draws the audience's sympathy, made the top six. HBO is currently working on [[Game of Thrones (season 8)|the final six episodes]], making the adaptation end before the source material; [[George R. R. Martin]] still owes us the last two books in the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series ([[The Winds of Winter#Publication date|the sixth one ''might'' come out in 2018]]), leading some dissers to label the latest seasons as [[fanfiction]].
| Aug. 20 <br/> {{small|(broadcast of [[Beyond the Wall (Game of Thrones)|sixth episode)]]}}

|-
| style="background:#C79AFF;" | 7
| [[List of Bollywood films of 2017]]
| {{icon|List}}
| style=text-align:right; | 16,391,427
| [[File:Indiafilm.svg|center|100px]]
| India being the second largest English-speaking country in the world, it only makes sense that the annual list of releases in their [[Bollywood|largest film industry]] would make its way into the high-viewers list.
| Apr. 8 <br/> {{small|(nothing special)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 8
| [[United States]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 15,763,915
| [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|center|100px]]
| Oh, say can you see, by the [[Donald Trump|Don's]] [[Cabinet of the United States#Vice President and the heads of the executive departments|favorite]] whites, what so proudly was hailed, as the world's greatest nation?<br/> Whose [[Appalachia#Coal mining|coal mines]] and [[SUV|big cars]], and its military [[Military budget of the United States|might]], on the ropes is placing [[human|us]], through the [https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385?lang=en planetary heating].<br/> All the [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|death birds]] in the air, the [[Alt-right|Nazis]] marching in the [[Unite the Right rally|square]], give proof to the fight, that says the place is not [[Racism in the United States|fair]]. <br/>Oh say can the divided come together and see, that the [[gun control|guns]] [[2017 Las Vegas shooting|are]] [[Sutherland Springs church shooting|the]] [[2017 Congressional baseball shooting|issue]], not the [[Colin Kaepernick|man]] taking [[U.S. national anthem protests (2016–present)|a knee]]!
| Jan. 20 <br/> {{small|(presidential [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration]])}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE300;" | 9
| [[Bitcoin]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 15,026,561
| [[File:Physical bitcoin statistic coin.JPG|center|100px]]
| [[TL;DR]], for our [[WP:Readers first|dear readers]] who can't make [[Satoshi Nakamoto|heads]] or [[Darknet market|tails]] of this novelty: Bitcoin is [[irony|as good as gold]], shinier than [[Philosopher's stone|lead]], bubblier than [[Tulip mania|tulips]], held deep in the [[Bitcoin mining|mines]], and driving people [[Almayer's Folly|nuts]]. [[Gold]] has enriched [[Friedrich Trump|adventurers]] and bitcoin has held fools to [[Ransomware|ransom]]. You may [[Uncle Scrooge|dive in a pool of gold]], but [[Max Heiliger|lose it all at war]]. Strangely, while you can still [[Gold as an investment|buy gold today]] and forget about it until your great-grandchildren cash it out, the much-hyped "future of money" has turned into the most [[speculation|speculative]] [[intangible asset]] of all time, while proving [[Bitcoin scalability problem|totally unsuitable]] as a [[payment system|means of payment]]. Still, over 2017 at least, bitcoin would have been a better investment than [[#Tesla|Tesla stock]].
| Dec. 8 <br/> {{small|(price "crashes" to $14,000)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 10
| ''[[13 Reasons Why]]''
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,934,202
| [[File:Dylan Minnette 2010 (2) (cropped).jpg|center|100px]]
| The [[Netflix]] teen drama series, based on the novel ''[[Thirteen Reasons Why]]'' (don't know why they have different titles, but never mind) was released in one go on March 31. The series concerns a number of [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] tapes recorded by high school student [[Hannah Baker]] ([[Katherine Langford]]) prior to her suicide and sent to friend Clay Jensen ([[Dylan Minnette]], {{small|''pictured''}}). The tapes detail the eponymous 13 reasons why she ended her life. Initial positive reception from critics, particularly praising Langford and Minnette's performances, gave way to alarm that the series was causing an increase in suicidal behavior from young viewers, with the New Zealand [[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|Office of Film and Literature Classification]] creating a new rating, "RP18", specially for the program. A second season has been commissioned.
| Apr. 10 <br/> {{small|(controversy)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 11
| ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]''
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,607,282
| [[File:Arjuna's feat of archery.jpg|center|100px]]
| India played an integral role on English Wikipedia this year, accounting for a large proportion of users and resulting in entries like this one. The second film in the blockbuster series, ''Baahubali 2'' was, and remains, the biggest show in India's equivalent of Tinseltown. Due to phenomenal box office performance, the film is [[List of highest-grossing films in India|the highest grossing film in India]] by a considerable margin, having collected almost thrice the box office of its closest competitor, ''[[Dangal (film)|Dangal]]''. [[Prabhas]], a [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]] star, notably not named [[Khans of Bollywood|Khan]], who plays the [[Bahubali|titular hero]] (''the one with strong arms'' in English), has become one of the most famous faces in the subcontinent due to the success of the release, which is curiously [[Bahubali|not]] based on [[Jainism|Jainist]] lore.
| Apr. 29 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 12
| [[It (2017 film)|''It'' (2017 film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,539,123
| [[File:Pennywise Cosplay 1.jpg|center|100px]]
| Who would have guessed a horror flick as the year's top Hollywood movie on Wikipedia? [[Stephen King]]'s [[It (novel)|doorstopper of a book]], published in 1986 and previously subject of [[It (miniseries)|a 1990 miniseries]] starring [[Tim Curry]], received a film adaptation for its first half. ''It'' follows children in a small Maine city who face a [[It (character)|shapeshifting abomination]] that usually manifests itself as a monster clown. Critics loved the film, audiences brought box office numbers comparable to superhero movies (nearly $700 million worldwide!), and expectations are high for ''It: Part II'' in 2019. That was certainly all Stephen King fans could ask for after ''[[The Dark Tower (series)|The Dark Tower]]'' had [[The Dark Tower (2017 film)|a less than impressive adaptation]].
| Sep. 10 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 13
| [[Queen Victoria]]
| {{icon|FA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,164,451
|[[File:Dronning victoria.jpg|center|100px]]
| Victoria, [[Queen of the United Kingdom]] from 1837 to 1901, has been the subject of not one but two media properties over the past year; the first being the [[ITV (TV channel)|ITV]] series ''[[Victoria (UK TV series)|Victoria]]'', where she is played by [[Jenna Coleman]], the first series of which was broadcast on [[PBS]] at the start of the year, with the second launching in the UK in late August - said second series will be broadcast in the US early 2018. The second was ''[[Victoria & Abdul]]'', a movie released in September starring [[Judi Dench]] as Victoria, reprising the role she played twenty years earlier in ''[[Mrs Brown]]''.
| Jan. 16 <br/> {{small|(after the US premiere of ''[[Victoria (UK TV series)|Victoria]]'')}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 14
| [[List of highest-grossing Indian films]]
| {{icon|List}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,091,348
| [[File:Indiafilm.svg|center|100px]]
| This list drew considerable attention among Wikipedians due to the volatile battle for monetary dominance between an omniscient, immortal, strong-armed warrior and a family of [[Phogat sisters|wrestling sisters]]. {{small|I always have found Bollywood to be ''weird'', but then again it is not really targeted at me.}} Unlike [[List of highest grossing films|Hollywood]], where [[James Cameron]] has held top spot for two decades, Bollywood and [[Tollywood (Telugu)|Tollywood]] cinema receipts are growing year on year, producing a captivating chase between productions to claim the title of highest-grossing Indian film. This year, the battle transpired between ''[[Dangal (film)|Dangal]]'' and the aforementioned ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]'' (#11). While the latter emerges victorious in [[List of highest grossing films in India|domestic box office figures]], a resurgent release of the [[Aamir Khan]] flick in China saw ''Dangal'' emerge as the ultimate victor on this list.
| May 4 <br/> {{small|(#11 ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion|BB2]]'' takes top spot for the first time)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 15
| [[Gal Gadot]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,034,958
| [[File:Gal Gadot 2016 lighting corrected.jpg|center|100px]]
| There are two ways for an actor to get onto this list. One is to get engaged to a member of the [[British royal family]], and the other, which Gadot has chosen, is to be the main character in one of the biggest films of the year, as well as starring in another huge film. Gadot played [[Wonder Woman]] in both ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'' (#20) and ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' (#23). An appearance on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' October 7 also provided a boost in ratings above what would be normally expected for an appearance on that show.
| June 4 <br/> {{small|(after release of #20 ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'')}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 16
| [[Logan (film)|''Logan'' (film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 14,030,384
| [[File:World Premiere Logan Berlinale 2017.jpg|center|100px]]
| Six superhero movies are on the Top 50, and the most viewed is both the first released and the least traditional. Roughly ''[[X-Men (film series)|X-Men]]'' meets ''[[Unforgiven]]'' (with doses of ''[[Shane (film)|Shane]]''), the title character is now old and long removed from his days as [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], but once he discovers that he has a [[X-23|daughter\clone]], he is forced to embark on a road trip with her and a traumatized\senile [[Professor X]]. Violent, profane, thoughtful and quite touching, ''Logan'' got glowing reviews and became one of the most successful entries in [[X-Men (film series)|the series]] (third worldwide, fourth in the US) in spite of higher content ratings. A fitting goodbye to [[Hugh Jackman]] {{small|(''pictured'')}} as Wolverine, and a good case as to why, in spite of [[Proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|corporate moves]], the X-Men films still need to be separate from the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]].
| Mar. 5 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 17
| [[Riverdale (2017 TV series)|''Riverdale'' (2017 TV series)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 13,360,398
| [[File:Archie andrewsedited.jpg|center|100px]]
| Someone made a live-action adaptation of ''[[Archie Comics]]''. And it's a smash hit. I can't say I could have predicted that. And it's gone all supernatural apparently. Who knew Riverdale was actually [[Welcome to Night Vale|Night Vale]]?
| Jan. 27 <br/> {{small|(after initial broadcast)}}

|-
| style="background:#C79AFF;" | 18
| [[2017 in film]]
| {{icon|List}}
| style=text-align:right; | 13,298,613
| [[File:Claqueta2.gif|center|100px]]
| Similar to #7, but a more general category this time. With features such as [[Star Wars: The Last Jedi|''The Last Jedi'']] (#23) and [[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|''Wonder Woman'']] (#21), it's no [[Wonder (film)|wonder]] that people were interested.
| June 12 <br/> {{small|(nothing special)}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE3FF;" | 19
| ''[[Stranger Things]]''
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 13,132,129
| [[File:Winona Ryder (cropped).jpg|center|100px]]
| Before writing this blurb, all I knew about ''Stranger Things'' was how good [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RcPZdihrp4&ab_channel=Netflix/ the opening theme] is. The Emmys [https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/2017-creative-arts-emmy-winners-updated-list-1202553408/ seem to agree] with that. So, in preparation for this, I started watching the series. I can definitely tell why my friends have insistently recommended this show, and why the general public has been enamored by it. The show stars an [[23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards|acclaimed cast]] headlined by [[Winona Ryder]] {{small|(''pictured'')}}, and throughout 2017, the series received many awards and the release of a [[Stranger Things (season 2)|second season]]. Onto episode two for me.
| Oct. 29 <br/> {{small|(after release of second season)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 20
| [[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|''Wonder Woman'' (2017 film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 13,062,375
| [[File:Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice - Wonder Woman.jpg|center|100px]]
| [[Gal Gadot]] portrays [[Diana Prince]] in the film of the summer, one which attracted significant attention amongst readers of Wikipedia, even despite the lack of [[Pennywise the Dancing Clown|clowning about]]. The fantastic and fascinating film is set during the [[First World War]], and charts the emotional journey of the daughter of [[Zeus]] from naïve Amazon to ... a more powerful naïve Amazon. She really hit her [[Amazon Prime|prime]] in the third act as she defeated [[Ares]], god of [[Handlebar moustache|'taches]]. In all seriousness however, the film has a great message for girls - vaguely charge blindly in machine-gun fire and murder a ton of [[conscription|conscripted]] German [http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zcvdhyc children] because [[Chris Pine|Captain Kirk]] told you to. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw_o7XUX3fg The theme] is great, though.
| June 3 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 21
| [[Dwayne Johnson]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 12,444,987
| [[File:Dwayne Johnson 2, 2013.jpg|center|100px]]
| Another actor in the list and, of the two ways to get into the list, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has (checks Buckingham Palace website) chosen the "appearing in major films" one. Which is a shame as I think he could have really bought something new to the [[House of Windsor]]. DTRJ started the year with an appearance in the mega-huge ''[[The Fate of the Furious]]'', before appearing in the slightly smaller ''[[Baywatch (film)|Baywatch]]'' film adaptation and, towards the end of the year, ''[[Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle]]''. Add to that some early views coming in from last year's ''[[Moana (2016 film)|Moana]]'', a voiceover role at [[Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor|Mayweather–McGregor]] and an appearance on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' wherein he announced his candidacy for the [[United States presidential election, 2020]], and it's been a very good year for Mr. Johnson.
| May 21 <br/> {{small|(appearance on ''[[Saturday Night Live (season 42)|SNL]]'' finale)}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE3FF;" | 22
| ''[[Star Wars: The Last Jedi]]''
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 12,442,644
| [[File:London December 15 2017 (74) Star Wars The Last Jedi Leicester Square.jpg|center|100px]]
| ''The Last Jedi'' is the 8th installment of the core [[Skywalker family|Skywalker]]-centric ''[[Star Wars]]'' saga, 2nd installment in the [[Star Wars sequel trilogy|Disney-era sequel trilogy]], and the ''n''th installment of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The film's monster $220 million domestic opening weekend was the second largest of all time, only behind ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens|The Force Awakens]]''. The divisive Internet firestorm that followed was second to none, however—at least as far as blockbuster film releases go. (I personally, liked the movie.) It wasn't ''terrific'', but it wasn't ''terrible'', and it can certainly be applauded for taking bold, new steps for the franchise's development. Only time will tell if the mixed and polarizing reaction to the odd and dark choices made in this film will fade into a more sparkling collective reception, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/empirestrikesbackmartin.htm/ similar to] [https://books.google.com/books?id=vOUCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=george+lucas+epic+is+a+wagnerian+pop&source=bl&ots=n3ABx8Mj6n&sig=4hXczwupfuudENaXIflYPnkgUgo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizwsmM3JnYAhUK3IMKHZ-6B_oQ6AEINTAF#v=onepage&q=george%20lucas%20epic%20is%20a%20wagnerian%20pop&f=false/ how another] [http://www.nytimes.com/1980/06/15/movies/moviesspecial/15EMPI.html/ second ''Star Wars'' installment played out].
| Dec. 15 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 23
| [[Justice League (film)|''Justice League'' (film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 12,048,341
| [[File:Ben Affleck by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg|center|100px]]
| It's an odd thing, the movie business. Only within its confines would a product that generates $637 million in income be considered a disappointment. But such is the merciless calculus of the industry that that might not even be enough to cover its costs. This is, it must be said, a fairly strange situation. To imagine Hollywood in thrall to superheroes 20 years ago, would have been to imagine it in thrall to [[DC Comics|DC]]. DC had all the most recognizable names – [[Superman]], [[Batman]], [[Wonder Woman]], [[Aquaman]]; they made the first ever superhero blockbuster, ''[[Superman: The Movie]]''; they ignited the modern comic era with ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', and they were owned by [[Warner Bros.]], one of the biggest movie studios on the planet. [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]], on the other hand, was struggling to regain its footing after a disastrous 1990s, which had seen them lose the film rights to most of their properties. Bar [[Spider-Man]] and [[The Hulk]], few of their characters were well known. But, thanks to a willingness to take creative risks with their properties, and hire indie-minded directors untested in the blockbuster arena, Marvel clawed its way to the top. When it was released in 1963, ''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]'' was a blatant attempt to copy the ''[[Justice League]]''. Now, Warner/DC have somehow managed to create the opposite. Marvel owns the zeitgeist, and DC finds themselves in the unenviable position of playing catch up. Badly.
| Nov. 17 <br/> {{small|(film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE300;" | 24 {{anchor|Tesla}}
| [[Elon Musk]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,968,362
| [[File:Elon Musk 2015.jpg|center|100px]]
| Back in 2012, I was rooting for Elon Musk to achieve his dream of [[SpaceX reusable launch system development program|making rocket flights as routine as airplane trips]]. He had just succeeded in [[Dragon C2+|sending a private spacecraft]] to the [[International Space Station]] on behalf of [[NASA]], for 1/10th the price of state-controlled systems such as the European [[Automated Transfer Vehicle]]. My friends thought I was such a star-struck fanboy. I secretly planned to buy a [[Tesla Model S|Model S]] but was lacking in cash, so I decided to buy [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] stock instead; the reasoning was that if Musk was ever able to deliver on his promises, the company's value would skyrocket and my stock would pay for the car. I was right! Alas I still don't drive a Tesla because I needed the money and sold the stock just a few weeks before it jumped 10-fold. Now Musk is getting ready to [[Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster|send a red car]] to the [[Mars|Red Planet]], playing "[[Space Oddity]]", and with [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|a towel]] in the glove box. My fellow netizens, if [[SpaceX]] ever goes public (according to Musk, "only after the [[Mars Colonial Transporter]] flies a regular schedule"), put all your money there. "[[Rocket Man (song)|Rocket Man]]" never disappoints. {{small|(Do not confuse with [[Kim Jong-Un|Lil' Rocket Man]]. Sad!)}}
| June 2 <br/> {{small|([http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/01/news/elon-musk-resigns-trump-adviser/index.html quits Trump's councils], [https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2017/06/02/elon-musk-tesla-factory-injuries.html expresses concern for Tesla factories])}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 25
| [[Facebook]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,851,106
| [[File:Botón Me gusta.svg|center|100px]]
| "People waste their time researching a site that amounts to little more than a waste of time. Isn't it [[Ironic (song)|ironic]], don't you think?" - {{small|[[Alanis Morissette]]}} <br/> Vapid, empty, narcissistic, and pointless are apt terms for the [[social media]] monolith, founded in a [[The Social Network|dubious turn of events]]. I don't use the platform, because I get my daily dose of [http://mashable.com/2017/12/20/mark-zuckerberg-fake-news-misinformer-award/#M78CjeVRtPqF fake news], ''[[Candy Crush Saga]]'' and [https://www.pexels.com/search/cat/ cat photos] the old fashioned way - [[Myspace]]. I could use this column to reference the fact that Facebook is partially responsible for the rise of our current [[fake news]] epidemic, and [[Blue Whale (game)|Blue Whale]], just off the chart at #53, and is ergo a societal scourge. I could discuss [[2017 Chicago torture incident|that time]] it hosted live torture footage. I could point to a series of signs that indicate that the site is dwindling, diminishing and disappearing like a [[dodo]]. But I won't. Get one of your thousand "friends" to do it instead. <br/>Overall - [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire|7.8/10]], not enough [[WP:ARBCOM|ARBCOM controversies]].
| Feb. 5 <br/> {{small|(did something happen?)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 26
| [[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,640,221
| [[File:New Zealand-Portugal (29).jpg|center|100px]]
| I would like to preface the following claim by reminding all readers that we live in a world in which [[Syrian Civil War|atrocities]] [[Daesh|are]] [[South Sudanese Civil War|committed]] [[Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)|daily]] - however, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/30/cristiano-ronaldo-bust-sculptor-defends-bizarre-design/ This] is unquestionably the worst abomination known to man. Nonetheless, the Portuguese player had a very successful year, claiming his fifth [[Ballon d'Or]] and further bolstering his claim to be the greatest [[Association football|football]] (not soccer) player on the planet, even if a certain [[Lionel Messi|Argentinian]] may not concur with this claim. However, [[Irina Shayk]] clearly thinks that he lacks the physical acumen of [[Bradley Cooper]], so there may be a sting in the ''small'' tail.
| June 3 <br/> {{small|(scores in the [[2017 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League Final]])}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 27
| [[Get Out|''Get Out'' (film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,618,096
| [[File:Jordan Peele 2012.jpg|center|100px]]
| It was a good year to be scared in the theater, with film reporters even writing articles such as "[https://nypost.com/2017/10/19/can-horror-movies-save-hollywood/ Can horror movies save Hollywood?]". In his directorial debut, comedian [[Jordan Peele]] {{small|(''pictured'')}} was inspired by the awkwardness of meeting his Caucasian in-laws to create the story of a Black man who finds out his girlfriend's family has some weird hobbies related to racial differences. Not only was ''Get Out'' a critical and commercial success, but it is starting to get some recognition from awards and "best of" lists, so who knows if Oscar contention comes up next.
| Feb. 24 <br/> {{small|(film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 28
| [[India]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,571,438
| [[File:Flag of India.svg|center|100px]]
| India is the [[List of countries by English-speaking population|country with the second largest English-speaking population]], giving it a fairly consistent number of views per day throughout the year. Big stories in India this year to make it into the Top 25 included, but were by no means limited to, the March 19 appointment of [[Yogi Adityanath]] as [[Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh|Chief Minister]] of [[Uttar Pradesh]], the July 1 introduction of a [[Goods and Services Tax (India)|Goods and Services Tax]] and the August 28 rape conviction of [[Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh]], as well as a number of films, most notably ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]'' (#11).
| Aug. 15 <br/> {{small|(70th [[Independence Day (India)|independence day]])}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 29
| [[Millennials]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,462,874
| [[File:Latte macchiato with coffee beans.jpg|center|100px]]
| Ah yes; them malignant vermin who are attempting to maliciously silence us with their [[political correctness|PC]] [[Social Justice Warrior|SJW]] libtard cuckness. They sit there, with their damn cappufrappulatticinos and gluten free artisan sourdoughs. They wouldn't know hard labor if it hit them in the head, and they live their lives surrounded in more bubble wrap than their new iPhone X. They drop $20 on a kale smoothie that was blessed by a rabbit rabbi, and then moan about income inequality. Daydreamers droning on about [[Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals|dreamers]], the lot of them. They are ruining America (#8) with their social values and etiquette and f**king handknitted berets. Everytime a good, decent, hardworking [[racist]] [[Nazi]] [[Confederate States of America|Confederate-supporting]] [[White Americans|Caucasian]] male succeeds, it is a damn blizzard with these [[Snowflake (slang)|snowflakes]] swirling around. Don't worry; once he develops a semblance of aptitude and intelligence, Drumpf (#2) will nail the lot of 'em.
| May 12 <br/> {{small|(Millennials continue to be terrible – not counting a fake peak on Jan. 31)}}[https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2017-01-01&end=2017-12-20&pages=Millennials][https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:West.andrew.g/Popular_pages&oldid=763780776]

|-
| style="background:#8EE300;" | 30
| [[Barack Obama]]
| {{icon|FA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,421,965
| [[File:Poster-sized portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|center|100px]]
| [[Politics of the United States]] are fascinating to behold for uninvolved peasants such as myself living in [[Switzerland|a neutral country]]. For the gluttonous among us, 2017 was quite a treat. Obama / Trump: never in a Wikipedian's lifetime had I witnessed such a contrast; in words, in deeds, in character and above all in the flabbergasting [[understatement|misunderstanding]] between their cohorts of supporters. Cartoonist-turned-pundit [[Scott Adams]] nailed it when he framed the situation as [http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/02/12/good-example-of-our-two-movie-reality/ "two movies playing on one screen"]; both camps watch the same reality unfold, but they see polar opposite versions of the world depending on the filters they wear. To a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] voter, Obama gave [[Barack Obama "Hope" poster|hope]] to forgotten Americans, and saved the world from the [[Great Recession]]. To a [[Make America Great Again|MAGA]] supporter, Obama was a mere [[community organizer]], "all talk, no action" like most politicians. Nevertheless, there seems to be one element of Obama's legacy upon which everybody agrees: [[Targeted killing|How the f***]] did this guy earn [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize|a Nobel Peace Prize]]???
| Jan. 20 <br/> {{small|([[inauguration of Donald Trump]])}}

|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 31
| [[YouTube]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,322,747
| [[File:Youtube.png|center|100px]]
| Used to be when a website appeared on this list, it was due to people accidentally clicking on the Wikipedia page instead of the page itself. That's likely still true, but websites have appeared less and less frequently on the list as the years have gone by, possibly because the shift to smart phones and tablets has meant most people find the site they're looking for at a touch, rather than a search. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of reasons for this one to be here. For starters, there's the "[[adpocalypse]]", when in a brilliant piece of old media [[opposition research|oppo]], the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' (owned by eternal YouTube loather, [[Rupert Murdoch]]) managed to spook several of its advertisers away from the site, for fear of their products being linked to extremist content. YouTube rushed to solve the problem but, as usual, its solution involved bots and algorithms, leaving content creators wondering if anything more controversial than ''[[Peppa Pig]]'' would be left monetized. Then there's the faulty autofill results, which completed the phrase "how to have" with such gems as "sex in school". Or the two (so far) stunts by YouTubers that have required emergency intervention; one fatal (a book doesn't block a bullet from a [[Desert Eagle]], see), one, astoundingly, not (if you stick your head in cement and then in a microwave, don't assume a hose will let you breathe, as cement expands when it gets hot).
| May 19 <br/> {{small|(probably delayed reaction to the adpocalypse)}}

|-
| style="background:#C79AFF;" | 32
| [[O. J. Simpson]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,301,016
| | [[File:O.J. Simpson 1990 · DN-ST-91-03444 crop.JPEG|center|100px]]
| In July 2017, it was announced the world's most famous [[O. J. Simpson#Professional football career|football player]]-turned-[[actor]]-turned-[[O. J. Simpson murder case|accused murderer]]-turned-[[O. J. Simpson robbery case|robber]] would soon be released on parole, and he was on October 1. Wonder how his family feels about it.
| July 20 <br/> {{small|(parole granted)}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE3FF;" | 33
| [[Conor McGregor]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,265,283
| [[File:Conor McGregor.jpg|center|100px]]
| '''The Notorious''' Conor McGregor talked a lot of trash prior to his much hyped bout with [[Floyd Mayweather Jr.]] (#40). He put in some work in the early rounds, and although he ultimately may have lost "[[Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor|The Money Fight]]" to the now 50–0 Mayweather, the real takeaway here is that the Irishman bested Mayweather in terms of Wikipedia page views. And isn't that what ''really'' matters?
| Aug. 27 <br/> {{small|(loses to #40 [[Floyd Mayweather Jr.]])}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 34
| [[Charles Manson]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,131,106
| [[File:MansonB33920 8-14-17 (cropped).jpg|center|100px]]
| One of the most heinous and notorious criminals of living memory, Manson finally descended back to the hellish quarters from whence he came, and positively no one mourned. The most effective [[Manson family|cult]] leader not named [[Pepe the Frog|Pepe]] or [[L. Ron Hubbard|L. Ron]], Manson was behind [[Tate murders|an event]] of unprecedented and unparalleled brutality in which, among others, a pregnant [[Sharon Tate]] met her demise. If we are to go by the swastika emblazoned on his forehead, prison never softened his beliefs (even if they became [[neo-Nazism|socially acceptable]] stateside). Manson, an undeniably captivating figure, died in November, attracting significant Wikipedia attention. The world shirked from its shoulders a monster. Expect no eulogy here - goodbye and good riddance to you, sir. History obliterates, in every picture it paints, [[The World Was Wide Enough|it will paint you and all your mistakes.]]
| Nov. 20 <br/> {{small|(day after his death)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 35
| [[Ed Sheeran]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 11,010,941
| [[File:Smashed Guitars (6465369549).jpg|center|100px]]
| [[Chaos theory]]. It is the only logical explanation for why, on a list populated by sinister swine and degrading deplorables, it is this entry that inspires the most rage. It is this entry which makes my blood truly boil. It is this entry that makes me wonder about [[God|deities]], [[death]] and our place in the [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|grand tapestry of life]]. I desperately want to curse, to toss a volley of explicit expletives towards ugly [[Prince Harry]]. Yet I must persevere, with a patience that [[Bhikkhu|Buddhist monks]] are envious of. [[Freddie Mercury|Mercury]] has left orbit, and there is no [[David Bowie|life on Mars]], so we are left with this nonsense. Ed Sheeran has been inescapable this year. He has been so ubiquitous on television and radio that I shudder at hearing his name. The wind whispers in the leaves, and I hear Ed Sheeran. I close my eyes, and his cheesy grin invades my dreams. I journey to [[Dragonstone (Game of Thrones)|Westeros]], only for him to relentlessly hunt me down. He has one good song - [[The A Team (Ed Sheeran song)|one]]. He, coupled with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJIz-XNLEn8 ''SNL''], is the worst thing to happen to [[Galway Girl (Ed Sheeran song)|Ireland]] since the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Famine]]. So, you alcoholic, [[Shape of You|shape-obsessed]], [[÷ Tour|inexplicably popular]], irritating, [http://www.newstalk.com/Saoirse-Ronan-misspelt-a-tattoo-on-Ed-Sheeran--on-purpose illiterate] child, take your ''Ladybird Book of Rhymes'', and your poxy guitar, and run back to your [[Castle on the Hill|castle]]. While I'm [[Thinking Out Loud|thinking]] about it, you can stay there so long as it is out of earshot. That'd be [[Perfect (Ed Sheeran song)|perfect]], ''mate''.
| July 12 <br/> {{small|(appears in [[Dragonstone (Game of Thrones)|a ''Game of Thrones'' episode]])}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE300;" | 36
| [[Melania Trump]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,788,288
| [[File:Melania Trump at the Inauguration.jpg|center|100px]]
| Once upon a time, [[First Lady of the United States|First Ladies]] were [[Eleanor Roosevelt|tall]] and [[Jackie Kennedy|stylish]], [[Eleanor Roosevelt|educated]] and [[Jackie Kennedy|graceful]]. Once upon a time, the press gushed over their [[Eleanor Roosevelt|impeccable flair]] and [[Jackie Kennedy|couture dresses]]. Once upon a time, the world shed discreet tears over [[List of Presidents of the United States|their husbands]]' [[Marylin Monroe|love affairs]]. Once upon a time, having [[Jackie Kennedy|a foreign accent]] was considered charming, and [[Eleanor Roosevelt|making speeches]] courageous. Not for Melania! Having committed the cardinal sin of marrying [[The Donald]] (#2), she is eternally condemned to endure the kind of [http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/donald-melania-trump-marriage slanderous portrait] that ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' editors saw fit to print. [[Donald Trump on social media|Sad!]]
{{hidden |header=A faithful summary of the kind of abuse<br/> being hurled at "this woman Melania" |content= {{small|B-rate model turned gold digger bides her time at Trump Tower, neglected and cheated upon by a narcissistic husband who forced her to repeat his birther claims. Stiff and vapid, she finds solace in motherhood, dropping off her son at the most expensive school she could bribe. Her rare appearances on the campaign trail were disastrous, and she can't grasp what being First Lady is about: she really doesn't care, and Ivanka must fill the vacuum. She makes money by suing the press while taxpayers must foot the bill for her protection. Oh [[Michelle Obama|Michelle]], we miss you so much!}} }}
| Jan. 21 <br/> {{small|(day after [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration]])}}

|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 37
| [[Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,758,796
| [[File:Princess Margaret 1965b.jpg|center|100px]]
| I haven't watched ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'', so I can't really comment on the version of Princess Margaret that is drawing viewers to this site. But it is not surprising that, in a list dominated by entertainment, she is the only non-reigning royal to get this much attention. More than any other royal, Margaret's place in history has been determined by her love life, which often resembled a chaotically plotted soap opera. At 22, she was proposed to by [[Peter Townsend (RAF officer)|Peter Townsend]], a divorced father of two 16 years her senior. She assented, but the government did not, and she was forced to reject him. Seven years later, she married photographer [[Antony Armstrong-Jones]], a vindictive serial philanderer whose affairs became the stuff of legend. Reportedly, he would play little games with her like leaving notes in her books titled, "Things I hate about you". Even so, she remained married to him for 18 years. But when she herself had an affair with a man 17 years her junior, the press turned on her like a pack of wolves. Because, you know, logic. She finally divorced Jones in 1978. He remarried six months later; she never married again.
| Dec. 10 <br/> {{small|(second season of ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'' released)}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 38
| [[Split (2016 American film)|''Split'' (2016 American film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,483,770
| [[File:Submergence 04 (37091314571).jpg|center|100px]]
| I'm not a horror fan, but I saw all the scary movies in this report. Go figure. The last of them is ''Split'', where director [[M. Night Shyamalan]], who after burning all the cred he got from ''[[The Sixth Sense]]'' with [[Lady in the Water|lots]] [[After Earth|of]] [[The Last Airbender|duds]], finally has a smash hit again. [[James McAvoy]] {{small|(''pictured'')}} stars as a guy with 23 different personalities who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls while unleashing a 24th, super-human personality. And in the end [[Bruce Willis]] appears to reveal ''Split'' as a disguised sequel to Shyamalan's ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]''! McAvoy and Willis will face off in 2019's ''[[Glass (2019 film)|Glass]]''.
| Jan. 21 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 39
| [[Thor: Ragnarok|''Thor: Ragnarok'']]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,443,757
| [[File:Thor's hammer, Skåne.svg|center|100px]]
| The third [[Norse mythology|Norse]] installment of the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe|MCU]] is also far and away the most captivating, in this humble cinephile's opinion. The enigmatic [[Chris Hemsworth]] helms this comedic tour de force, and the eponymous hero, [[Mjolnir|hammerless]], is forced to overcome both [[Hela (comics)|Hela]] and [[Hulk (comics)|Hulk]]. The resultant picture, directed by [[Taika Waititi]], is certainly worthy to wield the power of Thor, even if the comedy is overbearing and predictable. {{small|(Des and Troy - [[Karl Urban|really]], [[Dredd]]? You're better than this, [[Éomer]].)}} The superhero kerfuffle was the most engrossing on the encyclopedia, topping its two fellow [[Spider-Man: Homecoming|franchise]] [[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2|releases]] at #43 and #50. All will converge as combatants in an incoherent [[Avengers: Infinity War|war]], coming soon.
| Nov. 5 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#C79AFF;" | 40
| [[Floyd Mayweather Jr.]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,432,043
| [[File:Floyd Mayweather, Jr. cropped.jpg|center|100px]]
| As plenty of people are fascinated by two dudes in a ring beating the crap out of each other, the two dudes will be only too happy to oblige, especially when large sums of money (i.e. 100 million dollars) are involved. This is what happened in August, when an extremely over-publicized boxing match between Mayweather and [[Conor McGregor]] (#33) took place, resulting in Mayweather winning. Probably the most-anticipated boxing event of the year, but it was nothing special, I guess. Just hyped.
| Aug. 27 <br/> {{small|(beats #33 [[Conor McGregor]])}}

|-
| style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 41
| [[Pablo Escobar]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,422,263
| [[File:Pablo Escobar Mug.jpg|center|100px]]
| We can thank [[Netflix]] for this one, as the rampant success of ''[[Narcos]]'' has driven a massive upsurge in interest in the Colombian kingpin. The exploits of '''The King of Cocaine''' are being thoroughly explored by enthusiastic encyclopedia perusers, desperate to learn about the exploits of the [[Medellín Cartel]] (which Pablo led), the [[Cali Cartel]] (subject of the latest season of ''Narcos'' ), et al. Pablo amassed a fortune in the realm of $30 billion through rendering vulnerable people into addicts - a strategy deployed to more potent effect by Mr. Zuckerberg (#25). An anti-hero of sorts, many viewed the cartel leader as a [[Robin Hood]] figure due to his efforts at wealth redistribution. However, the blood he shed [[My Shot|began an endless cycle]] of [[Search Bloc|vengeance]] and [[Hamilton (musical)|death with no defendants]], one of which {{small|(''spoiler'')}} claimed his own life in 1993.
| Sep. 10 <br/> {{small|([[Narcos (season 3)|third season]] of ''[[Narcos]]'')}}

|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 42
| [[World War II]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,347,358
| [[File:Infobox_collage_for_WWII.PNG|center|100px]]
| The Second World War is the sort of topic that attracts constant interest, gaining an average of around 30,000 views a day, adding up to a place in the Top 50. Particular interest peaks can be linked to [[Victory Day (9 May)|Victory Day]], [[Remembrance Day]]/[[Veterans Day]] and the late-July release of ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (#47).
| May 9 <br/> {{small|([[Victory Day (9 May)|Victory Day]])}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE3FF;" | 43
| ''[[Spider-Man: Homecoming]]''
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,289,999
| [[File:LBCE 2014 - Spider-Man (14356773914).jpg|center|100px]]
| The sixth film adaptation of the [[Spider-Man|beloved wall-crawler]] served as the character's debut film in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe|MCU]]. Glowing reviews followed the film's release, with many applauding [[Tom Holland (actor)|Tom Holland]]'s performance as the title character, as well as crediting [[Michael Keaton]]'s [[Vulture (Marvel Comics)|Vulture]] as being one of the stronger and more grounded villains in the MCU. Admittedly, that isn't saying much ... but as a huge fan of comic books, superheroes, and especially Spider-Man, this was one of the stronger entries in the MCU, and rivals the first two [[Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi films|Raimi films]] in terms of quality. The film also serves as one of the best [[Teen film|teen comedy]] movies around. ''And yeah'', it made [https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=h5y&ei=tN89WsmHOcKbmQG2yrHgDw&q=spider-man+homecoming+box+office some money] too.
| July 7 <br/> {{small|(film release)}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 44
| [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,217,057
| [[File:PHILIP PRINCE-OIL PAINTING.jpg|center|100px]]
| While [[Monarchy of Brazil|my country stopped being a monarchy a century before I was born]], the British still have a royal family, which drives enough attention for five entries, even past (#13, #37) and future (#5) ones. The last is the [[prince consort]] of Queen Elizabeth (#3), who was the subject of an announcement in May - some overtly eager papers [[List of premature obituaries|published obituaries]], but Philip was just retiring from public duty (the man is 96, after all). And of course, he's also in ''The Crown'', portrayed by [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] (who was [[Eleventh Doctor|once]] in another [[Doctor Who|revered British institution]]).
| May 4 <br/> {{small|(retirement from public duties, citing health concerns)}}

|-
|style="background:#C79AFF;" | 45
| ''[[Star Wars]]''
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; |10,196,172
| [[File:Star Wars Logo.svg|left|100px]] <br/> [[File:Chester Bennington Phoenix xD xD.jpg|center|100px]]
| You know what this is and why it is here, so here is an entry for [[Chester Bennington]] (now #52), who it replaced. Gotta restore balance by subsuming him into [[The Force (Star Wars)|the Force]]. <hr/> On July 20, 2017, the lead singer for [[Linkin Park]] was found dead in his home after committing suicide, triggering an outpouring of grief from fans around the globe. He had been suffering from depression following the death of his close friend [[Chris Cornell]] (#56 and the lead singer for [[Soundgarden]] and [[Audioslave]]) in May, which only made it more tragic; the bands had overlapping fan bases. One death like this is bad enough, but two within three months is even worse.

[[One More Light (song)|"''Who cares if one more light goes out, in the sky of a million stars? ... Well, I do.''"]]
| Dec. 17 <br/> {{small|(after release of ''[[The Last Jedi]]'' (#22))}}

|-
| style="background:#FFEC00;" | 46
| [[Ariana Grande]]
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 10,100,281
| [[File:Dangerous Woman Tour in Manchester4 (cropped).jpg|center|100px]]
| Pop singer Ariana Grande (who ironically, has a surname meaning "big" but is a really short woman) had [[Dangerous Woman Tour|a successful tour]], but not a strong presence in the charts in 2017 - while "[[Side to Side]]" held on from last year, all her other singles underperformed, even [[Beauty and the Beast (Disney song)#Ariana Grande and John Legend version|the cover of "Beauty and the Beast"]] with [[John Legend]], in spite of [[Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)|the remake it was recorded for]] being the year's highest-grossing movie (if our #23 doesn't surpass it). So why all the views? Unfortunately, it's a tragic reason; after her Manchester concert ended, [[Manchester Arena bombing|an Islamic lunatic blew himself up]], killing 22 and injuring over 500. Ms. Grande subsequently returned to the city with other artists to perform a benefit concert, [[One Love Manchester]].
| May 23 <br/> {{small|(tweets "broken" after the [[Manchester Arena bombing]])}}

|-
|style="background:#DEDEDE;" | 47
| [[Dunkirk (2017 film)|''Dunkirk'' (2017 film)]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 9,987,866
| [[File:Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI.jpg|left|100px]]
| There is no justice in the world. If there was, this magnificent marvel, this cinematic masterpiece, would be considerably higher than #47. The film adapts [[Operation Dynamo]] for the [[silver screen]], and the result, courtesy of the sublime directorial talents of a Mr. [[Christopher Nolan|Nolan]], is a heart-pounding, pulsating, and poignant picture. Nolan, backed by [[Warner Bros.]], used the film to help revive the flailing [[70 mm film|70&nbsp;mm]] format. Having seen the film in a 70-mm projection, I can understand why. Despite the lack of dialogue, it is tempestuously tense at all times, and even incorporates the trademark cryptic complexity of a Nolan film through its segmentation of the film between the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|ground force]], the civilian-orchestrated [[Little Ships of Dunkirk|evacuation crew]], and the [[Royal Air Force|air corps]]. Do yourself a favour, procure the biggest screen you can, revel in [[Hans Zimmer|Hans Zimmer's]] superb [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKkCP7ovMQA score] and witness cinema, an inherently visual medium, at its finest. Be transfixed; be immersed; be absorbed.
| July 23 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}
|-
| style="background:#FF9DC4;" | 48
| [[Adolf Hitler]]
| {{icon|GA}}
| style=text-align:right; | 9,872,486
| [[File:Hitler portrait crop.jpg|center|100px]]
| As with the [[World War II|world war]] he started (#42), the dictator Adolf Hitler is the sort of figure who consistently attracts interest. Except for the significant view count on his birth date, April 20, the general view count was roughly 25,000 a day; which is consistent with previous years.
| Apr. 20 <br/> {{small|(his birthday)}}

|-
| style="background:#8EE3FF;" | 49
| [[Google]]
| {{icon|C}}
| style=text-align:right; | 9,829,170
| [[File:GoogleLogoSept12015.png|center|100px]]
| Google is the Internet's most popular website and search engine – point blank. [https://www.recode.net/2017/10/31/16570988/watch-live-stream-facebook-google-twitter-russia-trump-2016-presidential-election-senate/ Testifying on Capitol Hill], the controversial [[Google's Ideological Echo Chamber|"Google memo"]] from back in August, and the company's release of a [[Google Pixel 2|new phone]] are all examples of things that kept {{strikethrough|our future overlords}} the world's most notable tech company in the public's eye this year.
| Aug. 2 <br/> {{small|(did something happen?)}}

|-
| style="background:#FF6B42;" | 50
| ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2]]''
| {{icon|B}}
| style=text-align:right; | 9,771,127
| [[File:Pom Klementieff - Florida Supercon - 2017 (36204242146) (cropped).jpg|center|100px]]
|The first one was an absolute blast, reinvigorating the [[space opera]] genre with a glorious hot pink dollop of knowing '70s kitsch. This one was still good, but lacked a certain [[Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._2#Critical_response|oomph]]. It was basically the series treading water until ''[[Avengers: Infinity War|Infinity War]]'' comes out next year. Still, [[Kurt Russell]] transforming himself into [[David Hasselhoff]] has to be the single greatest shot of Gen-X nostalgia in film history, and [[Pom Klementieff]] {{small|(''pictured'')}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkKjQSM0G2Y&t=54s is officially adorkable].
| May 7 <br/> {{small|(after film release)}}

|-

|}

==Round Table Discussion==
* {{big|'''General Impressions'''}}

* '''1. Which entry in the Top 50 struck you the most?'''
:For me personally, it was the prominence of the Queen. She ranks at #3 on the list, which is phenomenal when you consider the fame and ubiquity of many of the entries which fall below her. As well as being testament to the terrific power of Netflix, I think that the continued strong performance should act to dispel the myth that no one cares about the monarchy. It is also a sign that many readers don't journey to Wikipedia for negative news, but rather come for knowledge. This is a surefire sign for me that the encyclopedia, despite often carrying a tone that is somewhat negative (just look at the entries above), is succeeding in its mission to inform, a point that is bolstered by the sheer quality of the Queen's article (it is a Featured Article after all). Provides me with hope, reassurance that the time of [[Wikipedians]] is unwasted, and belief that the mission of [[Jimmy Wales]] is still being fulfilled. [[User:Stormy clouds|Stormy clouds]] ([[User talk:Stormy clouds|talk]])

:It's interesting to see which media properties hit the top. While it was pretty clear the most popular show would probably be ''[[Game of Thrones]]'', I certainly wouldn't have predicted at the start of the year that the second most popular show would be ''[[13 Reasons Why]]'', or that the most popular film would be ''[[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]'', a show and film that, had I not been working on the weekly lists, I doubt would have particularly entered my sphere of knowledge. [[User:OZOO|OZOO]] [[User talk:OZOO|(t)]] [[Special:Contributions/OZOO|(c)]]

:Along with something that was mentioned once, that people somehow seek the subjects of history-based television instead of the shows themselves (the Queen, Pablo Escobar - even if the latest season of ''Narcos'' wasn't about him!), and as I mentioned in the list, the top Hollywood movie being ''It'', I was surprised by the high views on [[Millennials]], which averaged 30,000 daily. It certainly owes to all the negative conotation and scapegoating garnered by this generation, which apparently I'm part of (though I prefer the previous name, "Generation Y", as me and my contemporaries are frequently frustrated and asking "why?"; and don't know if only because I'm getting old, but what I see from [[Generation Z]] makes me feel the next ones are worse). [[User:Igordebraga|igordebraga]] [[User_talk:Igordebraga|≠]]

:This list isn't particularly different from last year's, allowing for the fact that 2016 was a US election year. But the appearance of [[millennials]], as noted by Igor, is striking. I think it can be tied to the political theme of the year, since politics in the last two years or so have divided largely along generational lines, with the young tending towards progressive populism and the old tending towards right wing populism. <b>[[User:Serendipodous|<span style="color: #00b;">Serendi</span>]][[Special:Contributions/Serendipodous|<sup><span style="color: #b00;">pod</span></sup>]]<span style="color: #00b;">[[User talk: Serendipodous|ous]]</span></b> 01:44, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

* '''2. Which entry frustrated you to the greatest degree?'''
:I feel like this should be explicable from my authorial stance on the singer, but it is absolutely Ed Sheeran. It may speak a lot to my own temperament and personality that, in a year riddled with death and rife with disappointment, it is a somewhat innocent and harmless musician who arouses such virulent venom in me, yet here we are. In the past, political turmoil and conflict has produced some great art, from [[Guernica (painting)|Guernica]] to the wonder of [[Woodstock]]. The fact that this is the most popular music of the day, with its simplistic rhymes and aimless, ambling messages, is enraging to me, particularly given his omnipresence. After beginning with optimism, seeing him pop up in a place that he should not be [[Game of Thrones|again]] was frustrating, and sapped me of all that accumulated positivity. But hey, I am just [[Thinking Out Loud|thinking out loud]]. [[User:Stormy clouds|Stormy clouds]] ([[User talk:Stormy clouds|talk]])

:To me, what frustrates me marginally is the seeming lack of political interest from Wikipedia users. While [[Donald Trump|President Trump]], [[Melania Trump|the First Lady]] and [[Barack Obama|former President Obama]] get in, they are the only political figures, with the electoral trials of [[Emmanuel Macron|President Macron]], [[Angela Merkel|Chancellor Merkel]] and [[Theresa May|Prime Minister May]], and the downfall of [[Robert Mugabe|Mr. Mugabe]] not attracting lasting interest. Not even [[India]], the main contributor to the list aside from the US, is able to get a politician into it. [[User:OZOO|OZOO]] [[User talk:OZOO|(t)]] [[Special:Contributions/OZOO|(c)]]

:Out of all the people who died this year, the only one that entered the Top 50 was a madman that led a murderous cult - aside from the singer I never liked we indirectly included. Specially as the one famous death that really struck me, [[Chris Cornell]] (who even was indirectly responsible for the death of his friend Chester), deserved better than #56, directly below ''[[The Fate of the Furious]]''. [[User:Igordebraga|igordebraga]] [[User_talk:Igordebraga|≠]] <small>(At last count, [[Albert Einstein]] snuck in between them. — [[User:JFG|JFG]] <sup>[[User talk:JFG|talk]]</sup>)</small>

:Having curated this list for nearly four years now, what has frustrated me since day one is that, having been offered the single greatest source of free knowledge in world history, people tend to use it to seek out information they could easily obtain elsewhere- film release dates and reviews, TV times, celeb bios. It's certainly better than the early years, when people used Wikipedia primarily to look up "naughty" words, but still, it raises the question, are we really helping people? <b>[[User:Serendipodous|<span style="color: #00b;">Serendi</span>]][[Special:Contributions/Serendipodous|<sup><span style="color: #b00;">pod</span></sup>]]<span style="color: #00b;">[[User talk: Serendipodous|ous]]</span></b> 01:44, 2 January 2018 (UTC)
* '''3. Many of the entries in the report share similarities and recurrent themes, with movies and television proving especially prominent. What did you make of these developments this year?'''
:It speaks to the power that entertainment now holds over us, in my view. I don't subscribe to the idea of the [[Golden Age of Television]], especially given that, as a keen observer of all of the television series listed here, I was not overtly enamored by any of them in this year. On the film size, it is not particularly surprising to see so many appear with such prominence. The popularity of super-hero flicks and ''Star Wars'' amongst those who peruse the encyclopedia speaks volumes regarding the demographics of Wikipedia (even if the [[The Lego Batman Movie|best one]] missed out). It is also of note that many of the best films released theatrically in my locality in 2017, [[Dunkirk (2017 film)|at]] [[Manchester by the Sea (film)|least]] [[War for the Planet of the Apes|in]] [[La La Land (film)|my]] [[Mother!|view]], fail to make an appearance in lieu of [[The Fate of the Furious|derivative nonsense]]. However, as Bob Dylan foretold, in his prescience and pre-eminence, [[The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)|the times are a-changin']], and this is evident from the performance of [[Baahubali 2: The Conclusion]]. Its power is indicative of an integral and irreversibly culture shift on the internet, and I find this development far more intriguing than the continued adventures of [[Donald Blake|Thor]], [[Wonder Woman|Diana Prince]] et al. [[User:Stormy clouds|Stormy clouds]] ([[User talk:Stormy clouds|talk]])

:[[Netflix]]'s shows should not be counted as "TV", they are [[webcast]]s, and should be treated as such. ''[[Split (2016 American film)|Split]]'' is higher than I expected, and I certainly didn't expect the three [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] movies to be lower than the two from the [[DC Extended Universe]]. [[User:OZOO|OZOO]] [[User talk:OZOO|(t)]] [[Special:Contributions/OZOO|(c)]]

:The news are so upsetting that it's no surprise people are resorting to escapism, even if with cultural products regarding darker themes - 2017's list has three horror movies, entries related to three Netflix series with heavier subjects (teen suicide! monsters in a small town! Colombian drug dealers!), and the only world that's worst than ours, the one of ''Game of Thrones''. Even if I'm not a big television guy, there's no doubt the medium - although Netflix is a more grey area - is attracting big creators and actors, and while it might not to be a [[New Hollywood]] situation, studios certainly a concern to make better products and take people away from their homes (after all, many Wikipedia visits might be people wanting to know if the movie's response is positive!), no matter if the budget is low - the aforementioned horror films - or based on a property that makes it automatically profitable - the only movie in the list critics didn't really like was ''Justice League'', which reviewers still pointed out was better than the two DC offerings from last year. [[User:Igordebraga|igordebraga]] [[User_talk:Igordebraga|≠]]

:I've always been puzzled by which movies appear on this list; there never seems any rhyme or reason. Box office? Yes, most on the list were big hits, but the biggest hit of the year, ''[[Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'', is nowhere to be found. Critical acclaim? That certainly could explain ''[[Get Out (film)|Get Out]]'' and ''[[Logan (film)|Logan]]'', but not ''[[Split (2017 film)|Split]]''. Controversy? Then where was ''[[Ghost in the Shell (2017 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' or ''[[Death Note (2017 film)|Death Note]]''? Looking for a rationale is like looking for a pattern in the prime numbers. You think you see it and then it just slips away. <b>[[User:Serendipodous|<span style="color: #00b;">Serendi</span>]][[Special:Contributions/Serendipodous|<sup><span style="color: #b00;">pod</span></sup>]]<span style="color: #00b;">[[User talk: Serendipodous|ous]]</span></b> 01:44, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

* '''4. What entries do you anticipate making their way onto the list in 2018?'''
:Given the popularity of pop culture amongst purveyors of Wikipedia, I imagine that ''[[Avengers: Infinity War]]'' will reign supreme, alongside what ever else the [[Disney|magicians]] have to offer for us. Politics will also play a prevalent role, as ever, with [[Donald Trump|the Don]] likely to continue his reign near the pinnacle of people's minds, in spite of the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns. Sadly, death will account for many a spot, especially as some legends reach their inevitable end and depart. On a more positive note, the football aficionado in me relishes the return of the World Cup, and is hoping against hope for a recurrence of the splendor that was [[2004-05 UEFA Champions League|'05]], and [[Mo Salah|Super Mo]] will take the spot held in this list by Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe it is wishful thinking, but [[Stranger Things|stranger things]] [[2015–16_Premier_League#League_table|have]] [[United States presidential election, 2016|happened]]. [[User:Stormy clouds|Stormy clouds]] ([[User talk:Stormy clouds|talk]])

:I anticipate [[Deaths in 2018]] topping the list, and probably [[Donald Trump|President Trump]] holding onto second. Probably there will be an assortment of films, TV, and webcasts promoting themselves, and hopefully their subjects, into the list. In a [[2018 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] year, I would expect to see an assortment of soccer stars, although my colleague [[User:Stormy clouds|Mr. clouds]] is incorrect in his predictions of a 2005 recreation, as it is clearly going to be [[Raheem Sterling]]'s year. Finally, there will doubtlessly be a number of names taken from the [[Deaths in 2018]] longlist, although this is not the time to predict who the [[Grim Reaper|grisly reaper]] will be mowing. [[User:OZOO|OZOO]] [[User talk:OZOO|(t)]] [[Special:Contributions/OZOO|(c)]]

:Superhero movies, even if there are way too many next year (''Aquaman'' on the DC side and ''eight'' Marvels - three MCU, three X-Men, two Spider-Man) for all to get into the list. Even if the United States are not going to the World Cup, the rest of the world cares enough about football to allow for big views (here's hoping [[Neymar]] doesn't get broken like last time!). And of course, the top two entries for [[Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/2016|two years running]] - the ones we revere dying, and The Donald doing something stupid and\or controversial. [[User:Igordebraga|igordebraga]] [[User_talk:Igordebraga|≠]]

:Probably a similar spread as this year. Star Wars will have the spinoff film [[Solo: A Star Wars Story|''Solo'']] to cover for The Last Jedi, and I doubt people will lose their fascination with death, politics, or sports anytime soon. The Winter Olympics should feature, and so will some of the celebrities that will have died. In terms of politics, I imagine Paul Ryan, Donald Trump, and maybe John McCain will make it. [[User:A lad insane|<span style="color:#6C2EA2">'''A&nbsp;lad&nbsp;insane'''</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:A lad insane|<small style="color:#6C2EA2">talk</small>]]

:With ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' and ''[[Stranger Things]]'' off until 2019, and ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'' not likely to appear until December, we can likely expect movies to dominate even more strongly next year. The upcoming US midterm elections will likely generate huge interest, as will the royal wedding between [[Prince Harry]] and [[Meghan Markle]]. <b>[[User:Serendipodous|<span style="color: #00b;">Serendi</span>]][[Special:Contributions/Serendipodous|<sup><span style="color: #b00;">pod</span></sup>]]<span style="color: #00b;">[[User talk: Serendipodous|ous]]</span></b> 01:57, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

{{big|← [[Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/2016|Last year's report]]}} | {{big|[[Wikipedia:2018 Top 50 Report|Next year's report]] →}}

[[Category:Top 25 Report]]

Revision as of 13:49, 17 September 2019

Scotty Morgan

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