Playstation 2 And Britney Spears Top Web User's Interests In 2001 According To Yahoo! Buzz Index Releases Most Popular Terms for 2001 Sunnyvale, CA -- Dec. 27, 2001 -- Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news), a global Internet communications, commerce and media company, today announced the annual release of its most popular search terms for the year 2001. The list is compiled using the Yahoo! Buzz Index http://buzz.yahoo.com), an interactive market research tool developed by Yahoo! to measure public engagement with brands, products, people and technologies on the Internet for both consumer knowledge and as a valuable tool for marketers. The Yahoo! Buzz Index 2001 Leaders lists are compiled from all the searches conducted on the Yahoo! network from January 1, 2001 - December 15, 2001. The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 20 Leaders for 2001: 1) PlayStation 2 11) Jennifer Lopez 2) Britney Spears 12) `NSYNC 3) WWF 13) Las Vegas 4) Dragon Ball Z 14) Eminem 5) Napster 15) Osama Bin Laden 6) World Trade Center 16) Nostradamus 7) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 17) Backstreet Boys 8) Dale Earnhardt 18) Pamela Anderson 9) NASCAR 19) Morpheus 10) Internal Revenue Service 20) Pokemon "While national and world news dominated the last three months of the year, entertainment and pop culture dominated the buzz for most of 2001. As a result, this year's leaders include music, film and television highlights mixed in with the news events that shaped the year," said Harold Stusnick, managing editor, Yahoo!. "The proactive searches conducted by Yahoo!'s loyal audience base of more than 218 million users serve as an excellent indicator of overall consumer trends and preferences." As PlayStation 2 finished the year in the top spot, this and related leading terms indicate that gaming culture may be on the verge of eclipsing movies and television in the pop culture lexicon. The gaming console battle has heated up over the last few months, but with the PlayStation 2 launching early, it had a chance to jump out to an insurmountable lead. Microsoft's Xbox finished the year at No. 29, while Nintendo's GameCube came in at No. 81. Although the pop-music boom was proclaimed dead throughout the year, Britney Spears finished the year at No.2 as she proved herself the leader of the teen pop pack. Other appearances on the overall leaders list by artists in a similar category include `NSYNC (12), Backstreet Boys (17), O-Town (44), and Christina Aguilera (57). The events of September 11, 2001 made their presence felt in the minds and searches of users. The devastation caused by the terrorist attacks created a huge thirst for news and people flocked to the Web. The most unusual trend to come out of the tragedy was an urban legend revolving around the prophet Nostradamus (15). His alleged "prediction" of the events of September 11 turned out to be a hoax, but that didn't stem the tide of interest in his writings. Another notable trend related to the terrorist attacks was the upswing in patriotism. Searches on anthems, patriotic speeches and songs, and the American flag (26) soared as Americans looked for ways to express their support for their country. Other notable leaders in 2001 in specific categories include: The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 10 Leaders - Celebrities: 1) Britney Spears 6) Madonna 2) Jennifer Lopez 7) Christina Aguilera 3) Eminem 8) Mariah Carey 4) Pamela Anderson 9) Carmen Electra 5) Nelly 10) Michael Jackson The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 10 Leaders - Television Shows: 1) Dragon Ball Z 6) Sailor Moon 2) Survivor 7) Days of Our Lives 3) The Simpsons 8) South Park 4) Friends 9) Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5) Big Brother 10) Oprah The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 10 Leaders - Athletes: 1) Dale Earnhardt 6) Vince Carter 2) Tiger Woods 7) Kobe Bryant 3) Allen Iverson 8) Derek Jeter 4) Michael Jordan 9) Tony Hawk 5) Anna Kournikova 10) Ichiro Suzuki The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 10 Leaders - 2001 Film Releases: 1) Lord of the Rings 6) Tomb Raider 2) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 7) Moulin Rouge 3) Pearl Harbor 8) Shrek 4) Planet of the Apes 9) Save the Last Dance 5) Fast and Furious 10) American Pie 2 The Yahoo! Buzz Index Top 10 Leaders - Games: 1) The Sims 6) Final Fantasy 9 2) Half Life Counter Strike 7) Legend of Zelda 3) Diablo 2 8) Final Fantasy 8 4) Everquest 9) Black and White 5) Starcraft 10) Final Fantasy 7 About Yahoo! Buzz Index The Yahoo! Buzz Index is calculated daily and leverages the speed of the Internet by capturing trends nearly immediately. The tool measures user engagement with brands, products and technologies online, tracks trends, and helps marketers monitor the effectiveness of online and offline campaigns. About Yahoo! Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 218 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. Through the Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions division, the company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients. The company's global Web network includes 24 World properties. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States. Contact: Yahoo! Inc. Nissa Anklesaria, 408/349-7738 [email protected] or Fleishman-Hillard Michelle Andersen, 415/356-1032 [email protected] # # #.