Most Talked About in 2010: The Year in Review

Twelve months ago, Canada was preparing to host the Winter Olympics, and since, there’s been no shortage of news shockers, blockbuster films or celebrity gossip to commemorate the year. As we look back on 2010, there’s no doubt that it’s been a year full of big stars and big stories.

This year we witnessed world news like never before, watching live feeds of 33 Chilean miners as they were one by one freed from their underground prison. Coverage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico went on for months – a mismanaged mess of historic proportions that’s changed the way we view our environment. Images of an earthquake-rocked Haiti streamed to our laptops within minutes of the disaster, and the global relief effort that followed was just a few mouse clicks behind.

Entertainment news was no more lacking in huge stories. Lindsay Lohan’s demise was no surprise, but Tiger Woods’ fall from glory was a shocker for sports fans and celebrity followers alike. Reports of his infidelity made waves in the sports world that were matched only by the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa where Spain triumphed over the Netherlands. (Do I hear vuvuzelas?) Of course, the win was no surprise as Paul the psychic octopus had predicted the victory.

In more celeb news, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and homegrown talent Michael Bublé entertained the masses on their respective world tours, while British comedy legend Russell Brand established his superstar career on this side of the Atlantic.

Brand’s wife, pop star Katy Perry, didn’t do too badly, either. Clad in cotton candy on the cover of her sophomore album, Teenage Dream, Perry returned to the charts with another collection of catchy mega-hits. I’d even bet that more people were caught dancing in their cars to her single California Gurls than any other song this summer. To top it off, the singer also survived a small scandal after her segment on Sesame Street was cut because of complaints about her risqué outfit. Elmo, however, seemed to be OK with the sexy ensemble.

In the film world, theatres were packed with moviegoers eager to see cash draws like Inception and Avatar, the latter sparking a massive trend in 3-D films. After we saw James Cameron’s planet Pandora lit up in 3-D, all kinds of films, from Shrek 4 to Jack Ass 3D, followed suit.

TV sensation Glee continued to dominate our Tuesday nights, and the show earned extra prestige releasing hit soundtrack after hit soundtrack. But props are also due to the guilty pleasure reality TV show Jersey Shore, which gained followers fast and even prompted countless teens to spray-paint abs on their stomachs for Halloween!

With 2010 being so jam-packed with surprises, it’s almost impossible to forecast what next year will bring. Here’s hoping 2011 will be a Teenage Dream! Read on for our readers’ picks of the biggest and best events, people and things of 2010!

	Top 5 Musicians 1. Lady Gaga 2. Katy Perry 3. Hedley 4. Down With Webster 5. Drake
Top 5 Websites 1. Facebook.com 2. Tumblr.com 3. YouTube.com 4. Mylifeisaverage.com 5. Twitter.com	Top 5 Fashion Trends 1. Knee-high boots 2. Leather jackets 3. Blazers 4. High-waisted skirts 5. Skinny jeans
Top 5 Local Musicians (AB) 1. Stereos 2. The Dudes 3. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald 4. Seventh Rain 5. Constant Season	Top 5 Local Musicians (BC) 1. Marianas Trench 2. Hedley 3. Faber Drive 4. The Latency 5. Cause4Drama
Top 5 Celebrities 1. Justin Bieber 2. Katy Perry 3. Cast of Glee 4. Lady Gaga 5. Johnny Depp
Top 5 Sports Teams (AB) 1. Calgary Flames 2. Edmonton Oilers 3. Calgary Stampeders 4. Edmonton Eskimos 5. Pittsburgh Penguins	Top 5 Sports Teams (BC) 1. Vancouver Canucks 2. BC Lions 3. Vancouver Whitecaps 4. Chicago Blackhawks 5. Boston Red Sox
Top 5 Video Games 1. NHL 2K11 2. Rock Band 3. Mario Kart for Wii 4. Guitar Hero 5. Call of Duty	Top 5 Celeb Couples 1. Katy Perry and Russell Brand 2. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie 3. ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds 4. Megan Fox and B. Austin Green 5. Beyoncé and Jay-Z
	Top 5 TV Shows 1. Glee 2. The Big Bang Theory 3. The Vampire Diaries 4. Gossip Girl 5. How I Met Your Mother
Top 5 News Stories 1. BP oil spill 2. Haiti earthquake 3. Trapped coal miners 4. 2010 Winter Olympics 5. 2010 FIFA World Cup	Top 5 Reality TV 1. Jersey Shore 2 2. The Amazing Race 3. The Hills 4. The Buried Life 5. Celebrity Apprentice
Top 5 Radio Stations (AB) 1. 90.3 AMP Radio 2. X92.9 FM 3. Virgin Radio 98.5 FM 4. XL 103 FM 5. Rock 97.7	Top 5 Radio Stations (BC) 1. The Beat 94.5 2. 100.5 The Peak 3. Virgin Radio 95.3 4. 99.3 The Fox 5. 93.7 JR FM
Top 5 Entertainment Stories 1. Lindsay Lohan going to jail 2. Tiger Woods cheats 3. Bieber fever 4. Katy Perry and Russell Brand marriage 5. End of The Hills
Top 5 Concert Tours 1. Justin Bieber 2. Lady Gaga 3. Michael Bublé 4. Black Eyed Peas 5. As I Lay Dying	Top 5 Gadgets 1. IPhone 2. IPod 3. BlackBerry 4. Kindle 5. Laptop
Top 5 Books 1. Harry Potter series 2. The Book of Negroes 3. Sweet Little Lies 4. The Carrie Diaries 5. Vampire Kisses	Top 5 Eco-Initiatives 1. Reusable bags 2. Green-inspired fashion 3. Earth Hour 4. Biodegradable pens/cups/ containers 5. Reusable water bottles
	Top 5 Movies 1. Inception 2. Avatar 3. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows 4. The Town 5. Alice in Wonderland