The Best of 2016

By Bethany Stewart

Top Songs

1. “One Dance” by Drake came out on July 30th and became a sensation for the summer. It remained on the top 100 chart for thirty-five weeks and held the number one spot for fifteen weeks.
2. “Cold Water” by Justin Bieber, Major Lazer, and MO made it’s debut on April 8th. It remained on the charts for nineteen weeks and held the number one position for five of those.
3. “Formation” by Beyonce, first sung at Super Bowl L, the song became a huge hit due to the powerful message of empowering women. It was on the top 50 chart for about five weeks  and then remained in the Top 100 for an additional six weeks.
   
   

Top Movies

1. Captain America: Civil War, released on May 6th, was the next phase of the Captain America and Avengers movies. Everyone loved the idea of Captain America against Iron Man in a battle of right or wrong,
2. Zootopia was released on March 4th and was a large success with many children. It involves a city that is run by animals who work together to solve a conspiracy.
3. Deadpool came out February 12th and was all about a man who became exposed to a rogue experiment, causing him to have healing powers. With this new ability, he is on the hunt for revenge.
   
   

Top Apps

1. Snapchat was first released in 2011, but  recent updates have made Snapchat by far the most popular app of 2016 based on the time spent on the app and number of downloads. Snapchat has many uses, but at the core it is a way to send pictures to your friends for up to 10 seconds. Since the start, Snapchat has renovated its look many times. In 2016 the updates included face filters, the discover feature, and memories.
2. Pokémon Go, an interactive game that flashed back to the 90s to incorporate a popular children's game into an app. The purpose is to explore the real world and catch new Pokémon creatures. Players can engage in battles to claim gyms, and collect items that appear around them. The app makes use of your phone camera to make it seem like the Pokémon appeared in your actual surroundings.
3. Spotify came out to be the third most popular app of the year. Even with all the other music apps available today, Spotify has become a favorite of many due to its simple design that is user friendly. With Spotify it is easy to access all the music people may want to listen to.
   
   

Top Internet Sensations

1. Water Bottle Flips were the most popular trend on the internet this year. People have taken the task to extremes and perform crazy stunts in order to flip a water bottle and have it land upright. Thousand of videos have been posted on Twitter showing off water bottle flipping skills.
2. Harambe, a gorilla that was shot at the Cincinnati Zoo earlier this year, caused controversy on social media. Many complained about the decision to kill the gorilla instead of tranquilizing it after a young child fell into the gorilla’s cage. Multiple artists, such as Young Thug and Dumbfounded, have come out with songs about the event, and people even voted for him in the 2016 Presidential Election.
3. “Damn, Daniel” became one of the most said phrases this year. Two young teenage boys, Daniel and Josh, created a video showing off Daniel’s white vans. Josh filmed him saying, “Damn Daniel, back at it again with the white Vans.” This video went viral on Twitter, and the two boys went on The Ellen Degeneres Show for their popularity. They also ended up receiving a lifetime supply of Vans.