If you’ve ever seen an “I’d rather be shopping at Nordstrom” bumper sticker, take note: America really would rather be shopping at Nordstrom. According to a recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), Nordstrom is the most popular department store in the country.

The upscale department store was founded in 1901 when Swedish immigrant and successful gold prospector John W. Nordstrom returned to Seattle and opened a shoe store with Carl F. Wallin, a local cobbler. It wasn’t until 1963 that Wallin & Nordstrom, then owned by Nordstrom’s three sons, expanded to include apparel and changed their name to Nordstrom Best. That name lasted ten years before being shortened to Nordstrom.

Nordstrom has dominated ASCI almost every year it’s been measured. Target managed to rank first in 2001, however, and Nordstrom’s rank wasn’t measured for the five years following that victory.
This year, Nordstrom ranked first with a score of 83 while Target holds second place at 80. Dollar General, J.C. Penney and Kohl’s all ranked third most popular with scores of 79.

On February 1st, 2009, Boston’s new House of Blues opened its doors for its first public event. After just one year, that club has become the world’s most popular music venue.

Live Nation, owners of the House of Blues franchise since 2006, opened the new club in the former location of Avalon, one of Boston’s more popular nightclubs. Concert promoter Don Law hoped to book as many as 300 shows in 2009 and, while he fell short of the mark by some 50 shows, the results are impressive nonetheless—no club in the world sold as many tickets that year as the House of Blues in Boston.

The most popular club in the world may have gotten some of its help from the location, next to Fenway Park, and the nostalgia of former patrons of Avalon. It’s also one of the few midsized venues in the city—most of the other venues in Boston can only host a smaller or much larger crowd.

The New Orleans Saints may have won the game in 2010, but the real Super Bowl XLIV winner was the same as the year before. No, I’m not talking about the Indianapolis Colts—I’m talking about Doritos. Their 4th quarter spot is 2010’s most popular Super Bowl ad.

The ad, featuring a Doritos-clad samurai reclaiming a purloined bag of chips, was part of this year’s “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign of consumer-generated videos. One of six finalists, “Snack Attack Samurai” by CBer was voted into the Top 3 by Doritos fans across America. That alone guaranteed its placement during the Super Bowl. The 116.5 million viewers who, according to The NielsenCompany, tuned in to see the ad made it not only the most popular Super Bowl ad ever but the most popular television program in history—beating the 1983 airing of the M*A*S*H series finale.

This year, the second place went to Audi’s “Green Police” ad with 115.6 million viewers and third went to an ad for Electronic Arts’ “Dante’s Inferno” with 115 million.

The most populous city in the US is also the most popular city for college graduates looking to put their degrees to work. New York City topped a list of cities, compiled by job hunting sites CareerCast.com and Going Global, ranked by their popularity as destinations for graduates looking for entry level employment opportunities.

The Big Apple was a top choice on the lists of 83% of those surveyed. Washington, DC, which ranked second, was chosen by only 65% of the surveyed students. Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco rounded out the top five cities listed by these first time job hunters.

The two sites also found that the United Kingdom is the most popular country for both American students and foreign-born students at US colleges when asked where they’d like to work after graduation. Like the foreign-born students, US students gave the United States third place—despite a drop in the number of US students looking to move abroad after graduation.

In the early days of popular internet culture, your website was on the bleeding edge if it had something as cool as an animated Quake logo. As broadband internet service became de rigueur, though, delivering video content became increasingly feasible. Nowadays, with amateur videos far outnumbering their professional counterparts, internet video is just a fact of life. You could probably guess the most popular video site on the net, but who else reigns in the realm of video?

A recent ComScore survey let us know which sites proved to be the most popular throughout March 2009.

Hulu – 380,102 videos watched

A mere eighteen months old, Hulu is a relative newcomer with its bevy of ad-supported movies and TV shows. Already a joint venture between NBC Universal and the News Corporation, a recent partnership with ABC Enterprises means the site is supported by three of the four major broadcast networks.

Fox Interactive Media – 437,098 videos watched

As the News Corporation’s digital arm, Fox Interactive Media is not only responsible for delivering the popular broadcast network’s shows to the internet; it also oversees sites like IGN and, of course, MySpace. Now, if only Fox would stop cancelling my favorite shows…

YouTube (and other Google properties) – 5,919,530 videos watched

Yeah, that’s right—five million videos. You’re not surprised, are you? The behemoth of video sharing had a bit of a head start; YouTube went live in February 2005 and was purchased by Google, Inc. less than two years later. Add to this the fact that, unlike Hulu or Fox, YouTube is a platform for user-generated (and, in most cases, short) videos and you can see why YouTube holds over 40% of the market share of videos watched in March.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has been a little busy since earning second place in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. He’s worked as a political commentator and host for both Fox and ABC, spoken at the 2008 Republican National Convention and published his seventh book. He may even be the most popular Republican in the US.

The former pastor, as well as three other prominent Republicans, was the subject of a survey by Public Policy Polling. Forty-two percent of those surveyed looked favorably on Huckabee while only thirty-four percent disapproved of him. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also received favorable votes totaling forty-two percent, but had the highest percentage of unfavorable votes of the four—forty-nine percent.

Those surveyed were also asked about former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (36% favorable/44% unfavorable) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (40% favorable/35% unfavorable).

Of course, there are more than four prominent Republicans out there. Notable exclusions include RNC Chairman Michael Steele and former Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

What do you think? Is Mike Huckabee America’s most popular Republican?

Ashton Kutcher

Actor and Hollywood prankster Ashton Kutcher became the most popular dude on Twitter in a recent competition with CNN to see which Twitter account would receive their millionth follower first.

The contest may have seemed like an easy win for CNN when they purchased @cnnbrk, an account set up to tweet CNN’s breaking news and, at the time, the most followed account on the popular microblogging site. With 947,000 followers, they were ahead of Kutcher’s @aplusk account by 30,000 followers.

The contest ended on Friday, April 17th with Kutcher streaming video on the web and Anderson Cooper on CNN, each promoting their accounts. At 2:13 AM ET, Kutcher broke 1,000,000 followers and, a mere minute later, CNN humbly conceded with a congratulatory tweet.

The contest represented a win (or, if you believe some doomsayers, the end) for Twitter as well. Following the highly publicized event, Oprah Winfrey sent out her first tweet under @Oprah. As of this writing (late Sunday night), she’s already garnered over 300,000 followers. Considering @aplusk has gained only 220,000 followers since the contest ended, Oprah may have the most popular Twitter account by the end of the month.

Then again, I’ve been having trouble accessing the site today. Maybe those doomsayers were onto something after all.

Apple’s infamous App Store recently hit the 25,000 app milestone, but how many of those are worth downloading? Changes to the store since its debut in July of 2008 have addressed this issue, but users still complain about paying for dud apps that are quickly removed to save space. Luckily, third party market researcher ComScore is around to tell us which are the most popular iPhone apps.

Pac-Man – Namco – $5.99

Namco’s arcade classic has had new life breathed into it with this simple app. Players can not only relive the glory days of sinking a sack of quarters into their latest high score, but can also play in accelerometer mode and tilt their iPhone or iPod touch to make Pac-Man change direction. According to ComScore, Pac-Man is currently installed on 24% of the devices in question, tied for fifth place with iBowl.

iBowl – SGN – Free

This popular app, in Wii-like fashion, has players swinging their iPhones like bowling balls. Considering the phone doesn’t come with a strap, I’m not sure I’d want to try it. Nevertheless, it does have 24% penetration, so maybe it’s just me.

Facebook – Facebook, Inc. – Free

The most popular social network on the most popular phone is not the most popular app—but it’s close. The Facebook app allows users to view and send status updates, receive notifications and friend requests, view profiles and chat. It’s also tied for third place at 26% penetration.

Touch Hockey: FS5 – FlipSide5, Inc. – Free/$1.99

FlipSide5’s air hockey game features a nine-level single player game, 3D graphics and accelerometer-controlled lighting. You can even play against friends on your local WiFi network. The game comes in two flavors: standard and an ad-supported free edition. Touch Hockey: FS5 is currently installed on 26% of iPhones and iPod Touches.

Backgrounds – Stylem Media – Free

The second most popular app’s name says it all—Backgrounds is stuffed full of, well, backgrounds. With over 5,000 background wallpapers to choose from, you’re not likely to find a better source of wallpapers for the iPhone OS. Backgrounds has 27% penetration, second only to…

Tap Tap Revenge – Tapulous, Inc. – Free

The most popular App in the App store is the closest you can get to playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band on your iPhone and far, far less expensive. The original comes with 50 free songs while the sequel, Tap Tap Revenge 2, features over 150 downloadable songs. Players of the sequel can even play in tournaments and other contests. Aside from the original game and sequel, both of which are free, players looking for more Tap Tap Revenge can purchase Tap Tap Dance, Tap Tap Coldplay or even Nine Inch Nails Revenge ($4.99 each).

If email seems a little clunky and outdated to you, there’s a good reason for that—it actually predates the internet. Originating out of MIT in the 1960s, email addresses are now as common as telephones. Someone has to provide those email addresses, though, and they’re usually doing it free of charge.

The two most popular email services are Yahoo Mail and Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail. According to a ComScore Media Metrix report published in early 2008, Yahoo had a slight lead with 256.2 million accounts to Microsoft’s 254.6 million.

Surprisingly, at least to me, Google’s Gmail service falls far behind the big two with only 91.6 million accounts. This could be attributed to the fact that Gmail, unlike Yahoo Mail or Hotmail, has been accessible by the general public for only two years. That’s considerably more than AOL who, despite their seniority in the email market, have only 48.9 million users.

It’s no wonder the Musée du Louvre is the most popular museum in the world. The historic Parisian fortress became the first museum accessible by even the lowest caste when the royal collection of King Louis XVI was opened to the public one year after his imprisonment during the French Revolution. Under the auspices of such rulers as Napoleon, Louis XVIII and Charles X, the Louvre’s collections only grew.

The Louvre holds over 380,000 objects, including famous works such as the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. Only a fraction of them is on display at any given time in the Louvre’s eight curatorial departments—Egyptian antiquities; Near Eastern antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman; sculpture; painting; decorative arts and, most recently, Islamic art.

The most popular museum ranked first place with 8.3 million visitors when The Art Newspaper compiled its first list based on admissions data collected throughout 2007. It retained its place as the final tally for 2008 came to 8.5 million patrons.

I’m sure this won’t shock or amaze you, but Apple pretty much has the MP3 player market cornered with the omnipresent iPod. Since you already know that, I’ll just get it out of the way first. You might want to skip past the first few entries on our list if you’d like to know about the most popular MP3 player without an Apple logo.

Apple iPod Touch – $229-$399

“The funnest iPod ever”—a slogan that, had I heard it before making my decision, might have convinced me not to buy one. Having most of the features of the iPhone, including the accelerometer that allows the Touch to register simple movement, the most popular MP3 player is more like a PDA that happens to play music better than it does anything else. Three different models of the 2nd Generation iPod Touch are currently available, from 8 GB (the most popular) to 32 GB (which falls somewhat below the iPod Nano).

Apple iPod Classic – $249

The iPod Classic has a few intriguing features—Genius playlists and Cover Flow presentation, most notably—but its real selling point is its capacity. At 120 GB, the 6th generation of iPod Classic is a digital music player for users who think more is more and the most is even better. In fact, given no options with more memory, users have only one choice to make when purchasing an iPod Classic—black or silver.

Apple iPod Nano – $149 or $199

For those users who can’t stand having some great lump of technological wizardry bulging from their pockets, the iPod Nano is a popular compromise. Already possessing all of the features of the iPod Classic in a smaller package with less memory, the 4th generation iPod Nano also has an accelerometer that, as with the Touch, allows users to view their music collection or videos using the screen in either portrait or landscape mode. The iPod Nano comes in nine different colors, the most popular being black and blue, and two different sizes—8 GB or 16 GB.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze – $79.99-$119.99

See? I told you there’d be a non-Apple product eventually.

SanDisk’s Sansa Fuze may owe its popularity to its price—it is, after all, the cheapest MP3 player on the list that also plays videos. The Fuze has a few other features that make it stand out, though. It comes with a 30-day trial subscription to Rhapsody which, unlike Apple’s iTunes Store, doesn’t require users to pay per track. It also has a built-in microphone, a feature that even the vaunted iPod Touch doesn’t have. The Sansa Fuze can be purchased in 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB and five different colors.

Apple iPod Shuffle – $49-79

Much controversy surrounds the 3rd generation of the smallest iPod, which could see it lose its place to the Sansa Clip once stores run out of the 2nd generation model. The first and second generation Shuffles cater to users who want to fiddle with their music as little as possible—going so far as to lack a screen with which to navigate your music selection. The third generation takes the minimalist approach one step further and offers no controls on the device itself. Instead, Shuffle owners must use a remote included as part of the headphones that come with the shuffle. This has the unfortunate effect of requiring users to purchase new Apple headphones should the included pair ever become lost or broken. While the 2nd generation Shuffle came in a plethora of colors and a couple of different memory sizes, the 4th generation is only available in 4 GB and in two different colors—black or silver.

A recent poll has allowed ordinary Americans to vote on their own favorite actors and actresses. The poll was conducted jointly between Parade magazine and Entertainment Tonight. Participants were allowed to vote on previous Academy Awards winners in various Oscar-like categories.

Tom Hanks was voted Best Actor in the poll, proving that the two-time Oscar winner is America’s most popular actor. He has won awards for his performance in Philadelphia (1999) and Forrest Gump (1994) while competing with Russel Crowe and the late Paul Newman.

The most popular actress was Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for Erin Brokovich in 2000. Her competitors that year were Reese Witherspoon and Jodie Foster.

America’s favorite supporting actors were Morgan Freeman, who took home an Oscar for Million Dollar Baby in 2004, and Angelina Jolie, who won her award for Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Participants were also allowed to vote on the Best Film, which turned out to be 1997’s Titanic.

Super Bowl is about more than football, snacks and camaraderie—it’s also about watching the most extravagant ads of the year. The most popular Super Bowl ads this year, however, weren’t the most expensive to make.

Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest allowed aspiring filmmakers and amateur marketers to submit their own ads to, well, crash the Super Bowl. Two finalists—“Free Doritos” and “Power of the Crunch”—were chosen to be aired during the Super Bowl. “Free Doritos,” as it happens, became not only the best of nearly 2,000 “Crash the Super Bowl” submissions but also managed to be the most popular ad of Super Bowl XLIII.

“Free Doritos” features an office worker throwing his snow globe “crystal ball” at a break room vending machine in order to get free Doritos for the whole office. It was created by Joe and David Herbert of Batesville, Indiana.

While everyone seems to agree that this was the most popular ad during the Super Bowl, the number two spot is still contested.

According to YouTube’s AdBlitz program, second through fourth place are held by E*Trade’s “Singing Baby” ad, Careerbuilder.com’s list of reasons you need a new job and Pepsi Max’s “I’m Good” commercial.

USA Today, on the other hand, gives second and third place to Budweiser’s Clydesdale ads and fourth place to Bridgestone’s Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head ad.

Both lists agree that Doritos’ other user-generated add, “Power of the Crunch,” hit fifth place.

“Free Doritos” and “Power of the Crunch” aren’t the only Doritos winners that will see the light of day. In fact, the two popular ads merely kicked off Doritos’ latest campaign wherein the five best user-generated ads will all get some TV time.

This may come as a surprise for you but, back in the old days, people used to read books. They were made out of paper and cardboard or something. Sometimes they had pictures, but people would make fun of you for reading those. More often they were just words on paper.

Of course, in the old days we also fought dinosaurs with sharpened rocks.

Basically, people who read books are savages.

Now that we got that out of the way, take a look at the most popular books of all time.

5. Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Copies sold: 200 million

Victorians, were known for pioneering, the usage of, the comma—and the dash. Dickens was known for his humor but, strangely enough, nobody thought this book about the years leading up to the French Revolution was funny.

4. Allah (featuring Muhammed and the Angel Gabriel) – The Qur’an (around 610-632)

Copies sold: 200 million

The rich and powerful never have to do anything for themselves. This is just as true for the omnipotent as the fabulously wealthy. That’s why, when Allah wanted to write his book, he had his people talk to our people. They had lunch. Then they wrote the third most popular book of all time.

3. Various Artists – The Xinhua Dictionary (1957)

Copies sold: 400 million

Why is a dictionary the third most popular book of all time? It might have something to do with the fact that Chinese has about as many characters as China has people—and China has a lot of
people.

2. Chairman Mao – Quotations from Chairman Mao (1964)

Copies sold: Somewhere between 800 million and 6.5 billion

Distributed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution in which Chinese citizens were all but officially required to carry a copy of the book at all times, the book sometimes acted as a Get Out of a Beating Free card. Mao Zedong was also responsible for Chairman Mao’s Poems (400 million copies) and Selected Articles of Mao Zedong (another 400 million).

1. God (featuring a bunch of other guys) – Bible (1 BC – 1 CE)

Copies sold: 2.5 – 6 billion

The most popular book of all time (unless you actually believed that Quotations sold 6 billion copies), Bible is the tale of a ragtag group of holy men and their scrappy leader taking on the world in the name of God. At least, part of it is. There’s also a bit about the apocalypse and seals and horsemen. Being over 2,000 years old, it had a head start on all the other books on the list. Some might call that an unfair advantage, but those people are all losers.

In the 7 years since its release, iTunes has become one of the most used media players in the world. This is in no small part due to iTunes’ proprietary relationship with the iPod. Another factor is the iTunes store, one of the first retail sources of downloadable media.

A recent Soundscan report has revealed the first track to exceed 2 million sales through iTunes. Of course, such a track would need to be a timeless classic, but not too timeless—old people don’t have iPods, right? It would need to be something released within the last ten years or so with both the musical acumen and lyrical genius to appeal to both teenage girls and aging hipsters.

Of course, it could also be Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”

I can only attribute this phenomenon to the Sopranos series finale in which the song was featured. It certainly isn’t so popular based on its own merit.

Right?

Right?

The Joker

Halloween is just around the corner and costume shop owners couldn’t be happier as this year’s blockbusters drive costume sales. So what are this year’s most popular Halloween costumes?

“Sexy” Rainbow Brite

For men, the most popular costume is from the hit movie Dark Knight—but it isn’t Batman. Instead, the late Heath Ledger’s ghoulish portrayal of the Joker has inspired many of this year’s costumed partygoers. His henchmen from the movie’s opening sequence are also a popular choice.

The most popular costume for women is somewhat more retro (and surprising to this particular writer). It’s Rainbow Brite. Apparently, Playmates and United Media have decided to relaunch the popular girls’ cartoon and the costumiers were ready for it.

Of course, there are always the old standbys. Couples costumes will always be popular. Then, of course, there’s my personal favorite costume concept—anything that starts with “Sexy.”

If the most popular magazines are anything to judge by, then there are a couple of rules to abide by if you want to make your own successful magazine. First, your magazine should be family-safe. Second, it should appeal to women.

Don’t believe me? Check out the list of America’s most popular magazines.

Family Circle

Published by the Meredith Corporation, Family Circle has been called the most popular women’s magazine in America at times. It was originally published in 1932 by the New York Times and now reaches 20 million readers monthly. It’s considered one of the “seven sisters,” a group of women’s magazines also consisting of Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Garden, Woman’s Day and Redbook.

Good Housekeeping

Another of the “sisters,” currently owned by the Hearst Corporation, Good Housekeeping was originally published in 1885 by Clark W. Bryan in Holyoke, Massachussetts. It was acquired by the Hearst Corporation, still run by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, in 1911. The popular women’s magazine is well known for the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

National Geographic

The National Geographic Society first convened in Washington, DC’s Cosmos Club in 1888. At the time, it consisted of thirty-three explorers and scientists. Now, the society is 8 million members strong. The magazine was first published nine months after that initial meeting and has been published monthly ever since. It is now delivered to 9 million readers every month and read by over 50 million. Its popularity most likely doesn’t stem from the occasional booby that graces its pages.

Better Homes and Gardens

The third, and most popular “sister” on the list, this monthly magazine needs no introduction—the name kind of says it all anyway. Better Homes and Garden has spawned numerous home economics books, including the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Reader’s Digest

Co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell and DeWitt Wallace, America’s most popular magazine is available monthly in thirty-five languages. Published in a pocket-sized format, Reader’s Digest bore the tag “America in your pocket” from 2005 to 2008. The magazine’s popularity is no doubt due to both its general-interest nature and the fifty-two editions that are available worldwide. The publication even goes through a rigorous “localization” process to make sure that international readers aren’t threatened by our dirty American memes. All told, the magazine is read by 100 million people globally, which also makes it the world’s most popular magazine.

After many painstaking hours of research, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the most popular languages in the world. Be warned; the results may surprise you. Esperanto is nowhere on the list.

Spanish (español) – 417 million speakers

Spanish may only be the fifth most popular language in the world, but it ranks significantly better in native speakers. Its 322 million native speakers make it the third most spoken language in the world by native speakers.

Arabic (al-ʿarabiyyah) – 452 million speakers

Spoken in over twenty Middle Eastern countries, Arabic is one of the oldest living languages in the world. While it is the language used in the Qur’an, most Muslims are not native Arabic speakers.

Attempts to speak this language on planes may be met with irrational fear, incarceration or bullets. Use at your own risk.

Hindustani (हिन्दुस्तानी) – 650 million speakers

Also known as Hindi-Urdu, Hindustani is an official language in Pakistan, India and Fiji. It encompasses a number of dialects, the two most prominent being Standard Hindi and Urdu. In fact, the conquering British in the late 1700s used Hindustani and Urdu interchangeably.

Hindustani is the “neutral” language used in Bollywood films and is the second most spoken language in the world by native speakers.

Mandarin (官話) – 1.05 billion speakers

With well over 800 million native speakers, Mandarin Chinese tops the list of languages by native speakers. Considering China is the most populous country in the world, that’s not exactly surprising. Mandarin, like Hindustani, actually consists of several dialects spoken across most of China.

English (English) – 1.5 billion speakers

It’s no surprise that English is the most popular language on the planet—after all, it’s the language spoken by two of the most formidable global powers in recent history. Will English continue to be the most spoken language on the planet? We’ll see.

“Popular newspapers” may seem like an oxymoron in this post-paper-and-ink era, but you may be surprised by the number of copies of printed news publications in circulation. While newspaper readership is in decline, the world’s most popular newspapers report circulation in the tens of millions.

Surprisingly, the top newspaper is Northern India’s Dainik Jagran. With thirty-two editions and 200 sub-editions, this popular daily is read by over 21.2 million people. Following closely behind is Rajasthan Patrika at 21 million.

The remaining three of the five most popular newspapers come from Japan. Yomiuri Shimbun dominates the island with 14.2 million readers. Asahi Shimbun follows with a circulation of 8 million and the world’s fifth most popular newspaper is Mainichi Shimbun with just under 4 million readers.

The most popular newspaper in the English language is The Times of India with 3.1 million readers. The most popular newspaper in the United States is USA Today with 2.3 million copies circulated.

We’ve told you about the most popular car color in the United States, but what about Japan? Are the Japanese buying white in droves as much as Americans are? According to DuPont’s 55th Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, they certainly are. As you can see from the cart below, 24% of all vehicles purchased in Japan in 2007 were white. While white wasn’t as popular as silver in intermediate or compact/sports cars, or black in SUVs, it dominated in luxury cars and MPVs. In fact, white was even more popular in Japan than it was in the US!

We’ve told you about the most popular car color, but what about the most popular truck color? Are truck owners buying white in droves as much as car owners are? According to DuPont’s 55th Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, they certainly are. As you can see from the chart below, 24% of truck owners purchased white in 2008—more than vehicle owners in any other category!

We’ve told you about the most popular car color in the United States, but what about China? Are Chinese buying white in droves as much as Americans are? According to DuPont’s 55th Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, the answer is no. As you can see from the cart below, only 15% of all vehicles purchased in China in 2007 were white. Silver is the most popular color in China at 23%, followed by black at 22%.

It’s the stereotypical comic book geek question—“Who would win in a fight?” Considering the comic book industry’s history of bowing to the demands of their fans, the answer to that question really comes down to which superhero is more popular. If you want to know who’d be left standing after an all-out superhero brawl, then the question you really need to be asking is “Who is the most popular superhero in the world?”

After a series of rigorous trials and arcane experiments—i.e. seeing which ones got the most results on Google—I’ve compiled the following list of superheroes most likely to win a grudge match. Also included are the superheroes’ highest ratings by the top critics on Rotten Tomatoes and their highest grosses on an opening weekend.

5. The Incredible Hulk
This misunderstood monster made a triumphant return to the box office with 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Considering the horror that was the Hulk’s previous movie, it’s surprising that Marvel managed to sign an actor of Edward Norton’s caliber for this latest one.
The Incredible Hulk on Rotten Tomatoes: 58%
The Incredible Hulk opening weekend: $55,414,050

4. Superman
The first superhero’s latest theatrical adventure may not have been the success that it could’ve been, but that didn’t keep the last son of Krypton off the list. Superman is easily one of the most iconic (if not the most iconic) superheroes to grace the pages of a funnybook.
Superman II on Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Superman Returns opening weekend: $52,535,096

3. Iron Man
The fact that Tony Stark is even on this list is remarkable—the other five have appeared numerous times in both the box office and on television. Iron Man, by contrast, never had his own television series and only has the one movie under his belt.
Iron Man on Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Iron Man opening Weekend: $102,118,668

2. Spider-Man

Peter Parker has problems, but that hasn’t kept him from becoming a giant in the comic book industry. In fact, it’s pretty much the reason he’s up there. I also suspect that part of his popularity is due to having some of comicdom’s most fascinating villains, but I digress.
Spider-Man 2 on Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Spider-Man 3 opening weekend: $151,116,516

1. Batman
From the 60s TV series to this year’s Dark Knight, Batman has been through the ringer when it comes to moving pictures. Tim Burton’s movies succeeded in bringing the grim and gritty Batman to film while Joel Schumacher nearly killed the franchise by infusing it with the campiness of the dynamic duo’s original television adventures. Director Christopher Nolan’s success with Batman Begins was only compounded by this year’s Dark Knight which, sadly, was marred by the passing of Heath Ledger after what was probably his greatest performance on film. Despite that tragedy (or, perhaps, because of it), Dark Knight now holds the record for the highest grossing opening weekend ever. All that tells us that Batman is the world’s most popular superhero.
Besides, everyone knows Batman can kick anyone’s ass.
Dark Knight on Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Dark Knight opening weekend: $158,411,483

Cars have been available in a range of colors since the first Model T rolled onto the market. It was only later, from 1914 to 1926, that the Model T was available in just one color—black. Henry Ford is often quoted as proclaiming that “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” Supposedly, black paint dried faster than any other paint of the time and thus led to cars roll.

Before it was cool.

Of course, the full range of colors is available today. In fact, a couple of urban legends have been spawned by the idea that a car’s color is indicative of the owner’s personality. While there is no evidence that insurance companies use automobiles’ colors to determine insurance quotes, it’s still a common assumption along with the idea that red cars are more likely to get ticketed by police officers.

You may be wondering, what is the most popular car color? For seven years, silver was the most popular car color. It was seen as both a high-tech color and one that was safe for resell—not as many people would be turned off by a silver car as would be turned off by, say, a green car.

Buyers in 2007, however, broke the mold by buying more white cars than cars in any other color. Why? Well, it’s been said that a high-tech color like silver isn’t popular anymore. I disagree. I don’t think silver is a high-tech color anymore. Looking at the popularity of iPods, iPhones and other Apple products, I’d say white is going to be the color of technology for some time.

In 2007, nineteen percent of cars manufactured were white. Twenty-two percent of luxury cars were white. Eighteen percent of all cars were silver and sixteen percent were black.

Of course, given years of popularity, silver cars will still outnumber autos of other colors for awhile.

Source: DuPont 2007 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report

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The most recent Nielsen report places the national average television viewing time between three and just over five hours per day, depending on both gender and age. That means we spend roughly three percent of our lives glued to the TV. So what, exactly, are we watching? What is the most popular television show?

A new study tells us that the most watched television show on Earth is “CSI: Crime Scene Investigations.” The crime drama boasted more than 84 million viewers around the world in 2007, beating sibling show “CSI: Miami” and hospital drama “House.”

It wasn’t the most popular show in America, though. That honor belongs to “American Idol,” which may have netted the global top spot if different countries didn’t have their own versions of the show.

“CSI” debuted in 2000, spawning its Miami spin-off in 2002 and “CSI: NY” in 2004. It is currently scheduled for its ninth season. “American Idol” debuted in 2002 and will begin its 8th season in 2009.

To be the most popular car in America, a model has to posses a wealth of features- reliability, safety, inoffensive yet attractive styling, power, and good gas mileage. Considering these design features, what is the most popular car? These desirable traits come together in the Toyota Camry, making it the highest selling and most popular car in America since 2002.

Launched in limited numbers in America in 1982, the first Camry was compact cars available in hatchback and sedan body styles. A second generation model followed in 1987, upgrading available engine power and offering new safety features such as anti-lock breaks and all-wheel drive. The hatchback model would vanish, replaced by the wagon body style. First sold in America in 1992, the third generation of the Toyota Camry ditched its compact roots to become a mid-size family sedan. 1997 saw the debut of the restyled fourth generation Camry, followed by the introduction of the Camry Solara coupe in 1999. Available as both a hardtop and a convertible, the Solara was built with more graceful and youth-oriented styling than the Camry. In 2000, the Camry became the highest selling car in America for the first time in its history, with reported figures of 422,930 sold. The next timely iteration to the Camry occurred in 2001, when America’s most popular car became much taller and roomier. The wagon body style was dumped for the fifth generation Camry. The sixth generation, launching in 2006, marked a decided change in the Camry’s styling. The aggressive front fascia compliments the available 3.5L V6, giving the new Camry much more power than any of the previous versions. America’s most popular car is now also available as a hybrid, using Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry classically performs well in crash safety tests, with all models since 1997 receiving a “Good” frontal crash rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Strangely, the fifth generation Camry receives a “Poor” rating in side impact tests from the IIHS when not equipped with side-impact airbags. The side airbag option, introduced in 2004, improves the side impact rating to “Good”.

Sales of the Camry in America peaked in 2006, with the nation’s most popular family sedan selling 448,445 units. The Camry’s future includes a foray into the increasingly popular NASCAR Nextel Cup, making it the first non-domestic car to compete in NASCAR in recent years. 2007 also expects to see the Camry produced in America for the first time, finally bringing America’s most popular car a little closer to home.

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Everyone has their favorite candy bar, the one they still might occasionally grab while waiting in line at the convenience store.

The Snickers bar, created by Mars Inc. in 1930 is a chewy nougat center with peanuts and caramel on top, all covered in a layer of milk chocolate. It was named Snickers after one of the horses of the Mars family who invented the candy, but sold as the Marathon bar in the United Kingdom. It had global annual sales of over $2 billion last year, becoming the most popular candy bar in the world. However just a few years back, the Mars bar held the top spot among the most popular candy bars, for most of the 20th century.

The Mars bar was created by Mars Inc. as well, in 1936. The international version of the Mars bar has always been different than the United States version, as it does not contain almonds like the original formulation. Both versions are a chocolate malt nougat center with caramel on top and covered in a layer of milk chocolate.

The Mars bar has been renamed to Snickers Almond in 2000, which may have been a huge mistake on the part of Mars Inc. In 2000, annual sales of the Mars bar reached over $2 billion, but by 2002 they had dropped to $1.09 billion.

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Cell phones are purchases that many people spend a lot of time researching and thinking about before shelling out the cash and having to use a phone for an extended period of time. The best phone for you may not be the best selling mobile. Wirefly which has a website for comparison shopping for mobile phones and cell phone wireless plans recently published a list of the most popular phones in highest demand. Many are not shocked that the best selling phones were Motorola’s RAZR designs.

Wirefly’s List of Most Popular Cell Phones of 2006:

1. Cingular Wireless RAZR by Motorola (in various colors)
2. T-Mobile RAZR (in various colors)
3. Verizon Wireless RAZR (in various colors)
4. Cingular Sony Ericsson z520a/z525a video phones
5. T-Mobile Motorola v360
6. Verizon Wireless Motorola v276
7. Sprint Nextel Motorola i850
8. Sprint Nextel Motorola i710
9. Cingular Motorola v220
10. T-Mobile Samsung T309

If you are are a hardcore gamer and have to play games on your cell phone, then the MobileRated Gamers choice list of most popular mobile phones may help you decide your next mobile purchase.

The MobileRated Gamers Choice Top 10 Most Popular Mobile Phones of 2006:

1. SonyEricsson W810i (3.35%)
2. RIM BlackBerry 8100 Pearl (2.72%)
3. SonyEricsson K750i (2.60%)
4. Nokia 6600 (2.59%)
5. Motorola RAZR V3 (2.49%)
6. SonyEricsson K800i (2.30%)
7. Nokia N70 (2.19%)
8. Nokia N73 (1.99%)
9. SonyEricsson W300i (1.95%)
10. Nokia 6620 (1.92%)

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Today’s video game market is bigger and more competitive than ever. With the recent launch of game systems like Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and the Xbox 360, gamers are able to enjoy their favorite games on a variety of different mediums. With so many different systems to choose from, one might think that it would be hard to dominate the market with just one game. But since it’s release in August of 2006, Electronic Arts’ “Madden NFL 07 Football” has surpassed the competition as 2006’s most popular video game for the major systems.

Madden NFL 90

Based on internal company data, Electronic Arts’ EA Tiburon office in Maitland, California reported selling over 2 million copies of the most popular video game during its first week of retail sales and over 5 million copies of the game since its release. 2006 is the 17th year of production for the Madden NFL Football videogame, which also holds the title of the most popular video game franchise of all time. A recent Orlando Business Journal article reports that the game has had more than $2 billion in retail sales since its first release.

Madden NFL 07 brings back practically every feature that was in Madden 06, but over the years, the game has undergone obvious changes with advances in technology. Some of the changes from the 2006 edition include a new menu presentation, easier to learn moves and excellent new player models, stadiums, and the like that make the game more attractive overall.

Madden NFL 07

One particularly note-able feature of the most popular video game franchise is that you can play “franchise mode” yourself, and create and personalize your NFL team to your liking as you try to achieve the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl victory.

by, Hunter Davis

Business Administration and Management is the most popular college major. In a yearly study conducted by the “Princeton Review”, colleges are asked to give data regarding their academic offerings. Each college polled is asked which three majors have the highest undergraduate enrollment. With today’s fast-paced economy, it is no surprise that Business Administration is the number one choice and most popular major amongst hundreds of possible college majors.

Business majors usually find success in the field of their choice by working their way up the corporate ladder to become managers, executives, and vice-presidents of their companies. A business major receives focused training and education in accounting, marketing, finance, human resources, economics, and decision-making.

Since Business Administration and Management is the most popular major, chances are you know someone who is majoring in business. Growing up, they probably saved their weekly allowance instead of blowing it, or maybe they started their own lawn mowing business in grade school. Regardless, a business major is naturally good with money and finances and can always be counted on for advice regarding monetary issues.

“Princeton Review’s” top ten Majors of 2006:

1. Business Administration and Management
2. Psychology
3. Elementary Education
4. Biology
5. Nursing
6. Education
7. English
8. Communication
9. Computer Science
10. Political Science

* note that the popularity of these popular majors has nothing to do with the current job markets’ need for positions in their related fields.

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There are three cellular phone providers who are neck in neck in the competition for the most subscribers in the US.

Currently in the lead is Cingular Wireless, with slightly over 57 million subscribers and a steadily decreasing ‘churn’, which is an industry term referring to the amount of customers canceling their service each month. Cingular Wireless was formed in 2001 as a merger between SBC Communications and BellSouth, and then another merger in 2004 when Cingular bought AT&T Wireless for $41 billion dollars, pushing them into the number one spot as most popular cell phone carrier in the US.

In 2006 Cingular aggressively advertised a claim that they had the fewest dropped calls of any carrier – however the market research company that they used as a source, Telephia, later denied that the claims Cingular were accurate. Slightly behind Cingular in subscriber numbers, with slightly under 57 million subscribers, is Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless was formed in 2000 by a $90 billion dollar merger between Vodafone AirTouch and Bell Atlantic Corp. Shortly thereafter the assets of GTE Wireless were added to Verizon Wireless’s business, making them at the time the most popular cell phone carrier. In 2004 Cingular lost their number one position in subscriber numbers when Cingular merged with AT&T Wireless.

Third place in the US cell phone provider market is Sprint Nextel Corporation. Sprint runs a CDMA cellular network, as does Verizon Wireless, in contrast to Cingular’s GSM network. They have approximately 52 million subscribers currently. Sprint Nextel was formed in 2005 by the No. 3 and No. 5 leading cell phone providers in the US, Sprint and NEXTEL. Sprint Nextel offers cell phone service under two brands, Sprint PCS and Nextel, as well as offers wholesale access to its PCS wireless network to companies including 9278 Mobile, Virgin Mobile, EarthLink Wireless, BeyondMobile, Working Assets, Telispire, Excel Wireless, STI Mobile, Liberty Wireless, Powernet Global, PlatinumTel, ConnexOne, Disney Mobile, Movida Wireless, Helio, Primus Wireless, Voce, Jitterbug Wireless, Humane Wireless and Qwest.

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For the first time ever, the most popular Christmas gift in 2006 will be gift cards, according to research by American Express. In 2005, 57% of American shoppers purchased a gift card to give as a Christmas gift. In 2006, American Express predicts that number will reach 66% of American shoppers!

It may be easy to see why the gift card is the most popular christmas gift. A gift card is much more likely to be accepted by the recipient of the gift, and it relieves the stress from the gift purchaser who may not know exactly what the recipient would want. Gift cards also make post-holiday sales more valuable, as the same gift bought with a gift card will often be cheaper right after Christmas than if it was purchased at pre-Christmas retail prices.

In terms of specific items expected to be the most popular Christmas gifts in 2006, Elmo TMX and Sony’s PlayStation 3 top the list as the most sought after and hardest to find gifts. Elmo T.M.X. (Tickle Me eXtreme) is an animatronic successor to 1996’s hottest and most popular Christmas present, the Tickle Me Elmo. The toy requires six AA batteries, which are actually included with the toy. Elmo TMX hit store shelves September 19, 2006 and quickly sold out, with auctions selling them shortly thereafter for up to $1,000. The price of Tickle Me Elmo TMX was originally supposed to be a suggested retail price of $39.99, but is now selling for many times that at various retailers and auctions.

Sony’s Playstation 3 was released on November 17, 2006 in the USA leaving very little time for Christmas shoppers to get their hands on one. A 20GB model retails for $900 while a 60GB model retails for $1000. There was such an incredible demand for PlayStation 3 on its release date that a string of related violence occurred during the week following its release. The media reported on robbery after robbery, shootings, and stabbings across the country while prices on eBay skyrocketed to as high as $2,000. If you have yet to purchase the popular gift yourself, and you plan on doing so this season, you were wise to wait. There is no shortage of PS3’s on the market and you can buy them at the suggested retail price online or by auction for possibly even less.

Get Yourself a Lint Brush
By: Sherri S. Reese

When making the decision to own a pet, first you decide on which kind you want. Danny DeVito says in War of the Roses, “Cat people should marry cat people, and dog people should marry dog people.” There is a lot of truth in this statement. However, cats generally require less maintenance than canines, and are the most popular choice of pets to be owned in an apartment.

According to the latest statistics on Catster, the American Shorthair is by far the most popular breed of cat owned by people today. Respectively, these cats are most popularly owned in America. Considered to be feline “mutts”, they are not recognized by the Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA). The CFA is the world’s largest cat registry, and acknowledges 41 different pedigrees of cats. They rank the Persian and the Maine Coon as the top two breeds of cat.

The Persian cat is almost universally rated as the most popular breed of cat to own. It is a long-haired, fluffy and very affectionate breed of cat. This breed of cat is devoted and laid back, but its’ hair can be nightmare for maintaining, sometimes growing up to 3 inches long! This cat is the most popular breed because it is so loving and devoted. Persians need a comfortable environment to feel safe.

The Maine Coon is the second most popular breed of cat. It is one of the oldest cat breeds around, and can withstand both hot and cold climates. This is why it is so popular, because it can be owned all around the world. They are fun-loving, good natured, and are considered safe around children.

Even though purebred pedigree cats can be attractive, there are so many homeless cats that are just as adorable, and are in need of good homes. Most any cat will be a wonderful addition to your home. However, avoid the ones that hiss at you off the bat.

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The Burdening Task of Naming a Cat
by Sherri S. Reese

Naming your cat can be as difficult a task for some as naming their own child. Even if the cat already has a name when you get it, it is not necessarily a name you want to keep. Choosing a name for your cat can involve a number of factors. First, it is recommended that you definitely double check the gender of your cat before it is given a name. You wouldn’t want to be called ‘Chucky’ if you were a female! What is the most popular name for a cat?

Once the gender of the cat is defined, you can move on to making a good choice. You can check the Washington Post’s latest results on their ongoing survey of the most popular cat name. According to their results on December 3, 2006, the most popular cat’s name at 76 votes is Kitty, what a surprise! Needless to mention, you may want to choose a slightly more original name than this popular name for a cat.

Others use names taken from popular animals known from television, books, and movies such as Mr. Bigglesworth, Garfield, and Felix just to name a few. The same can apply to names of famous actors, sports legends, and musicians. Names derived from such sources can certainly personalize the meaning behind the cat’s name although, naming your cat after Keyser Soze or Ozzy Ozborne could have negative effects.

Perhaps the easiest approach is to use the appearance of the cat to lead you to a decision. Ask yourself these questions: It the cat fat, or thin? What color or type of cat is it? I guess this is how cats end up being named ‘Fluffy’ or ‘Smokey’. It seems as though most people prefer to spend some time observing their cat, and spending some time with it before they give it a name. Can you imagine not having a name for your own child after it was born? I think avoiding an identity crisis for your cat is a good idea. At least decide on something within the first week. Otherwise, the cat may be less responsive to the name once you finally decide on one.

Generally, within a few hours you can determine whether or not the cat is friendly, aggressive, shy, or outgoing. These personality traits can clue you in to whether the cat is named ‘Cuddles’ or “Dracula’. KittyNames.com offers an excellent site for helping you choose a name based on any of the previously mentioned factors. It also offers a search engine which tells you the meaning behind your suggested name for your pet.

Although ‘Tigger’ may seem appropriate and popular cat name for an orange tabby with a bouncy personality, selecting a fitting name is essential in establishing a lifelong relationship with your cat.

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With the different abundance of video sharing and video streaming websites such as Yahoo Video, Google’s recent purchase, YouTube, and many many others, it may be hard to find the most popular video. Because of the growth of sites like Myspace and YouTube, many people spend more time now watching videos on the internet than they do on television. The on demand video clip has become a modern day media phenomenon.

If you are looking for the most popular video on the the internet, you might want to start at the most popular video sites on the web. You can view the most popular videos all time on YouTube and all time on Yahoo.

According to the marketing company the Viral Factory, the footage of Ghyslain Raza – who became known as the Star Wars Kid – has been viewed 900 million times and is the most popular video on web. The company collected view totals from various video web sites and the Star Wars kid was on top as the most popular video.