Google Play’s top downloads in 2017: And the award goes to …

Google this week released its list of top downloads on Google Play for the year 2017. There were some surprises, like seeing the King of horror play second fiddle to a self-help book, or a liquored-up animated scientist and his grandson beating a zombie juggernaut.

Without further ado, here’s the list of top five most downloaded Apps, games, songs, movies, TV shows, and books on Google Play in 2017:


Apps:

Games:

Songs:

Movies:

TV shows:

Books:

Right off the bat, the list of most popular apps is full of drama and intrigue. And not just because TopBuzz Video made the list. FaceApp, which admittedly has some pretty cool functionality, had quite an interesting year thanks to a determination to be off-putting.

The real gem on this list is Boomerang, of course, because the 80s were awesome. If you weren’t around for them, then Yarn might be more your thing. Scary stories told in text message? That’s called dating.

We all knew Super Mario Run would be the biggest thing since the last big thing Nintendo brought to Android.. Honestly, Nintendo, it’s starting to feel unfair. Super Mario Run is a platformer based on other platformers that are based on an obscure game from the past called Super Mario Bros.

The top 5 most downloaded songs, like the rest of the entire planet, is mostly just Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran.

It’s crazy that Doctor Strange is the fifth most downloaded movie, because it proves that babies randomly smashing buttons on their parents phones are a large portion of purchasers. If it were up to me, I’d just put Wonder Woman in the top five twice. Scratch that, all the movies in 2017 should be Wonder Woman.

On the small screen, Game of Thrones took the coveted number one spot – good show, well deserved – but Rick and Morty in second? Firstly, Archer – this is what happens when it’s hard as hell to find somewhere to watch your latest season. You don’t get to win Google by avoiding streaming services. And second, bravo humanity. Rick and Morty is an excellent show that has to be watched a few times to appreciate – like reading Herman Melville.

And now that JK Rowling is done ruling Earth, we actually have new books to read. In January, if you’d told me that Mark Manson’s book with an F-bomb in the title would be downloaded more than IT by Stephen King, I would have called you a fool. Well, who’s the fool now? Me. Well, played Mr. Manson. Video games, fantasy, and suicide round out the rest of the Potter-free books.

Here’s hoping your favorites made the list this year! If they didn’t, maybe Google isn’t your thing. Check out Apple’s top downloads here and see if you’re more of an iOS type.