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Top 10 Pop Culture Moments of 2016, Part 1

It’s been a busy year in the world of pop culture! Check out 5 of the top 10 moments of 2016!

  1. “American Idol” ends after 15 seasons

– The show started in 2002 and is based on the British show, “Pop Idol”

– Notable winners include: Kelly Clarkson (Season 1), Carrie Underwood (Season 4), and Jordin Sparks (Season 6)

– Notable contestants include: Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Clay Aiken, and Kellie Pickler

– Many different judges appeared through the 15 seasons; however, the first 8 seasons’ judges panel included Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell

– Other notable judges throughout the span of “Idol” include: Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Steven Tyler, and Jennifer Lopez

– “American Idol” ranked #1 in television ratings for 8 consecutive years

– The show ended on April 7th with Trent Harmon as the final winner

  1. Jumping Upside-Down for “Stranger Things”

– Netflix original series quietly debuted on July 15th, but instantly became a sensation within a month

– The science-fiction show pays homage to 1980’s pop culture, such as “The Goonies,” “E.T.” and Stephen King novels

– The show was renewed for a second season to air in 2017 a little over a month after its debut

– The show centers on the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy and sudden appearance of telekinetic girl

  1. Indy 500 blackout lifted after 65 years

– For the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, officials decided to lift the television

blackout after confirming the event had sold out, resulting in Indianapolis viewers being able to watch the live broadcast for the first time since 1950

– The 100th Indianapolis 500 was also the first to be broadcast live in color to the Indianapolis area

– Rookie Alexander Rossi wins 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 (only victory of the year)

  1. Beyoncé does it again

– For the second consecutive album, Beyoncé releases “Lemonade” without any notice

– Beyoncé debuted new music from the forthcoming album at the Super Bowl, with a performance of lead single, “Formation”

– “Lemonade” became available on Tidal, Jay-Z’s music streaming service, and was released on iTunes and Amazon Music two days later

– Beyoncé coincided the release of “Lemonade” with a one-hour visual film of the same name on HBO

– Received universal acclaim and is nominated for 9 Grammys (the most of any artist), including Album of the Year, Song of the Year (“Formation”), and Record of the Year (“Formation”)

  1. The Juice is back

– O.J. Simpson has been incarcerated since 2008, but that hasn’t stopped him from being relevant in 2016

– “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” debuted on FX in February to critical acclaim

– All-star cast includes Cuba Gooding Jr. (O.J. Simpson), Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark), Courtney B. Vance (Johnnie Cochran), John Travolta (Robert Shapiro), David Schwimmer (Robert Kardashian), and Sterling K. Brown (Christopher Darden)

– winner of nine Emmys, including acting awards for Paulson, Vance & Brown

– ESPN also took part in bringing The Juice back to the spotlight with their 30 for 30 series

– “O.J.: Made in America” is a six-part documentary film that focuses on the life and career of Simpson, from football, to the suspected murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, to another imprisonment years later