Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/January 27 to February 2, 2019

Don't forget to read the Annual Top 50 Report for 2018

Most Popular Wikipedia Articles of the Week (January 27 to February 2, 2019)
Prepared with commentary by Igordebraga, and The Optimistic One

← Last week's report – Next week's report →

Nearly half the entries from last report return here. This includes the serial killer who again tops the list, this time joining the select few who had 5 million weekly views (that's the power of a Netflix show!), and somehow isn't even the only murderer on the report, as another who was the subject of a TV episode enters at #24. Other returns are the subjects of Fyre (#3, #6), Bohemian Rhapsody (#5), The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (#7, #15), Get Me Roger Stone (#11) and Super Bowl LIII (#18), box office hit Glass (#22), a Senator running for President (#4) - not the only one with White House plans here, mind you (#17) - and that never-leaving death list (#9), along with someone who might soon enter it, the victim of a plane accident (#25). Adequate to the bleak #1, there are some somber subjects, such as hate crimes (#8), racist incidents (#19), a movie about assassins (#23), and a recent death (#16). But on happier notes, there's wrestling (#2), tennis (#10), TV musicals (#12), Bollywood (#13), Hollywood (#21), video games (#14) and a Google Doodle (#20).

For the week of January 27 to February 2, 2019, the 25 most popular articles on Wikipedia, as determined from the WP:5000 report were:


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Rank ! Article ! Class ! Views ! Image ! About
 * 1
 * Ted Bundy
 * style=text-align:right;|5,179,244
 * Bundy FLA 8179.jpeg
 * Along with being on Netflix with docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, this infamous serial killer had a movie about him, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Bundy used his good looks - the movie even has him played by Zac Efron - to lure women into deadly and downright disturbing situations (just read the lead on his article, that as a good indicator of Bundy's screwed up behavior, describes him as "necrophile"). So seeing female viewers describe a rapist murderer as "hot" understandably led the streaming service to call out on such comments.
 * 2
 * Royal Rumble (2019)
 * style=text-align:right;| 1,881,283
 * Becky Lynch at NXT in March 2015.jpg
 * WWE's latest pantomime, held in a baseball park and featuring male and female versions of the namesake match featuring 30 fighters - both these matches were won by men, 'The Rumble Slayer' Seth Rollins and 'The Man' Becky Lynch (pictured).
 * 3
 * Fyre Festival
 * style=text-align:right;|1,447,298
 * 12 2017 Kaminfeuer 1.jpg
 * Both Netflix and Hulu released documentaries on how this would-be music event in the Bahamas became a fascinating trainwreck: the ads sold a paradise full of models with top-notch service, while the incompetents in charge (#6) instead only provided a rocky beach where attendees felt like hurricane survivors, complete with disaster relief tents.
 * 4
 * Kamala Harris
 * style=text-align:right;|1,352,141
 * Kamala Harris (37702994901).jpg
 * With this Californian senator announcing a campaign to run for president, the Democrats now have four possible women hoping they can get nominated like Hillary.
 * 5
 * Freddie Mercury
 * style=text-align:right;|1,015,005
 * Freddies Galore, Brighton Pride 2013 (9429156887).jpg
 * "Oh, but I still get my pleasure, still got my greatest treasure!" After all, Bohemian Rhapsody is the 70th highest grossing movie ever, and Rami Malek keeps on winning awards for his portrayal of the king of Queen.
 * 6
 * Billy McFarland (entrepreneur)
 * style=text-align:right;|922,479
 * Billy McFarland Entrepreneur 2014 (cropped).jpg
 * Actually, the article name is now "Billy McFarland (fraudster)", given McFarland's business endeavours are irrelevant compared to how he's in prison for the scam that was the Fyre Festival (#3).
 * 7
 * Andrew Cunanan
 * style=text-align:right;|838,286
 * Darren Criss TIFF 2012.jpg
 * One of the new titles on Netflix's library is The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, one year after its original airing. Binge watchers decided to discover more on both victim (#15) and perpetrator, with more views for the latter, who killed four other people and later shot himself, and is portrayed in said show by Darren Criss (pictured).
 * 8
 * Jussie Smollett
 * style=text-align:right;|712,587
 * Jussie Smollett (26362136311).jpg
 * In a sad showcase of how the US are still racist, this former child star, now with a big role on Empire, was victim of a hate crime in Chicago, where Smollett was beaten by masked men who yelled slurs and "This is MAGA country!", and later tied a rope around his neck. (or so it seemed)
 * 9
 * Deaths in 2019
 * style=text-align:right;|699,407
 * StillLifeWithASkull.jpg
 * The lives we make Never seem to ever get us anywhere but dead
 * 10
 * Novak Djokovic
 * style=text-align:right;|693,477
 * Novak Djokovic (Ser) (38823778745) (cropped).jpg
 * Another record was set by the current tennis #1, who by beating rival Rafael Nadal (who missed the list at #26) became the biggest winner ever of the Australian Open with seven titles.
 * 11
 * Roger Stone
 * style=text-align:right;|593,771
 * Roger Stone - Caricature (46221220341).jpg
 * Seems like just about anyone involved with the campaign that got the Tweeter-in-Chief in the White House will be caught by the law. His political consultant was arrested charged with obstruction of official proceeding, false statements, and witness tampering. Stone was released on a USD$250,000 signature bond, but the investigations continue.
 * 12
 * Rent (musical)
 * style=text-align:right;|581,893
 * Cast_of_Rent_performing_"Seasons_of_Love"_at_Broadway_on_Broadway,_2005.jpg
 * This highly acclaimed musical about bohemian New Yorkers struggling with life, love and AIDS became the latest to get re-enacted for television on Rent: Live, that in spite of the name was pre-recorded.
 * 13
 * Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
 * style=text-align:right;| 581,233
 * Kangana Ranaut at the Aditya Birla LiveEco fashion show (03).jpg
 * Bollywood released an epic period drama where Kangana Ranaut plays Queen Rani Lakshmi Bai, which received critical acclaim and is already piling up on the crore.
 * 14
 * Kingdom Hearts III
 * style=text-align:right;|552,590
 * Kingdom Hearts logo.svg
 * After nearly 14 years with only spin-offs (in spite of the title, it's the twelfth installment of the series), Square Enix finally continued the story of a boy dressed like Mickey Mouse who fights with a huge key alongside Donald Duck and Goofy in various worlds based on Disney movies.
 * 15
 * Gianni Versace
 * style=text-align:right;|548,532
 * Edgar Ramirez (13926519941).jpg
 * The Italian founder of Versace, murdered in 1997 by a homeless vagrant (#7) and subject of the second season of American Crime Story, where he's portrayed by Édgar Ramírez (pictured).
 * 16
 * James Ingram
 * style=text-align:right;|530,261
 * James Ingram.JPG
 * This R&B singer, of hits such as "I Don't Have the Heart", died at the age of 66 from brain cancer.
 * 17
 * Howard Schultz
 * style=text-align:right;|508,449
 * Howard-Schultz-Starbucks.jpg
 * The Starbucks founder and CEO has announced he wants to run for President in 2020 as an independent candidate. A high order given that in Schultz's own Seattle, many locals despise him for selling the beloved Seattle SuperSonics basketball team to people whose only intent was relocation.
 * 18
 * Tom Brady
 * style=text-align:right;|501,773
 * Tom Brady 2014.jpg
 * The best gridiron player ever was about to play on Super Bowl LIII at the age of 41. Given things went his way, expect even more views next week.
 * 19
 * Ralph Northam
 * style=text-align:right;|496,729
 * Leedemsopeningday2013 (35) (8636601301).jpg
 * In another case of someone's school years resurfacing to bite them, the Governor of Virginia is amidst much turmoil due to a racist picture out of one of his yearbooks.
 * 20
 * Sojourner Truth
 * style=text-align:right;|494,166
 * SojournerTruth 1850 OliveGilbert.PNG
 * Google homaged with a Doodle this African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist, whose impact goes all the way to Mars.
 * 21
 * Bradley Cooper
 * style=text-align:right;| 482,243
 * Bradley Cooper (29670048877).jpg
 * On the artistic side, the director\co-writer\main actor of A Star Is Born attended one of co-star Lady Gaga's Vegas concerts and climbed on stage so both could perform the movie's signature song live for the first time. On the tabloid side, Cooper raised heads for bringing his mom to the SAG Awards instead of his supermodel wife.
 * 22
 * Glass (2019 film)
 * style=text-align:right;|472,361
 * M. Night Shyamalan (43657095141).jpg
 * M. Night Shyamalan brought the characters of Unbreakable and Split together to mixed reviews, but topped the U.S. box office for three weekends and has grossed $202 million worldwide on a budget that was just a tenth of that.
 * 23
 * Polar (film)
 * style=text-align:right;|451,232
 * Mads Mikkelsen Cannes 2013.jpg
 * Netflix released this adaptation of a Spanish webcomic, where Mads Mikkelsen plays an assassin that, just before retirement, is marked by his bosses (of course) and has to fend off fellow killers who want his head. Like many Netflix original movies, reviews have been terrible.
 * 24
 * Dennis Rader
 * style=text-align:right;|433,364
 * The daughter of the "BTK Strangler" (short for "Bind, Torture, Kill"), who even unwillingly helped his conviction, gave her first TV interview for 20/20 to discuss how her seemingly ordinary father was a horrifying serial killer.
 * 25
 * Emiliano Sala
 * style=text-align:right;|419,103
 * Emiliano Sala.jpg
 * The sad story of an Argentinian footballer whose plane vanished over the English Channel, leading to many tributes, now is the subject of privately funded expeditions to at least find his body.
 * }
 * The best gridiron player ever was about to play on Super Bowl LIII at the age of 41. Given things went his way, expect even more views next week.
 * 19
 * Ralph Northam
 * style=text-align:right;|496,729
 * Leedemsopeningday2013 (35) (8636601301).jpg
 * In another case of someone's school years resurfacing to bite them, the Governor of Virginia is amidst much turmoil due to a racist picture out of one of his yearbooks.
 * 20
 * Sojourner Truth
 * style=text-align:right;|494,166
 * SojournerTruth 1850 OliveGilbert.PNG
 * Google homaged with a Doodle this African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist, whose impact goes all the way to Mars.
 * 21
 * Bradley Cooper
 * style=text-align:right;| 482,243
 * Bradley Cooper (29670048877).jpg
 * On the artistic side, the director\co-writer\main actor of A Star Is Born attended one of co-star Lady Gaga's Vegas concerts and climbed on stage so both could perform the movie's signature song live for the first time. On the tabloid side, Cooper raised heads for bringing his mom to the SAG Awards instead of his supermodel wife.
 * 22
 * Glass (2019 film)
 * style=text-align:right;|472,361
 * M. Night Shyamalan (43657095141).jpg
 * M. Night Shyamalan brought the characters of Unbreakable and Split together to mixed reviews, but topped the U.S. box office for three weekends and has grossed $202 million worldwide on a budget that was just a tenth of that.
 * 23
 * Polar (film)
 * style=text-align:right;|451,232
 * Mads Mikkelsen Cannes 2013.jpg
 * Netflix released this adaptation of a Spanish webcomic, where Mads Mikkelsen plays an assassin that, just before retirement, is marked by his bosses (of course) and has to fend off fellow killers who want his head. Like many Netflix original movies, reviews have been terrible.
 * 24
 * Dennis Rader
 * style=text-align:right;|433,364
 * The daughter of the "BTK Strangler" (short for "Bind, Torture, Kill"), who even unwillingly helped his conviction, gave her first TV interview for 20/20 to discuss how her seemingly ordinary father was a horrifying serial killer.
 * 25
 * Emiliano Sala
 * style=text-align:right;|419,103
 * Emiliano Sala.jpg
 * The sad story of an Argentinian footballer whose plane vanished over the English Channel, leading to many tributes, now is the subject of privately funded expeditions to at least find his body.
 * }
 * 24
 * Dennis Rader
 * style=text-align:right;|433,364
 * The daughter of the "BTK Strangler" (short for "Bind, Torture, Kill"), who even unwillingly helped his conviction, gave her first TV interview for 20/20 to discuss how her seemingly ordinary father was a horrifying serial killer.
 * 25
 * Emiliano Sala
 * style=text-align:right;|419,103
 * Emiliano Sala.jpg
 * The sad story of an Argentinian footballer whose plane vanished over the English Channel, leading to many tributes, now is the subject of privately funded expeditions to at least find his body.
 * }
 * style=text-align:right;|419,103
 * Emiliano Sala.jpg
 * The sad story of an Argentinian footballer whose plane vanished over the English Channel, leading to many tributes, now is the subject of privately funded expeditions to at least find his body.
 * }
 * }

Exclusions

 * This list excludes the Wikipedia main page, non-article pages (such as redlinks), and anomalous entries (such as DDoS attacks or likely automated views). Since mobile view data became available to the Report in October 2014, we exclude articles that have almost no mobile views (5–6% or less) or almost all mobile views (94–95% or more) because they are very likely to be automated views based on our experience and research of the issue. Please feel free to discuss any removal on the talk page if you wish.
 * Kayden Boche: No good reason has been found for this model's high views.


 * Note: If you came here from the Signpost article, please take any discussion of exclusions to this article's talk page.