John Lennon once famously claimed that his band, The Beatles, were bigger than Jesus. His claim caused outrage in the Christian community, but now it seems as though Lennon’s rather arrogant claim has been proved correct, courtesy of Google Trends, and the digitally re-mastered release of the Beatles back catalogue.
As a result of the renewed interest in the Fab Four, more people searched on Google for information on The Beatles than they did for news about the son of god.
The Beatles’ success online was also boosted by the release of the Rockband video game featuring The Beatles, whereby players could play out their career while playing their most famous tracks.
Lennon’s famous remarks about the band’s popularity were made in 1966, where he commented:
I do not know what will go first, rock’n'roll or Christianity … we’re more popular than Jesus now.
His comments outraged Christians across the USA and forced a hurried apology from Lennon. Now, some 45 years later, it seems he was correct: The Beatles are bigger than Jesus.
Google Trends is a great tool that allows you to see what search terms are more popular on Google, and how their popularity has changed over time. It’s also a valuable tool for performing keyword research in your SEO campaign.