Black Actresses ranked by Google
There was a great post in Rocka Candy ranking Hollywood’s Black Leading Ladies using web metrics. The site did an exhaustive search of popular black actresses, and rated them in A-D listed categories determined by the look of their official web destinations and the number of fan sites dedicated to them. Rocka Candy’s approach was a great idea, but it forgot to take into consideration one key component when determining a celebrity’s popularity. Search terms! What better measure of popularity than the number of people searching for you in Google!? We decided to take Rocka Candy’s study a step further by using Google Trends to measure each actress’s search popularity. Let’s see if our results jive with theirs.
We entered the each actress named in the Rocka Candy article into Google Trends. We took the results and ordered each by the highest search terms returned. We then divided the top five into categories ranking them into A-D lists. Here are our findings in order from highest to lowest:
A-List:
Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, Vivica Fox, Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union
B-List
Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, Lauren London, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nia Long
C-List
Megan Good, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer, Zoe Saldana, Paula Patton
D-List
Angela Bassett, Regina King, Kimberly Elise, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mo’Nique
Using Google search terms alone is not flawless method. Google Trends does not take into consideration incorrect spelling which was probably the cause of the very low number of search terms returned for Tracee Ellis Ross and Mo’Nique.
Rocka Candy’s Findings:
A-List:
Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, Zoe Saldana
B-List
Vivica Fox, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tracee Keke Palmer, Ellis Ross
C-List
Gabrielle Union, Lauren London, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Regina King
D-List
Nia Long, Megan Good, Sanaa Lathan, Angela Bassett, Kimberly Elise
What do you think?
only an idiot would screw the list up this bad.
This is sum bull why is Halle Berry always 1st named in African American actresses and where is Taraji P. Henson.?????
I've personally searched for Lauren London more than any of those other women. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?? goodness gracious.
I do not agree with these ratings so many peolpe left off and so many in the wrong place kim and angie and regina at the very top and megan and lauren should be on the bottom no mention of the two sisters who was nomatied for a oscar.how abou ruby dee and jenifer lewis even whoopi should had been on this list come on people acting not a beauty contest acting! a true lover of films I could have mention more but that would take a lot more time and thought provoking comments.
who was the beautiful black actree who played on the TV show Julia in the 80's
Raven-Symone should be on the A-List; she isn't even up there at all…and Lauren London the Airhead the only reason why she is up there is because that Whore slept with Lil' Weezy, and is Pregnant with his Baby.
First of all, angela bassett is better than all of them, she more brains and do not rely o
On. Her beauty! She gets roles that have. An impact on black people! She will go down
In history!!! She have a great body
What about Jurnee Smollett? Didn't even make the list?
What about Jurnee Smollett? Didn't even make the list?
This is wrong on so many levels. Jennifer Hudson, Vivica Fox, Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union are listed as A-list actors. Wow. I mean, I know that the Queen has been nominated and Jennifer won but… a Vivica A Fox! Please. What BET Movie of the week will she be appearing on this weekend. Booty Call 12? Starring Vivica Fox, Snoop Dogg, Rick Fox and Jaleel White!
Kerry Washingon and Jada Pinkett Smith, should have been on the A list. Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer are on the C list. What has the world come to! And Angela Bassett, Regina King, Kimberly Elise as D list actors but Megan Good is a C list. What quality movie has Meagn good been in where she hasn't played someone's high school or college girlfriend. I'm sorry. I forgot about Saw V. No wait the Love Guru. But sound the alarm. Who can forget House Party 4? House Party 4! Was Vivica in that too! Give me a break. I feel like they just put all of the black actors in one group, throw them in the air and where they landed is where they are ranked!
I think it's white media telling us who we should like it has nothing to do with talent I don't think that Halle Berry is a good actress at all However Angela Bassett in my opion is one of the best.
Say cuzzins, i just wanted 2 remind u all that Zoe Saldana will b starring in Star Trek which opens in may 2009!! She will b Ensign Uhura. Peep her photos on startrekmovie.com!
This A-D List ranking could easily be misinterpreted but no where near accurate as far as the Hollywood or even African American standard of A List Actresses.
This Google ranking measures search hits. The fact of taking into consideration what’s currently in the news about them (i.e. new baby, death scandals) is what draws these hits not their artistic ratings or bankability.
The reality is as a filmmaker what I have to pay them – there’s no way I’d contract to pay J. Houston anywhere near that of A. Bassett, R. King, or K. Elise.
So let’s not get it twisted.
Ty
African American Female Filmmaker
Really doesn’t matter because they all are RICH unlike many of us…
-Smile-
Damn, that sucks for Angela Bassett. I guess the D-list moves from the silver screen to the last season of ER. Ah Well! Moving on…
Thanks for this, it adds a totally new dimension to our list. Too bad Tracee Ellis Ross ended up on the D-List, she has the best site out of everyone on the list.
it’s a sad day when angela is on the “D” list.
I blame Ike and Tyler Perry. 
She’s actually on the C-List, but the way the images were posted made it kinda confusing. I have re-ordered the images to make it clearer.
Meghan Good D-list? Cold blooded.