Britney beats Barack

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 02 December 2008 12:10

Opinion and Analysis

One area where the men dominated (if that's the right word to use in this context) was the Top 10 Send-Offs. Nine of the top 10 most-searched newly deceased people were men.

The top five were actors Heath Ledger, Bernie Mac and Paul Newman, computer scientist Randy Pausch, and comedian George Carlin.

The sole female was former Golden Girl Estelle Getty, who came in at number six.

Rounding out the list were TV host Tim Russert, actor Brad Rento, musician Isaac Hayes, and hot rod builder Boyd Coddington.

Which of these left the greatest legacy?

We'll never know what Ledger might have achieved, and Newman had an impressive body of work to his name - not to mention his charitable foundation.

For my money, Hayes' Theme From Shaft is enough to give him top billing among that company. It's recognisable from the first note, and conjures up a whole era.