Between hurricanes, white supremacists and politics, it was a pretty dark year for the most popular tweets on Twitter.
That’s the takeaway from Twitter’s most-retweeted list for the year, which the company released Tuesday.
Former US President Barack Obama had one of the most retweeted tweets of the year following the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom — you can look to Nugget Boy Carter Wilkinson begging Wendy’s for free chicken nuggets for a year, which was the most retweeted at 3.6 million, as an example of a sillier moment. But all told, more than half of the top 10 most retweeted had a noticeably somber tone.
Former President Barack Obama’s tweet quoting late South African president Nelson Mandela in response to the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August, was the second most retweeted. It also became the most liked tweet of all time.
That tweet was followed by one from the Penn State Interfraternity Council pledging 15 cents for every time it was retweeted to help those affected by flooding in Houston as a result of Hurricane Harvey, which killed more than 70 people in Texas this summer. That post was retweeted more than 1.1 million times.
Detroit Lions punter Sam Martin’s Houston-related tweet was the year’s ninth-most retweeted tweet after he promised to he donate six pounds of dog food every time he was retweeted.
But overall, the most retweeted and liked tweets reflected a tough year with notable Twitter users taking to the social network to share their grief, anguish and support with others, in some cases getting millions of replies from the service’s 330 million monthly users in the process.
One particular example was pop star Ariana Grande’s heartbreaking tweet following a suicide bombing moments after her concert in Manchester, England, in May. She returned there to host a benefit concert the next month. Her tweet, expressing her grief over the 22 killed and dozens injured, was the second most liked in 2017.
broken.
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017
Meanwhile, the band Linkin Park had the sixth-most retweeted tweet with a picture of lead singer Chester Bennington, who committed suicide on July 20. The 10th most retweeted tweet came from Twitter user Seth Joseph posted a suicide prevention hotline number in August.
suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255
1 person ends their life every 40 seconds
will u take the time to retweet this & possibly save one of them?
— seth joesph (@sethjoesph) August 28, 2017
Other top retweets are related to politics. They include two from Obama thanking his supporters during his final days in the White House, and basketball star LeBron James calling Trump a “bum” in defense of Golden State Warriors’ star Stephen Curry, who said his NBA championship team would not take part in the ceremonial visit to White House this season.
Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I’m asking you to believe—not in my ability to create change, but in yours.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) January 11, 2017
It’s been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) January 20, 2017
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
Obama’s tweet saluting his 2008 presidential election opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, who disclosed he has brain cancer in September, was the third most liked tweet of the year.
John McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I’ve ever known. Cancer doesn’t know what it’s up against. Give it hell, John.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 20, 2017
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