Culture & Media
Film, music, art, language and history, ranked on the records and figures behind them.
43 lists in this topic.
Top 10 Most Expensive Films by Production Budget of All Time
The ten most expensive films ever made, ranked by net production cost in US dollars, mostly from audited UK company filings.
mediaTop 10 Most-Watched Super Bowls by US TV Audience
The ten Super Bowls with the largest average US audience, ranked by Nielsen-measured viewers across TV and streaming.
cultureTop 10 Chess Players by FIDE Rating in the World
The ten highest-rated active chess players on FIDE's September 2026 list, led by Magnus Carlsen at 2823, 31 points clear of the field.
cultureTop 10 Esports Tournaments by Prize Pool of All Time
The ten richest single esports tournaments ever staged, ranked by total prize pool - and seven of them are the same Dota 2 event.
cultureTop 10 Artists With the Most Grammy Nominations of All Time
Beyoncé's 99 nominations lead the all-time ranking of the most GRAMMY-nominated artists, from Quincy Jones to John Williams.
historyTop 10 Largest Battleships by Displacement in the World
Japan's Yamato and Musashi top the ranking at 72,809 tonnes fully loaded — nearly 15,000 tonnes heavier than America's Iowa-class ships, the largest battleships the US ever built.
historyTop 10 Longest-Reigning Monarchs in History
From Louis XIV's 72-year reign to Maya kings and an Egyptian pharaoh — the ten longest verified reigns of sovereign monarchs, ranked by exact days on the throne.
cultureTop 10 Most-Streamed Songs on Spotify of All Time
The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" sits atop Spotify's all-time chart with 5.6 billion streams — ranked here by cumulative plays per track.
educationTop 10 Oldest Universities in the World
From a 9th-century Moroccan madrasa to medieval Europe's pioneering law schools, these ten universities have taught continuously for the better part of a millennium.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Film Directors by Worldwide Box Office
Steven Spielberg and James Cameron have each directed close to $11 billion of box office — here are the ten biggest earners behind the camera.
cultureTop 10 Largest Churches and Cathedrals in the World by Interior Area
The ten largest Christian church buildings in the world, ranked by interior floor area, from a modern basilica in Ivory Coast to the great medieval cathedrals of Europe.
cultureTop 10 Most Spoken Languages in the World by Total Speakers
The world's ten most widely spoken languages, ranked by total speakers including both native (L1) and non-native (L2) speakers, based on Ethnologue data.
historyTop 10 Largest Empires in History by Land Area
The ten largest empires in human history, ranked by peak land area — from the British Empire's 35.5 million km² to the Xiongnu Empire's 9 million km².
cultureTop 10 Most-Visited Theme Parks in the World
The 10 most-visited theme parks worldwide, ranked by annual attendance. Unlike general amusement parks, these parks are defined by immersive storytelling, dedicated theming, and narrative-driven environments.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Video Games of 2025
The ten best-selling video games in the United States for the full calendar year 2025, ranked by dollar sales per Circana — from Battlefield 6's surprise #1 to Black Ops 6 rounding out the top ten.
artTop 10 Most Expensive Artworks Ever Sold (Public and Private)
The ten most expensive artworks ever sold, ranked by price — including both auction records and private sales, from Leonardo's $450 million Salvator Mundi to Klimt's $170 million Water Serpents II.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Video Game Franchises of All Time
The ten best-selling video game series of all time, ranked by total software units sold — from Mario's 893 million to nearly 100 million for the franchises that round out the top ten.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Book Series of All Time
The ten best-selling book series of all time, from the massive Harlequin romance library to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter phenomenon — ranked by estimated copies sold worldwide.
cultureTop 10 Largest Fast-Food Chains in the World by Annual Revenue
The ten largest fast-food chains in the world ranked by global systemwide revenue, from McDonald's at $140 billion to Pizza Hut.
cultureTop 10 Most-Funded Crowdfunding Projects of All Time
The ten highest-funded reward-based crowdfunding campaigns of all time, ranked by total funds raised — led by Anker's AI yarn machine at $46.5 million.
cultureTop 10 Largest Aquariums in the World by Water Volume
The ten largest public aquariums in the world, ranked by total water volume from China's record-breaking Chimelong Spaceship to Japan's iconic Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
cultureTop 10 Largest Libraries in the World by Collection Size
The ten largest libraries in the world, ranked by collection size from the Library of Congress and British Library to the Royal Danish Library and National Library of China.
cultureTop 10 Most-Watched TV Broadcasts in US History
The ten most-watched television broadcasts in American history by average viewership, from the Super Bowl LIX record to the Apollo 11 moon landing and the M*A*S*H finale.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Books of All Time
The ten best-selling individual books of all time, from A Tale of Two Cities to The Da Vinci Code, ranked by estimated copies sold.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Music Singles of All Time
The ten best-selling music singles in history, from Bing Crosby's White Christmas to Elton John's Candle in the Wind, ranked by estimated worldwide sales.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Media Franchises of All Time
The ten most valuable media franchises in history, from Pokémon to Hello Kitty, ranked by total revenue across all merchandise, box office, games, and licensing.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Manga Series of All Time
One Piece has sold over 520 million copies worldwide — more than any single comic series or book series in history — making it the best-selling manga and the best-selling comic series of all time.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Music Albums of All Time
The ten best-selling albums of all time worldwide, ranked by claimed sales figures from reliable sources and certified units.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Actors of All Time
Zoe Saldana became the highest-grossing actor in box office history following the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash in 2025, leading a top 10 dominated by Marvel and franchise stars.
cultureTop 10 Songs With the Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" holds the all-time record at 22 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, leading a list shaped by streaming-era longevity.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Films of 2025
The ten highest-grossing films released in 2025, ranked by worldwide box office revenue.
cultureTop 10 Longest-Running Broadway Shows of All Time
The ten longest-running shows in Broadway history, ranked by total number of performances.
cultureTop 10 Largest Fast-Food Chains by Number of Locations
The ten largest fast-food chains in the world ranked by number of locations, from Mixue to Pizza Hut.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time
The ten highest-grossing concert tours in history ranked by total box office revenue — from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Elton John's Farewell tour to Roger Waters and AC/DC.
cultureTop 10 Films That Won the Most Academy Awards
The ten films that have won the most Academy Awards in history, ranked by total Oscars — from the record-breaking three-way tie at the top.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Animated Films of All Time
The 10 highest-grossing animated films at the worldwide box office, ranked by nominal lifetime theatrical gross.
cultureTop 10 Most Spoken Languages by Native Speakers
The world's most widely spoken mother tongues, ranked by number of native speakers.
cultureTop 10 Artists With the Most Grammy Awards Won
Beyoncé sits atop the all-time Grammy leaderboard with 35 career wins, ahead of a tight pack of conductors, producers, and hip-hop and jazz greats.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time
The ten single video-game titles that have sold the most copies worldwide, from Minecraft's record-setting 400 million down.
artTop 10 Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold at Auction
The ten highest prices ever paid for a painting at public auction, from Leonardo's record-shattering $450M "Salvator Mundi" on down.
cultureTop 10 Best-Selling Albums in the US (RIAA Certified)
The 10 highest-certified albums in US history by RIAA-certified units, led by the Eagles' hits set — the first album ever certified 40x Platinum.
artTop 10 Most-Visited Art Museums
The Louvre held its crown as the planet's busiest art museum in 2025, but a Korean newcomer stormed into the global top three.
cultureTop 10 Highest-Grossing Films of All Time
The ten films that have earned the most money at the worldwide box office, ranked by nominal (unadjusted) lifetime theatrical gross.