The words looked up on the day of his death tell a story all by themselves: stricken, resuscitate, icon, pedophile, condolences. Then, for two days, the abbreviation RIP was the most looked-up news word. Listless and lethargic were consulted following news reports of the singer's condition when medical help arrived, and then emaciated topped the list for several days, becoming the word with the highest single-day counts of the entire summer. Finally, poignant was looked up after the memorial service.

Moonwalk, a word that appeared in many obituaries and tributes, was hardly looked up at all.