Apple Reports the Most Successful Apps Ever

Posted by Joey Davidson on January 21st, 2011

As the world awaits the 10 billionth app download and the subsequent $10k iTunes gift card prize to follow, Apple has released lists ranking 40 of the most successful apps of all time. Each list comes from a specific section of the App Store: Free iPhone/iPod Touch, Paid iPhone/iPod Touch, Free iPad and Paid iPad.

Each list stands as a microcosm of purchases, rash decisions and cultural oddities. We still can't get over the fact that the 7th most successful paid application for the iPad is a fart generator. A fart generator. What does that say about the majority of people that on the device? What does it say about me?

Also ranking among the surprising facets is the spread between Angry Birds and Doodle Jump. Doodle Jump is the most successful paid iPhone and iPod Touch app of all time, while Angry Birds stands in the fourth position between Pocket God and Tap Tap Revenge 3. We'll attribute that to the amount of time that's passed since each app's release. Doodle Jump saw birth on the iOS in April of 2009. Angry Birds? December of 2009.

The lists!

Paid iPhone/iPod Touch Apps
  1. Doodle Jump
  2. Tap Tap Revenge 3
  3. Pocket God
  4. Angry Birds
  5. Tap Tap Revenge 2.6
  6. Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
  7. Traffic Rush
  8. Tap Tap Revenge Classic
  9. AppBox Pro Alarm
  10. Flight Control

Free iPhone/iPod Touch Apps

  1. Facebook
  2. Pandora
  3. Google Mobile App
  4. Shazam
  5. Movies by Flixster
  6. The Weather Channel
  7. Google Earth
  8. Bump
  9. Skype
  10. Paper Toss

Paid iPad Apps
  1. SoundHound
  2. StickWars
  3. FlightTrack
  4. Backbreaker Football
  5. Calorie Tracker
  6. BlocksClassic
  7. iFart Mobile
  8. GoodReader for iPad
  9. Cro-Mag Rally
  10. Ambiance

Free iPad Apps

  1. Pandora
  2. Google Mobile App
  3. Movies by Flixster
  4. Google Earth
  5. Yelp
  6. Fandango Movies
  7. Remote
  8. iBooks
  9. Bible
  10. Solitaire

What about iBooks? iBooks is actually a suggested download. Users are physically prompt by a notification with the option to download iBooks. Everyone is. So why is it only ranked 9th? It just seems odd.

Application developers will likely take two things away from these rankings: a sense of pride (or disappointment) and the urgency of competition. Sure, Apple likely used these lists as an opportunity to add another layer of exposure for their marketplace, but a potentially unintended side effect could actually be a spurred sense of competition amongst developers.

Angry Birds beaten by Doodle Jump, you say? I bet Rovio and Lima Sky are working hard because of this new spotlight.

[via TechCrunch]