The Top 25 Moments of 2007
by Reg Seeton

As you'll find out, a lot of the major moments of 2007 took place in the month of June. Weird, huh? We thought so, too. We're not sure if it was the heat, but 2007 was a crazy year in pop-culture headlines filled with highs, lows, and the bizarre. Whether it was celebrity arrests, reunions, fights, or your favorite TV season, 2007 will go down as one of the most diverse headline grabbing years in recent memory. If you followed the news closely in 2007, you'll undoubtedly remember what you were doing when all of these moments captured our attention.

25 . The James Brown Encore

Was there really a better way to start the year? Although we were sad to learn that James Brown died on December 25, 2006 and memorial services were held at the Apollo Theater on December 28 and in Augusta, Georgia on Decemember 30, 2006, the new year of 2007 kicked off with CNN's re-broadcast of the star-studded Atlanta memorial called "James Brown Funeral Encore" on January 1, 2007. How popular was James Brown? Well, just days earlier, CNN, the nation's self-proclaimed #1 news network, broadcast the Atlanta memorial LIVE. Yeah, live. How many celebrities get that type of treatment? Where else would you see such a cool, yet weirdly bizarre spectacle hosted by Al Sharpton with appearances by the likes of Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, Bootsy Collins, Brown's back-up band The Soul Generals, Jesse Jackson, Don King and more? If anything, 2007 was ushered in with style and funk.

24. Heroes: Season 1 (Part 2)

Although the first season of NBC's Heroes kicked off in late 2006, the second half of the superhero saga resumed in January with Episode 12 "Godsend". By Christmas of 2006, Heroes was a huge hit with fans and when Season 1 came to a close in May 2007 the series was arguably being hailed as one of the best first seasons ever in television history. The line "Save the cheerleader, save the world" became one of the most overused phrases of 2007, but for good reason - Heroes was a huge highlight in the first quarter of the year. Heroes turned such actors as Hayden Panettiere, Masi Oka, Ali Larter, Adrian Pasdar, Milo Ventimiglia, Jack Coleman, and Zachary Quinto into household names. Who can forget the guest appearances by Richard "Shaft" Roundtree George "Sulu" Takei, Eric Roberts, and Malcolm McDowell? Ironically, though, when the series resumed for a second season in late 2007, creator Tim Kring would publicly apologize for the lack of quality in Season 2. After such a great first season, we're able to cut Kring some slack since he had an inevitable uphill (and impossible) climb to top himself.

23. Martin Scorsese Wins His First Oscar

Finally, after giving fans such classics as Raging Bull, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and the amazing Bob Dylan based documentary No Direction Home, Martin Scorses won his first Best Director Oscar for his work on The Departed. It's amazing to think how Scorsese was overlooked by the Academy for so long, but it also proves to a large degree that the Academy Awards are irrelevant when it comes to making great movies. We're sure Martin appreciated the honor and accolades, but we all know he didn't NEED a golden statue to justify his career. Still, the moment was a memorable, heartfelt highlight of 2007.

22. Phil Spector Trial

After numerous setbacks and delays, opening statements for the highly publicized trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector began on April 25, 2007, and the entire affair quickly became the top trial to track in early 2007. Spector, the inventor of the the innovative "Wall of Sound' production technique and hitmaker of such groups as The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, was charged with murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. Four years later, the eccentric Spector went to trial sporting a huge blonde afro, which didn't win the guy points for credibility, but did make for more than a few creative headlines. Soon thereafter, Spector turned up looking more dignified with a better, more serious haircut reminicent of The Monkees. After six months of testimony, the jury declared an impasse and Phil Spector will be retried sometime in 2008.

21. David Hasselhoff Video

Did we really need to see a drunk and shirtless David Hasselhoff eating a hamburger off the floor? Sure, the information age is awesome and public humiliation on TV is secretly amusing, but since everyone and his dog now has a camera, some things are better left unsnapped. In May of 2007, a video surfaced that revealed David Hasselhoff drunk on the floor of a Las Vegas hotel room, trying to pick up and eat a Wendy's hamburger. Although it was funny the first fifty times we saw it, the video was actually a plea for help from his daughter over Hasselhoff's abuse of alcohol. The video obviously had an impact on David Hasselhoff since he was awarded primary custody of his kids the next month.

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