Top 10 Most Retweeted Tweets Of 2010 Ranked By Twitter

Why do we retweet?

Sometimes it's the online equivalent of a thumbs-up--"Hey, that was clever"--or a pat on the back--"See what my friend is doing!" It could be a breaking news story we want to spread or a PSA to our followers to beware the latest bug, recall, or phishing scam. Almost always, it's a way to make us look good--"Look what funny, helpful, and/or newsy tweets I share!"--while also a way of rewarding another tweeter for a good post.

Regardless of our reasons--and there are many more--we retweeted a ton in 2010. As part of its going Year in Review series, Twitter has ranked the top 10 most retweeted tweets of the year. Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Joe Jonas, and Kanye West dominate the list.

"Humor is a key part of the Twitter experience, and the Most Retweeted list reflects the way that people use the service for comedy and parody," Twitter writes.

Check out the most retweeted posts below, then see the most powerful tweets of 2010 and the top Twitter trends of the year.