Part of what makes pop culture so exciting is the shock factor, and in 2014, celebrities really kept us on our toes. Kim Kardashian "broke the Internet" with her nude photo shoot in Paper magazine, and Blake Lively captivated her legions of fans with the debut of her baby bump. Proud parents like Beyoncé made us smile with sweet family snaps, while Liam Payne joined the groups of stars who pushed the boundaries of what's acceptable on social media. And then there are those who couldn't stop taking selfies. Now that it's a legitimate form of expression — hey, "selfie" is even in the dictionary — celebrities filled our feeds with more surprising snaps than ever before. Keep reading to see the (slightly NSFW) pictures that blew up the Internet this year, and then check out the sexiest shirtless moments we've seen in 2014.
The musician left little to the imagination when she took Thong Thursday to a new level by revealing the cover for her single "Anaconda" on Instagram.
Ellen DeGeneres's organized selfie wasn't just the most retweeted picture of 2014 — it holds the all-time record!
Any doubt that the singer was not yet a grown man was shattered upon the release of his Flaunt magazine photo shoot. Nick grabbed his junk, showed off his butt, and did so much more.
"Free. throwback to Sunday morning on the coast after a big one. surfed out too. how bout that tan. taken by bae," Cody captioned his nude picture. The singer's snap was so scandalous, Instagram deleted it.
According to Kanye, the couple's wedding picture was edited for days before Kim posted it on Instagram. It went on to become the most "liked" snap in the app's history.
Justin may have been in jail, but his mug shot smile was fit for the red carpet. The image was all over news sites and TV upon its release.
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's daughter, who was 22 at the time, protested Instagram's nipples policy when she tweeted pictures of her topless stroll in NYC.
The actress used her website, Preserve, to make her pregnancy announcement, immediately catching the attention of her and husband Ryan Reynolds's fans.
Angelina and Brad surprised the world with their understated wedding ceremony, and their People magazine cover quickly made the rounds online.
Leave it to the One Direction band member to make us think he stripped on the open sea. As it turns out, he was actually in a Speedo.
The singer isn't shy when it comes to nudity on Instagram, but for some reason, this one stands out among the pack.
Chelsea Handler made it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin was the inspiration for her NSFW shot, which Instagram deleted.
Amber's derriere combined with the picture's similarities to one of Kim Kardashian's selfies made this snap a hot topic.
Alyssa joined a star-studded club when she shared this revealing selfie.
The singer and her adorable mini me were the center of attention in their Janet and Michael Jackson getups.
The buddies were merely teasing their upcoming episode of Naked and Afraid, but at first, it looked like their series of nude pictures were taken on a wild safari.
With a headline like "Break the Internet," it's clear Kim's collaboration with Jean-Paul Goude was designed to go viral.