Triple J Broadcasts New ‘Hottest 100 of Australian Songs’ Ballot

As Australian youth broadcaster triple j recovers from its 50th birthday celebrations in January, they’ve introduced the festivities will proceed with a newly-detailed Hottest 100 ballot.

Formally dubbed the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs, the brand new countdown will happen on July 26, with voting open to the general public, who can choose their favourite songs carried out by Australian artists.

As ordinary, there are a number of eligibility caveats. Firstly, eligible songs are any tracks which have been launched previous to Jan. 19, 2025, and should characteristic a minimal 50% of Australian artists. In consequence, New Zealand artists (who are sometimes thought-about honorary Australians) are ineligible, although Crowded Home are eligible, regardless of being fashioned by Neil Finn after the dissolution of Cut up Enz and his transfer from New Zealand to Australia.

Notably, tracks recorded for triple j’s long-running Like a Version cowl collection aren’t eligible both. Although perennial favorites of triple j’s annual Hottest 100 countdown, the collection acquired its own poll again in 2023, with DMA’S reigning supreme with their acoustic cowl of Cher’s “Imagine.”

triple j – which launched on Jan. 19, 1975 as the results of new insurance policies by then-Prime minister Gough Whitlam – first kicked off their Hottest 100 countdown in 1989, with the primary three years permitting listeners to vote for songs from any yr.

In 1994, the station rebooted the idea, this time opening the polls solely to songs which had been launched the yr prior. It’s since grow to be referred to as – as triple j have labelled it – “the world’s biggest music democracy,” with a median of virtually 2.5 million votes being forged annually.

Within the ensuing many years, the listing of winners has been plentiful, that includes Australian acts corresponding to Spiderbait, The Wiggles, and two-time winners Powderfinger and Flume. Quite a few worldwide acts have additionally taken out the highest spot, corresponding to Oasis, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar.

Essentially the most recent poll was introduced in January 2025, with Chappell Roan being topped the victor with “Good Luck, Babe!” 

Notably, the observer countdown additionally left a bitter style within the mouth of Australian music-lovers, with the total listing that includes the lowest number of homegrown artists in virtually three many years. With solely 29 Australian artists showing throughout the total listing of songs, it was the worst exhibiting for Aussies because the 1996 listing. Solely the debut ballot in 1993 and its 1994 follow-up are worse, with 24 and 26 Australian artists, respectively.

Alongside the annual ballot, different one-off countdowns have been held over time, with 1998 and 2009 seeing the discharge date restrictions lifted as soon as once more, 2011 specializing in Australian albums, 2013 permitting songs launched up to now 20 years, and 2020 specializing in songs launched within the 2010s. 

The latter ballot could give a sign of what could rank extremely within the upcoming countdown, having been topped by Tame Impala‘s “The Much less I Know the Higher.”