The poll attracts over half a million votes every year (500,000 in 2004, 600,000 in 2005, 671,024 in 2006 and 700,000 in 2007). It is the world's largest music poll. It began as a write-in poll; it then progressed to phone in, then they started listing the songs for the year so it could be done automatically via SMS and web voting. In 2003, it was only possible to vote on the Triple J web site; registration was required and limited to 10 votes. In 2004 this was expanded to 10 internet votes, and 10 SMS votes.
A compilation CD featuring about 35 of the songs in the countdown is released a few months after the count – it is a popular and effective source of income for the station. The first CD is still available over 14 years after its release in 1994.
During the poll's first few years (1989 to 1991), the eligible songs were not restricted to a particular year. The winner in the first two years (1989 and 1990) was "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, and 1991's favourite song was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. After a hiatus, the poll returned in 1993, but was limited to songs released in that year.
| Year |
Top five |
Highlights |
| 1989 |
- Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
- Hunters And Collectors - "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
- The The - "Uncertain Smile"
- The Jam - "That's Entertainment"
- New Order - "Blue Monday"
|
- The first of the original series of Hottest 100s, in which songs could be selected from any year.
- The list included two versions of the song "Kiss" the original by Prince at #34 and Tom Jones cover at #24.
|
| 1990 |
- Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
- Hunters And Collectors - "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
- The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"
- The The - "Uncertain Smile"
- New Order - "Blue Monday"
|
- The second of the original series of Hottest 100s which allowed choices from any year.
- The Cure had seven songs in the list, ranging from positions #11 ("A Forest") to #72 ("Inbetween Days").
|
| 1991 |
- Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
- Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
- Nirvana - "Lithium"
- Hunters And Collectors - "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
- Andy Prieboy - "Tomorrow Wendy"
|
- The third of the original series of Hottest 100s which allowed choices from any year.
- The Cure had nine songs in the 1991 list, ranging from "A Forest" at #8 to "Love Cats" at #74 beating their own record for most songs in a hottest 100 list, this record remains unbroken.
- By today's rules, songs have that appear on the list must be from that year. In 1991, they didnt have to be, so Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" appeared. Had the list gone by today's rules, Nirvana would have been the only artist to score the top two spots.
|
| 1992 |
No Hottest 100 Held |
| 1993 |
- Denis Leary - "Asshole"
- Radiohead - "Creep"
- The Cranberries - "Linger"
- Blind Melon - "No Rain"
- The Breeders - "Cannonball"
|
- Return after list hiatus in 1992.
- Format altered only allowing songs released as singles within the list's calendar year.
- The Cruel Sea scored three tracks in the list.
|
| 1994 |
- The Cranberries - "Zombie"
- Nine Inch Nails - "Closer"
- The Offspring - "Self Esteem"
- The Offspring - "Come Out & Play"
- Silverchair - "Tomorrow"
|
- Soundgarden scored four tracks, Counting Crows scored three.
- The Offspring scored back to back tracks at positions #3 and #4.
- Tom Jones reached position #9 with "If I Only Knew".
|
| 1995 |
- Oasis - "Wonderwall"
- The Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
- Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise"
- Presidents of the United States of America - "Kitty"
- Björk - "It's Oh So Quiet"
|
|
| 1996 |
- Spiderbait - "Buy Me a Pony"
- Tool - "Stinkfist"
- Ben Folds Five - "Underground"
- Butthole Surfers - "Pepper"
- Bush - "Glycerine"
|
|
| 1997 |
- The Whitlams - "No Aphrodisiac"
- Blur - "Song 2"
- Chumbawamba - "Tubthumping"
- The Verve - "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
- Pauline Pantsdown - "Back Door Man"
|
- The most variety in a Hottest 100 to date, with no single artist getting more than two tracks in the list.
- Former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announced the winning song, sung by "his eponym" The Whitlams.
- Radiohead scored the highest double, at positions #7 and #9.
- Pauline Pantsdown's track "Back Door Man", banned by a court injunction from Pauline Hanson, is voted #5.
|
| 1998 |
- The Offspring - "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)"
- Ben Lee - "Cigarettes Will Kill You"
- Custard - "Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)"
- Hole - "Celebrity Skin"
- KoЯn - "Got the Life"
|
|
| All Time |
- Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
- Hunters & Collectors - "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
- Pearl Jam - "Alive"
- Jeff Buckley - "Last Goodbye"
- Radiohead - "Creep"
|
|
| 1999 |
- Powderfinger - "These Days"
- Killing Heidi - "Weir"
- The Tenants - "You Shit Me to Tears"
- Fatboy Slim - "Praise You"
- Placebo - "Every You Every Me"
|
- Powderfinger and Silverchair scored four tracks each.
- #2 and #3 tracks were both previously winners of the Triple J Unearthed competition.
|
| 2000 |
- Powderfinger - "My Happiness"
- U2 - "Beautiful Day"
- Powderfinger - "My Kind of Scene"
- Wheatus - "Teenage Dirtbag"
- Coldplay - "Yellow"
|
- Powderfinger became the first artist to have two Hottest 100 #1 tracks, in 1999 and 2000.
- Rage Against the Machine scored three tracks.
- Machine Gun Fellatio's "MotheFucker on a Motor Cycle" is entered a second time and reaches #67 where in 1999 it placed #59.
|
| 2001 |
- Alex Lloyd - "Amazing"
- Something for Kate - "Monsters"
- System of a Down - "Chop Suey!"
- Basement Jaxx - "Where's Your Head At?"
- John Butler Trio - "Betterman"
|
|
| 2002 |
- Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
- Grinspoon - "Chemical Heart"
- The Waifs - "London Still"
- 1200 Techniques - "Karma"
- The Vines - "Get Free"
|
|
| 2003 |
- Jet - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"
- OutKast - "Hey Ya!"
- The White Stripes - "Seven Nation Army"
- Powderfinger - "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind"
- Coldplay - Clocks (Royksopp Remix)
|
|
| 2004 |
- Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
- Missy Higgins - "Scar"
- Eskimo Joe - "From the Sea"
- The Killers - "Somebody Told Me"
- Spiderbait - "Black Betty"
|
- John Butler Trio and the Scissor Sisters scored four tracks each; Missy Higgins had two of her three tracks reach the top ten.
- Two versions of "Take Me Out" were in this year's list - the Franz Ferdinand original, and the Scissor Sisters cover.
|
| 2005 |
- Bernard Fanning - "Wish You Well"
- Ben Lee - "Catch My Disease"
- Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
- Foo Fighters - "Best of You"
- Gorillaz - "DARE"
|
- Wolfmother had six tracks selected.
- Green Day now have the longest song ever in a Hottest 100 with "Jesus of Suburbia".
- Bernard Fanning has now topped the Hottest 100 three times - twice with Powderfinger and once solo.
- Gorillaz placed twice Top 5 (with a third song, Dirty Harry, reaching #41),the first time this has been done since Powderfinger in 2000.
- Ben Lee achieves #2 for the second time.
|
| 2006 |
- Augie March - "One Crowded Hour"
- Eskimo Joe - "Black Fingernails, Red Wine"
- Hilltop Hoods - "The Hard Road"
- The Killers - "When You Were Young"
- Scissor Sisters - "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'"
|
|
| 2007 |
- Muse - "Knights Of Cydonia"
- Silverchair - "Straight Lines"
- Kings of Leon - "On Call"
- John Butler Trio - "Better Than"
- Faker - "This Heart Attack"
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