Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs

[Richard Cranium]

 

[screech]

Not for me, Crowded House can replace the Aussie members of that band but they can't replace Neil Finn.

Would you go to see Crowded House with someone else other than Neil Finn singing their songs, I wouldn't.

I find this approach surprising, it is a band that was formed in Australia and was based in Australia at the time, what country the singer and songwriter originated from has lesser importance in a multicultural nation.

Under the same logic, without digging too deep, the following are questionable:
#7 - Flame Trees - singer Jimmy Barnes (Scottish), and co-writer Steve Prestwich (English)
#10 - Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye is Belgian, Kimbra is a New Zealander
#11 - Sweet Disposition - singer and co-writer Dougy Mandagi is Indonesian
#12 - Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again - singer and co-writer Doc Neeson form Northern Ireland
#13 - Thunderstruck - singer Brian Johnson is English, songwriters the Youngs are Scottish
#15 - You're the Voice - John Farnham born in England
#21 - Down Under - Colin Hay (singer and co-writer) is Scottish
#29 - Under the Milky Way - Steve Kilbey (singer and co-writer) is English
#39 - Reckless - James Reyne (singer and songwriter) is Nigerian
#56 - Working Class Man - mentioned Jimmy Barnes above
#98 - Evie - Stevie Wright was English

 

[Gavin Excell]

Apologies if this has already been pointed out. It's interesting how few recent songs made the list. I know these things are a bit of a nostalgia trip, but I think the most recent song was Hertz (2021), and there's just a handful of songs from the last decade.

Unrelated but also interesting (to me) is how songs can fall out of favour (and vice versa). Songs like Wide Open Road, I'm Stranded, Cattle and Cane, Talking to a Stranger, DC, The Honeymoon is Over, The Ship Song, Mercy Seat (I could go on) were once staples of lists like this...but not this list.

Stranded and Wide Open Road were surprising misses

 

[Gavin Excell]

Apologies if earlier discussed, but was voting restricted to selecting songs from a non exhaustive list or could the voter nominate anything?

 

[JT_the_Man]

Apologies if earlier discussed, but was voting restricted to selecting songs from a non exhaustive list or could the voter nominate anything?

You could nominate anything, but a list was also provided and nothing from outside that list made it.

List featured approximately 1800 songs iirc.

 

[Gavin Excell]

You could nominate anything, but a list was also provided and nothing from outside that list made it.

List featured approximately 1800 songs iirc.

That may explain some of the anomalies

 

[DaRenegade]

Most people (myself included sometimes) just find it easier to use the shortlists to vote, especially in these "all time" countdowns. I will add songs if I really want, but then there's also the factoring into the chances of it actually making the countdown being super slim that I think turns people off doing it also.

Keen to see where the following place, if at all, in the 101-200 this weekend...

Something for Kate - Monsters (genuinely shocked it didnt make the 100)
Alex Lloyd - Amazing
Birds of Tokyo - Plans
Nick Cave & Kylie - Where the Wild Roses Grow
The Rubens - Hoops (doubt it will at all, song is arguably the most boring winner ever)
Jebediah - Leaving Home (another I was fairly certain would make it)
Nicki Webster - Strawberry Kisses
Shannon Noll - What About Me?
INXS - Don't Change (another surprise omission imo)
Spiderbait - Buy Me a Pony (thought it would've made it over Calypso)
Paul Kelly - Before Too Long
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
The Vines - Get Free

should make for another good weekend of listening regardless

 

[JT_the_Man]

Most people (myself included sometimes) just find it easier to use the shortlists to vote, especially in these "all time" countdowns. I will add songs if I really want, but then there's also the factoring into the chances of it actually making the countdown being super slim that I think turns people off doing it also.

Keen to see where the following place, if at all, in the 101-200 this weekend...

Something for Kate - Monsters (genuinely shocked it didnt make the 100)
Alex Lloyd - Amazing
Birds of Tokyo - Plans
Nick Cave & Kylie - Where the Wild Roses Grow
The Rubens - Hoops (doubt it will at all, song is arguably the most boring winner ever)
Jebediah - Leaving Home (another I was fairly certain would make it)
Nicki Webster - Strawberry Kisses
Shannon Noll - What About Me?
INXS - Don't Change (another surprise omission imo)
Spiderbait - Buy Me a Pony (thought it would've made it over Calypso)
Paul Kelly - Before Too Long
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
The Vines - Get Free

should make for another good weekend of listening regardless

Going to leave a spoiler tag for those wanting to listen on the weekend, but currently listening to 200-191 on double j and...

Spoiler

The Wiggles - Hot Potato came in at 196 LMAO

 

[DaRenegade]

yeah I didnt realise they were counting down during the week too haha, I'd prefer another countdown all at once but its not the worst way to do it I guess

UNREAL for #194 to only get this spot

 

[JT_the_Man]

Going to leave a spoiler tag for those wanting to listen on the weekend, but currently listening to 200-191 on double j and...

Spoiler

The Wiggles - Hot Potato came in at 196 LMAO

And as a follow up, our first song that was not on the voting list has made an appearance,

 

[JT_the_Man]

yeah I didnt realise they were counting down during the week too haha, I'd prefer another countdown all at once but its not the worst way to do it I guess

UNREAL for #194 to only get this spot

It wasn't on the voting list which I'd say had an impact.

 

[JT_the_Man]

For those curious, it's 10 songs from 11am and 10 songs from 4pm each day this week.

 

[DaRenegade]

It wasn't on the voting list which I'd say had an impact.

yeah I just dont get how it wasnt, very strange from triple j. Never Tear Us Apart, Don't Change and Need You Tonight should've been the 3 shortlisted.

Pete Murray making an appearance is cool considering how quickly he got shafted by the j's after this song came out.

 

[JackOutback]

Most people (myself included sometimes) just find it easier to use the shortlists to vote, especially in these "all time" countdowns. I will add songs if I really want, but then there's also the factoring into the chances of it actually making the countdown being super slim that I think turns people off doing it also.

Keen to see where the following place, if at all, in the 101-200 this weekend...

Something for Kate - Monsters (genuinely shocked it didnt make the 100)
Alex Lloyd - Amazing
Birds of Tokyo - Plans
Nick Cave & Kylie - Where the Wild Roses Grow
The Rubens - Hoops (doubt it will at all, song is arguably the most boring winner ever)
Jebediah - Leaving Home (another I was fairly certain would make it)
Nicki Webster - Strawberry Kisses
Shannon Noll - What About Me?
INXS - Don't Change (another surprise omission imo)
Spiderbait - Buy Me a Pony (thought it would've made it over Calypso)
Paul Kelly - Before Too Long
Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
The Vines - Get Free

should make for another good weekend of listening regardless

For mine, Buy Me a Pony was the wildest miss. Frankly, don't think songs like Strawberry Kisses, What About Me or Truly Madly Deeply should be anywhere near a Triple J list.

As for Hoops. don't think it will make it, don't love it at all, but Confidence by Ocean Alley easily the most boring winner of all time, and Talk is Cheap not far behind.

 

[DaRenegade]

For mine, Buy Me a Pony was the wildest miss. Frankly, don't think songs like Strawberry Kisses, What About Me or Truly Madly Deeply should be anywhere near a Triple J list.

As for Hoops. don't think it will make it, don't love it at all, but Confidence by Ocean Alley easily the most boring winner of all time, and Talk is Cheap not far behind.

yeah but, we've already had Savage Garden chart and The Veronicas came third, so I'd be prepared.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Spoiler

191. Mental as Anything - Live It Up
192. Sticky Fingers - Golden Snafu
193. Pete Murray - So Beautiful
194. INXS - Don't Change
195. The Go-Betweens - Cattle and Cane
196. The Wiggles - Hot Potato
197. Warumpi Band - Blackfella/Whitefella
198. Tash Sultana - Jungle
199. Kate Miller-Heidke - Caught in the Crowd
200. Pez - The Festival Song

If Don't Change was on the shortlist, then Hilltop Hoods would've probably won due to vote splitting. The Wiggles have no place on this list, and surprised Warumpi Band and Mental as Anything barely scraped the 200.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Is it (200-175) still going?

 

[Loonerty]

Is it (200-175) still going?

Not til 4pm.

10 songs each day at 11am and 4pm.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Not til 4pm.

10 songs each day at 11am and 4pm.

Really stringing it out that far.

That's taking the piss.

 

[Roobs321]

after a Flume-Boy&Bear lull we get TISM-Reddy-Angels

then Fisher

 

[Dancing Potato]

We got Middle Kids and Ruby Fields so that's OK.

Glad to see TISM.

Just one of my votes left to show up - Monster by Something For Kate. Will absolutely rage it's 101.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

181. Ruby Fields - Dinosaurs
182. Middle Kids - Edge of Town
183. Ocean Alley - Yellow Mellow
184. Fisher - Losing It
185. The Angels - No Secrets
186. Helen Reddy - I Am Woman
187. TISM - Greg! The Stop Sign!
188. Boy & Bear - Feeding Line
189. Flume/Vera Blue - Rushing Back
190. Tame Impala - Borderline

I Am Woman somewhat of a surprise entry, and TISM seem a bit low. Overall, a bit more contemporary, but happy to see Middle Kids and Ruby make it.

Borderline got in courtesy of being short-listed, but it's not a top 10 Tame song.

 

[JackOutback]

Borderline got in courtesy of being short-listed, but it's not a top 10 Tame song.

I wanted to vote for Let It Happen, but as it wasn't on the voting list, I didn't bother.

And in a welcome change from complaining about songs that I didn't think should be there, particularly older ones, I want to give a shout-out to a song I wouldn't have thought to vote for myself but absolutely blew me away hearing it again, I Was Only 19. Gave me goosebumps, I played it for my kids today, it says a lot about our history and national identity, wouldn't have any issue with that being considered one of Australia's best songs.

 

[DaRenegade]

We got Middle Kids and Ruby Fields so that's OK.

Glad to see TISM.

Just one of my votes left to show up - Monster by Something For Kate. Will absolutely rage it's 101.

I have a feeling it'll be in that 101-110 range myself.

VERY surprised it didnt make the 100.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I am very surprised that hardly any of my selections made the top 100.

good list in particular, Stranded, Sunnyboys and Morris song.

Was never a fan of Aussie Crawl and i used to think Reyne sung all their songs. But Guy McDonough sung and wrote Errol and Oh No Not You Again which i think is their best song.

On separate note thought Tame Impala would be more popular especially songs from Lonerism and InnSpeaker.