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More than 2.6 million folks voted in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of Australian Songs ballot, anointing INXS because the Aussiest of Aussie bands for his or her traditional anthem Never Tear Us Apart.
The full record spans a long time, genres and areas. But there have been some key standouts – and a few burning questions – because the outcomes rolled in on Saturday afternoon.
How did the mid-year, all-Australian Hottest 100 turn into one other cultural second?
Lachlan Macara, the pinnacle of Triple J, mentioned the marketing campaign started as a neat approach to recognise 50 years of the station however quickly grew into an opportunity for Australians from all walks of life “to share our feelings of our unique cultural worth”.
“Our audience really understands we really need to get behind Australian music at the moment”, Macara mentioned. “If we want the next 50 years to sound as good as the last 50, we need to stay really fucking loud about how good it is.”
Linda Marigliano, a former Triple J presenter, mentioned the station has tapped into one thing particular with younger Australians for many years, assembly them the place they’re, 12 months after 12 months, about “what’s important to them”. The all-Australian countdown created an “extra sense of ownership and … patriotism”, she mentioned.
“You’re having these passionate arguments between people of different generations about songs from different generations.” she mentioned. “I think that is what one of the most exciting things”.
The songs span a long time however Triple J says the largest voters had been 18 to 29. Why?
Macara mentioned Triple J wasn’t shocked essentially the most votes within the Hottest 100 came from the 18 to 29 demographic, the station’s key listenership. But he mentioned it was fascinating to see so many votes are available from folks for songs that got here out earlier than they had been born
“We know how big nostalgia is”, he mentioned. “Classics are classics for a reason.”
Chris Cheney, the lead singer of The Living End – whose tune Prisoner of Society got here in at quantity 41 on Saturday – mentioned the Australian Hottest 100 grew to become a spectacle paying homage to when the tune got here out in 1997, when “kids were ringing in” to radio stations demanding to listen to it.
“It was a real movement. It harkened back to that [on Saturday] with people just calling in to the DJs from house parties,” he mentioned.
Cheney mentioned whereas the band by no means got down to write a traditional, nice songs introduced folks collectively round concepts everybody can relate to.
“You’re just trying to write songs that you like”, he mentioned. “You’re not sure if it’s ever going to get further than the rehearsal room. But this, 25 years later, is extraordinary on a personal level.”
Why are Australians obsessive about INXS’ energy ballad?
Marigliano mentioned she was proud INXS topped the record, however thought the outcomes could be totally different.
“I honestly thought Australians would choose more of a joke song,” she mentioned. “I think there’s this part of me that when the Hottest 100 rolls around I always suspect that the No 1 song will be a big, boisterous crowd pleaser.
“One of the most beautifully written, elegant, heartbreaking, sombre hits comes in at No 1,” she mused of Never Tear Us Apart, “I can’t help but being proud of the elegant little dickheads that we are”.
Will there at all times be some disagreement once you put out a listing like this?
The Hottest 100 was peppered with traditional hits from Crowded House, Powderfinger, Paul Kelly and Silverchair. But some were surprised when The Veronicas’ pop anthem Untouched took third place.
Regardless, The Veronicas mentioned on Sunday they had been “blown away” by the rating, saying Untouched represented a sense of liberation for the duo that was mirrored in Australian’s love for having enjoyable.
“It’s been the greatest honour to see this song unite so many different people & scenes around the world, and especially back home in Australia”, the duo wrote.
Macara mentioned it was laborious to not get emotional seeing the nation have a shared second collectively centred on music, saying hundreds of individuals had been texting in as every tune performed on Saturday about how that they had soundtracked components of their lives.
One of these texts learn: “I’m on the 246 bus from St Kilda to Abbotsford and loving that I can tell whose headphones are playing the hottest 100 as the headbanging is happening in unison.”
Should the annual Hottest 100 attempt to be extra Australian?
Macara mentioned he hoped the momentum from the Australian Hottest 100 carried on into the approaching countdown wrapping up one of the best songs of this 12 months. But he mentioned he was struck by the unifying expertise of the weekend’s occasion.
He shared a textual content Triple J bought on Saturday from a longtime listener:
Hi. I’m 70 years outdated. I nonetheless play loud rock’n’roll in a reside band. I’ve been listening to Triple J all my life. My children take heed to Triple J. I simply need to say that what you might be doing right now is so essential. This music is brings (sic) generations collectively. And right now we’re all listening to the identical songs on the similar time. Australian songs. It’s bringing folks proper throughout the nation collectively That’s a uncommon and valuable factor.
Marigliano mentioned the Australian countdown might encourage individuals who could also be out of the Triple J loop to dive again in and turn into champions of native acts.
“I think it definitely shines a light on how much we need to care about Australian artists”, Marigliano mentioned. “Especially seeing so many legacy acts in the countdown, all these older songs, and you think, ‘Oh my God, was that the golden era? Do we not care as much any more?’
“We need to care. We need to champion young, strange artists”.
The enjoyable continues this week on Double J: the station plans to unveil 20 songs a day that got here in from two hundredth place to a hundred and first, 10 every morning and 10 every afternoon.
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