Two Is Not A Winner and Three Nobody Remembers

WHO WILL TOP triple j's HOTTEST 100?

by Matt Bond

"Who do you think will be #1 on this year's Hottest 100?" 


It's around this time of year I start getting asked that question a lot, despite my inability to predict even the most basic stuff correctly. Yes, even I could predict that Gotye and Kimbra would be #1 on the Hottest 100 in 2011, but I'm pretty sure anyone could have picked that one. 'Somebody That I Used To Know' was EVERYWHERE. I know people that listened to it so much back then that they still can't listen to even those weird opening beats today. Anyway, there's only nine days left to get your votes in for the world's biggest music countdown and fourteen days until we get to head along to Australia Day parties, barbecues, solo adventures locked inside with the air-con on and only our feelings to keep us company or whatever it is you have planned for the day. Whatever you've got planned, I'm sure it'll be great and there's one thing that will make it even better... listening to the Hottest 100! 

So, back to that question... who's going to be #1 this year? I don't know. Not the answer you were looking for? Sorry 'bout it. What I can tell you is, there's a good chance you'll actually be hearing Justin Bieber come January 26. No, not 'Sorry' or 'What Do You Mean?'. There is that awful collaboration with Skrillex and Diplo though that got at least one play on the j's last year. And I've seen enough votes on Instragram to think that it's going to make the list. I can also tell you that one hundred percent Taylor Swift will not be in this year's countdown, but that's not news at all since the rejection of the #TayForHottest100 campaign last year. For those keeping score at home, Justin Bieber will likely find a place on the Hottest 100, Bruno Mars was able to sneak in last year but there is no room for Swift. The obvious solution is that she needs to guest on a Major Lazer or Macklemore track, because for a commercial pop star to guest on a track is ok by the j. 

Speaking of Major Lazer, it could be a little song you probably haven't heard of before called 'Lean On' that makes it all the way to #1. Along with DJ Snake and Danish musician MØ, the track scored a ridiculous amount of play by the national youth broadcaster, went to #1 in Australia, is the most streamed song in Spotify history and (this one is very important) was big on commercial radio too. So it's not only appealing to those hip, young thangs that listen to triple j, but that fucking NOVA crowd too. Yeah Macklemore is a thing still and 'Downtown' was catchy, went to #1 and got play across a variety of different stations. Working against him though, he didn't make the list of the top 20 artists that got the most play on triple J in 2015. Also, I distinctly remember when 'Thrift Shop' went to #1 on the Hottest 100 in 2015, I said it was the worst thing that had ever happened. I was much more dramatic back then, I'm sorry. It wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened, but like, maybe top 5? Maybe? It's not going to happen again. I suppose I should acknowledge Ryan Lewis' involvement with Macklemore, but no one else does so why should I?

Tame Impala are guaranteed to land multiple entries on this year's countdown. But #1? Unlikely at this point. Also unlikely... that we'll finally see a solo female artist top the list. In a perfect world, Courtney Barnett would stand a chance, but we've already seen the online reaction from triple J listeners when she wins things. Oy vey. Appearances by 'Pedestrian At Best', 'Depreston' and 'Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party' would be appreciated nonetheless. Last year's countdown saw more Australian artists than ever crack the 100 and hopefully we'll have another record breaking year in 2016. Tkay Maidza should return with 'M.O.B' and hopefully 'Ghost' too. Jarryd James, Alison Wonderland, Chet Faker (along with that other bearded man who is not Australian), Gang of Youths, The Rubens, San Cisco, Alpine, Daniel Johns and Flight Facilities were played on high rotation throughout the year, so expect to hear a little something something from them. Perennial Hottest 100 favourites The Hilltop Hoods could sneak in with new track 'Higher' as well, giving James Chatburn his first appearance on the list. If you're expecting to hear a whole lot of Florence + The Machine, I'm right there with you. Is there a #1 in the bunch of Flo songs? Absolutely. Will it get the votes? Absolutely not.     

We've covered that I have no idea who will actually take out the #1 spot on this year's triple J Hottest 100. But let's say one of you walked up to me and held a gun to my head and whispered so softly, pick some freaking songs that could be #1... then I suppose I would say:

#1? Major Lazer and DJ Snake ft. MØ - 'Lean On'

#1? Chet Faker and Marcus Marr - 'The Trouble With Us'

#1? The Weeknd - 'Can't Feel My Face'

#1? Kendrick Lamar - 'King Kunta'

#1? Jarryd James - Do You Remember?

#1? Meg Mac - Never Be (one can dream)

Who did I actually vote for? Well... 

Montaigne - 'Clip My Wings'

Tired Lion - 'I Don't Think You Like Me'

Ngaiire - 'Once'

Gang of Youths - 'Magnolia'

Courtney Barnett - 'Pedestrian At Best'

Little May - 'Home'

Tkay Maidza - 'Ghost'

Jack Colwell - 'Don't Cry Those Tears'

Sarah Blasko - 'I'd Be Lost'

Japanese Wallpaper ft. Airling 'Forces'

Feel free to use those ten as a template for your own votes. Alternatively, pick ten songs that would make your Australia Day awesome. That also works. 

Rant Lyfe: #TayforHottest100?

Don't let this be you when Taylor Swift makes the Hottest 100.

#TayforHottest100?

by Matt Bond

Come ‘Straya Day 2015, will we be shaking it off on the triple J Hottest 100 with Taylor Swift? It’s the big, annoying question of the moment. Some are sitting back and enjoying watching the world of passionate, “alternative” music fans burn. Some are begging triple J to make a stand and shut out music that hasn’t officially been played on its station, a Like A Version cover notwithstanding. Some are actually out there voting for ‘Shake It Off’ to find a place on this year’s countdown. Maybe you’re one of them. If you are, I say good for you. It’s meant to be a music democracy, right? So you exercise your right to choose as granted in Roe v Wade and… wait, that’s not right. But yeah, it’s your life. Do what you want with it.

The arguments for and against are piling up, just like the #tayforhottest100 posts clogging up my Facebook news feed. Everyone’s got an opinion. Amongst the ‘Nay Tay’ crowd, there’s the fact that T-Swizzle could deny an up and coming artist a highly coveted spot on the world’s bestest music countdown. This is true. She could also keep Hilltop Hoods’ ‘Cosby Sweater’ from the top spot or keep that random emo-ish metal band you’ve never heard of that seemingly has a passionate fanbase (from where and from whence?) from cracking the hundred. We’ve also got the DEATH TO POP MUSIC crowd rearing their heads. Just in case they haven’t checked the charts lately, that poorly named Hilltop Hoods track and Peking Duk’s amazing slices of music deliciousness that are bound for glory have been top 10 hits. And what’s the current #1 single on the ARIA Charts? Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’, which features arguably the biggest solo male POP star in the world, Bruno Mars. But that’s ok, because Mark Ronson is tres indie cool, amirite?

Remember that time Macklemore topped the Hottest 100? Yeah, that sucked and it sucked hard. J x 3 listeners (those who tune in for the breakfast show) have been defending the Nova crowd’s takeover of that year as a celebration of, “alternative hip hop.” I shit you not, I actually saw a young guy call ‘Thrift Shop’ alternative hip hop. Oh, my sweet summer child. No. Pop music’s always had a place on the Hottest 100. Just not in the way that Lorde’s best friend looks set to crash the party this year. FYI, Kylie Minogue aka Princess of Pop also made the list. Three times. Madonna needs to stop aka Queen of Pop made the list. With ‘Music’. Like the pop-iest pop song of the time. But Taylor Swift? No way, man. She already gets played too much and she’s popular and her songs are so gosh darn catchy and she’s way prettier than me and I just want to be best friends with her. Where was I going with this? Let’s move on…

“Leave us alone and don’t ruin OUR day.” Our day? I’m sorry 19 year old that’s been listening to triple J for a year, what do you mean by “our” day? You’ve left this comment on Facebook seemingly claiming Australia day for you and your ilk, as if your taste in music is the be all/end all of music tastes. If enough people get their votes in and T-Baby makes the cut, it’s their day too and they can shake it as much as they like. Don’t have a cry about it. Move on with your life. A lot of us had to when Macklemore topped the list. All of us have to when a song we don’t like makes the countdown. Yes, yes… triple J is alternative, you say. But, come on. Really? Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ is going to make the countdown. So alternative right now. And now that I’ve found something else to throw in your faces… what’s the difference between Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ and Tay-Tay’s ‘Shake It Off’? Sia used to be all indie and shit isn’t a valid argument.

Anyway… this has been a hot mess. Just like the overblown controversy that’s surrounding Taylor Swift inevitably shaking it into the Hottest 100. The haters will hate (hate, hate, hate, hate), hell will not freeze over and life will continue as normal. If you can’t pull yourself out of bed the next day, it had better be because you’re hungover (‘Straya!) and not because your elitist world has come crashing down. Worse things have happened. Take a look at the world news section. And then take a good look at yourself in the mirror. And then slap yourself.  As a final note, just remember…

Uh, yes. And also...

So Hot Right Now

Hot picks: Thelma Plum, Tkay Maidza, MTNS + Lorde!

2013 triple J Hottest 100 Picks

with Matt Bond and Jo Michelmore

There's only eleven days left to go until one of our favourite days of the year - 'Straya Day! And with Australia Day comes the countdown that gets errybody talking, the triple J Hottest 100. The 2013 edition has one thing going for it... there is no way that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis can top it. So it's already a million times better than the 2012 edition. But it's also been a really good year for music and this countdown is going to make the day a whole lot of fun. 

Who's gonna be #1? Well, it's looking like a two horse race at the moment between teen wonder Lorde and those French robot fellas that make up Daft Punk. 'Royals' vs 'Get Lucky'. Either are worthy winners, but triple J looks to firmly be backing Lorde if their marketing is anything to go by. Where there are horses, there are dark horses and leading that pack seems to be Vance Joy's 'Riptide', The Preatures' 'Is This How You Feel?' and Matt Corby's 'Resolution'. In fact, those five tracks could very well make up the top 5 come January 26. 

Jo and Matt have put their votes in, picking tracks that will make 'Straya Day a whole lot more fun. For them, I guess, but for you too! So if you're in need of some suggestions, have a listen to the picks below and if you haven't voted, head on over to triple J to get 'yo vote on. It's cool to vote, kids! Make your voice be heard blah blah blah. Let's listen to some music...

Jo's 10 Tracks:

Do I Wanna Know

by Arctic Monkeys

Gun

by Chvrches

Ways To Go

by Grouplove

Q.U.E.E.N

by Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu

Lost Track Of Time

by MTNS

I Kill Giants

by The Naked and Famous

Always

by Panama

Bitter Rivals

by Sleigh Bells

Around Here

by Thelma Plum

Sacrilege

by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Matt's 10 Tracks:

Recover

by Chvrches

Dojo Rising

by Cloud Control

The Wire

by Haim

Q.U.E.E.N

by Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu

In Stranger Times

by Jeremy Neale ft. Go Violets

Hide

by Little May

Royals

by Lorde

Y.A.L.A

by M.I.A

Around Here

by Thelma Plum

Brontosaurus

by Tkay Maidza ft. Bad Cop

We can't wait for Australia Day. Hopefully we'll all be stompin' our feet like dinosaurs and singing sweet singalongs with swear words. There's good times ahead! 

20 Years, 100 Songs...

Triple J's Hottest 100 of the past 20 years has been counted down to numero uno, with Oasis' 'Wonderwall' taking the top spot. The cheers of anti-'Thrift Shop' punters could be heard around Australia, or more specifically in my bedroom, as the realisation that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis failed to place AT ALL hit home. Australian acts made up just over a quarter of the list, but female artists found themselves severely underrepresented. No PJ Harvey, Bjork or Courtney Love to be seen. But 'Thrift Shop' didn't make the list, so it does have that going for it. What else did we learn, let's see... well, The Killers remain surprisingly relevant, while former Hottest 100 #1 artists Denis Leary and Alex Lloyd do not. And did I mention 'Thrift Shop' didn't make the list? Well it didn't and we all lived happily ever after.


I attempted to do up a list last month in preparation for voting in this Hottest 100 and now, I share it with you. Culling down to 100 of my favourite songs over the past two decades and then only being able to pick twenty was quite a hard thing to do. To not venture into crazy personal choice territory too much, I tried to limit myself to tracks that had featured in the previous Hottest 100's as much as possible. There were only five exceptions to this rule (I think). This list will be by no means perfect to some/everyone (duh!), but if the J's Hottest 100 of the past 20 years told us anything, no list is. But it comes close if it doesn't have 'Thrift Shop' in it. Enjoy!

20 Years, 100 Songs...

by Matt Bond

1. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Didn't Make the Hottest 100)
3. Foo Fighters - Everlong
4. Powderfinger - My Kind of Scene (Didn't Make the Hottest 100)
5. Oasis - Wonderwall
6. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
7. Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) (Didn't Make the Hottest 100)
8. The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
9. Bjork - Hyperballad
10. Blur - Song 2
11. System of A Down - Chop Suey
12. Massive Attack - Teardrop
13. The Prodigy - Breathe
14. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - The Ship Song
15. Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains
16. Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Home
17. Radiohead - Creep
18. Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know
19. The Cranberries - Zombie
20. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
21. Garbage - Vow
22. Killing Heidi - Weir
23. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me (Didn't Make The Hottest 100)
24. The Waifs - London Still
25. Pearl Jam - Given To Fly
26. Missy Elliott - Work It
27. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
28. Silverchair - Miss You Love
29. Spiderbait - Buy Me A Pony
30. Hole - Violet
31. Tame Impala - Elephant
32. The xx - Angels
33. M.I.A - Paper Planes
34. Crystal Fighters - At Home (Didn't Make The Hottest 100)
35. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
36. Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I'm A Woman
37. Kimbra - Cameo Lover
38. Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - Not In Love
39. Kanye West ft. Pusha-T - Runaway
40. Pearl Jam - Better Man
41. Rage Against the Machine - Killing In The Name
42. Kylie Minogue - Confide In Me
43. Silverchair - Tomorrow
44. Ben Folds Five - Brick
45. Powderfinger - These Days
46. Augie March - One Crowded Hour
47. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl
48. Garbage - Push It
49. OutKast - Hey Ya!
50. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor
51. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
52. Bjork - Human Behaviour
53. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
54. Placebo - Every You Every Me
55. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
56. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
57. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
58. Custard - Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)
59. No Doubt - Just A Girl
60. The Killers - When You Were Young
61. The Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
62. Spiderbait - Calypso
63. Garbage - #1 Crush
64. Fuel - Shimmer
65. Killing Heidi - Mascara
66. The Dresden Dolls - Coin-Operated Boy
67. Hole - Celebrity Skin
68. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
69. Portishead - Glory Box
70. Bush - Glycerine
71. The Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
72. Ben Lee - Cigarettes Will Kill You
73. Grinspoon - Chemical Heart
74. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
75. Silverchair - Freak
76. Hilltop Hoods - The Nosebleed Section
77. Presidents of the USA - Lump
78. The Cure - Friday I'm In Love
79. Sia - Breathe Me
80. Regina Spektor - On The Radio
81. The Presets - Talk Like That
82. The Grates - Science Is Golden
83. The Offspring - Self Esteem
84. Muse - Time Is Running Out
85. The Presets - My People
86. MGMT - Kids
87. Art Vs Science - Parlez Vous Francais
88. Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
89. The Superjesus - Down Again
90. Nirvana - Heart-Shaped Box
91. Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches
92. Frenzal Rhomb - Never Had So Much Fun
93. The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control
94. Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet
95. The Whitlams - No Aphrodisiac
96. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds ft. Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow
97. Custard - Apartment
98. Magic Dirt - Dirty Jeans
99. The Smashing Pumpkins - Today
100. Veruca Salt - Seether

It's All Coming Back To Me Now - It's My Party, I'll Invite Who I Want To

Courtney Love...the life of the party?

My Hottest 100 Party Is Hotter Than Your Hottest 100 Party

by Jo Michelmore

What are you doing on Saturday? No, it’s not an invitation, I’ve got plans. I was just wondering. Chances are, if you’re Australian, or you’ve lived in Australia, or you know someone Australian or maybe you just know where Australia is and you’ve found yourself on our blog, then you would have heard of the JJJ Hottest 100. (No? Who are you? Welcome, but who are you?) The JJJ Hottest 100 is an interesting countdown, sometimes controversial, sometimes dull, sometimes awesome, sometimes thought provoking (but generally not) and its counted every year as it has been  since 1993.

This means there’s been all sorts of songs involved, 1900 of them to be specific and that’s not even counting the ‘all time’ countdowns. See my maths there? Hot. Anyway, I figure, a lot of people are going to have the traditional hottest 100 party, and with any party, you have to be careful who you invite. No one wants any weird guests hanging around in dark corners and no one wants Mr Boring to show up. You want people who will drag everyone onto the make shift dance floor, or you want someone completely crackers, so you can talk about that amazing party years from now.  If the hottest 100 countdown was a party, which songs would you invite and which ones would you close the door on if they knocked? Let’s see….

Not Invited

Denis Leary - Asshole
 Number 1, 1992

The source of all truth and information, Wikipedia, says this about Dennis Leary’s song;

“The word "asshole" is said at least 28 times….the word "fuck" is said four times and also "piss" is used three times. "Goddamn" is also uttered.”

Um, no one wants assholes at their party. Denis, you’re not invited.

Invited
Radiohead - Creep
Number 2, 1992

Even though in combination with Denis Leary’s Asshole, it seems 1992 had a lot of self esteem issues, this song definitely would get an invite, because everyone loves to sing along “but I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here” and really, everyone is a bit of a creep every now and then, aren’t they? Every good party needs a good creep.

Not Invited

The Offspring- Pretty Fly For A White Guy
Number 1, 1998

This is the year I stopped thinking the Hottest 100 was a real actual voted countdown. This is the year I decided it had to have been industry pushed and bought and rigged, because I couldn’t accept that the JJJ voting public would possibly vote this song as number one. Oh, how naive I was. Yes, sometimes, people like really crap music and anyone who likes really crap music would not be invited to my party. Offspring? No, you’re not welcome at my party.

Invited

Hole - Celebrity Skin
Number 4, 1998

 

Now this song, this song would be the absolute life of my party. Who wouldn’t invite Courtney and Co. to scream “heeeeeeeey, glad that you could make it” in their lounge room? After they were done screaming that they’d start screaming obscenities at all your guests and the party would become one of those stories told years from now; “Remember that party Courtney went crackers in the backyard?” Yep, this song would be would definitely be invited.

Not Invited

Alex Lloyd - Amazing
Number 1, 2001

The funniest part about this song is that it just wasn’t amazing. It was average. Incredibly average. In fact, I challenge you to remember the last time you played it. You haven’t have you? Not since 2001. Amazing, you’d be that weirdo sitting in the corner, drinking on your own and stealing everyone’s chips. EVERYONE'S chips. You'd probably double dip too. Alex Lloyd, you are not invited.

Invited

Basement Jaxx - Where’s your Head At?
Number 4, 2001

Basement Jaxx, I really have no idea where you’ve been or what else you did, so you’d be invited to my party, as that crazy guest; no one really knows where you came from or who invited you and even though you’re stealing everyone else’s drinks, you’re so damn funny and you dance so well everyone likes you anyway.

Not Invited, Ever

Kings Of Leon- Sex On Fire
Number 1, 2008

and

Kings Of Leon- Use Somebody
Number 3, 2008

 

Kings Of Leon, no matter how many times you appear in the top 10, you will never be invited to my party. You would be the most boring party guest to have ever been invited, excluding Coldplay. You are responsible for possibly the tackiest and worst rhyme in all modern music; “and you, your sex is on fire, consumed with what's to transpire” which is completely unforgivable. No invite for you.

Invited, Twice

The Presets - Talk Like That
Number 6, 2008

and

The Presets - This Boy’s In Love
Number 8, 2008

 

I’d invite either of these songs to my party. They’re so darn catchy, everyone would love them.  They wouldn’t even have to bring anything, just themselves. Any party, any time, The Presets are more than welcome. Yep.



Wherever you are in the world, if you're having a hottest 100 party, I hope only your favourite songs attend. Mine? I'll be happy if 360 and Lana Del Rey don't come, but I just know they're going to try and gatecrash. 

2012 Hottest 100 Picks - Australia vs The World

2012 Triple J Hottest 100 - Hottest Choices

The Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 2012 (even though it's in 2013, but it's for the year that was... you know?) is just around the corner, so we had to get our vote on. Since it's Australian Music Month here on It's My Kind of Scene, we thought we'd mix it up a little this year. I was only allowed to pick songs by Australian acts, while Jo could only pick songs by international artists. It's Australia vs The World... which of our hot picks will triumph? I can tell you what we didn't pick. That 'Thrift Shop' song. Is that seriously a top contender? Screw you Triple J, what's up with that? Anywho, if you're yet to vote and find yourself looking for some inspiration, here are ten Australian-made songs you might love and ten songs by international superstars Jo's deemed worthy for selection. Let's get to it...

AUSTRALIAN ONLY

as selected by Matt Bond

I Can Make You Love Me

by British India

 

Told You So

by Cub Scouts

 

Boy

by Emma Louise

 

We Live In A Political World

With each January comes the most important public vote of the year. A time when you must stand up and make your voice be heard. A time when your vote can make a difference. Of course, I'm talking about the vote for the JJJ Hottest 100! 2012 federal elections be damned, for this is a real opportunity for you to get behind the people you love and help them go down in history as one of the greatest acts in music today. Vote with your heart and pick ten songs that you really want to hear come Australia Day. In need of some suggestions/inspiration? Here are the ten tracks that It's My Kind of Scene voted for...

Matt's JJJ Hottest 100 Picks:

Shake It Out

by Florence + The Machine

Contact High

by Architecture In Helsinki

Countdown - Hottest 100 #1's

Smells like Head and Shoulders...

The unveiling of the JJJ Hottest 100 on Australia Day each year is pretty much one of the coolest things ever. You get to sit back and relax with some friends (like Jack Daniels and Jim Beam) while one hundred of the best songs from the previous year play over the radio. This year, Angus and Julia Stone's 'Big Jet Plane' has been predicted to take the numero uno spot, but I'm looking for a big upset from one of the acts that I voted for. Who did I vote for? How nice of you to ask...


* Arcade Fire - Ready to Start
* The Black Keys - Tighten Up
* Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - Not In Love
* Kanye West ft. Dwele - Power
* M.I.A - XXXO
* Marina and the Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot
* Operator Please - Like Magic (AUS!)
* Robyn - Dancing On My Own
* Seven & M-Phazes - Possums (AUS!)
* Sia - Clap Your Hands (AUS!)


I've been seeing a lot of diversity in terms of people's votes, so I have no idea what's going to happen this year which makes it all the better! Who did you vote for? And if you haven't voted, make sure you do at http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/10/ Non-Australian readers, make sure you get your votes in too... the JJJ Hottest 100 is the biggest fan-voted countdown in the world, so anyone can take part!


To get you ready for this year's countdown, we're going to pit the 19 songs that have claimed the #1 position against each other! What's the #1 song out of the #1 songs on the Hottest 100? Let's find out...