What Did We Learn from the Latest Triple J Hottest 100?

Following on from recent posts by Rick Kane, Jeff Dowsing and Andrew Fithall – not to mention the popularity of Stereo Stories – it’s clear that music holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of our Almanackers.

This year’s Triple J Hottest 100 count had no shortage of controversy, with the station deciding to ban votes cast for Taylor Swift, on the back of a social media campaign.

This article from Bernard Zuel of the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age neatly sums up the situation that the J’s found themselves in, and the response to their call in certain circles:

 

Claiming something special about a listener poll, as Triple J do, may provoke Buzzfeed into legitimate mockery of the process and an attempt to game it. Claiming some kind of purity in the process and the result, and therefore legitimacy in blocking “inappropriate” entries, may invite legitimate mockery of Triple J from the rest of us.

Read Zuel’s full article here

If you’re a music lover who takes an interest in the annual Hottest 100 countdown, share your thoughts with us on this years list.

To get the inspiration flooding, here’s some food for thought from Music Feeds 

And check out the full list of this year’s 100 songs from Pedestrian.tv.  (and a big ‘well played’ to 2014 Footy Almanac contributor Vance Joy, who had two songs make the Hottest 100).

 

 

 

Comments

  1. My love of music continues but my interest ended in the mid nineties with the onslaught of children … the Wiggles …the Hooley Dooleys and Mr Whiskers. The triple J Hottest 100 leaves me standing on a curb ….. soaked by the Speeding Sandman P Van that just that hit the water filled pot hole, that is the last twenty years of music. No idea…sorry. it is all a blur.. Who pray tell is Taylor Swift? … a descendant of Jonathan perhaps?

  2. It is so much easier to destroy than build. I have no trouble with Triple J wanting to protect their process (however questionable) from people that don’t listen to their station and have no legitimate interest in the poll other than to ruin it.

    Besides, any poll that once came out with ‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy’ on top may be well beyond mockery.

  3. Sounds like the Brownlow voting. Half the serious contenders have an * next to their name.
    Or a Greens leadership contest – “far too popular and ideologically impure”. The Labor Party used to be like that, but now they’d sell their grandmother for a half percent swing.
    Malcolm Turnbull?

  4. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Well I watched the Chet Faker clip and listened to the song. Aside from losing another precious 3 minutes and 39 seconds of my life, I think I also lost more brain cells. Chet looked like Zack Garifalakis slowly decomposing. Good luck with that Gen Y and Z.

  5. G’day

    I’m barely a bemused onlooker (with a lot to say).

    Triple J has always struck me (even when I was apparently part of its core demographic) as a poor excuse for a radio station left of the dial (as The Replacements very wittily described alternative radio back in the 80s).

    This year’s Hottest 100 has not improved my view. Chet Faker might well be a lovely person and I wish him well and all the success life can bring but if his song is the “hottest”song of the year in any listy thing then I’ll go he for chasey.

    His song (album) and others brings to mind one of my fav scenes in a movie, from the classic, Animal House. There’s a dorm party and of course there’s a guy strumming a guitar singing, “I gave my love a cherry”. Belushi walks past, stops and asks if he can borrow the guitar. The guy duly hands over the guitar and Belushi smashes the guitar to pieces. Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes et al have a lot to answer for in leading the undergraduates of today astray. Young ‘uns would do well to go back and reflect on Belushi’s succinct yet profound philosophical statement.

    Rather than bother with Triple J’s Hottest 100 just hit on any one of the three hyperlinks at the beginning of this article (yes, mine too) to engage interesting and quality tunes. If fact if you go to my article you’ll see what I thought of Taylor Swift’s song (spoiler: I love it). I have included a link to her clip, which will give you an idea of her imagination, humour, wit and heightened sense of rhythm and melody.

    On a final note. Triple J has been called on the lack of female performers in its Hottest 100. And rightly so. 6 of my Top 12 songs were by females. I believe the kids would finish that point with this expression: booyah!

    Onya

  6. The People's Elbow says

    I’d say something insightful here, had this thing not stopped being a scandal and become a sitcom long ago — a Helen razor thinkpiece was where the whole thing departed the trolley forever for me. At which point I put on ‘Tim’ by The Replacements (kind of eerie, huh Rick?), played it loud and left the Hottest 100 to the cosseted not-quite-hipsters, where it belongs.

  7. I was completely underwhelmed by the system, process and
    end results this year. Thus, I have decided that the JJJ Hottest
    100 is completely irrelevant to me. And particularly so when
    my teenage sons follow it so intently.

    Dave
    Didn’t Dennis Leary’s “Asshole” finish at #1 once upon a time?
    Enough said.

  8. Dave Brown says

    Yeah, I reckon so Smokie. It was the first winner when it went annual rather than all time, beating Creep by Radiohead. That said, some decent songs have finished top in various years too.

  9. Neil Belford says

    I stopped paying attention when they changed the rules to stop Joy Division from winning. Not that I was paying much that much attention at the time – it has always been a crap radio station populated by egocentric dickheads who talk way too much.
    The problem now is that there are just no good radio stations at all (not at all :) ). It set me thinking about the lyrics to ‘Rock ‘n Roll’ – Reed, L. Where is that long lost New York Station.

  10. Rob McLean says

    I like to think I’m open-minded regarding music and am loathe to just jump on something for fear of being regarded a dinosaur.
    But – the little bit of the H100 I listened to sounded like JJJ had been populated by DJs from a 70s MOR radio station, waiting for punk to come along and destroy it.
    Where’s the guts gone?
    Just because they’re hipsters, doesn’t mean they have to be hippies. Hipsters can rock as well, surely?

  11. Andrew Fithall says

    A point of order. Vance Joy scored three songs in the top 100 – #93, #50 and #13. So between Vance and Chet, they scored 7% of the rankings. Vance is guest speaking at his former school (which is the same former school as Chet’s) next week at an event to which I am invited as a parent of a current student. I plan to join the John Harms-inhabited fanboy club. Look out for published selfies (if I can borrow a selfie stick in time – or buy one).

    I am way out of the Triple J demographic but I don’t give a stuff. I don’t listen to the station except when children adjust the dial in the car. I listen to Triple R – did you see today’s announcement that sometimes-Almanacker Declan Faye was announced as part of the new Breakfasters team? Good choice.

    I happily put in my votes each year. And then I listen in on the day. Only one made it in and that was Red Eyes by The War on Drugs. I don’t know why I missed voting Courtney Barnett but my daughter was kind enough to include her in her own votes on my behalf. She came in at #51. Same daughter also voted for T-Swiz (see how cool I am).

    I have happily reached the stage of liking what I like and letting others like what they like. The Groovin’ The Moo lineup was announced today. Not a lot there that would entice me to attend – so I don’t attend. Those who do like the announced bands can attend. That is the way it goes. My taste is no better than anyone else’s.

    For what it is worth (nothing), my votes in no particular order

    The Harpoons – Unforgettable
    Megan Washington – My Heart is a Wheel
    The War On Drugs – Red Eyes
    Sharon Van Etten – Your Love is Killing Me
    Sasquatch – Call Your Name
    Teeth and Tongue – New Born
    Luluc – Without A Face
    Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders – Come Back This Way
    Banoffee – Let’s Go To The Beach
    Augie March – After The Crack Up

    AF

  12. I love when oldies discuss Triple J. What are your views on the Big Bash league fellas?

  13. Most of the silly old buggers I know hate it with a passion.
    The costumes are revolting, battling technique redundant, a waste of a good bowler’s time, the commentators are asinine.
    20/20 and ODIs have ruined the test time table.
    No more Adelaide test over the Australia day weekend. Touring teams cant play there shield sides
    ARRRRGGGGHH … you young whippersnappers!!!!!
    ( the Viscount morphs into ‘Angry from Mayfair’)

  14. Suitably qualified oldie. Can’t stand jjj, liked the bbl. Triple J lost its relevance when it sacked 5 presenters yet maintained Arnold Frohlows and Andy Nehl in positions of power. That these clowns were older than the talent they sacked was the height of hypocrisy, as they continued to decide what music was played and by whom.

    It wasn’t a sudden death, but a slow decline into mediocrity of lower common denominators. Not quite at the level of commercial radio, but closer to that ilk than the ground breaking radio of say ZZZ in Brisbane and RRR in Melbourne. On the teev the other night there was a show to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the station. Bands talked about the JJJ sound and how you had to either adapt to it or perish. Would a band like Midnight Oil be played by them now?

    Re BBL. I liken it to watching park cricket with a much better quality of cricketer. Love the thought that goes in to deciding where and how to bowl and where to get the best value from your shots. Carberry in the final over last night playing a ramp shot correctly betting on Lee going the wide yorker was brilliant. Coulter-Nile predicting the same thing and getting bowled behind his legs likewise. Came down to execution of skills and one run. Not such a big fan of the blaring music between balls and you won’t get much out of me when a ground announcer tries to lead a ‘Cooee’ or whatever such like, but it’s bringing the yoof to the games…

  15. Neil Belford says

    Specifically BBL is bringing my yoof (and me) to games. I really like it as does the yoof. Been to three excellent games this year and watched most of the rest. I associate my teams enduring finals failures with the baggage brought by their choice of President.

  16. Meanwhile some of us will be at the Caravan Club this Friday night listening to a group of local notables celebrate 40 years since The Stones Black and Blue. Looking forward to seeing Nick Barker attempt Fool To Cry in falsetto.

  17. Triple J’s been around for 40 years and I’ve never been in its demographic except on Saturday afternoons for Roy & HG all those years ago.

    Meanwhile I watched almost every game in the BBL this year. Great time slot in WA (if you’re not working). Or going to games at 4pm at the WACA.

    Bowlers controlled it this year while batsmen with good techniques (eg S Marsh) can do well as can the inventive or strong.

    Best of all is the spirit – players “play to win” but smile, even laugh and, for the most part, see no need for the aggro bullshit the national team and some of their opponents engage in.

    And the Scorchers won.

  18. I’m with you comrade Les – on music and the Scorchers/T20. Its a game played with passion AND joy by players and fans. Can’t be a bad thing.
    Carbery was a pommy tosser and try hard a couple of years back. Now he’s a champion bloke and team player.
    I thought the Canberra pitch was too low and slow for a short game. Hard to play cross bat shots. But the low scores kept it exciting.
    How is Brad Hogg not in the World Cup squad and straight breaks Doughery is????
    We won’t make the semis in the WC.

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