Triple j’s Hottest 100 is shaping up to be a countdown like no other — with a sporting legend making an appearance among other surprising names.
Inevitable echoes of “shoulda been higher” are ringing out across Australia as the nation’s music lovers celebrate triple j’s Hottest 100.
Radios have been blaring since the annual countdown kicked off at 12pm AEDT on the youth radio station, but while number one is still anyone’s game — there have been plenty of upsets.
After several weeks of speculation surrounding the poll and its suspected shift from alternative music to mainstream pop this year, it’s truly been a Hottest 100 like no other.
Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzo and Cardi B have featured alongside some station favourites including Gang of Youths, Tame Impala and ARIA winner Genesis Owusu. Daniel Ricciardo has even made an entrance.
But the question on everyone’s lips is: Will The Wiggles make history by taking out top spot?
Teen sensation Olivia Rodrigo has made three appearances, with traitor at 67, brutal at 60 and deja vu at 33. Good 4 U is predicted to come within the top ten, and her mammoth breakout hit driver’s license around the 20 mark.
Meanwhile, Darwin surf rock band and Yothu Yindi relatives King Stingray suffered a slight upset. Their track Milkumana, which was expected to come in within the top 20, landed at 56, with Get Me Out at 46.
Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo also made his Hottest 100 debut, having played percussion on Gang of Youths’ song The Man Himself.
According to reliable prediction site Warm Tunas — in a wildly unexpected twist — it could be The Wiggles at number one, making history as the first cover song to top the poll.
The beloved children’s group visited triple j’s Like A Version studio last year for a bouncy cover of Tame Impala’s Elephant fused with verses from kid’s party favourite Fruit Salad, and the delightfully wholesome take thrilled listeners.
Even Queensland Police have joined in on the Wiggles love, cheekily tweeting: “Investigations have commenced into how The Wiggles created such a banger.”
Warm Tunas, which has been eerily accurate in the past, has it likely to place between one and two.
Justin Bieber is also expected to rank high in the list, despite once being banned from the voting poll after the station’s memorable Taylor Swift controversy of 2014.
Bieber’s hit with Sydney wonder The Kid LAROI Stay is pegged for spot three, with station favourites Gang Of Youths with the angel of 8th avenue at two.
Billie Eilish, winner of the 2019 Hottest 100 with Bad Guy, is also expected to appear somewhere in the upper echelons with her hit Happier Than Ever.
Check out the results of the world’s biggest musical democracy below as we follow along live.
19. RUFUS DU SOL — Alive
20. Ocean Alley — Touch Back Down
21. Ball Park Music — Sunscreen
22. Good Days — SZA
23. Glass Animals — I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)
24. bbno$ — edamame Ft. Rich Brian
25. RUFUS DU SOL — Next To Me
26. Lorde — Solar Power
27. Dope Lemon — Rose Pink Cadillac
28. Amyl and The Sniffers — Hertz
29. Lil Nas X — THAT’S WHAT I WANT
30. Spacey Jane — Here Comes The Sun (triple j Like A Version 2021)
31. Doja Cat — Need To Know
32. The Wombats — If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You
33. Olivia Rodrigo — deja vu
34. Doja Cat — Get Into It (Yuh)
35. Peach PRC — Josh
36. WILLOW — t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l Ft. Travis Barker
37. Doja Cat — Woman
38. The Rubens — Masterpiece
39. Middle Kids — Stacking Chairs
40. Girl in Red — Serotonin
41. Lime Cordiale and Idris Elba — What’s Not To Like
42. Peking Duk — Chemicals
43. Bring Me The Horizon — DiE4u
44. Kanye West — Hurricane
45. Wet Leg — Chaise Longue
46. King Stingray — Get Me Out
47. Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak and Silk Sonic — Leave The Door Open
48. ACRAZE — Do It To It Ft. Cherish
49. Dune Rats — Up
50. Kanye West — Jail
51. The Rions — Night Light
52. Cardi B — Up
53. The Weeknd — Take My Breath
54. Ocean Alley — Breathe/Comfortably Numb/Money (triple j Like A Version 2021)
55. Skegss — Valhalla
56. King Stingray — Milkumana
57. Gang of Youths — The Man Himself
58. Ruby Fields — Kitchen
59. Machine Gun Kelly — love race Ft. Kellin Quinn
60. Olivia Rodrigo — Brutal
61. Dom Dolla — Pump The Brakes
62. Lorde — Mood Ring
63. Lana Del Rey — Chemtrails Over The Country Club
64. G Flip — Queen Ft. mxmtoon
65. Luude — Down Under Ft. Colin Hay
66. Tame Impala — A Girl Like You (triple j Like A Version 2020)
67. Olivia Rodrigo — Traitor
68. The Jungle Giants — Treat You Right
69. Sly Withers — Clarkson
70. The Amity Affliction — Like Love
71. Halsey — I Am Not A Woman, I’m A God
72. Vera Blue — Temper
73. Lizzo — Rumours Ft. Cardi B
74. Tones and I — Cloudy Day
75. Genesis Owusu — Gold Chains
76. The Terrys — Our Paradise
77. Tyler, The Creator — WUSYANAME Ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again/ Ty Dolla Sign
78. SZA — I Hate U
79. Dave — Clash Ft. Stormzy
80. Billie Eilish — Your Power
81. Lorde — Stoned at the Nail Salon
82. Kanye West — Praise God
83. Doja Cat — You Right Ft. The Weeknd
84. Teenage Joans — Wine
85. The Buoys — Lie To Me Again
86. FISHER — Just Feels Tight
87. Holy Holy — The Aftergone Ft. CLEWS
88. Baker Boy — My Mind Ft. G Flip
89. Jungle — Keep Moving
90. Hayden James — Waiting For Nothing Ft. Yaeger
91. Telenova — Bones
92. Slowly Slowly — Blueprint
93. Baby Keem — family ties ft. Kendrick Lamar
94. Tyne James Organ — Sunday Suit
95. alt-J — U & ME
96. Client Liaison — House of Holy
97. Kanye West — Moon
98. Adam Newling — Sweetness
99. Ziggy Ramo — Little Things ft. Paul Kelly
100. Holy Holy — How You Been
Triple j is teaming up with Lifeline as their charity partner for the Hottest 100 of 2021, with voters encouraged to donate or buy a T-shirt to support the suicide helpline.