Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009


The Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time was a music poll conducted in 2009 amongst listeners of Australian youth radio network Triple J. Over half a million votes were compiled, with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" collecting the highest number of votes. Voters could submit a list of up to ten different songs as well as nominating one of these as their "all-time" favourite song.
It was the fifth such poll organised by Triple J, following similar polls in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1998. Initially, all songs were eligible for annual Triple J Hottest 100s; however, from 1993 onward, only songs released in the previous year were permitted. Thus, the Hottest 100 of All Time is conducted via a separate vote, held irregularly to reflect listeners' favourite songs across all eras.
The 2009 list was designed to reflect the twentieth anniversary of the Hottest 100's inception. The countdown was carried out from Tuesday, 7 July 2009 and finishing Sunday, 12 July 2009. The countdown was also broadcast over two nights on ABC TV's music show Rage. However, certain songs were omitted from the broadcast because they were never made into music videos.

Full list

#SongArtistCountry of originYearAnnual Hottest 100 positionPrevious Hottest 100 of All Time position/s
1Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvanaUnited States19911, 1
2Killing in the NameRage Against the MachineUnited States19926 17
3HallelujahJeff BuckleyUnited States1994
4Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy DivisionUnited Kingdom19801, 1, 2, 16
5Paranoid AndroidRadioheadUnited Kingdom1997713
6Bohemian RhapsodyQueenUnited Kingdom197549, 8
7Last GoodbyeJeff BuckleyUnited States199414 4
8Under the BridgeRed Hot Chili PeppersUnited States199131
9EverlongFoo FightersUnited States199761
10Stairway to HeavenLed ZeppelinUnited Kingdom197130, 61, 30, 6
11ImagineJohn LennonUnited Kingdom197131, 66
12WonderwallOasisUnited Kingdom19951
13CreepRadioheadUnited Kingdom19922 5
14Bitter Sweet SymphonyThe VerveUnited Kingdom1997499
15Karma PoliceRadioheadUnited Kingdom1997954
16Wish You Were HerePink FloydUnited Kingdom197533, 35, 58, 41
17The Nosebleed SectionHilltop HoodsAustralia20039
18Knights of CydoniaMuseUnited Kingdom20061
19OneMetallicaUnited States198889, 7
20Seven Nation ArmyThe White StripesUnited States20033
21These DaysPowderfingerAustralia19991
22TeardropMassive AttackUnited Kingdom199823
23Throw Your Arms Around MeHunters & CollectorsAustralia19842, 2, 4, 2
24A Day in the LifeThe BeatlesUnited Kingdom196769, 49
25AlivePearl JamUnited States19913
26ThrillerMichael JacksonUnited States1982
27My HappinessPowderfingerAustralia20001
28Fake Plastic TreesRadioheadUnited Kingdom1995
29Where Is My Mind?PixiesUnited States1988
30All Along the WatchtowerJimi HendrixUnited States196849, 83, 61, 70
31Enter SandmanMetallicaUnited States199160, 9
32Blue MondayNew OrderUnited Kingdom19835, 5, 10, 30
33TomorrowSilverchairAustralia1994559
34Prisoner of SocietyThe Living EndAustralia19971518
351979The Smashing PumpkinsUnited States199513 71
36Into My ArmsNick Cave and the Bad SeedsAustralia19971884
37StinkfistToolUnited States1996224
38Mr. BrightsideThe KillersUnited States200313
39Better ManPearl JamUnited States199444 22
40Come as You AreNirvanaUnited States199176, 62
41Billie JeanMichael JacksonUnited States1982
42BanquetBloc PartyUnited Kingdom2005
43God Only KnowsThe Beach BoysUnited States1966
44Hey JudeThe BeatlesUnited Kingdom1968
45No One KnowsQueens of the Stone AgeUnited States20021
46EpicFaith No MoreUnited States198919
47BettermanThe John Butler TrioAustralia20015
48SabotageBeastie BoysUnited States19941644
49Sweet Child o' MineGuns N' RosesUnited States198727, 77
50Don't Dream It's OverCrowded HouseAustralia198676
51Bullet with Butterfly WingsThe Smashing PumpkinsUnited States1995233
52Berlin ChairYou Am IAustralia199323 61
53Comfortably NumbPink FloydUnited Kingdom197995, 73, 90
54Close to MeThe CureUnited Kingdom198566, 37, 89
55Like a Rolling StoneBob DylanUnited States1965
56Lover, You Should've Come OverJeff BuckleyUnited States199447
57Forty Six & 2ToolUnited States19973057
58Around the WorldDaft PunkFrance1997
59One Crowded HourAugie MarchAustralia20061
60HurtJohnny CashUnited States2002
61Song 2BlurUnited Kingdom1997246
62CloserNine Inch NailsUnited States1994214
63ThunderstruckAC/DCAustralia1990
64Blister in the SunViolent FemmesUnited States198246, 41, 9, 15
65Born SlippyUnderworldUnited Kingdom199512
66Tiny DancerElton JohnUnited Kingdom1971
67BrickBen Folds FiveUnited States199712 32
68Dammit (Growing Up)Blink-182United States1997620
69GraceJeff BuckleyUnited States199489 29
70BreatheThe ProdigyUnited Kingdom1996795
71How Soon Is Now?The SmithsUnited Kingdom19847, 3, 6, 28
72New SlangThe ShinsUnited States2001
73London CallingThe ClashUnited Kingdom197918, 28, 97
74LithiumNirvanaUnited States19913, 45
75Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)Green DayUnited States199784
76Fools GoldThe Stone RosesUnited Kingdom19896, 7, 39
77Hearts a MessGotyeAustralia20068
78TodayThe Smashing PumpkinsUnited States199325 40
79Life on Mars?David BowieUnited Kingdom1971
80Paint It, BlackThe Rolling StonesUnited Kingdom1966
81Common PeoplePulpUnited Kingdom199538
82Chop Suey!System of a DownUnited States20013
83Every You Every MePlaceboUnited Kingdom19985
84No Woman, No CryBob Marley & The WailersJamaica1974
85Bohemian Like YouThe Dandy WarholsUnited States200010
86Come TogetherThe BeatlesUnited Kingdom1969
87YellowColdplayUnited Kingdom20005
88Gimme ShelterThe Rolling StonesUnited Kingdom1969
89Bulls on ParadeRage Against the MachineUnited States199646
90Sex on FireKings of LeonUnited States20081
91Back in BlackAC/DCAustralia1980
92Skinny LoveBon IverUnited States200721
93Unfinished SympathyMassive AttackUnited Kingdom199164, 34
94Float OnModest MouseUnited States200411
95SuperstitionStevie WonderUnited States1972
96One More TimeDaft PunkFrance200061
97Beds Are BurningMidnight OilAustralia1987
98KashmirLed ZeppelinUnited Kingdom197563
99Wolf Like MeTV on the RadioUnited States200663
100Take Me OutFranz FerdinandUnited Kingdom20041

Statistics

Records

  • News of Michael Jackson's death surfaced during the final week of voting. Triple J announcers pointed out that both "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" were already polling enough votes to feature in the top 100, but that the final week of voting pushed both songs further up the list.
  • This is the first Hottest 100 of All Time where The Cure did not achieve more than one track. This is also the first time where The Cure did not have the most songs in a Hottest 100 Of All Time.
  • This is the first Hottest 100 of All Time where R.E.M. did not achieve any tracks. In all other years, they had achieved at least two.
  • Only one vote separated "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age from "Hey Jude" by The Beatles.
  • Radiohead swapped the number 5 and 13 positions they had held in the 1998 Of All Time countdown with "Creep" and "Paranoid Android".
  • Franz Ferdinand are the second band behind Powderfinger to come 1st and 100th in a Hottest 100. "Take Me Out" is also the first song in the Hottest 100 to have reached both ends of the countdown.
  • This is the first Hottest 100 of All Time countdown to not feature any songs from the year of the countdown.
  • This countdown also is the first to not feature any Australian artists in the Top 10. The highest Australian entry was #17, a record low in any Hottest 100.
  • With sixteen entries coming from Australian artists, the 2009 Of All Time list equals the record set in the 1990 Of All Time countdown for the fewest entries from Australian artists in a countdown.
  • It was announced at the beginning of the countdown that #101 was "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana. This is the first known instance where the same artist held both the 1st and 101st positions in a Hottest 100.
  • Only two songs in the entire Hottest 100 featured a female lead vocalist: Shara Nelson and Elizabeth Fraser, both of whom were guest vocalists on songs by Massive Attack. As such, there were no female artists or bands with permanent female vocalists who reached the countdown.
  • * Overall, six bands with songs on the countdown included female instrumentalists. These were The Dandy Warhols, New Order, Pixies, Pulp, The Smashing Pumpkins and The White Stripes, accounting for eight songs between them, the only other songs which featured contributions from a female musician were "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio, which featured backing vocals from musician Katrina Ford, and "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones, which featured backing vocals from singer Merry Clayton.

CD release

Triple J released a compilation disc including 36 of the tracks.
DVD
  1. Radiohead – "Paranoid Android"
  2. Rage Against the Machine – "Killing in the Name"
  3. Muse – "Knights of Cydonia"
  4. Jeff Buckley – "Hallelujah"
  5. Joy Division – "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
  6. Oasis – "Wonderwall"
  7. Hilltop Hoods – "The Nosebleed Section"
  8. The White Stripes – "Seven Nation Army"
  9. Massive Attack – "Teardrop"
  10. Powderfinger – "My Happiness"
  11. Hunters & Collectors – "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
  12. New Order – "Blue Monday"
  13. The Killers – "Mr. Brightside"
  14. The Living End – "Prisoner of Society"
  15. Silverchair – "Tomorrow"
  16. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – "Into My Arms"
  17. Bloc Party – "Banquet"
  18. Faith No More – "Epic"
  19. You Am I – "Berlin Chair"
  20. The John Butler Trio – "Betterman"
  21. The Cure – "Close to Me"
  22. Augie March – "One Crowded Hour"
  23. Violent Femmes – "Blister in the Sun"
  24. Blink-182 – "Dammit "
  25. The Prodigy – "Breathe"
  26. The Stone Roses – "Fools Gold
  27. The Shins – "New Slang"
  28. Ben Folds Five – "Brick"
  29. Gotye – "Hearts a Mess"
  30. David Bowie – "Life on Mars?"
  31. Pulp – "Common People"
  32. The Dandy Warhols – "Bohemian Like You"
  33. System of a Down – "Chop Suey!"
  34. Modest Mouse – "Float On"
  35. Coldplay – "Yellow"
  36. TV On The Radio – "Wolf Like Me"
  37. Midnight Oil – "Beds Are Burning"
  38. Franz Ferdinand– "Take Me Out"
  39. Radiohead – "Fake Plastic Trees"