All The Winners And Losers In Triple J’s 2017 Hottest 100
People found a lot to complain about this year.
The 25th triple j Hottest 100 was one of the biggest and most suspenseful countdowns to date. It constantly left listeners guessing, often brought surprises and has encouraged discussion and debate that’s still on-going long after the dust has settled.
With a changed date and a clean slate, it’s time to take a look at the winners and losers of the 2017 Hottest 100.
WINNER: Hip-hop
Whatever happens on Earth, stays on Earth — and right now, the planet is giving us some of the biggest and best hip-hop music to enjoy from all corners of it.
Needless to say, Kung Fu Kenny taking the top spot is massive — he’s the first lead black artist to hit number one on the countdown, as well as only the second hip-hop act to accomplish this feat (behind his old texting buddy Macklemore) and the only previous silver medalist in the history of the Hottest 100 to ever take out the gold.
It didn’t just stop on K-Dot, either — Baker Boy got us dancing, Thundamentals offered a critique of one individual’s dancing abilities, Future tossed up whether his facial attire was appropriate or not and Stormzy commented on foot growth in relation to footwear.
LOSER: Neck tattoos and basketball shorts
In case you don’t populate this particular side of Twitter, you might not know that there’s a subsect of folks that were very grumpy because there were no quote-unquote “heavy” acts in the countdown this year.
Let’s ignore the fact that these exact same types would immediately abandon a band from their scene the second they got popular enough to be voted into the Hottest 100. Let’s also ignore the fact that there is a 95 to 99 percent chance that none of them voted in the first place. Let’s purely focus on the fact that heavier music is a niche genre as it is — a profitable one, sure, but not one that has a wealth of mainstream recognition. It took Parkway Drive three albums to even crack the bottom quarter of a Hottest 100. Why was anyone expecting a band like Polaris to on their first go, regardless of how good the record itself is?
If you build it, they will come. Just don’t throw all of your Lego out of the cot if it doesn’t work the exact way you want it to immediately.
Huge congrats to all the Metal/Punk heavy acts that made it into the #Hottest100 today starting with…oh wait there was none. Not surprised I don’t know anyone that listens to triple j that loves heavy music they have all switched to Spotify.
— Chriswhatavibe (@chriswhatavibe) January 27, 2018
WINNER: Gang of Youths
One would assume the trophy case at Casa Del Gang is probably heaving right now, and this sure didn’t help matters. Their four-time inclusion in the countdown — including three in the top ten — is a remarkable achievement. Long may they run.
No further analysis needed here — they’re great people making great music.
LOSER: Foo Fighters
You may be surprised to see these guys here. After all, how can they be losers if they played a stadium to 40,000 people the night the countdown itself occurred? Alright, here we go: Dave Grohl and co. did not make the countdown this year. “No shit,” you’re probably thinking. “This isn’t Triple M/It’s not the ’90s.”
Here’s the thing, though: This marks the first time ever in the history of the countdown that zero eligible Foo Fighters songs from a major release have made it in. From the mid-90s right up to 2016, every year the band put out a record would see at least one song get in. Even their greatest hits album spawned the single ‘Wheels,’ which took out #100 in 2009.
It’s the end of an era — and, given the beige over-indulgence the band has become, it’s probably for the best.
WINNER: Big Shaq
What started as a one-off joke for British comedian Michael Dapaah has quite literally taken him all over the world and back again.
It’s just as much a testament to the internet’s impact on comedy as it is a laughing-with love letter to some of the tendencies and eccentricities of British hip-hop. There’s levels to it, as Kendrick might put it — but you don’t need any greater context to purely enjoy the silliness and joy of the song purely on its surface value.
The centre of the Hottest 100 is already pretty warm, but man’s still keeping his jacket on. You know exactly why.
LOSER: Humourless sooks
Apparently Big Shaq was a divisive entry. Because we routinely devalue comedy as an art form. Because, apparently, the Hottest 100 is supposed to be for “serious” music only — y’know, songs like ‘Asshole,’ ‘Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),’ ‘America Fuck Yeah,’ ‘Bevan the Musical’ and ‘You Should Consider Having Sex with a Bearded Man.’
Honestly, if you were among the people that complained about this then maybe you need a hug. They’ve done studies, y’know — you actually don’t have to be a grumpy arsehole all the time. Quick maths.
WINNER: The kids, the sisterhood and some cool uncles
The Hottest 100 was a pretty happy family this year, having a barbie together and enjoying one another’s company. Some spring chickens like Brockhampton, Alex the Astronaut, Angie McMahon and Mallrat made their debuts, and were happily welcomed in.
Nearly half the countdown (49 percent) featured women, which is a major step towards the kind of equality that Camp Cope sing so openly about in ‘The Opener,’ which got to #58. And it all took place under the watchful eye of the cool uncles that know the cool bands and go to gigs with their kids — Paul Dempsey, Josh Homme and Pharrell Williams. It’s all love — as long as no-one pulls out the camera near Uncle Josh.
LOSER: The grown men that are mad online because the youth broadcaster is not playing the music that they like even though the ABC literally made a triple j for old people so that this problem needn’t exist in the first place
“Can someone explain to me what a Kendrick Lamar is?” Who exactly are you trying to impress there, Barry? No-one invited you to this party to begin with, why intrude and drunkenly yell over the music to assert your dominance. We don’t care if you don’t “get it.” It’s not for you anymore. Go listen to Double J.
WINNER: triple j
A tip of the cap to triple j for successfully moving the date of the countdown, and furthermore attracting more votes than ever despite the right-wing nut-jobs doing their best Cory Bernardi impressions and demanding a boycott.
It was an important move, and will hopefully set a precedent for things to come in the cultural climate of the country. Huge big-ups for also raising well into six figures for AIME — donations are still very much ongoing, too. You should head here for more info.
LOSER: triple j
How exactly? Consider this: triple j is big, but the Hottest 100 is bigger. Even if people don’t listen to the station, they know the countdown — and they know to vote.
Yes, there are songs that have been voted in despite never being played by the station in the past — hell, Alanis got three in back in 1995; which is more than some high-rotation acts got that year. Others can be explained by the artist in question having a history with the station — U2 with ‘Vertigo,’ for instance; or Sia with ‘Chandelier.’
The Nova outliers in this year’s list, however, do spark quite the curiosity: ‘Rockstar,’ ‘Feel It Still,’ ‘1-800-273-8255.’ Who does it reflect on that these songs are taking out ranks here? This isn’t to disparage any of these songs, either — okay, maybe ‘Rockstar.’ It’s simply looking at the fact that support from the station doesn’t exactly feel like a prerequisite for making into their countdown — more now than ever.
It’s enough to make the Js think they’re not really needed, if these trends continue to rise.
WINNER: James from Violent Soho
Violent Soho didn’t put out any new music in 2017. So instead of wondering whether he and his mates were gonna get in the countdown, James Tidswell cracked open an East Coast Crusher and hit Twitter for a running commentary on the 100. It was a thoroughly entertaining presence on social media throughout the day.
Here are some choice highlights. Future? “A classic.” The Rubens? “I thought this was Gym Class Heroes.” Hockey Dad? “Siiiiick!!!” Baker Boy? “This cunt rules!”
Don’t tell me Hillsong is gonna win the hottest 100.
— JamesTidswell (@JamesTidswell) January 27, 2018
LOSER: Every bright spark that decided to repeat Ben Lawson’s work from last year and write a variation of “Ya joking, shoulda been higher” on every single post about every single song
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David James Young is a writer and Hottest 100 nerd. He tweets at @DJYwrites. His podcast about the countdown itself, Hottest 100s and 1000s, is currently in its fifth season. You can find out more info on their Twitter account, @Hottest100s.