Triple J Hottest 100

The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by national Australian radio station, Triple J. The public is invited to vote in favourite songs of the year, with the poll conducted online two weeks prior to the new year.

The 100 most popular songs are then counted down on Australia Day. The poll attracts over half a million votes every year, and continues to increase, with the poll has growing from 500,000 in 2004 to 2.03 million in 2014. It is regarded as "the world's greatest music democracy". Following the completion of each year's countdown, a compilation CD featuring highlight tracks is released by ABC Music.

History

1988–1991: Introduction

The idea for the poll came from Triple J producer, Lawrie Zion, in late 1988. During this time, he conceived the idea of running a listener poll to determine their 100 favourite songs of all time. The idea was influenced by Brisbane community radio station, 4zzz, which developed its Hot 100 in 1976.

For the inaugural poll, before Triple J had become a national broadcaster, Sydney listeners were required to write their 10 favourite tracks down on the back of an envelope. Some entries were sent into the station, written on a variety of items, including paintings, sculptures, and hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes. The results of the first poll were counted down on Sunday 5 March 1989 between 10am and 6pm.