It’s been 25 years since Spiderbait became the first-ever Australian act to top the triple j Hottest 100 with their short and sweet satirical hit, ‘Buy Me A Pony.’
In 1996, Spiderbait unleashed their third record, Ivy and the Big Apples. It marked a period of sonic experimentation for the band, and was their first record to interpolate electronic and acoustic sounds with their signature, heavy, freewheeling rock and roll.
Ivy and the Big Apples spawned a number of Spiderbait’s most prevailing cuts, like ‘Don’t Kill Nipper,’ and ‘Joyce’s Hut,’ in addition to two of their biggest singles, ‘Calypso,’ and, perhaps most significantly, ‘Buy Me A Pony.’
‘Buy Me A Pony,’ a caustic indictment of record labels, inspired by the bidding war that occured when Spiderbait were looking to sign.
“That song was kind of like a comic book version of how bad it can be, and the song still resonates with people today,” Kram said of the single. “But the label loved it, even though it was about them and everyone else – they had enough of a sense of humour to get it.”
The lead single off Ivy and the Big Apples — ‘Buy Me A Pony’ would go on to be the first ever Australian song to top the triple j Hottest 100.
Singer and bassist Janet recently revealed to Music Feeds that the band found out about taking out the top spot of the countdown whilst playing Hobart Town Hall with Silverchair.
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“Looking back now, I realise it (an Australian band winning for the first time) was a big deal,” she said.
Guitarist Whitt added that he, “Felt not only happy for the band, but happy for Australian music lovers who regarded their own as highly as a band from overseas. It’s an achievement any band would be proud of and I’m so grateful that it happened to us.”
Check out the full Hottest 100 1996 list below.
Hottest 100 1996
1. Spiderbait – ‘Buy Me A Pony’
2. Tool – ‘Stinkfist’
3. Ben Folds Five – ‘Underground’
4. Butthole Surfers – ‘Pepper’
5. Bush – ‘Glycerine’
6. Powderfinger – ‘Pick You Up’
7. The Prodigy – ‘Breathe’
8. Allen Ginsberg – ‘Ballad Of The Skeletons’
9. Weezer – ‘El Scorcho’
10. Babybird – ‘You’re Gorgeous’
11. 311 – ‘Down’
12. Underworld – ‘Born Slippy’
13. Smashing Pumpkins – ‘1979′
14. Fun Lovin’ Criminals – ‘Scooby Snacks’
15. Regurgitator – ‘Kong Foo Sing’
16. Babylon Zoo – ‘Spaceman’
17. Prodigy – ‘Firestarter’
18. Powderfinger – ‘D.A.F.’
19. Bush – ‘Swallowed’
20. The Fauves – ‘Dogs Are The Best People’
21. Foo Fighters – ‘Down In The Park’
22. Ash – ‘Oh Yeah’
23. Regurgitator – ‘(I Sucked A lot Of Cock) To Get Where I Am’
24. Everclear – ‘Santa Monica’
25. No Doubt – ‘Just A Girl’
26. Chemical Brothers – ‘Setting Sun’
27. Cake – ‘The Distance’
28. Smashing Pumpkins – ‘Zero’
29. Beck – ‘Devil’s Haircut’
30. Fauves – ‘Self Abuser’
31. Skin – ‘Mah Na Mah Na’
32. Powderfinger – ‘Living Type’
33. 2Pac – ‘California Love’
34. Tracey Bonham – ‘Mother Mother’
35. Fugees – ‘Killing Me Softly’
36. Primitive Radio Gods – ‘Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand’
37. Jamiroquai – ‘Virtual Insanity’
38. Bush – ‘Comedown’
39. Eels – ‘Novocaine For The Soul’
40. Tricky & Garbage – ‘Milk’
41. Geggy Tah – ‘Whoever You Are’
42. Fini Scad – ‘Coppertone’
43. Beck – ‘Where It’s At’
44. The Cranberries – ‘Salvation’
45. Nirvana – ‘Aneurysm’
46. Rage Against The Machine – ‘Bulls On Parade’
47. Pearl Jam – ‘Hail Hail’
48. Nada Surf – ‘Popular’
49. Definition Of Sound – ‘Pass The Vibes’
50. Presidents Of The USA – ‘Mach 5′
51. Garbage – ‘Only Happy When It Rains’
52. Metallica – ‘Until It Sleeps’
53. Bjork – ‘Hyperballad’
54. Lemonheads – ‘If I Could Talk’
55. Smashing Pumpkins – ‘Tonight, Tonight’
56. Eels – ‘Susan’s House’
57. Rebecca’s Empire – ‘So Rude’
58. Everclear – ‘Heartspark Dollarsign’
59. Tumbleweed – ‘Silver Lizard’
60. Kula Shaker – ‘Hey Dude’
61. Def FX – ‘I’ll Be Your Majick’
62. Metallica – ‘Hero Of The Day’
63. Bad Religion – ‘Punk Rock Song’
64. Angelique Kidjo – ‘Wombo Lombo’
65. Goldfinger – ‘Here In Your Bedroom’
66. Frente – ‘What’s Come Over Me’
67. Crowded House – ‘Everything Is Good For You’
68. Mullen & Clayton – ‘Mission Impossible’
69. Insurge – ‘Speculator’
70. Deadstar – ‘Don’t It Get You Down’
71. Pulp – ‘Disco 2000′
72. Frenzal Rhomb – ‘Punch In The Face’
73. Hole – ‘Gold Dust Woman’
74. Ministry – ‘Lay Lady Lay’
75. Midnight Oil – ‘Surf’s Up Tonight’
76. Spacehog – ‘In The Meantime’
77. Soundgarden – ‘Burden In My Hand’
78. OMC – ‘How Bizarre’
79. The Whitlams – ‘I Make Hamburgers’
80. You Am I – ‘Soldiers’
81. The Superjesus – ‘Shut My Eyes’
82. Luscious Jackson – ‘Naked Eye’
83. Hoodoo Gurus – ‘Waking Up Tired’
84. You Am I – ‘Good Mornin”
85. Ash – ‘Goldfinger’
86. Neneh Cherry – ‘Woman’
87. R.E.M. – ‘E-Bow The Letter’
88. Hunting Party – ‘Grooving’
89. Snout – ‘Cromagnon Man’
90. Pearl Jam – ‘Leaving Here’
91. Barry Adamson – ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Pelvis’
92. The Mavis’s – ‘Thunder’
93. Skunk Anansie – ‘All I Want’
94. Pearl Jam – ‘Mankind’
95. Frank Bennett – ‘Creep’
96. Matthew Trapnell – ‘Ella’s Uncle’
97. AC/DC – ‘Hail Caesar’
98. Tori Amos – ‘Professional Widow’
99. Republica – ‘Ready To Go’
100. Ben Harper – ‘Gold To Me’
