With the 2021 Hottest 100 set to take place on January 22nd, 2022, we here at Tone Deaf have decided to take a stroll down memory lane, recapping the countdowns of yesteryear in the lead-up to the latest edition of musical democracy. Today, we’re taking a look back at the Hottest 100 of 1999.
Taking place in January of 2000, the triple j Hottest of 1999 was the seventh annual countdown held by the station which limited votes to songs released in the last year.
While 1998 saw a year off for Aussies artists topping the countdown, it turned out we weren’t far from a return to Aussie pride, with the 1999 being the biggest celebration of Australian music in a countdown up to that point.
With Powderfinger grabbing the #1 spot for the first time, the remainder of the top three was also an all-Australian affair, with triple j Unearthed artists Killing Heidi and The Tenants occupying those spots.
In fact, Killing Heidi’s #2 position would remain a frequent record for Aussie artists over the years, with the likes of Grinspoon, Missy Higgins, Art vs. Science, and Little Red all peaking at this position, before Vance Joy finally became the first Unearthed artist to hit #1 in 2013.
Check out Powderfinger’s ‘These Days’:
Likewise, the 1999 countdown is notable for being the first time that Australia became the most dominant country in a countdown. After having 42 tracks to the USA’s 44 in 1998, this year saw Australia nab a whopping 52 tracks, while the USA was relegated to just 31.
This record would stand for a number of years, being matched by the 2007 countdown, before being topped in 2014 with 59, and again in 2016 with 66.
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While the rest of the countdown was comparatively unremarkable, it did feature a couple of odd tracks, such as Peter Helliar’s ‘Bevan The Musical’, which had been performed for Drive hosts Merrick & Rosso. Backed by members of Tripod, the comedic track was a surprising hit on triple j, given the subject was Young Talent Time‘s Beven Addinsall.
Meanwhile, Public Image Ltd just snuck into the countdown with ‘The Order Of Death’. Featuring on the soundtrack for The Blair Witch Project, the track wasn’t actually released in 1999, but rather way back in 1984.
Check out Public Image Ltd’s ‘The Order Of Death’:
At the end of the day, triple j’s Hottest 100 for 1999 featured songs by 72 different artists from a total of 8 countries, including 52 from Australia, 31 from the USA, and 12 from England.
Powderfinger and Silverchair proved to be the best most successful acts of the countdown, with four appearances each, while Frenzal Rhomb, Something For Kate, and Spiderbait all charted three times. Meanwhile, a further 16 artists appeared twice.
Also, if you’re keen on some of the more obscure facts, the shortest track to appear in the countdown was Eskimo Joe’s ‘Ruby Wednesday’ at 1:33, while the longest was Blur’s ‘Tender’ at 7:41.
Check out the full list of songs in the triple j Hottest 100 for 1999 below. If you’re keen to learn more, head over to the Hottest 100 Database, and check out the Hottest 100 songs that didn’t make the Hottest 100.
triple j’s Hottest 100 of 1999
#1. ‘These Days’ – Powderfinger
#2. ‘Weir’ – Killing Heidi
#3. ‘You Shit Me To Tears’ – The Tenants
#4. ‘Praise You’ – Fatboy Slim
#5. ‘Every You Every Me’ – Placebo
#6. ‘The Bad Touch’ – Bloodhound Gang
#7. ‘Guerilla Radio’ – Rage Against The Machine
#8. ‘Nookie’ – Limp Bizkit
#9. ‘Last Kiss’ – Pearl Jam
#10. ‘Scar Tissue’ – Red Hot Chili Peppers
#11. ‘Learn To Fly’ – Foo Fighters
#12. ‘When I Grow Up’ – Garbage
#13. ‘What’s My Age Again?’ – Blink-182
#14. ‘Mascara’ – Killing Heidi
#15. ‘Ana’s Song (Open Fire)’ – Silverchair
#16. ‘Freak On A Leash’ – Korn
#17. ‘Falling Away From Me’ – Korn
#18. ‘Theophilus Thistler… An Exercise In Vowels’ – Sonic Animation
#19. ‘Animal’ – Jebediah
#20. ‘Exerciser’ – Rhubarb
#21. ‘Lucky Star’ – Alex Lloyd
#22. ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ – Madison Avenue
#23. ‘Right Here, Right Now’ – Fatboy Slim
#24. ‘I Try’ – Macy Gray
#25. ‘Already Gone’ – Powderfinger
#26. ‘Never Had So Much Fun’ – Frenzal Rhomb
#27. ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ – The Chemical Brothers
#28. ‘Feet Touch The Ground’ – Jebediah
#29. ‘Anthem For The Year 2000’ – Silverchair
#30. ‘Miss You Love’ – Silverchair
#31. ‘All The Small Things’ – Blink-182
#32. ‘Heaven Coming Down’ – The Tea Party
#33. ‘Ready 1’ – Grinspoon
#34. ‘You Are Not My Friend’ – Frenzal Rhomb
#35. ‘Bevan (The Musical) (feat. Tripod)’ – Peter Helliar
#36. ‘A Hazy Shade Of Winter’ – Bodyjar
#37. ‘Around The World’ – Red Hot Chili Peppers
#38. ‘Chunky Chunky Air Guitar’ – The Whitlams
#39. ‘Turn Up Your Stereo’ – Eskimo Joe
#40. ‘Shazam!’ – Spiderbait
#41. ‘All Torn Down’ – The Living End
#42. ‘Ringo (I Feel Like..)’ – Custard
#43. ‘Emotion Sickness’ – Silverchair
#44. ‘Electricity’ – Something For Kate
#45. ‘Enter, Space Capsule’ – Gerling
#46. ‘The Chemicals Between Us’ – Bush
#47. ‘Coffee & TV’ – Blur
#48. ‘West End Riot’ – The Living End
#49. ‘Second Class Citizen’ – Area-7
#50. ‘Bigger Than Tina I’ – The Fauves
#51. ‘Army’ – Ben Folds Five
#52. ‘It Won’t Last’ – The Cruel Sea
#53. ‘Sexx Laws’ – Beck
#54. ‘Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst)’ – The Whitlams
#55. ‘Perfect Family’ – Diana Ah Naid
#56. ‘No Leaf Clover’ – Metallica
#57. ‘Tender’ – Blur
#58. ‘I Wanna Be A Nudist’ – Regurgitator
#59. ‘Mutha Fukka On A Motorcycle’ – Machine Gun Fellatio
#60. ‘Touched’ – VAST
#61. ‘Asleep In Perfection’ – Augie March
#62. ‘Happiness’ – Regurgitator
#63. ‘Canned Heat’ – Jamiroquai
#64. ‘We’re Going Out Tonight’ – Frenzal Rhomb
#65. ‘Burn To Shine’ – Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
#66. ‘Turn That Shit Up’ – Testeagles
#67. ‘Beautiful Stranger’ – Madonna
#68. ‘Good-Day Ray’ – Powderfinger
#69. ‘Starfuckers, Inc.’ – Nine Inch Nails
#70. ‘Whatever You Want’ – Something For Kate
#71. ‘Pulled Along By Love’ – The Mutton Birds
#72. ‘Hallways’ – Something For Kate
#73. ‘Pumping On Your Stereo’ – Supergrass
#74. ‘Deeper Water’ – Deadstar
#75. ‘Some Kind Of Love Song’ – Friendly
#76. ‘What It’s Like’ – Everlast
#77. ‘Sun Is Shining’ – Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe
#78. ‘My Favourite Game’ – The Cardigans
#79. ‘Bodyrock’ – Moby
#80. ‘Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix Edit)’ – Moloko
#81. ‘Nothing Much Happens’ – Ben Lee
#82. ‘Home’ – Skunkhour
#83. ‘Hit Song’ – Custard
#84. ‘Stevie’ – Spiderbait
#85. ‘Steal My Kisses’ – Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
#86. ‘Blue Monday’ – Orgy
#87. ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ – Placebo
#88. ‘Run On’ – Moby
#89. ‘Nice Guys Finish Last’ – Green Day
#90. ‘Stripped’ – Rammstein
#91. ‘Down Under’ – Pennywise
#92. ‘Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak’ – Macy Gray
#93. ‘Waltz #2 (XO)’ – Elliott Smith
#94. ‘Spray Water On The Stereo’ – Turnstyle
#95. ‘The Order Of Death’ – Public Image Ltd
#96. ‘Plastic’ – Spiderbait
#97. ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’ – The Offspring
#98. ‘Every Morning’ – Sugar Ray
#99. ‘Ruby Wednesday’ – Eskimo Joe
#100. ‘Passenger’ – Powderfinger
Quick Facts:
Artists: 72
Most Successful Artists: Powderfinger and Silverchair (4 tracks)
Number Of Countries: 8
Top Three Countries: Australia (52 tracks),USA (31 tracks), England (12 tracks)
Shortest Song: ‘Ruby Wednesday’ – Eskimo Joe (1:33)
Longest Song: ‘Tender’ – Blur (7:41)
