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 2012.
Taking place on January 26th, 2013, and attracting 1,516,765 votes, the triple j Hottest of 2012 was the 20th annual countdown held by the station which limited votes to songs released in the last year.
A few years removed from the controversy of 2009’s leaked winner announcement, folks undoubtedly believed that 2012 would be a run of the mill countdown. Sadly, a false sense of security (and the rise of social media) made it the perfect environment for statisticians to come in and try ruining the fun.
In the weeks leading up to the countdown, Brisbane statistician Nick Drewe used data gleaned from social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to construct a predicted list of the 2012 Hottest 100, jokingly nicknamed The Warmest 100.
This caused much disappointment for some music fans, with many believing the 2012 countdown would be ruined because of it, and even causing betting agent SportingBet to suspend all bets on the countdown results.
In the end, 92 of the 100 songs were predicted, with eight tracks (including the top three) having their final placings predicted correctly.
triple j later said they’d take measures to prevent such predictions happening in the future, though the Warm Tunas website has been doing its best to predict the countdown for the last few years.
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Topping the countdown for 2012 though was Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘Thrift Shop’, serving as the highest placing for a hip-hop track in the history of the countdown.
Check out Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘Thrift Shop’:
As always, a few other interesting moments occurred, including during the time when Flight Facilities’ ‘Clair De Lune’ charted at #17. 15 years on from when former PM Gough Whitlam announced the winning song, Prime Minister Julia Gillard appeared on the countdown, introducing the track as her favourite song of the year.
The 2012 countdown also featured a few cover versions charting after their originals, with Thundamentals’ cover of Matt Corby’s ‘Brother’ appearing a year after the original hit #3. Likewise, Matt Corby also charted with his cover of The Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’, one year after the original hit #2.
Interestingly, the 2012 countdown is one of only a handful of countdowns to feature no Aussie artists in the top three. While it happened in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2008, 2012 is the most recent time that this occasional milestone took place.
Check out Alt-J’s ‘Breezeblocks’:
At the end of the day, triple j’s Hottest 100 for 2012 featured songs by 78 different artists from a total of 11 countries, including 41 from Australia, 25 from the USA, and 19 from England.
Flume was the most successful act of the countdown, featuring with four tracks, while Alt-J and Frank Ocean both appeared three times.
Meanwhile, 18 further acts appeared twice, including Calvin Harris (who appeared as a solo act and a remixer for Florence + The Machine), and Florence Welch (who appeared with Calvin Harris and with Florence + The Machine).
Also, if you’re keen on some of the more obscure facts, the shortest track to appear in the countdown was Flume’s ‘Holdin On’ at 2:34, while the longest was Flight Facilities’ ‘Clair De Lune’ at 7:40.
Check out the full list of songs in the triple j Hottest 100 for 2012 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 2012
#1. ‘Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)’ – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
#2. ‘Little Talks’ – Of Monsters And Men
#3. ‘Breezeblocks’ – alt-J
#4. ‘Holdin On’ – Flume
#5. ‘I Will Wait’ – Mumford & Sons
#6. ‘Get Free (feat. Amber Coffman)’ – Major Lazer
#7. ‘Elephant’ – Tame Impala
#8. ‘Lost’ – Frank Ocean
#9. ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ – Tame Impala
#10. ‘My Gun’ – The Rubens
#11. ‘Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch)’ – Calvin Harris
#12. ‘Sleepless (feat. Jezzabell Doran)’ – Flume
#13. ‘Gold On The Ceiling’ – The Black Keys
#14. ‘I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)’ – Icona Pop
#15. ‘Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)’ – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
#16. ‘Not Giving In (feat. John Newman & Alex Clare)’ – Rudimental
#17. ‘Clair De Lune (feat. Christine Hoberg)’ – Flight Facilities
#18. ‘HyperParadise (Flume Remix)’ – Hermitude
#19. ‘Angels’ – The xx
#20. ‘Feel The Love (feat. John Newman)’ – Rudimental
#21. ‘Latch (feat. Sam Smith)’ – Disclosure
#22. ‘Trembling Hands’ – The Temper Trap
#23. ‘Coming Down’ – Ball Park Music
#24. ‘I’m Into You’ – Chet Faker
#25. ‘Bangarang (feat. Sirah)’ – Skrillex
#26. ‘Dear Science’ – Seth Sentry
#27. ‘Surrender’ – Ball Park Music
#28. ‘Default’ – Django Django
#29. ‘Cherry Lips’ – Loon Lake
#30. ‘Laura’ – Bat For Lashes
#31. ‘Gasoline’ – Alpine
#32. ‘Spectrum (Say My Name) (Calvin Harris Remix)’ – Florence And The Machine
#33. ‘Can’t Get Better Than This’ – Parachute Youth
#34. ‘Born To Die’ – Lana Del Rey
#35. ‘Run Alone’ – 360
#36. ‘Paddling Out’ – Miike Snow
#37. ‘Sun’ – Two Door Cinema Club
#38. ‘Oblivion’ – Grimes
#39. ‘Hold On’ – Alabama Shakes
#40. ‘R U Mine?’ – Arctic Monkeys
#41. ‘I Can Make You Love Me’ – British India
#42. ‘Hurricane’ – MS MR
#43. ‘Ho Hey’ – The Lumineers
#44. ‘Follow The Sun’ – Xavier Rudd
#45. ‘Young And Dumb (feat. Bertie Blackman)’ – Chance Waters
#46. ‘Take A Walk’ – Passion Pit
#47. ‘Mountain Sound’ – Of Monsters And Men
#48. ‘Fred Astaire’ – San Cisco
#49. ‘Brother’ – Thundamentals
#50. ‘My Heart Is On Fire’ – Asta
#51. ‘This Fire’ – Birds Of Tokyo
#52. ‘Ghosts’ – The Presets
#53. ‘Wild Things’ – San Cisco
#54. ‘I Got Burned (feat. Tim Rogers)’ – The Bamboos
#55. ‘Internet Friends’ – Knife Party
#56. ‘Thinkin Bout You’ – Frank Ocean
#57. ‘Float Away’ – Seth Sentry
#58. ‘Babel’ – Mumford & Sons
#59. ‘Love This’ – Cosmo Jarvis
#60. ‘Love Interruption’ – Jack White
#61. ‘Caress Your Soul’ – Sticky Fingers
#62. ‘Just What I Am (feat. King Chip)’ – Kid Cudi
#63. ‘Wolf’ – First Aid Kit
#64. ‘Tessellate’ – alt-J
#65. ‘Genesis’ – Grimes
#66. ‘The Best We Got’ – The Rubens
#67. ‘On Top (feat. T.Shirt)’ – Flume
#68. ‘Silhouettes’ – Avicii
#69. ‘Lonely Boy’ – Matt Corby
#70. ‘Promises’ – The Presets
#71. ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’ – Kendrick Lamar
#72. ‘All The Rowboats’ – Regina Spektor
#73. ‘Draw A Crowd’ – Ben Folds Five
#74. ‘Simple Song’ – The Shins
#75. ‘Madness’ – Muse
#76. ‘Heard It All’ – Illy
#77. ‘Love Is All I Got’ – Feed Me & Crystal Fighters
#78. ‘Household Goods’ – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
#79. ‘Little Black Submarines’ – The Black Keys
#80. ‘Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)’ – Frank Ocean
#81. ‘Something Good’ – alt-J
#82. ‘Disparate Youth’ – Santigold
#83. ‘She’s A Riot’ – The Jungle Giants
#84. ‘Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom’ – Hilltop Hoods
#85. ‘Fineshrine’ – Purity Ring
#86. ‘Summertime Sadness’ – Lana Del Rey
#87. ‘Chronicles Of A Fallen Love (feat. Greta Svabo Bech)’ – The Bloody Beetroots
#88. ‘Down The Road’ – C2C
#89. ‘Maybe Tomorrow (feat. Lilian Blue)’ – Chance Waters
#90. ‘Sleep Alone’ – Two Door Cinema Club
#91. ‘So Good’ – Allday x C1
#92. ‘Spiritus’ – Lisa Mitchell
#93. ‘Dance Bear’ – Snakadaktal
#94. ’45’ – The Gaslight Anthem
#95. ‘Andy’ – Last Dinosaurs
#96. ‘Clique’ – Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean
#97. ‘I’m Shakin” – Jack White
#98. ‘Warrior (feat. Mark Foster & A-Trak)’ – Kimbra
#99. ‘Bad Girls’ – M.I.A.
#100. ‘Cough Cough’ – Everything Everything
triple j’s Hottest 200 of 2012
#101. ‘Don’t Save Me’ – HAIM
#102. ‘Rabbit Hole’ – The Temper Trap
#103. ‘Survival Expert’ – Something For Kate
#104. ‘Language’ – Porter Robinson
#105. ‘Idea Of Happiness’ – Van She
#106. ‘Forever’ – HAIM
#107. ‘Chasing Ghosts’ – The Amity Affliction
#108. ‘Need Your Love’ – The Temper Trap
#109. ‘Karmageddon’ – Abbe May
#110. ‘My Scene’ – Seth Sentry
#111. ‘Mercy’ – Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
#112. ‘Chained’ – The xx
#113. ‘Where Ya Been (feat. Pez)’ – Illy
#114. ‘Boy’ – Emma Louise
#115. ‘Drinking From The Sun’ – Hilltop Hoods
#116. ‘Die A Happy Man (feat. Jane Tyrrell)’ – Tuka
#117. ‘Unashamed Desire’ – Missy Higgins
#118. ‘Get In My Life’ – Hermitude
#119. ‘Speaking In Tongues (feat. Chali 2na)’ – Hilltop Hoods
#120. ‘Passerby’ – Grinspoon
#121. ‘Inhaler’ – Foals
#122. ‘Apocalypse Dreams’ – Tame Impala
#123. ‘The House That Heaven Built’ – Japandroids
#124. ‘Bless This Mess’ – Lisa Mitchell
#125. ‘Pyramids’ – Frank Ocean
#126. ‘I’m Corrupt’ – DCUP
#127. ‘HyperParadise’ – Hermitude
#128. ‘Jah No Partial (feat. Flux Pavilion)’ – Major Lazer
#129. ‘Youth In Trouble’ – The Presets
#130. ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ – Bombay Bicycle Club
#131. ‘Souls A’Fire’ – Matt Corby
#132. ‘That’s What’s Up’ – Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros
#133. ‘I Fink U Freeky’ – Die Antwoord
#134. ‘Ill Manors’ – Plan B
#135. ‘Dark Days’ – Parkway Drive
#136. ‘Runaways’ – The Killers
#137. ‘Escape’ – Asta
#138. ‘Give Me Time’ – Eagle And The Worm
#139. ‘Hearts A Mess’ – Missy Higgins
#140. ‘Sweet Sour’ – Band Of Skulls
#141. ‘Heart Of A Lion’ – The Griswolds
#142. ‘Wild Love’ – Gossling
#143. ‘She’s My Baby’ – Kingswood
#144. ‘National Anthem’ – Lana Del Rey
#145. ‘Playing With Fire (feat. Labrinth)’ – Plan B
#146. ‘Medusa’ – Kingswood
#147. ‘Neighbour Neighbour’ – Violent Soho
#148. ‘Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings’ – Father John Misty
#149. ‘Do It With A Rockstar’ – Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
#150. ‘Octopus’ – Bloc Party
#151. ‘Jamaica’ – Van She
#152. ‘Rocksteady’ – The Bloody Beetroots
#153. ‘Knee Length Socks’ – Urthboy
#154. ‘Born At The Right Time’ – Dappled Cities
#155. ‘Do It Anyway’ – Ben Folds Five
#156. ‘Bird On The Buffalo’ – Angus Stone
#157. ‘Heartbreak (feat. Chela)’ – Clubfeet
#158. ‘Off To The Races’ – Lana Del Rey
#159. ‘Gonna Make It’ – Vydamo
#160. ‘Left Alone (feat. Chet Faker)’ – Flume
#161. ‘Above The Water’ – Art Of Sleeping
#162. ‘Don’t Ever Want To Be Found’ – The Rubens
#163. ‘Water Bombs’ – Twinsy
#164. ‘This Head I Hold ‘ – Electric Guest
#165. ‘Broken Brights’ – Angus Stone
#166. ‘Bloom’ – Gypsy & The Cat
#167. ‘The Wave’ – Miike Snow
#168. ‘All Your Gold’ – Bat For Lashes
#169. ‘Beauty In The Bricks’ – Spit Syndicate
#170. ‘Tinderbox’ – Violent Soho
#171. ‘Hang Loose’ – Alabama Shakes
#172. ‘Truth’ – Bloc Party
#173. ‘Clouds + Cream’ – Sticky Fingers
#174. ‘The Keepers’ – Santigold
#175. ‘Don’t Wanna Grow Up Anymore’ – Bob Evans
#176. ‘Video Games’ – Bluejuice
#177. ‘The Only Place’ – Best Coast
#178. ‘Someone Purer’ – Mystery Jets
#179. ‘Myth’ – Beach House
#180. ‘Empty Hands’ – Art Of Sleeping
#181. ‘Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)’ – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
#182. ‘No Beef (feat. Miss Palmer)’ – Afrojack & Steve Aoki
#183. ‘Frivolous Life (feat. Marcus Azon)’ – YesYou
#184. ‘Yet Again’ – Grizzly Bear
#185. ‘Ride’ – Lana Del Rey
#186. ‘Be Ready When I Say Go’ – Emperors
#187. ‘Fitzpleasure’ – alt-J
#188. ‘Baguette?’ – Tyler Touché
#189. ‘Told You So’ – Cub Scouts
#190. ‘Beautiful’ – TZU
#191. ‘The Game’ – Pez
#192. ‘Open Letter’ – The Amity Affliction
#193. ‘Sharp Shooter’ – Hungry Kids Of Hungary
#194. ‘Seeing Red’ – Alpine
#195. ‘Wake Up’ – Dead Letter Circus
#196. ‘September’ – St. Lucia
#197. ‘Miracle Cure’ – Something For Kate
#198. ‘Wicked Games’ – The Weeknd
#199. ‘Chaos Theory’ – ShockOne
#200. ‘Centipede’ – Knife Party
Quick Facts:
Artists: 78
Most Successful Artist: Flume (4 tracks)
Number Of Countries: 11
Top Three Countries: Australia (41 tracks), USA (25 tracks), England (19 tracks)
Shortest Song: ‘Holdin On’ – Flume (2:34)
Longest Song: ‘Clair De Lune’ – Flight Facilities (7:40)
