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 2014.
Taking place on January 26th, 2015, and attracting 2,099,707 votes, the triple j Hottest of 2014 was the 22nd annual countdown held by the station which limited votes to songs released in the last year.
Following on from Vance Joy’s history-making effort the previous year, music lovers were set to witness another amazing year of musical history, with Chet Faker topping the countdown with ‘Talk Is Cheap’.
Chet Faker also became the second artist to achieve three songs in the top ten, with Powderfinger achieving the same in 2003, and Gang Of Youths later matching this in 2017. However, Chet Faker’s effort sees him as the first artist to achieve this feat and also top the countdown.
Close behind though, the Hilltop Hoods managed to achieve #3 with ‘Cosby Sweater’, making this the third time they reached this position. Having first hit #3 with ‘The Hard Road’ in 2006, they again matched this spot with ‘Chase That Feeling’ in 2009.
Incidentally, the 2014 countdown is the third countdown – following 199 and 2006 – to feature an all-Australian top three.
Check out Chet Faker’s ‘Talk is Cheap’:
The 2014 countdown also managed to become one of the most controversial in recent years, with Taylor Swift managing to unintentionally divide an entire nation of music lovers.
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Roughly two weeks before the countdown occurred, a former triple j newsreader appeared on Buzzfeed, asking why people weren’t voting for Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’. Soon, the Internet got ahold of this notion and ran with it, urging everyone they could to vote for Taylor Swift.
Before long, the #Tay4Hottest100 campaign was in full effect, with many attempting to get the song into the poll “for the lolz”, while others did it as a protest against triple j’s perceived change in sound.
triple j initially declined to comment on the voting campaign, noting that everything would be revealed on the 26th of January. However, one week out, fast food chain KFC shared their support of the song, breaching a rule that bans any form of corporate support for songs or artists as a way to hijack the countdown.
On the day of the countdown, it was revealed that had Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ not been disqualified, it would have made #12, and would have robbed Tkay Maidza of her #100 placing.
In a brilliant example of things lining up perfectly, triple j soon started the #Tkay4Hottest100 hashtag, urging people to vote for deserving Aussie tracks in the future, and instituting a new rule for 2015; don’t troll the poll.
Check out Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’:
At the end of the day, triple j’s Hottest 100 for 2014 featured songs by 73 different artists from a total of 11 countries, including 59 from Australia, 15 from the USA, and 12 from England.
Chet Faker was the most successful artist of the countdown, with four tracks. Alt-J,The Amity Affliction, Ball Park Music, Hilltop Hoods, Meg Mac, Sticky Fingers, Thundamentals, and Vance Joy all appeared three times, while a further eleven artists appeared twice.
Also, if you’re keen on some of the more obscure facts, the shortest track to appear in the countdown was Courtney Barnett’s ‘Pickles From The Jar’ at 2:49, while the longest was Flight Facilities’s ‘Two Bodies (feat. Emma Louise)’ at 6:08.
Check out the full list of songs in the triple j Hottest 100 for 2014 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 2014
#1. ‘Talk Is Cheap’ – Chet Faker
#2. ‘High (feat. Nicole Millar)’ – Peking Duk
#3. ‘Cosby Sweater’ – Hilltop Hoods
#4. ‘Stolen Dance’ – Milky Chance
#5. ‘Take Me Over (feat. SAFIA)’ – Peking Duk
#6. ‘Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)’ – Mark Ronson
#7. ‘Gold’ – Chet Faker
#8. ‘1998’ – Chet Faker
#9. ‘Chandelier’ – Sia
#10. ‘King And Cross’ – Ásgeir
#11. ‘Faded’ – Zhu
#12. ‘Gooey’ – Glass Animals
#13. ‘Mess Is Mine’ – Vance Joy
#14. ‘Every Other Freckle’ – alt-J
#15. ‘Arcadia’ – The Kite String Tangle
#16. ‘Left Hand Free’ – alt-J
#17. ‘Tightrope (feat. Scarlett Stevens)’ – Illy
#18. ‘Yellow Flicker Beat’ – Lorde
#19. ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ – Ball Park Music
#20. ‘Gold Snafu’ – Sticky Fingers
#21. ‘(Lover) You Don’t Treat Me No Good’ – Chet Faker
#22. ‘Pittsburgh’ – The Amity Affliction
#23. ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’ – Future Islands
#24. ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ – Meg Mac
#25. ‘I’ll Go Crazy’ – Bluejuice
#26. ‘Hunger Of The Pine’ – alt-J
#27. ‘Beggin For Thread’ – Banks
#28. ‘Beware The Dog’ – The Griswolds
#29. ‘Somebody’s Talking’ – The Preatures
#30. ‘Something I Said (feat. Thom Crawford)’ – Thundamentals
#31. ‘Sober’ – Childish Gambino
#32. ‘West Coast’ – Lana Del Rey
#33. ‘RUN’ – San Cisco
#34. ‘New Dorp. New York. (feat. Ezra Koenig)’ – SBTRKT
#35. ‘You Always Know The DJ’ – Allday
#36. ‘Won’t Let You Down (feat. Maverick Sabre)’ – Hilltop Hoods
#37. ‘I Want U’ – Alison Wonderland
#38. ‘My Silver Lining’ – First Aid Kit
#39. ‘Two Bodies (feat. Emma Louise)’ – Flight Facilities
#40. ‘Mother & Father’ – Broods
#41. ‘Maybe’ – Carmada
#42. ‘Window To The Sky’ – Kim Churchill
#43. ‘Zombie’ – Jamie T
#44. ‘Flashed Junk Mind’ – Milky Chance
#45. ‘Two Weeks’ – FKA Twigs
#46. ‘Grandma’s Hands’ – Meg Mac
#47. ‘Tennis Court (Flume Remix)’ – Lorde
#48. ‘Delete’ – DMA’S
#49. ‘Happy Idiot’ – TV On The Radio
#50. ‘First Time’ – Vance Joy
#51. ‘Pickles From The Jar’ – Courtney Barnett
#52. ‘Sunshine (feat. Reggie Watts)’ – Flight Facilities
#53. ‘i’ – Kendrick Lamar
#54. ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ – CHVRCHES
#55. ‘Can’t Do Without You’ – Caribou
#56. ‘ICFTYDLM’ – Kingswood
#57. ‘Walking Under Stars’ – Hilltop Hoods
#58. ‘Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You’ – Ball Park Music
#59. ‘Monument (T.I.E. Version) (feat. Robyn)’ – Röyksopp
#60. ‘Sweatpants’ – Childish Gambino
#61. ‘Talk Too Much’ – Andy Bull
#62. ‘Heart Beats Slow’ – Angus & Julia Stone
#63. ‘Red Eyes’ – The War On Drugs
#64. ‘Don’t Lean On Me’ – The Amity Affliction
#65. ‘Right Now’ – Allday
#66. ‘Work Work (feat. Cocc Pistol Cree)’ – clipping.
#67. ‘Busy Earnin” – Jungle
#68. ‘Drown’ – Bring Me The Horizon
#69. ‘Surrender’ – The Smith Street Band
#70. ‘Is It A Banger? (Original Mix)’ – Odd Mob
#71. ‘The Weigh Down’ – The Amity Affliction
#72. ‘Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck) (feat. Zack De La Rocha)’ – Run The Jewels
#73. ‘Do It Again’ – Röyksopp & Robyn
#74. ‘I Got U (feat. Jax Jones)’ – Duke Dumont
#75. ‘Live It Up (feat. Pez)’ – 360
#76. ‘Micro Wars’ – Kingswood
#77. ‘Since Last Wednesday’ – Highasakite
#78. ‘Quit Your Job’ – Thundamentals
#79. ‘Lazaretto’ – Jack White
#80. ‘I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore’ – Rise Against
#81. ‘Fade Out Lines’ – The Avener
#82. ‘Dreamers (feat. Phoebe Lou)’ – Hopium
#83. ‘Wrong Direction’ – British India
#84. ‘Something From Nothing’ – Foo Fighters
#85. ‘Get Away’ – CHVRCHES
#86. ‘Just For You’ – Sticky Fingers
#87. ‘Bad Apples’ – Briggs
#88. ‘Gina Works At Hearts’ – DZ Deathrays
#89. ‘First’ – Cold War Kids
#90. ‘Got Love (feat. Solo)’ – Thundamentals
#91. ‘Bridges’ – Meg Mac
#92. ‘Love Me Less’ – One Day
#93. ‘Georgia’ – Vance Joy
#94. ‘Liquorlip Loaded Gun’ – Sticky Fingers
#95. ‘How Much Does Your Love Cost?’ – Thelma Plum
#96. ‘Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds’ – SAFIA
#97. ‘Between Friends (feat. Jesse Davidson)’ – Japanese Wallpaper
#98. ‘Luna’ – Bombay Bicycle Club
#99. ‘Trippin’ The Light Fantastic’ – Ball Park Music
#100. ‘Switch Lanes’ – Tkay Maidza
triple j’s Hottest 200 of 2014
#101. ‘Tell Me (feat. Nicole Millar)’ – Golden Features
#102. ‘Little Monster’ – Royal Blood
#103. ‘Pray To God (feat. HAIM)’ – Calvin Harris
#104. ‘So Soldier (feat. Ainslie Wills)’ – #1 Dads
#105. ‘Figure It Out’ – Royal Blood
#106. ‘Torrent’ – Ásgeir
#107. ‘L.A.F.’ – Broods
#108. ‘Going Home’ – Ásgeir
#109. ‘Arrows (feat. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis)’ – Fences
#110. ‘Coming Of Age’ – Foster The People
#111. ‘Cocoon’ – Catfish And The Bottlemen
#112. ‘I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore’ – The Smith Street Band
#113. ‘Cocaine Lion’ – Ball Park Music
#114. ‘Stunner’ – Milky Chance
#115. ‘Tell Me’ – RL Grime & What So Not
#116. ‘Heavenly Father’ – Bon Iver
#117. ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ – Royal Blood
#118. ‘Bullit (Original Mix)’ – Watermät
#119. ‘Down On My Luck’ – Vic Mensa
#120. ‘Ordinary’ – The Preatures
#121. ‘Fever’ – The Black Keys
#122. ‘Talk Talk’ – George Maple
#123. ‘Bones’ – Dustin Tebbutt
#124. ‘Rum Rage’ – Sticky Fingers
#125. ‘All This Could Be Yours’ – Cold War Kids
#126. ‘Forgive & Forget’ – The Kooks
#127. ‘Inspector Norse’ – Todd Terje
#128. ‘Carol’ – The Peep Tempel
#129. ‘Ultraviolence’ – Lana Del Rey
#130. ‘Look Of Love’ – The Jezabels
#131. ‘Create/Destroy’ – Art vs. Science
#132. ‘All The Rage Back Home’ – Interpol
#133. ‘I’m Not Coming Back’ – Husky
#134. ‘Leave Your Windows Open’ – One Day
#135. ‘Break The Bank’ – ScHoolboy Q
#136. ‘The Same Man’ – Dan Sultan
#137. ‘Merewif’ – Willow Beats
#138. ‘My Heart Is A Wheel’ – Megan Washington
#139. ‘Paradise Awaits’ – Zhu
#140. ‘Land Of Pleasure’ – Sticky Fingers
#141. ‘Happy’ – The John Butler Trio
#142. ‘Price Of Fame (feat. Gossling)’ – 360
#143. ‘Better Than It Ever Could Be’ – The Preatures
#144. ‘Flicker’ – Porter Robinson
#145. ‘Born To Break Your Heart’ – Saskwatch
#146. ‘Breathe In (feat. Wafia)’ – Japanese Wallpaper
#147. ‘Pools’ – Glass Animals
#148. ‘Aerosol Can (feat. Pharrell Williams)’ – Major Lazer
#149. ‘Brain’ – Banks
#150. ‘Cigarettes & Loneliness’ – Chet Faker
#151. ‘Daffodils (feat. Kevin Parker)’ – Mark Ronson
#152. ‘Hey Now’ – Karnivool
#153. ‘Your Graduation’ – Modern Baseball
#154. ‘Are You What You Want To Be?’ – Foster The People
#155. ‘Bugatti (feat. Pusha T)’ – Tiga
#156. ‘If You Go’ – Sticky Fingers
#157. ‘The Art Of The Handshake’ – Hilltop Hoods
#158. ‘Death’s Hand’ – The Amity Affliction
#159. ‘Seeya (feat. Colleen D’Agostino)’ – deadmau5
#160. ‘Hold Me Down’ – Mansionair
#161. ‘To Me’ – Chet Faker
#162. ‘Eez-Eh’ – Kasabian
#163. ‘Get Home’ – Angus & Julia Stone
#164. ‘Best Friend’ – Foster The People
#165. ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ – Alex Turner
#166. ‘Give It All’ – The Amity Affliction
#167. ‘Stolen Dance’ – Ásgeir
#168. ‘Wasted Pilots’ – Airling
#169. ‘Down’ – The Kooks
#170. ‘West Coast’ – James Vincent McMorrow
#171. ‘Go (feat. Blood Diamonds)’ – Grimes
#172. ‘I Blame Myself’ – Sky Ferreira
#173. ‘Memories That You Call (feat. Monsoonsiren)’ – ODESZA
#174. ‘Never Gonna Change’ – Broods
#175. ‘Divine’ – In Hearts Wake
#176. ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ – Allday
#177. ‘Lost & Fading’ – The Amity Affliction
#178. ‘Burn The Pages’ – Sia
#179. ‘You Are The One’ – SAFIA
#180. ‘Good Mistake’ – Mr Little Jeans
#181. ‘Long Way Down’ – Robert DeLong
#182. ‘Earthwalker (feat. Joel Birch)’ – In Hearts Wake
#183. ‘III. Telegraph Ave. (“Oakland” By Lloyd)’ – Childish Gambino
#184. ‘What The Devil Has Made’ – Matt Corby
#185. ‘Attak (feat. Danny Brown)’ – Rustie
#186. ‘F.M.L.’ – The Amity Affliction
#187. ‘Rot’ – Northlane
#188. ‘Goodbye Future’ – The Presets
#189. ‘Dreamland’ – Sticky Fingers
#190. ‘A Heartbreak’ – Angus & Julia Stone
#191. ‘Recess (feat. Fatman Scoop, Kill The Noise & Michael Angelakos)’ – Skrillex
#192. ‘Laced’ – DMA’S
#193. ‘U-Huh’ – Tkay Maidza
#194. ‘Down By The River’ – Milky Chance
#195. ‘The Haunted’ – Northeast Party House
#196. ‘Dalai Lama Big Banana Marijuana’ – Dune Rats
#197. ‘Survive (feat. MK-1)’ – L-FRESH The LION
#198. ‘Satisfy’ – Nero
#199. ‘Cuckoo (feat. Little Simz)’ – Raleigh Ritchie
#200. ‘Weekend’ – Priory
Quick Facts:
Artists: 73
Most Successful Artist: Chet Faker (4 tracks)
Number Of Countries: 11
Top Three Countries: Australia (59 tracks), USA (15 tracks), England (12 tracks)
Shortest Song: ‘Pickles From The Jar’ – Courtney Barnett (2:49)
Longest Song: ‘Two Bodies (feat. Emma Louise)’ – Flight Facilities (6:08)
