Australia's Triple J released the Hottest 100 of 2020 today – their annual countdown, voted on by listeners! Australian listeners enjoyed the annual Saturday in the summer sun, filled with some booze, and listening to the best of 2020.This year's countdown, which drew in over 2.7. million voters, dubbed Glass Animals – Heat Waves as the #1 hottest track of 2020. It was a tight call though. According to hosts, you could count the votes between #2 SpaceyJane's "Booster Seat" on one hand. Impressively and a nod to the success of Triple J as a public local radio, 66 of the top 100 tracks came from Australian based artists.
All January there was a lot of chatter about Glass Animals' Heat Wave taking the top spot. Their new release Dreamland really took off in Australia this year, reaching #11 on the ARIA charts. This led to a big claim from Glass Animals. The group tweeted earlier this month, that if they took the #1 spot, they would each get "australia tattooed to each of our buttocks, not each cheek obvs. inked on us 4eva as a sign of our love for the greatest sporting country on earth". And what do you know you, they did it. Triple J interviewed Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley live tonight, after they announced Heat Waves as #1, and Bayley said his first call would be to his mom to let her know about the tattoo.
The remainder of the top five were all Australian based artists. Number two was claimed by SpaceyJane's "Booster Soul," an alternative rock band from Perth, who made the list with four different tracks – establishing themselves as a must listen into this coming year. Number three fell to Flume's dance track "The Difference" featuring Toro Y Moi, for his sixth appearance in the top 10. At the fourth spot was Ball Park Music's "Cherub," an indie rock band from Brisbane that was a lesser known stand out. And finally number five,, the legendary Tame Impala with their track "Lost in Yesterday."
An other mentionable stand out is Lime Cordiale, the pop-rock brother duo from Sydney. They took the cake this year with five songs on the countdown, the most of any artist featured! There infectious melodies and catchy but impactful lyrics, get you hooked.
In the midst of all the great music, my favorite moment of the whole countdown was when "WAP" from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion swooped in as number six and a listener claimed, "everyone that hates this song gives off huge virgin energy!"
Check out more on Triple J Hottest 100 here.