The 2021 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 22 January 2022.[1] It was the 29th annual countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as voted for by listeners of Australian radio station triple j.
Australian children's music group the Wiggles was voted into first place with their Like a Version cover of Tame Impala's "Elephant", making it the first Like a Version to place first in a Hottest 100. Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat achieved the most entries in the countdown, with both scoring five.[2]
On 18 March 2022, triple j confirmed that a compilation album would no longer be released in conjunction with the annual countdown.[3]
Background
The triple j Hottest 100 allows members of the public to vote online for their top ten songs of the year, which are then used to calculate the year's 100 most popular songs. Any song initially released between 1 December 2020 and 30 November 2021 was eligible for the 2021 triple j Hottest 100.
The Wiggles' cover of "Elephant" became the first Like a Version, and the first cover version of any kind, to reach number 1.
It also marked the first debut appearance at number 1 since Denis Leary's "Asshole" in 1993, as The Wiggles had not appeared in any previous countdowns.
Original Wiggle Jeff Fatt became the oldest person (at the age of 68 during the countdown), and the first of Asian descent, to appear on a number-one track.
The Wiggles are also the first winning artist since The Rubens in 2015 to only feature once in the countdown.
By reaching number 2 with "Stay", The Kid Laroi became the highest ranking artist of Indigenous Australian descent in Hottest 100 history, overtaking Thelma Plum's number 9 placing from 2019.
The track also marked the first ever appearance of pop star Justin Bieber in the Hottest 100, following triple j's threat to disqualify him from being eligible in 2015.[7]
Peking Duk made their eighth consecutive appearance, with at least one track featured in every annual countdown since 2014.
