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Triple J · All-time countdown series

Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time

RockLists has 5 editions of the Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time, from 1989 to 2009. Across all of them, the most successful song is “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, which appears in 5 editions. Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” finished first three times.

5editions
1989–2009years
2different #1s

Every edition and its number one

YearCountdownNumber oneSize
1989 Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division 100
1990 Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division 100
1991 Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana 100
1998 Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana 100
2009 Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana 100

How the top songs moved between editions

Each song’s position in every edition. A dash means it did not appear.

#Song'89'90'91'98'09
1 Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division 1 1 2 16 4
2 Throw Your Arms Around MeHunters And Collectors 2 2 4 2 23
3 Blue MondayNew Order 5 5 10 30 32
4 How Soon is Now?The Smiths 7 3 6 28 71
5 Stairway to HeavenLed Zeppelin 30 61 30 6 10
6 Blister in the SunViolent Femmes 46 41 9 15 64
7 Wish You Were HerePink Floyd 33 35 58 41 16
8 A ForestThe Cure 10 11 8 74 –
9 Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana – – 1 1 1
10 Uncertain SmileThe The 3 4 13 – –
11 Fools GoldThe Stone Roses – 6 7 39 76
12 Anarchy in the U.K.The Sex Pistols 17 20 25 67 –
13 That's EntertainmentThe Jam 4 10 23 – –
14 Holiday In CambodiaDead Kennedys 6 12 26 – –
15 This Charming ManThe Smiths 13 7 29 – –
16 Bohemian RhapsodyQueen – – 49 8 6
17 Bizarre Love TriangleNew Order 67 21 24 60 –
18 She Sells SanctuaryThe Cult 35 22 16 – –
19 PrimaryThe Cure 19 19 35 – –
20 Wuthering HeightsKate Bush 43 17 19 – –
21 Talking to a StrangerHunters And Collectors 8 32 45 – –
22 All Along the WatchtowerJimi Hendrix 49 83 61 70 30
23 Boys Don't CryThe Cure 29 23 43 98 –
24 TroySinéad O'Connor 41 13 42 – –
25 Song to the SirenThis Mortal Coil 15 31 50 – –
26 Rock LobsterThe B-52's 14 8 77 – –
27 Enter SandmanMetallica – – 60 9 31
28 ImagineJohn Lennon 31 66 – – 11
29 Last GoodbyeJeff Buckley – – – 4 7
30 London CallingThe Clash 18 28 97 – 73
31 OneMetallica – – 89 7 19
32 Tainted LoveSoft Cell – 38 54 25 –
33 CreepRadiohead – – – 5 13
34 Paranoid AndroidRadiohead – – – 13 5
35 Just Like HeavenThe Cure – 25 11 85 –
36 LithiumNirvana – – 3 45 74
37 Aloha Steve And DannoRadio Birdman 23 54 47 – –
38 BirthdayThe Sugarcubes 9 16 – – –
39 AlivePearl Jam – – – 3 25
40 The One I LoveR.E.M. 45 46 40 – –
41 It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)R.E.M. 22 9 – – –
42 Cattle and CaneThe Go-Betweens 11 27 96 – –
43 Waiting For The Great Leap ForwardBilly Bragg 20 58 57 – –
44 Under the BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers – – – 31 8
45 The Ship SongNick Cave and the Bad Seeds – – 14 26 –
46 A Day in the LifeThe Beatles 69 – – 49 24
47 There is a Light That Never Goes OutThe Smiths 64 44 36 – –
48 Close to MeThe Cure 66 – 37 89 54
49 Under the Milky WayThe Church – 14 31 – –
50 DebaserThe Pixies – 18 28 – –
51 Tomorrow WendyAndy Prieboy – – 5 42 –
52 ShiversBoys Next Door 12 – 38 – –
53 Bigmouth Strikes AgainThe Smiths 27 53 72 – –
54 Sweet Child o' MineGuns N Roses – – 27 77 49
55 Prisoner of SocietyThe Living End – – – 18 34
56 The EndThe Doors 50 52 59 – –
57 The SlabHunters And Collectors 83 26 53 – –
58 Better ManPearl Jam – – – 22 39
59 StinkfistTool – – – 24 37
60 RespectAretha Franklin 21 42 – – –