Triple J's midlife crisis

Independent Australia
08 Aug 2025, 11:30 GMT+

It was meant to celebrate the best of Australian music, but the Hottest 100 countdown sounded more like a flashback than a fresh take, writes IA's music maestro, David Kowalski.

DID YOU CATCH the recent Triple JHottest 100 Australian Songson 26 July 2025? Judging by thepresscoverage, a lot of people did. As per usual, there were loads of keyboard warriors with pithy complaints about the list being filled with too many songs theyd never heard of, and of course, the classic complaint ofshouldve been higher, in relation to a chart placing that didnt seem to match the awesomeness of the song in question.

What I wasnt expecting was the extent to which classic Aussie pub rock still holds sway on the Australian public, and how much it means to the Triple J target audience of 25s and under, who were the biggest voting bloc in the countdown. The fact that twoCold Chiselsongs were in the top ten, back to back, and that the fourth single from a1987 LPthat missed the Australian top ten and has never ever appeared in a Hottest 100 previously,toppedthis countdown.

That song wasNever Tear Us ApartbyINXS.

The top ten also featuredMissy HigginswithScar,PowderfingerwithMy HappinessandCrowded Housewith their 1986 classicDont Dream Its Over. This prompted many comments in the washup that the countdown played more like aTriple M countdowninstead.

I was also perplexed at how the songs of the last 15 to 20 years that have endured cultural ubiquity either didnt chart very highly, or in some cases, charted at all. I actually thought that the song that has had the longest chart reign of pretty much any Australian single in recent memory (at365 weeksat the time of writing),RiptidebyVance Joy, would be a top-five certainty. It charted here at #48.

The classicSomebody I Used To KnowbyGotye(featuringKimbra) placed in the top ten. Meanwhile, the ubiquitous and interminableDance MonkeybyTones and Iwas nowhere to be seen.

For a poll that received over 2.6 million votes from the public, not everything can make the list. Thenext 100 songswere played out over the working day on digital stationDouble Jin the week following the initial broadcast. It is here that the heartbreaks really begin.

One of the songs I voted for that I hoped would make it,Blackfella Whitefellaby theWarumpi Band, did actually make it, but inposition #197. It was beaten byHot PotatobyThe Wiggles. Go figure.

Hottest 100 Unearthed Discoveries

One bonus aspect to the all-Australian music countdown that was fascinating, but largely underreported, was the countdown onTriple J Unearthed Digital Radioof the100 Best Unearthed Discoveries. This was a countdown of the best artists discovered through the Unearthed program, which started back in 1995.

The overall winner of the countdown was, of course, the aforementioned Missy Higgins, who won the 2001 leg of the touring competition. Inaugural winnersGrinspoonwere voted in at number ten. It is truly amazing to look through the list and to see just how many artists are now such an integral part of the national music spotlight. It is also heartening to see that this humble outlet was the springboard for these acts to get a head start in the music industry.

Triple J Unearthed, both as a website and as a digital radio station, continues to do the heavy lifting when it comes to putting Australian music in front of many listeners, and long may it continue. It still needs more of a higher profile, perhaps with its own FM frequency, maybe.

Daniel Johns bizarre movements

Silverchairfans have had their curiosity piqued by recent social media posts by frontmanDaniel Johns. He recently posted a cryptic message onInstagram: Its happening.

Hethen appearedat a tiny venue on a South Australian farm with an Adelaide band calledThe Lizards, for a soundcheck with them. The Lizards were about to perform the Silverchair debut albumFrogstompin its entirety for the 30th anniversary of the albums release. Johns had a brief jam with the band before the crowd arrived and then hid inthe kitchento watch the show, away from the glare of the punters.

The notoriously shy Johns has dispelled rumours about a Silverchair reunion, saying on his 2021 podcast,Who Is Daniel Johns, that he wouldnt even reunite Silverchair for $1million and a gun to my head. I dont think this means he will be reuniting with his former bandmates, although a lot of people have commented on his post that a Silverchair reunion would be somewhat akin to the recent Oasis reunion in the UK. We shall see what happens.

Col Joye passes

News just in that one of Australias original rock and roll legends has left the building for good. Colin Jacobson, better known asCol Joye, haspassed awayat the age of 89.

Joye was one of the pioneers of the new form of pop music, along withJohnny OKeefe, in the late 1950s. He was the first Australian rock singer to have a number one single, in the form ofOh Yeah Uh Huhin 1959. His recording career fortunes took a downward turn once Beatlemania hit Australia in 1964.

However, Joye cleverly pivoted into operating a music publishing company, an artist management company, arecord labeland studio complex in Glebe in Sydney, all known as ATA. Along with his brother Kevin, he also found his way into tour promotion, getting behind massive tours byBruce Springsteenandthe Bee Gees.

Speaking of the Bee Gees, Joye discovered them at a party in Brisbane and signed them to a publishing deal in 1963. He took them toFestival Recordsaround the same time and while their initial singles were not successful, they wrote successful songs for others, including the hitCoal ManforRonnie Burns. By 1966, they had a number one hit locally withSpicks and Specksand Joyes faith in the band was finally rewarded.

By all accounts, Joye was a fantastic supporter of local talent and had a hand in encouraging and assisting many local acts. He is in theARIA Hall of Fameand is also a member of theOrder of Australia.

Vale Col, and thanks for everything.

New music from Kicked in Bickie Tin

Hailing from the thriving cultural hub of ahem Moree NSW comes the eloquently named punk bandKicked-In Bickie Tin. They started out playing DIY shows on stages made ofshipping pallets, hundreds of kilometres from any reputable venue. They make a pretty raw sound for a three-piece and their latest single,Deep End, kicks all kinds of keister, in the best way possible. This track was inspired by the aftermath floods in Moree in 2022 and the mental health problems that came with it.

With any luck, this should be a future sound on a Hottest 100 countdown at some point. They have been doing some touring around the top end of the state, from Port Macquarie to up around Byron Bay and into south-east Queensland. I would like to see them head down this way at some stage in the future. This rocks.

Until next time

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David Kowalskiis a writer, musician, educator, sound engineer and podcaster. His podcasts 'The Sound and the Fury Podcast' and 'Audio Cumulus' can be heard exclusivelyHERE. You can follow David/X@sound_fury_pod.