The Wiggles have entertained kids around the globe for three decades with their can-do attitudes, their bright skivvies and dancing fingers, and their bank of singalong songs, which include “Hot Potato, “Fruit Salad,” “Get Ready to Wiggle,” and many more.
In 2021, the Aussie children’s entertainers got triple j’s listeners wiggling in droves.
When the network’s annual Hottest 100 was counted down on Saturday (Jan. 22), it was The Wiggles’ rendition of Tame Impala’s “Elephant” that came out on top, ahead of The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” and Spacey Jane’s “Lots of Nothing,” respectively.
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Novelty songs are no stranger to the poll, though none have come from as far leftfield as The Wiggles to top it.
It’s a history-maker, and a result that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. As the dust settles, the youth broadcaster confirmed it’s the first time the winning song has come from triple j’s popular in-studio segment “Like A Version”.
Also, The Wiggles are the first act to make their debut in the countdown with a No. 1 song since Denis Leary’s “Asshole” back in 1993.
Featuring a starring lineup of current members Anthony Field, Lachy Gillespie and Simon Pryce, alongside the recently retired Emma Watkins, and Wiggles co-founders Jeff Fatt and Murray Cook, the entertainers cut a cover of Kevin Parker’s 2012 psychedelic-rock classic for the national network last March.
“The Wiggles brand power. Tame Impala stans. The mammoth Like A Version factor – it proved a triumvirate too powerful for anyone at the pointy end of the Hottest 100 to overcome,” reads the recap from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which operates triple j.
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While The Wiggles took the big prize, they weren’t the only winners. Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat tied with the most songs in the 2021 Hottest 100, at five each; while Billie Eilish, Gang Of Youths and Lil Nas X all had multiple entries.
Launching in 1989, the Hottest 100 would build a reputation as the most accurate snapshot of Australian music fans’ favorite songs of the previous year. More than 2.5 million votes were cast on the latest poll, which has been described by the broadcaster as “the world’s greatest music democracy.”
See the full list here.
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Tagged: Chart Beat, entertainment blog, Hottest 100, music, music blog, Triple J