Australian hip-hop heavyweights Hilltop Hoods have reclaimed a long-held triple j Hottest 100 record from Billie Eilish.
As results rolled in throughout the annual broadcast on Saturday (Jan. 25), the Adelaide hip-hop trio’s latest entries pushed them ahead of Eilish on the tally, marking another milestone in the group’s enduring relationship with Australia’s most influential listener-voted chart.
Hilltop Hoods have been fixtures of the Hottest 100 since the early 2000s, with songs spanning multiple eras of their career consistently finding favour with triple j voters. Their sustained presence across decades places them among a small group of Australian acts to repeatedly chart in the countdown, reflecting both their crossover appeal and deep-rooted connection to local audiences.
Eilish, by contrast, has built her Hottest 100 footprint in a far shorter time frame, racking up entries since her breakout years and becoming one of the most successful international artists in the poll’s recent history. Her run has been emblematic of triple j’s increasingly global scope, particularly as streaming-driven pop and alternative releases have come to dominate recent countdowns.
The moment also landed amid a notably strong showing for Australian artists in the 2025 list. As the broadcast passed the halfway mark, ABC News reported a significant number of local tracks already locked in, suggesting renewed domestic momentum following recent conversations about declining Australian representation in the countdown.
Beyond chart tallies, the Hottest 100 once again functioned as a cultural snapshot, with listeners tuning in from across Australia and overseas. ABC’s live coverage highlighted international fans streaming the broadcast from Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia, reinforcing the countdown’s reach well beyond its traditional summer backyard parties.
Voting for the Hottest 100 of 2025 closed earlier this month after more than two million votes were cast, with triple j describing this year’s race as one of the tightest in recent memory.
The countdown concludes with the top 10 later today, with further records potentially still in play as the final positions are revealed.
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