# Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 1998

The Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time was a music poll conducted in August 1998 amongst listeners of Australian youth radio network Triple J. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" collected the highest number of votes to claim the top position. Voters could submit a list of up to ten different songs as well as nominating one of these as their "all-time" favourite song. It was the fourth such poll organised by Triple J, following similar polls in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Initially, all songs were eligible for the annual Triple J Hottest 100. However, from 1993 onwards (after having no list in 1992), only songs released in the previous year were permitted. Thus, the Hottest 100 of All Time is conducted via a separate vote, held irregularly to reflect listeners' favourite songs across all eras.

## Full list

* Bold: Previous winner of an annual Hottest 100
* Green background: Australian artists
| # | Song | Artist | Country of Origin | Year | Hottest 100 of the year position (Year if different from Year of Release) | Previous Hottest 100 of all time positions |
| 1 | Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | United States | 1991 | | 1 (1991) |
| 2 | Throw Your Arms Around Me | Hunters & Collectors | Australia | 1985 | | 2 (1989), 2 (1990), 4 (1991) |
| 3 | Alive | Pearl Jam | United States | 1991 | | |
| 4 | Last Goodbye | Jeff Buckley | United States | 1994 | 14 (1995) | |
| 5 | Creep | Radiohead | United Kingdom | 1992 | 2 (1993) | |
| 6 | Stairway to Heaven | Led Zeppelin | United Kingdom | 1971 | | 30 (1989), 61 (1990), 30 (1991) |
| 7 | One | Metallica | United States | 1988 | | 89 (1991) |
| 8 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | United Kingdom | 1975 | | 17 (1991) |
| 9 | Enter Sandman | Metallica | United States | 1991 | | 60 (1991) |
| 10 | Black | Pearl Jam | United States | 1991 | | |
| 11 | One | U2 | Ireland | 1992 | | |
| 12 | The Beautiful People | Marilyn Manson | United States | 1996 | 8 (1997) | |
| 13 | Paranoid Android | Radiohead | United Kingdom | 1997 | 5 | |
| 14 | Closer | Nine Inch Nails | United States | 1994 | 2 | |
| 15 | Blister in the Sun | Violent Femmes | United States | 1982 | | 46 (1989), 41 (1990), 9 (1991) |
| 16 | Love Will Tear Us Apart | Joy Division | United Kingdom | 1980 | | 1 (1989), 1 (1990), 2 (1991) |
| 17 | Killing in the Name | Rage Against the Machine | United States | 1992 | 6 (1993) | |
| 18 | Prisoner of Society | The Living End | Australia | 1997 | 15 | |
| 19 | Epic | Faith No More | United States | 1990 | | |
| 20 | Dammit | Blink 182 | United States | 1997 | 6 | |
| 21 | Lightning Crashes | Live | United States | 1995 | 22 | |
| 22 | Better Man | Pearl Jam | United States | 1994 | 44 (1995) | |
| 23 | With or Without You | U2 | Ireland | 1987 | | 113 (1991) |
| 24 | Stinkfist | Tool | United States | 1996 | 2 | |
| 25 | Tainted Love | Soft Cell | United Kingdom | 1981 | | 38 (1990), 54 (1991) |
| 26 | The Ship Song | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Australia | 1990 | | 14 (1991) |
| 27 | Cornflake Girl | Tori Amos | United States | 1994 | 35 | |
| 28 | How Soon Is Now? | The Smiths | United Kingdom | 1985 | | 7 (1989), 3 (1990), 6 (1991) |
| 29 | Grace | Jeff Buckley | United States | 1994 | 89 | |
| 30 | Blue Monday | New Order | United Kingdom | 1983 | | 5 (1989), 5 (1990), 10 (1991) |
| 31 | Under the Bridge | Red Hot Chili Peppers | United States | 1991 | | |
| 32 | Brick | Ben Folds Five | United States | 1997 | 12 (1998) | |
| 33 | Bullet with Butterfly Wings | The Smashing Pumpkins | United States | 1995 | 2 | |
| 34 | Unfinished Sympathy | Massive Attack | United Kingdom | 1991 | | 64 (1991) |
| 35 | Ashes to Ashes | Faith No More | United States | 1997 | 31 | |
| 36 | No Aphrodisiac | The Whitlams | Australia | 1998 | 1 (1997) | |
| 37 | Love Shack | The B-52's | United States | 1989 | | 88 (1990) |
| 38 | (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) | Beastie Boys | United States | 1987 | | |
| 39 | Fools Gold | The Stone Roses | United Kingdom | 1989 | | 6 (1990), 7 (1991) |
| 40 | Today | The Smashing Pumpkins | United States | 1993 | 25 (1994) | |
| 41 | Wish You Were Here | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | 1975 | | 33 (1989), 35 (1990), 58 (1991) |
| 42 | Tomorrow Wendy | Andy Prieboy | United States | 1990 | | 5 (1991) |
| 43 | You Sound Like Louis Burdett | The Whitlams | Australia | 1998 | 53 (1997) | |
| 44 | Sabotage | Beastie Boys | United States | 1994 | 16 | |
| 45 | Lithium | Nirvana | United States | 1991 | | 3 (1991) |
| 46 | Song 2 | Blur | United Kingdom | 1997 | 2 | |
| 47 | Lover, You Should've Come Over | Jeff Buckley | United States | 1994 | | |
| 48 | Sober | Tool | United States | 1993 | 27 | |
| 49 | A Day in the Life | The Beatles | United Kingdom | 1967 | | 69 (1989) |
| 50 | Leaving Home | Jebediah | Australia | 1997 | 10 | |
| 51 | Everybody Hurts | R.E.M. | United States | 1992 | 11 (1993) |
| 52 | Underground | Ben Folds Five | United States | 1996 | 3 | |
| 53 | Groove Is in the Heart | Deee-Lite | United States | 1990 | | |
| 54 | Karma Police | Radiohead | United Kingdom | 1997 | 9 | |
| 55 | Come Out and Play | The Offspring | United States | 1994 | 4 | |
| 56 | Rearviewmirror | Pearl Jam | United States | 1993 | | |
| 57 | Forty-Six & 2 | Tool | United States | 1997 | 30 | |
| 58 | Black Hole Sun | Soundgarden | United States | 1994 | 22 | |
| 59 | Tomorrow | Silverchair | Australia | 1994 | 5 | |
| 60 | Bizarre Love Triangle | New Order | United Kingdom | 1986 | | 67 (1989), 21 (1990), 24 (1991) |
| 61 | Berlin Chair | You Am I | Australia | 1994 | 23 | |
| 62 | Come as You Are | Nirvana | United States | 1991 | | 76 (1991) |
| 63 | Kashmir | Led Zeppelin | United Kingdom | 1975 | | |
| 64 | I Will Survive | Cake | United States | 1996 | 20 (1997) |
| 65 | Hotel California | The Eagles | United States | 1977 | | |
| 66 | The Love Cats | The Cure | United Kingdom | 1983 | | 67 (1990), 70 (1991) |
| 67 | Anarchy in the UK | Sex Pistols | United Kingdom | 1976 | | 17 (1989), 20 (1990), 25 (1991) |
| 68 | Holy Grail | Hunters & Collectors | Australia | 1992 | 54 (1993) | |
| 69 | Been Caught Stealing | Jane's Addiction | United States | 1990 | | 15 (1991) |
| 70 | All Along The Watchtower | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | United Kingdom | 1968 | | 49 (1989), 83 (1990), 61 (1991) |
| 71 | 1979 | The Smashing Pumpkins | United States | 1996 | 13 | |
| 72 | The Perfect Drug | Nine Inch Nails | United States | 1997 | 26 | |
| 73 | Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | United States | 1991 | | 32 (1991) |
| 74 | A Forest | The Cure | United Kingdom | 1980 | | 10 (1989), 11 (1990), 8 (1991) |
| 75 | Glory Box | Portishead | United Kingdom | 1995 | 45 | |
| 76 | Don't Dream It's Over | Crowded House | Australia | 1986 | | |
| 77 | Sweet Child O' Mine | Guns N' Roses | United States | 1988 | | 27 (1991) |
| 78 | Birdhouse in Your Soul | They Might Be Giants | United States | 1990 | | 46 (1991) |
| 79 | Video Killed the Radio Star | The Buggles | United Kingdom | 1979 | | |
| 80 | Self Esteem | The Offspring | United States | 1994 | 3 | |
| 81 | No Rain | Blind Melon | United States | 1992 | 4 (1993) | |
| 82 | Jerks of Attention | Jebediah | Australia | 1996 | | |
| 83 | Abuse Me | Silverchair | Australia | 1997 | | |
| 84 | Into My Arms | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Australia | 1997 | 18 | |
| 85 | Just Like Heaven | The Cure | United Kingdom | 1987 | | 25 (1990), 11 (1991) |
| 86 | Buy Me a Pony | Spiderbait | Australia | 1996 | 1 | |
| 87 | Aneurysm | Nirvana | United States | 1996 | 45 | |
| 88 | Just Ace | Grinspoon | Australia | 1998 | 18 | |
| 89 | Close to Me | The Cure | United Kingdom | 1985 | | 66 (1989), 37 (1991) |
| 90 | Comfortably Numb | Pink Floyd | United Kingdom | 1979 | | 95 (1990), 73 (1991) |
| 91 | The Unforgiven | Metallica | United States | 1991 | | 63 (1991) |
| 92 | Backdoor Man | Pauline Pantsdown | Australia | 1997 | 5 | |
| 93 | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For | U2 | Ireland | 1987 | | |
| 94 | Khe Sanh | Cold Chisel | Australia | 1978 | | 95 (1989) |
| 95 | Breathe | The Prodigy | United Kingdom | 1996 | 7 | |
| 96 | Red Right Hand | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Australia | 1994 | | |
| 97 | Loser | Beck | United States | 1993 | 45 | |
| 98 | Boys Don't Cry | The Cure | United Kingdom | 1980 | | 29 (1989), 23 (1990), 43 (1991) |
| 99 | Bitter Sweet Symphony | The Verve | United Kingdom | 1997 | 4 | |
| 100 | "Heroes" | David Bowie | United Kingdom | 1977 | | 39 (1989), 50 (1990), 162 (1991) |

## Artists with multiple entries

| # | Artist | Tracks |
| 5 | The Cure | 66, 74, 85, 89, 98 |
| 4 | Nirvana | 1, 45, 62, 87 |
| 4 | Pearl Jam | 3, 10, 22, 56 |
| 3 | Jeff Buckley | 4, 29, 47 |
| 3 | Radiohead | 5, 13, 54 |
| 3 | Metallica | 7, 9, 91 |
| 3 | Peter Hook | 16, 30, 60 |
| 3 | Stephen Morris | 16, 30, 60 |
| 3 | Bernard Sumner | 16, 30, 60 |
| 3 | U2 | 11, 23, 93 |
| 3 | Tool | 24, 48, 57 |
| 3 | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 26, 84, 96 |
| 3 | The Smashing Pumpkins | 33, 40, 71 |
| 2 | Hunters & Collectors | 2, 68 |
| 2 | Led Zeppelin | 6, 63 |
| 2 | Nine Inch Nails | 14, 72 |
| 2 | Faith No More | 19, 35 |
| 2 | New Order | 30, 60 |
| 2 | Ben Folds Five | 32, 52 |
| 2 | The Whitlams | 36, 43 |
| 2 | Beastie Boys | 38, 44 |
| 2 | Pink Floyd | 41, 90 |
| 2 | Jebediah | 50, 82 |
| 2 | R.E.M. | 51, 73 |
| 2 | The Offspring | 55, 80 |
| 2 | Silverchair | 59, 83 |

## Countries Represented

| Country | Tracks |
| United States | 51 |
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Australia | 18 |
| Ireland | 3 |

## Songs by Decade

| Decade | Song Count |
| 1960s | 2 |
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 19 |
| 1990s | 68 |

## Other Notes

* It was marked with a comical moment when Robbie Buck played the wrong Led Zeppelin song.
* Grinspoon's track 'Just Ace', which reached #88 and Ben Folds Five's track 'Brick' which came #32 is to date the only song to chart in an All Time countdown before an official yearly countdown.
* Grinspoon are the first Triple J Unearthed artist to appear in a Hottest 100 Of All Time countdown.
* Excluding the Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, the appearance of only 4 countries (Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) is the lowest amount of countries to appear in any countdown.