# | Title | Artist | Time | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) | The Offspring | 3:09 | ![]() |
2 | Cigarettes Will Kill You | Ben Lee | 3:50 | ![]() |
3 | Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us) | Custard | 3:11 | ![]() |
4 | Celebrity Skin | Hole | 2:43 | ![]() |
5 | Got The Life | Korn | 3:45 | ![]() |
6 | ! (The Song Formerly Known As) | Regurgitator | 3:28 | ![]() |
7 | Harpoon | Jebediah | 4:28 | ![]() |
8 | The Day You Come | Powderfinger | 4:01 | ![]() |
9 | Heavy Heart | You Am I | 3:12 | ![]() |
10 | Save The Day | The Living End | 2:56 | ![]() |
11 | Sweetest Thing | U2 | 3:01 | ![]() |
12 | Brick | Ben Folds Five | 4:32 | ![]() |
13 | Doctor Worm | They Might Be Giants | 3:02 | ![]() |
14 | Josie | Blink-182 | 3:21 | ![]() |
15 | Second Solution | The Living End | 3:00 | ![]() |
16 | Addicted To Bass | Josh Abrahams | 3:55 | ![]() |
17 | Tainted Love (Live) | The Living End | 3:41 | ![]() |
18 | Just Ace | Grinspoon | 1:48 | ![]() |
19 | Bubblegoose (feat. Stan, Kyle, Kenny & Cartman) | Wyclef Jean | 2:53 | ![]() |
20 | Simultaneous | Chef | 3:18 | ![]() |
21 | Sex And Candy | Marcy Playground | 2:52 | ![]() |
22 | Black Friday | Grinspoon | 2:29 | ![]() |
23 | Teardrop | Massive Attack | 5:31 | ![]() |
24 | Music Is Crap | Custard | 3:01 | ![]() |
25 | Intergalactic | Beastie Boys | 3:52 | ![]() |
26 | Polyester Girl | Regurgitator | 3:34 | ![]() |
27 | I Like Your Old Remix Better Than Your New Remix | Regurgitator | 2:59 | ![]() |
28 | Don't You Know Who I Am? | Happyland | 2:21 | ![]() |
29 | Everybody Here Wants You | Jeff Buckley | 4:47 | ![]() |
30 | Never There | Cake | 2:44 | ![]() |
31 | Throw Your Arms Around Me | Paul McDermott | 5:04 | ![]() |
32 | Black Bugs | Regurgitator | 3:03 | ![]() |
33 | Sweater | Eskimo Joe | 2:17 | ![]() |
34 | One Week | Barenaked Ladies | 2:49 | ![]() |
35 | Flagpole Sitta | Harvey Danger | 3:36 | ![]() |
36 | Whatareya? | TISM | 3:34 | ![]() |
37 | Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No. 2) | The Whitlams | 3:47 | ![]() |
38 | The Impression That I Get | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | 3:14 | ![]() |
39 | Somebody Kill Me | Adam Sandler | 1:53 | ![]() |
40 | Song For The Dumped | Ben Folds Five | 3:40 | ![]() |
41 | Pure Morning | Placebo | 4:15 | ![]() |
42 | Teflon | Jebediah | 3:47 | ![]() |
43 | Melbourne | The Whitlams | 4:50 | ![]() |
44 | The Dope Show | Marilyn Manson | 3:47 | ![]() |
45 | Ava Adore | The Smashing Pumpkins | 4:31 | ![]() |
46 | Don't Wanna Be Left Out | Powderfinger | 2:13 | ![]() |
47 | Do The Evolution | Pearl Jam | 3:54 | ![]() |
48 | Road Rage | Catatonia | 5:09 | ![]() |
49 | Malibu | Hole | 3:50 | ![]() |
50 | It's Like That | Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins | 4:11 | ![]() |
51 | Given To Fly | Pearl Jam | 4:01 | ![]() |
52 | The Grouch | Green Day | 2:12 | ![]() |
53 | Father Of Mine | Everclear | 3:52 | ![]() |
54 | Mum Changed The Locks | Frenzal Rhomb | 1:43 | ![]() |
55 | No Surprises | Radiohead | 3:49 | ![]() |
56 | Charlie No. 3 | The Whitlams | 4:24 | ![]() |
57 | I Think I'm Paranoid | Garbage | 3:38 | ![]() |
58 | I Don't Like It | Pauline Pantsdown | 3:18 | ![]() |
59 | History Repeating (feat. Miss Shirley Bassey) | Propellerheads | 4:03 | ![]() |
60 | Untouchable Face | Ani DiFranco | 3:37 | ![]() |
61 | Cry | The Mavis's | 4:13 | ![]() |
62 | Gone Away | The Offspring | 4:29 | ![]() |
63 | The Rockafeller Skank | Fatboy Slim | 6:54 | ![]() |
64 | Come On Spring | Antenna | 4:49 | ![]() |
65 | Rumble | You Am I | 2:37 | ![]() |
66 | No Shelter | Rage Against The Machine | 4:04 | ![]() |
67 | The Unforgiven II | Metallica | 6:36 | ![]() |
68 | Every Day Should Be A Holiday | The Dandy Warhols | 4:02 | ![]() |
69 | Cinnamon Lip | Pollyanna | 2:27 | ![]() |
70 | If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next | Manic Street Preachers | 4:52 | ![]() |
71 | Hello! | Happyland | 3:00 | ![]() |
72 | Mr Charisma | Frenzal Rhomb | 2:19 | ![]() |
73 | Music Sounds Better With You | Stardust | 4:21 | ![]() |
74 | My Hero | Foo Fighters | 4:20 | ![]() |
75 | Dragula | Rob Zombie | 3:43 | ![]() |
76 | Saint Joe On The School Bus | Marcy Playground | 3:20 | ![]() |
77 | Fuel | Metallica | 4:30 | ![]() |
78 | Shimmer | Fuel | 3:34 | ![]() |
79 | Don't Go Away | Grinspoon | 2:58 | ![]() |
80 | Bad Old Man | Babybird | 4:21 | ![]() |
81 | Drinking In L.A. | Bran Van 3000 | 3:56 | ![]() |
82 | El President (feat. Thom Yorke) | Drugstore | 2:49 | ![]() |
83 | Now And Then | The Superjesus | 4:08 | ![]() |
84 | Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) | Green Day | 2:35 | ![]() |
85 | Harpoon | Something For Kate | 4:20 | ![]() |
86 | Mama's Trippin' | Ben Harper | 3:45 | ![]() |
87 | Push It | Garbage | 4:02 | ![]() |
88 | Wishlist | Pearl Jam | 3:27 | ![]() |
89 | Special | Garbage | 3:44 | ![]() |
90 | No Substitute | Chef | 4:47 | ![]() |
91 | Benedict | Jebediah | 4:03 | ![]() |
92 | The Ballad Of Tom Jones | Space | 4:09 | ![]() |
93 | Untitled | Silverchair | 3:31 | ![]() |
94 | Perfect | The Smashing Pumpkins | 3:23 | ![]() |
95 | Tropicalia | Beck | 3:21 | ![]() |
96 | Redneck Wonderland | Midnight Oil | 3:09 | ![]() |
97 | Black Umbrella | Even | 3:21 | ![]() |
98 | Baker Street | Foo Fighters | 5:39 | ![]() |
99 | Saturation | The Superjesus | 4:04 | ![]() |
100 | Sich Öffnen | Not From There | 3:48 | ![]() |
Facts for 1998
The 1998 Hottest 100 was the sixth annual Hottest 100 countdown since the change of the format which allowed only songs from the previous year to be voted for.
The Countdown
The countdown took place in January of 1999 and featured a mixture of 70 different artists.
The 1998 countdown is one of three countdowns to feature two versions of the same song. Jebediah's 'Harpoon' was voted into the #7 position, while the cover by Something For Kate reached #85. This happened again in 2004 when Scissor Sisters charted with their cover of Franz Ferdinand's winning track 'Take Me Out', and in 2013 when San Cisco also charted with their cover of Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky'. This had also happened in the 1989 All Time countdown when Art Of Noise charted with their cover of Prince's 'Kiss'.
This countdown has long been the subject of ridicule, namely in that The Offspring's winning song, 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)', is considered to be a 'joke song'. Derisive references have been made in more recent countdowns. including some announcers using it as reason to abolish democratic voting systems, such as those used in the Hottest 100. Strangely, the 1993 countdown, in which Denis Leary's 'Asshole' won, is not given as much attention, despite the fact that 'Asshole' is 'officially' a comedy song.
At #2, Ben Lee charted with his song 'Cigarettes Will Kill You'. Reportedly, he was inspired to the name the song after the blunt, truthful nature of the title of The Verve's song 'The Drugs Don't Work', which reached #22 in 1997.
At #4, Hole charted with their song 'Celebrity Skin'. The song includes the line "Beautiful garbage, beautiful dresses. Can you stand up or will you just fall down?"
3 years later, Garbage, who also appeared at #57, #87, & #89 in the 1998 countdown, featured with their songs 'Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)' and 'Androgyny' from their album Beautiful Garbage. The title of the album comes directly from the lyrics in Hole's song.
At #14, Blink-182 charted with their song 'Josie'. The song includes the line "And my girlfriend likes UL and DHC. And she's so smart and independent, I don't think she needs me quite half as much as I know I need her. I wonder why there's not another guy that she'd prefer."
The first line references two bands; 'UL', better known as Unwritten Law, and 'DHC', better known as Dance Hall Crashers. Unwritten Law would later chart in the 2001 countdown at #69 with their song 'Up All Night'. Original members of Dance Hall Crashers, Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, charted at #31 in 1995 as members of Rancid with the song 'Time Bomb'.
The countdown is also one of only two to feature artists gaining three back to back tracks. It is yet to be done with the same band for all three tracks, however, Quan Yeomans of Regurgitator and Happyland scored three entries in a row with his work with the two bands, featuring at positions #26 through #28.
Again, this has only been matched once, with Dave Grohl featuring 3 times in a row due to his work with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
At #73, Stardust featured with 'Music Sounds Better With You'. To date, this is the only track ever released by the band, making them the first band to have their entire discography feature in the Hottest 100.
Despite it not being played by Triple J that year, Green Day's 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)' reached #84.
At #92, English band Space charted with the track 'The Ballad Of Tom Jones'. Despite having a sound that one would not expect to be heard on Triple J, Tom Jones charted in the 1994 countdown, reaching #9 with his cover of 'If I Only Knew', by Rise Robots Rise.
Grinspoon's appearance in the countdown continues their efforts from the previous year in which songs from album have been featured in non-consecutive countdowns. In 1995, Grinspoon released their track 'Sickfest' which was later re-released on their debut album 'Guide To Better Living' in 1998. The album also managed to feature in both the 1997 and 1998 countdowns. To date, it is the only album that features in 3 different countdowns. Non-consecutive appearances also occurred in the 2011 countdown with Architecture In Helsinki, and the 2015 countdown, when The Wombats charted.
Artists Featured
Quan Yeomans was the best performing artist of the countdown and was featured 6 times; 4 times with Regurgitator and 2 times with Happyland. Incidentally, the second best performing band of the countdown was in fact Regurgitator, who managed to achieve 4 entries, their highest reaching #6.
Garbage, Grinspoon, Jebediah, The Living End, Pearl Jam and The Whitlams all managed to gain 3 tracks each. Jebediah managed the highest entry, reaching #7.
16 other artists managed to appear twice in the countdown.
Artists With Multiple Entries
6 Tracks
- Quan Yeomans (6, 26, 27, 28, 32, 71)
(Four times with Regurgitator and twice with Happyland)
4 Tracks
- Regurgitator (6, 26, 27, 32)
3 Tracks
- Garbage (57, 87, 89)
- Grinspoon (18, 22, 79)
- Jebediah (7, 42, 91)
- The Living End (10, 15, 17)
- Pearl Jam (47, 51, 88)
- The Whitlams (37, 43, 56)
2 Tracks
- Ben Folds Five (12, 40)
- Chef (20, 90)
- Custard (3, 24)
- Foo Fighters (74, 98)
- Frenzal Rhomb (54, 72)
- Green Day (52, 84)
- Happyland (28, 71)
- Hole (4, 49)
- Marcy Playground (21, 76)
- Metallica (67, 77)
- The Offspring (1, 62)
- Powderfinger (8, 46)
- The Smashing Pumpkins (45, 94)
- The Superjesus (83, 99)
- You Am I (9, 65)
- Cerys Matthews (48, 92)
(Once with Catatonia and once with Space)
Countries Featured
The 1998 Hottest 100 featured artists from 7 countries, including 44 from the USA, 42 from Australia and 8 from England.
A Couple Of Notes
‘Teardrop’ at #23, was a collaboration between Massive Attack and Elizabeth Fraser, who are English and Scottish, respectively. However, the track is counted as an English entry for simplicity.
‘History Repeating’ at #92, was a collaboration between Propellerheads and Shirley Bassey, who are English and Welsh, respectively. However, the track is counted as an English entry for simplicity.
‘The Ballad Of Tom Jones’ at #59, was a collaboration between Space and Cerys Matthews, who are English and Welsh, respectively. However, the track is counted as an English entry for simplicity.
Countries Represented in the 1998 Countdown
Flag | Country | Entries |
---|---|---|
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Australia | 42 |
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Canada | 2 |
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England | 8 |
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France | 1 |
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Ireland | 1 |
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Wales | 2 |
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USA | 44 |
Quick Facts
Number Of Artists Featured
- 70 Artists
Most Successful Artist
- Quan Yeomans (6 tracks)
Number Of Countries Featured
- 7 Countries
Top Three Countries
- USA (44 tracks)
- Australia (42 tracks)
- England (8 tracks)
Unearthed Artists
- Grinspoon (3 tracks)
Average Track Time
- 3:40 (3 minutes, 40 seconds)
Shortest Track
- Mum Changed The Locks - Frenzal Rhomb (1:43)
Longest Track
- The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim (6:53)
Leaderboard as of 1998
Flag | Country | Total |
---|---|---|
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USA | 265 |
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Australia | 185 |
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England | 92 |
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Ireland | 12 |
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Canada | 12 |
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Sweden | 6 |
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New Zealand | 5 |
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Iceland | 4 |
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Jamaica | 4 |
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Scotland | 4 |
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Wales | 3 |
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Benin | 2 |
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France | 2 |
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Denmark | 1 |
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Germany | 1 |
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Italy | 1 |
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Senegal | 1 |
CD Release

Cassette Release

Box Set Release
