Hottest 100 as it happened: The countdown to Australia’s favourite song of 2025

Get ready for it, folks, because Olivia Dean has topped the hottest 100 songs of 2025! Her jazzy, upbeat pop-soul track Man I Need has come in at No. 1 in this year’s countdown.

It was Dean’s first time on the poll this year, beginning with Lady Lady at number 62. But she didn’t stop there, appearing four times in the top 20. In addition to Man I Need, she also charted with So Easy (To Fall In Love) at No. 11 and Nice to Each Other at No. 7, as well as featuring on Sam Fender’s Rein Me In, which placed 14th.

The British singer, who performed at last year’s ARIA Awards as the night’s international music guest, has been on fire this past year after releasing her soulful second album The Art Of Loving (which, of course, includes Man I Need), which dramatically grew her already loyal fanbase.

Her popularity signals a broader shift in voter preferences since last year’s Hottest 100, when edgier pop tracks, such as those on Charli XCX’s Brat album, dominated. This year, slower, more classic beats seemed to reign supreme, with bursts of electronic tracks from local artists in between.

“What the hell?” Dean said on-air from Berlin following her win. Humble, as always. What a queen.

“This is kind of crazy, did you say that 2 million people voted? Thank you, Australia, love you guys,” she said. “I feel like this song only really came into my life recently … It has changed my life, no other song has done what this has done.”

Well, that’s it, everybody – we’ve made it through another Hottest 100. It was a pleasure following along with you today, even if I did go a little cross-eyed near the end.

The countdown delivered some serious bangers this year, from global smash hits like Tate McRae’s Sports Car to local favourites like Spacey Jane’s Whateverrrr. No matter what genre you’re into, you were guaranteed to groove out at some point during the poll.

But, of course, the main event was Olivia Dean. The British pop star stunned us all with Man I Need, becoming the third consecutive solo female artist to claim the top spot in the poll. Further, she managed to secure four spots in the top 20 – and all in her first year on the Hottest 100!

Beyond that, the main takeaway has been the strength of our local talent. Australians took out the second, third and fourth place spots in this year’s countdown, following concerns about a decline in local representation in the annual poll. Keli Holiday’s Dancing2 came in at No. 2, while Australian psychedelic band Tame Impala’s Dracula placed third. It’s a proud day for home-grown talent.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go listen to Man I Need on repeat. Until next time, music-lovers!

Get ready for it, folks, because Olivia Dean has topped the hottest 100 songs of 2025! Her jazzy, upbeat pop-soul track Man I Need has come in at No. 1 in this year’s countdown.

It was Dean’s first time on the poll this year, beginning with Lady Lady at number 62. But she didn’t stop there, appearing four times in the top 20. In addition to Man I Need, she also charted with So Easy (To Fall In Love) at No. 11 and Nice to Each Other at No. 7, as well as featuring on Sam Fender’s Rein Me In, which placed 14th.

The British singer, who performed at last year’s ARIA Awards as the night’s international music guest, has been on fire this past year after releasing her soulful second album The Art Of Loving (which, of course, includes Man I Need), which dramatically grew her already loyal fanbase.

Her popularity signals a broader shift in voter preferences since last year’s Hottest 100, when edgier pop tracks, such as those on Charli XCX’s Brat album, dominated. This year, slower, more classic beats seemed to reign supreme, with bursts of electronic tracks from local artists in between.

“What the hell?” Dean said on-air from Berlin following her win. Humble, as always. What a queen.

“This is kind of crazy, did you say that 2 million people voted? Thank you, Australia, love you guys,” she said. “I feel like this song only really came into my life recently … It has changed my life, no other song has done what this has done.”

Tame Impala’s Dracula has been a frontrunner in this race for a while, so its positioning at No. 3 shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. It’s still exciting, though, as this marks the Australian psychedelic artist’s fourth entry in the countdown.

This song will immediately send you into a trance, almost as if you’re under the spell of the Count himself. Gothic themes are so in right now too, just look at the success of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and last year’s Nosferatu. So, well played, Tame Impala.

Not everything in life needs to be taken so seriously. Playlunch, a seven-member Australian band from Melbourne, certainly got this memo.

Their insane track Keith has been placed at No. 4, proving that bogan funk goes down a real treat with the masses. From references to Tracey Grimshaw to Malvern TAB, this song couldn’t be more local, so kudos to Playlunch for bringing some serious Aussie culture to the Hottest 100. Their bald-cap, speed dealer sunnies look has clearly paid off.

Fremantle indie-rock band Spacey Jane have already been regulars today, but this is their first moment of glory in the top 10.

They’ve managed it with Whateverrrr, an upbeat melodic hit that scooped No. 6. They now also have five entries, meaning they’ve now overtaken previous frontrunner Royel Otis and Ocean Alley. This also means they broke their own record of four, which they initially set in 2020.

“We had so much fun playing it, we got very close making this record,” the group said on air shortly after being announced as the top sixth track.

Yeah, I smell a roll here. Olivia Dean is inching ever closer to the top of the countdown, scooping No. 7 with her dreamlike ballad Nice To Each Other.

The lyrics are vulnerable, the vocals are velvety. Her songs feel both so warm and modern. She’s just a true legend to behold, and someone we’ll probably be listening to a lot more in the year ahead.