‘Long Live Aussie Music’: Ben Lee Jokes That Part of Hottest 100 Should Go To Kyle & Jackie O
Image: DJJR / Supplied.
Australian musician Ben Lee has clarified comments he made suggesting that part of Triple J’s annual Hottest 100 countdown should be handed over to Kyle and Jackie O — a remark that sparked a flurry of reaction online this week.
In a social media post, Lee said: “I got an idea, a lot of people aren’t going to like it.
“The Hottest 100 every year, it should only be eligible to vote for Australian songs. There’s enough platforms out there around the world for international music. I reckon the Hottest 100 on Triple J should be ONLY Australian music.”
Then, in an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Lee said that any mainstream/international music should go to commercial shock jocks Kyle and Jackie O.
“Triple J should give the Hottest 100 to Kyle and Jackie O, let commercial radio run it nationally as a pop mainstream phenomenon and Triple J’s business should be the Australian Hottest 100,” Lee told SMH.
Lee’s comments overall suggest the beloved Aussie countdown has perhaps lost touch with its original mission of spotlight local music, and is too heavily influenced by global hits and mainstream appeal.
The comment, though tongue-in-cheek, drew significant attention from both fans of Triple J and critics of the station’s shifting focus. Many interpreted the statement as a critique of what Lee sees as a growing commercialisation of the once fiercely independent broadcaster.
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Ben Lee clarifies: “I’m not calling for a takeover”
In a follow-up post on Instagram, Lee clarified that he was not seriously advocating for commercial radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson to take over any part of Triple J’s programming. Instead, he said the comment was a satirical way of underscoring a broader issue: the need for Triple J to more strongly prioritise Australian music.
“I’m not suggesting handing them the keys to the kingdom lol,” the singer wrote in a follow up post on Instagram. “What I’m saying is let commercial radio handle servicing multi-national major labels – that’s their job. Triple J is taxpayer funded and I think those funds would be better used almost exclusively supporting Australian artists and culture. Billie Eilish doesn’t need the support of the Aussie taxpayer, R.M.F.C. for example might.
“Anyway, I hope all of this conversation is taken with the passion and love for Australian music and for Triple J that I am intending it with. JJJs were instrumental in shaping my career, and as a public utility only benefits when we get around, get opinionated and get debating! Long live Aussie music”
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Lee, who has a long history with Triple J — including two second-place finishes in the Hottest 100 with Cigarettes Will Kill You in 1998 and Catch My Disease in 2005 — has been vocal in recent years about the importance of maintaining space for local and independent artists in Australia’s music ecosystem.
Triple J has not responded to Lee’s comments, but discussion around the countdown’s direction continues to spark debate each year.
Whether you agree with Lee’s assessment or not, his comments reflect a persistent concern from within the Australian music community: that national platforms should be used to elevate homegrown talent, not sideline it.
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