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The Wiggles’ cover of Tame Impala’s “Elephant” for Triple J’s Like A Version has claimed top spot in the Hottest 100.Credit:ABC

Recorded for Triple J’s hugely successful Like A Version segment,the unlikely hit of 2021 trampled pop’s brightest stars on its way to the top;leaving the likes of Olivia Rodrigo,Doja Cat,Lil Nas X,and even The Kid Laroi’s ubiquitous earworm,Stay,in its wake.

Not only is The Wiggles’ victory the first time a cover has snagged the top spot,but it’s also the first time a Hottest 100 debut artist has won – no mean feat for a children’s band in its 30th year.

Formed in 1991,The Wiggles’ first album was a self-funded project that the bandmates assumed would be a temporary diversion from their teaching jobs. When their touring schedule no longer fit into school holiday breaks,the decision was made:The Wiggles went full time.

To date,they have sold 30 million albums and DVDs,eight books,accumulated billions of music streams and YouTube views,and are the only Australian band to play sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden (12 in total,in 2003).

Despite their list of global accolades,blue Wiggle Anthony Field told ABC radio that winning the Hottest 100 was one of the “biggest things” to ever happen for the band. For 90’s kids everywhere,The Wiggles’ win was as much a triumph of nostalgia as it was for great Aussie music.

The now-iconic Like A Version performance included a supergroup line-up of OG Wiggles members Jeff Fatt and Murray Cook,as well as Field,the founding Wiggle,and his current bandmates Lachlan Gillespie,Simon Pryce and (recently retired) Emma Watkins. The involvement of Fatt added another record to their win – at 68,he’s the oldest winner of the Hottest 100.

The band’s choice of cover pays homage to one of their musical heroes,while the zoological focus is a clever nod to the favoured topics of The Wiggles’ usual audience. But if a 10-year-old psych-rock hit with a bluesy streak still seems a bizarre choice,don’t forget that half the original Wiggles were part of pub-rock band The Cockroaches before they climbed aboard the big red car. Children’s entertainment royalty they may be,but The Wiggles have always been experienced musicians first and foremost.

Their version ofElephant stays close to the original,with some very notable and endearing exceptions. Where Kevin Parker’s vocals were almost swallowed by the crunch of distortion,Gillespie’s voice rings through with the practiced clarity of a children’s entertainer – a choice that softens the grunge but allows the lyrics to shine. Here,seasoned Wiggles fans will easily spot the sneaky reference to their favourite vehicle,with Gillespie singing “Shaking his big red trunk”,rather than the more usual grey. Meanwhile,Watkins swaps her dance shoes for drumsticks,Field wears an elephant suit,and the jaunty syncopation of Fatt’s synth chords add a distinctly “wiggly” flavour (or,if you want to be technical about it,a dash of reggae).

So far,so familiar. But the trademark moment comes when,instead of descending into a keytar solo,Pryce’s chromatic “doo doo doo”s give way to a major modulation and a rocked-up rendition ofFruit Salad. Layered with bass harmonies and some of the originalElephant keytar riffs,the ’90’s hit slots surprisingly well into the stomping groove. When Cook shreds the guitar solo that follows,the message is clear:The Wiggles can rock.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that,during another uncertainty-laden year,Triple J’s audience voted for their favourite childhood band. Or maybe it was just that some of Australia’s finest musicians wear the most famous skivvies in showbiz.

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