The Hottest 100 of 2004 is packed with forgotten gems

Memory is such a curious thing. I can rattle off the number for the reading and writing hotline at any given moment, but I probably couldn’t name 40% of my friends’ kids if asked. Good songs, like other things, come and go in our minds. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of rediscovering an old track you’d forgotten, with all the nostalgia and joy that brings.

Hopefully, you'll get some of those tingles as you revisit these songs from 20 years ago. They were all well-loved enough to be voted into triple j’s Hottest 100. If you haven't forgotten them, then congratulations! No need to write in. Don't forget, Double J is bringing you the full 2004 Hottest 100 this Friday, January 24, to kick off the Hottest weekend.

At number 100 is ‘I’m Gonna Haunt You’ by Fabienne Delsol. If you’re not familiar with the soundtrack to the BBC show Killing Eve, you may not have heard this gem from French singer Fabienne Delsol since January 20 years ago. It’s a vibrant slice of indie-pop with great spy-guitar work, showcasing the singer's ability to take classic pop and give it a modern edge. It's definitely one of the best breakup songs from the 2004 Hottest 100, with the singer telling her ex that she'll never let them rest: “I’ll gently remind you, the ways you let me down, you can’t escape…” While her last album came out six years ago, Delsol is still performing and posted studio photos last year, so hopefully, we’ll hear some new music soon. If you're interested, I'd highly recommend checking out her 2007 album, Between You and Me, which is even better. – Dan Condon

At number 90 is ‘Lotion’ by The Greenskeepers. “It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. Yes, baby, it gets the hose.” Does that line ring a bell? I know next to nothing about The Greenskeepers – a satirical band from Chicago that has released many albums and even appeared in the hit video game Grand Theft Auto IV. (All things I just learned via Google.) But I know that chilling quote. It's a memorable line from the 1991 classic film The Silence of the Lambs, spoken by serial killer Buffalo Bill. He's a key plot device that leads FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to seek the help of Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, in one of his most iconic roles). It’s pretty wild song fodder, and The Greenskeepers deliver a stripped-down, sleazy but compelling tune, sung from Buffalo Bill's perspective, and good enough to land at number 90. It's obviously tongue-in-cheek, but this is the first, and hopefully last, novelty song in the Hottest 100 about doing unspeakable things to the human body.

At number 73 is ‘Sleepy Little Deathtoll Town’ by The Panda Band. Perth’s The Panda Band were one of the great brass-tinged chamber-pop acts of the mid-2000s, and this quirky, ambitious track was their moment in the sun. It sounds a bit like Madness and The Flaming Lips having a raucous, drunken jam, but with a touch of Perth thrown in, which makes it feel like it’s ours. This would be the band’s only entry into the Hottest 100. They released two albums before disbanding in 2012, but you can still see band members popping up in various projects around Perth. Check out their Facebook for more. – Dan Condon

At number 43 is ‘Godhopping’ by Dogs Die In Hot Cars. Full disclosure: I remember this short-lived Scottish five-piece because I'm pretty sure I voted for this song in the 2004 countdown, and it ended up at a very respectable number 43. If this is the first time you’ve heard of Dogs Die In Hot Cars, I wouldn’t blame you. They released one very good album and then bailed halfway through making a follow-up, eventually fading into obscurity. Which is a real shame because DDIHC’s debut, Please Describe Yourself, really deserved to cause a stir in the early 2000s indie blogosphere. ‘Godhopping’ opens with the playful, clever pop DNA of XTC and Orange Juice, mixed with a bit of Talking Heads’ white funk, or – to be more specific to the time – Hot Hot Heat. You have to admire a band that can create an earworm with lyrical word salad like “So we go all traffic and children/They live far away/At the back of a big bus all the way to Bombay”. If you like this track, be sure to check out the equally captivating ‘I Love You Because I Have To’, which landed at number 83. – Al Newstead

At number 33 is ‘Chicken Payback’ by The Bees. Is it just me or had everyone forgotten how infectious this track from UK band The Bees’ second album is? It’s a very fun slice of retro-soul, form over substance, but it has a great groove that still sounds great today. That timeless quality gives it revival potential. Surely this song is due for a TikTok explosion in the future. Surely there’s a music supervisor ready to help it shine again. The track performed very well upon release, not only landing in the top 40 of the Hottest 100 but also peaking at number 28 on the UK charts, their highest ever placing. While the band hasn’t released any new music in years, they did play a handful of shows in the UK in 2024, so maybe we’ll hear more from them soon? – Dan Condon

Double J is revisiting the 2004 Hottest 100 from midday on Friday to kick off the Hottest weekend. More information is available here.