Triple M launches Australia Day music countdown, after Triple J abandons the day

TRIPLE J controversially changed the date of its annual Hottest 100 countdown from Australia Day to avoid politically-charged debates about how to mark the day — now rival Triple M has unveiled its own countdown.

TRIPLE J controversially changed the date of its annual Hottest 100 countdown from Australia Day to avoid politically-charged debates about how to mark the day — now rival Triple M has unveiled its own countdown.

In an announcement this afternoon, the rock-centric station — which broadcasts across the country — said it would kick off its inaugural “Ozzfest 100” next year.

Triple J's new look Hottest 100 countdown in 2018.

“The taxpayer funded FM has decided that there’ll be no soundtrack for Australia Day. Let’s face it, that’s usually full of hipsters or kids making music on a Mac,” read an announcement.

“At Triple M, we’re going to give you what you’ve asked for. The perfect Australia Day soundtrack.

“We don’t care about a Top 40 chart position, who wrote it or even awards, it’s just got to be Aussie,” it concluded.

The countdown on Triple J’s commercial rival comes after the public broadcaster announced last month it would move the date its own Hottest 100 countdown because 60 per cent its listeners voted in favour of the change.

“We all agreed that the Hottest 100 shouldn’t be part of a debate about the day it’s on,” the youth radio station said in a statement.

Triple M has just announced its own countdown.

In 2014, Triple M boss Mike Fitzpatrick blasted the ABC station as “elitist” when it launched its own digital station.

“Unlike our taxpayer-funded ‘youth network’, Triple M Modern Rock Digital isn’t elitist,” the network head said.

“We don’t care about ‘cool’ music or ‘on trend right now’ styles. If it’s a great song, we’ll play it. Whether it’s created in a garage by four blokes on instruments or a woman with an acoustic sitting on a bed, Triple M Modern Rock is their new home on Digital Radio.”