The triple j Hottest 100 countdown usually runs for around seven to eight hours from the first song to the reveal of number one.

How long it takes (the simple answer)

  • Listeners on forums consistently say the Hottest 100 “normally” takes about 8 hours from the start of song 100 to the end.
  • That rough duration includes all the commentary, interviews and hype , not just the songs themselves.
  • If you only played the 100 songs back-to-back with no talking, it would be noticeably shorter, but that’s not how the broadcast runs.

In practical terms: if the countdown kicks off at 12 pm (noon) AEDT , you can expect it to wrap up around 7–8 pm AEDT most years.

Why it takes that long

The Hottest 100 is designed as an all-day radio event rather than a quick chart reveal.

Across the broadcast you get:

  • Hosts introducing each track and chatting between songs
  • Short artist interviews or pre‑recorded messages
  • Breaks for news, promos and competition plugs
  • Build‑up segments before the top 10 and especially number one

One forum comment summed it up neatly: if you played just the songs, the countdown would be much shorter, but the extra few hours are all the “commentary, interviews and general hyping up.”

If you’re planning your day (or night)

Because the Hottest 100 is so long, it’s worth thinking of it as a “set and forget” background soundtrack:

  1. For parties in Australia
    • Start time is typically midday local-ish (for example, 12 pm in NSW, Vic, ACT, Tas; 11 am in Qld; 9 am in WA, etc., for recent years).
 * Plan food, breaks and swims around an **afternoon–early evening** finish.
  1. For listeners overseas (e.g., UK/Europe/US)
    • If you’re tuning in online, expect a very late night or overnight session because of the time difference. That’s why people ask how long it runs – you’re in it for the long haul.
  1. If you only care about the top 10
    • You can tune in later in the broadcast; the top 10 usually lands in the last hour or so of the show (exact timing varies year to year, but it’s always at the tail end of the 7–8 hour window).

Quick FAQ style recap

  • Q: How long does the Hottest 100 take?
    A: About eight hours from start to finish in a typical year.
  • Q: Why so long?
    A: 100 songs plus hosts, interviews, news and build‑up segments stretch it from a bare playlist into an all‑day event.
  • Q: When does it usually start?
    A: Recent guides list a midday AEDT start for the main countdown, with local variations across Australian states.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.