Editing Triple J Hottest 100 (section)

===1988–1991: The Hot 100===
The idea for the poll came from [[Triple J]] producer Lawrie Zion in late 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/30years/audio/hot100_1989.mp3|title=How Hottest 100 started (mp3)|website=Abc.net.au|access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> During this time, he conceived the idea of running a listener poll to determine their 100 favourite songs of all time.<ref name="ABCJ">{{cite web |title=Hottest 100 Archive |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/archive/default.htm |access-date=18 March 2016 |publisher=ABC}}</ref> The idea was taken from [[Brisbane]] community radio station [[4ZZZ]], which developed the original Hot 100 in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/4zzz-celebrates-40th-birthday-20151208-glia70.html|title = 4ZZZ celebrates 40th birthday|date = 8 December 2015}}</ref>

For the Hot 100, before Triple J had become a national broadcaster, Sydney listeners were required to write their 10 favourite tracks on the back of an envelope.<ref name="ABCJ"/> Some entries were sent into the station written on a variety of items, including paintings, sculptures, and hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} The results of the first poll were counted down on Sunday 5 March 1989, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The station repeated the event the following year when it started broadcasting to other capital cities besides Sydney. In 1991, Triple J was forced to change the poll's name to Hottest 100 to avoid legal action with 4ZZZ.

During the poll's first few years — from 1989 to 1991 — the winner in the first two years was "[[Love Will Tear Us Apart]]" by [[Joy Division]],<ref name="ABCJ"/> while [[Triple J Hottest 100, 1991|1991]]'s favourite song was "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" by [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]],<ref name="ABCJ"/> which had been released that year.