Last year, Exclaim! named the Wiggles' cover of "Elephant" among 2021's best covers, and it appears Australia agrees, as the Like a Version rendition of the Tame Impala classic has now landed atop the country's Hottest 100 of 2021.
The Australian kids' band — whom Triple J charmingly refers to as "the Beatles of children's music" — beat out the Kid LAROI, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X for the top of the Hottest 100 of 2021, marking the first-ever Like a Version song to claim the title.
"The bizarre but beautiful novelty of hearing the world's biggest kids' band putting a family-friendly stamp on a stoner rock anthem proved too powerful for any other song to overcome," reads the winner's description.
The Australian kids' band — whom Triple J charmingly refers to as "the Beatles of children's music" — beat out the Kid LAROI, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X for the top of the Hottest 100 of 2021, marking the first-ever Like a Version song to claim the title.
"The bizarre but beautiful novelty of hearing the world's biggest kids' band putting a family-friendly stamp on a stoner rock anthem proved too powerful for any other song to overcome," reads the winner's description.
The station reports that the song since has also earned over 3 million views on YouTube and 1.3 million plays on Spotify, making it the Biggest Like a Version of the year.
Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker — whose original came in at No. 7 in the Hottest 100 of 2012 — was delighted by the news, sharing with Triple J that he is "humbled every time someone decides to cover my music," and that he was in "disbelief" over the Wiggles' win.
"If someone had told me back when we released 'Elephant' that, in 10 years' time, the Wiggles were gonna cover it and it would get Top 10 Hottest 100, I would've told you that you were out of your mind," Parker told Triple J.
"I would've told you that that's a ridiculous idea and I wouldn't have believed you," Parker continued. "If a fortune-teller told me that was going to happen, I would've asked for my money back."
He added: "They made it their own, which showcases the genius of the Wiggles. They really gave it a new personality, a new animal personality."
For the Wiggles' part, the kids' group appear to also be in disbelief. Anthony "Blue Wiggle" Field told the station, "We're very honoured to be a part of it. I think this is one of the biggest things to happen to us."
See Parker react to the news and revisit the Wiggles' rework of "Elephant" below.
