But a list of the station's 100 most-played songs – obtained by Fairfax Media – provides an insight into what its programmers wanted listeners to hear over the past year.

The song that commanded the most airtime, High by Australian electronic music duo Peking Duk, was also the favourite to be voted No.1 in the Hottest 100, according to a leading online betting agency.

The track, with vocals by Nicole Millar, was played 225 times between January 27, 2014 and January 18, 2015. The next most-played songs were Create / Destroy by Sydney band Art vs. Science and Seasons (Waiting On You) by US synth-poppers Future Islands, which each received 185 spins.

Another popular Hottest 100 contender, Talk is Cheap by Melbourne's Chet Faker, was played 141 times and ranked 56th, alongside New Zealand singer Lorde's Yellow Flicker Beat.

The data was compiled by AirCheck, which monitors music and commercials on more than 50 radio stations across Australia using a patented audio recognition system. It was based on Sydney's Triple J frequency 105.7FM, but the station broadcasts the same content nationally (on delay in some cities).

Amid a debate about the ongoing relevance of Triple J, the list does demonstrate Triple J programmers' preference for local, alternative music.

Half of the 10 most-played songs, and 58 of the top 100, were performed by Australian artists. And there were few appearances by "top 40" mainstream artists – Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk, for example, was not among the 100 most-spun tracks.

Also absent from the list was American pop princess Taylor Swift, who has been the subject of an online campaign (#Tay4Hottest100) to have her hit Shake it Off catapulted to the top of the Hottest 100. Triple J has already confirmed the song was not played on the station in the past year.

The Australia Day countdown has been criticised for a dearth of solo female performers. The AirCheck list shows this is also a factor in the station's programming – though the seventh most-played track was How Much Does Your Love Cost? by 19-year-old indigenous singer-songwriter Thelma Plum. Megan Washington, Lana Del Rey and Queensland singer Ayla also made the list.

Triple J most-played songs, January 27, 2014 to January 18, 2015:

1. High - Peking Duk ft. Nicole Millar - 225 spins

 

=2. Seasons (Waiting On You) - Future Islands - 185 spins

 

=2. Create / Destroy - Art vs. Science - 185 spins

 

4. Goodbye Future - The Presets - 181 spins

 

5. Streamers - Wave Racer - 176 spins

 

6. Fall In Love - Phantogram - 173 spins

 

=7. Luna Bombay - Bicycle Club - 168 spins

 

=7. How Much Does Your Love Cost? - Thelma Plum - 168 spins

 

=7. I Got U - Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones - 168 spins

 

10. Cannibal - Silversun Pickups - 167 spins

 

Source: AirCheck

Follow Entertainment on Twitter