Cosby Sweater
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Cosby Sweater
| cover = Hilltop_Hoods_-_Cosby_Sweater.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Hilltop Hoods
| album = Walking Under Stars
| B-side = Won't Let You Down
| released = 26 October 2014
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 3:37{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/walking-under-stars/897515026|title=iTunes – Walking Under Stars by Hilltop Hoods|date=8 August 2014 |publisher=iTunes|access-date=22 November 2014}}
| label = Universal Music Australia
| writer = Demetrius Christopholus, Barry Francis, John Kelman, Matthew Lambert, Daniel Smith
| producer =
| prev_title = Pyramid Building
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"Cosby Sweater" is a song by Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album, Walking Under Stars (2014). In Australia, "Cosby Sweater" peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Hilltop Hoods' highest-charting single to date and their third top ten hit overall.{{cite web|url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Hilltop+Hoods&titel=Cosby+Sweater&cat=s|title=Hilltop Hoods – Cosby Sweater (song)|publisher=australiancharts.com|accessdate=22 November 2014}} The song was rated number three in Triple J's Hottest 100 2014. The song's accompanying music video was released on 3 October 2014 via the Australian iTunes Store.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/music-video/cosby-sweater/924408618|title=Cosby Sweater Music Video (iTunes)|date=January 2014 |publisher=iTunes|access-date=22 November 2014}}
Reference to popular culture
The track's distinctive riff heavily samples the Wimple Winch track "Save My Soul".
The "Cosby Sweater" is a reference to the colourful and unusual sweaters Bill Cosby used to wear on TV - in particular, such a sweater worn in a press photo by The Notorious B.I.G., AKA Biggie Smalls. In the title and art direction, the Hilltop Hoods confuse the Bill Cosby sweaters designed by Koos Van Den Akker and worn by Cosby on his show The Cosby Show with the similarly expressive Coogi sweater worn by The Notorious B.I.G.{{Cite web|last1=Lockwood|first1=Rosemary Feitelberg,Lisa|last2=Feitelberg|first2=Rosemary|last3=Lockwood|first3=Lisa|date=2015-02-04|title=Koos Van Den Akker Dies at 75|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/designer-koos-van-den-akker-dies-8159611/|access-date=2021-01-30|website=WWD|language=en-US}}
Later, with the sexual assault allegations involving Cosby the group have since stated that they regret naming the song after him and commented:
“To be honest we regret name checking Bill Cosby. Like some of you we’ve only recently become aware of the allegations against him. If he’s guilty of those allegations he can go jump in a fkn lake. A deep icy lake.”.{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/hilltop-hoods-regret-namechecking-bill-cosby-in-their-song-cosby-sweater/news-story/e44d91564e93bce733d1d772c1fd3a6b|title=Unfortunate Cosby song 'not about a sex act'|publisher=}}
The song also references actor Tom Cruise, television host Oprah Winfrey, singers Christina Aguilera and Pat Benatar, chess prodigy Bobby Fischer and the elevator fight between rapper Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s sister, Solange Knowles (“slap a rapper like Solange Knowles”).
Track listing
{{tracklist
| title1 = Cosby Sweater
| note1 = Trials remix
| length1 = 3:37
| title2 = Won't Let You Down
| note2 = featuring Maverick Sabre
| length2 = 4:27
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" | Chart (2014)
! scope="col" | Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Australia|4|artist=Hilltop Hoods|song=Cosby Sweater|accessdate=29 November 2014|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Australiaurban|1|artist=Hilltop Hoods|song=Cosby Sweater|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20141119002200/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20141119-1122/Issue1290.pdf|urltitle=The ARIA Report - Issue #1290|accessdate=24 November 2014|rowheader=true}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} |
=Year-end charts=
=Decade-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2010–2019)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2019/end-of-decade-singles-chart|title=2019 ARIA End of Decade Singles Chart|publisher=ARIA|date=January 2020|accessdate=17 January 2020}}
| 100 |
| scope="row"| Australian Artist Singles (ARIA)
| 13 |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|relyear=2014|certyear=2024|title=Cosby Sweater|artist=Hilltop Hoods|type=single|award=Platinum|number=12|accessdate=11 August 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|relyear=2014|certyear=2022|artist=Hilltop Hoods|title=Cosby Sweater|award=Platinum|source=radioscope|access-date=10 February 2025|type=single}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Hilltop Hoods}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Suffa