DJ Mag top 100

oddly enough, i just read today that DJ mag is going to be closed or sold by the end of the month.

Paul Van Dyk wins the top spot for the second year, while Armin Van Buuren and Tiesto trade places in the No. 2 and 3 spots. Tiesto telling fans not to vote for him didn't seem to work it seems. American voters can also pat themselves on the back for a job well done with LA's Christopher Lawrence rocketing up to take fourth position.

Whhuuuuuuhhh?????

Is it 1998 or something? What's going on? Pan Van Fucking Dyk? Tiesto?
Aren't these fellas dead yet? Jesus christ, dance music is fucked.

it seems like only yesterday

Here's the entire list:

001. Paul van Dyk NM
002. Armin van Buuren ^
003. Tiësto v
004. Christopher Lawrence ^
005. DJ Dan ^
006. Ferry Corsten ^
007. Sasha v
008. Digweed v
009. Above & Beyond v
010. Deep Dish ^
011. Carl Cox 1 v
012. Infected Mushroom 14 ^
013. ATB 4 v
014. Paul Oakenfold 3 v
015. Hernan Cattaneo 8 v
016. Judge Jules 1 v
017. Eddie Halliwell NM
018. Marco V 2 v
019. Markus Schulz 2 ^
020. Gabriel & Dresden 9 ^
021. James Zabiela 8 v
022. John Acquaviva NE
023. Flash Brothers 43 ^
024. Amadeus NE
025. Erick Morillo 7 v
026. Benny Benassi 4 v
027. Sander Kleinenberg 7 v
028. DJ Yahel 17 ^
029. Offer Nisim NE
030. Andy Moor 16 ^
031. David Guetta 8 ^
032. Sander van Doorn NE
033. Richie Hawtin 21 v
034. Gareth Emery NE
035. Phil Kieran NE
036. Nick Warren 1 v
037. DJ Skazi NE
038. Steve Lawler 8 v
039. D-Formation NE
040. Ricky Stone 8 ^
041. Astrix 34 ^
042. Roger Sanchez 15 v
043. Bad Boy Bill 1 v
044. Sven Väth 21 v
045. Thrillseekers RE
046. Donald Glaude 22 ^
047. DJ Vibe 7 v
048. Kyau Vs. Albert NE
049. Chris Liebing 16 v
050. Tiga 6 v
051. Matt Darey 40 ^
052. Bob Sinclar NE
053. James Holden 16 v
054. Lange NE
055. Wrecked Machines NE
056. Dion Mavath NE
057. Pete Tong 8 v
058. Danny Tenaglia 22 v
059. George Acosta NE
060. Blank & Jones 29 v
061. DJ Sammy 31 ^
062. Joachim Garaud NE
063. Timo Maas 11 v
064. Matt Hardwick 6 v
065. Frank Trax 14 v
066. Steve Angello NE
067. Danny Howells 42 v
068. Simon Posford NE
069. John Graham NE
070. Desyn Masiello 16 v
071. Mauro Picotto 43 v
072. Menno De Jong NE
073. BT 9 ^
074. Scott K NE
075. Tall Paul 32 v
076. M.I.K.E. Push 1 ^
077. Filo & Peri NE
078. Tarkan NE
079. Anderson Noise NE
080. Fatboy Slim 17 v
081. Serge Devant NE
082. Umek 3 v
083. Victor Calderone 28 v
084. Darude RE
085. Fergie 25 v
086. Talla 2 XLC NE
087. Ronski Speed RE
088. Lee Burridge 12 v
089. Mario Piu 51 v
090. Axel Karakasis NE
091. Steve Porter NE
092. Yoji Biomehanika 60 v
093. Axwell NE
094. Stanton Warriors RE
095. Dave Seaman 26 v
096. Robbie Rivera NE
097. Andy C 27 v
098. Agnelli & Nelson NE
099. Lisa Lashes 43 v
100. Dave Clarke 64 v

NM = No movement
NE = New entry
RE = Re-entry (I think)
8 v = Dropped 8 positions since last poll

this sort of list is about as valid as the concept of a rock'n roll hall of fame. it's meaningless and developed to sell copies of the magazine.

There was a wee bitch and moan on DOA over this, but really, who cares?


Be interesting to know how OLD those DJs are. Generation Peter-Pan and all that...

Troy said:

How so?

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well...in numerous ways. there no tangible way to rate them, and there's no frame of reference to declare that the #5 guy is actually "twice as good" as the #10 guy and four times better than #20 guy, etc. it's strictly a popularity contest, and there's nothing wrong with that as a way to sell magazines (in fact, it's an old trick to get readers involved), but it certainly doesn't mean it reflects "the best" in any context of reality. plus, the concept of "the best" is totally subjective anyway!

It's not what people like, it's what people who are sad enough to write in and vote on magazine polls like. That's why "The Stone Roses" is the GREATEST ALBUM EVA!

Troy said:

How so?

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it's so meaninglessly skewed towards DJ's editorial values ie house and trance. drum & bass DJs are still pretty huge and only Andy C gets a look in. What about all the US hip hop DJs that command global audiences?

a list of the two biggest DJs from every genre would be far more informative...

Verily, this list looks like it's trapped in amber.

Brian Transeau, still holding in there at 73. Unbelievable. In fact, I've just learned from his Wiki entry that "he produced the score for the 2001 film Zoolander but then had his name pulled from the project." That speaks volumes...

The chart is more reflective of the ability of the listed djs' promotional teams

From BT's wikipedia entry:

Despite the fact that he is not truly a DJ and doesn't claim to be, BT has often appeared on the lists of the world's top DJs. In 2005, he ranked 82nd on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list, up from 92 in 2004. Additional rankings were 83rd in 2003 and 76 in 2001.

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So who are those dimwits voting for him year after year then.

i love those early chris and cosey records, if that counts!

Troy said:

Face it. Y’all just can’t handle the fact that Trance rules!

The poll is a popularity contest? It sure is, and it just means that Trance is the DJ music that gives people the most pleasure. What wrong with that? What is music for but to move you and give you joy?

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You're right in that this poll is a popularity contest; you're wrong, though, in assuming that the taste of the DJ Mag readership reflects that of the general dance public (which admittedly is dungy, but not that dungy). Trance is very popular, probably the most popular form of dance music worldwide, but it is nowhere near as omnipresent in clubs around the world as this list would suggest. The reason it is so overrepresented in this list is, I think, because: (a) only trance fans (plus a few orbiters) vote and (b) the bothersome DJ worship phenomenon is still prevalent in trance circles (paying bizarre sums to see a particular DJ, DJs as brands etc.). Again: the ubiquitous sound in clubs worldwide is not trance, but rather some kind of funky house/big room house bastard, maybe with a little minimal thrown in for good measure (excluding hip hop et alii for the sake of the argument ).

I’m constantly perplexed as to why Dissensians are anti-Trance. Maybe it’s the culture and how Trance blew up in the UK, so that now people can’t see the trees for the forest (reversal of expression intended). I mean, there are lots of great Trance tunes, and the concept of Trance is great as well.

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It's not just dissensians though. I imagine the situation is slightly different in the U.S.A., but here in Sweden trance is by far the most maligned musical genre there is (the typical audience being exurbian teen-agers and computer geeks, or so the cliché goes).

But please don’t say it’s just crap, banal music that’s just popular because the masses will consume anything. Look deeper than that

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I'm not so sure about the supposed wealth of great tunes either. I ploughed through hundreds of recent trance tunes in the early spring just to challenge my prejudices -- it turns out they were grounded; I think I found one or two tunes (out of about 3-400) I considered mildly arousing. It was also staggering to find that so little had changed production-wise since I jumped the trance ship in 2001, Matt Darey's remix of Binary Finary's 1998 could easily be mistaken for a 2006 tune were it not for it being somewhat dynamic (trance seems to be the genre where the compression malady has hit the hardest).

Be interesting to know how OLD those DJs are. Generation Peter-Pan and all that...

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Paul van Dyk turns 35 this year, Armin van Buuren turns 30, Tiësto is 37 and most of the rest in the top 10 are in their late 30s (I don't know about Above & Beyond though). I don't think that's very surprising, it takes a good few years for a DJ to get really good. Long as they stay in touch with the current musical trends (arguably a pretty mean feat) they are bound to only get better (is that a thread idea? "DJs who's gotten worse over the years").

Leo said:

plus, the concept of "the best" is totally subjective anyway!

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close enough

Leo said:

well...in numerous ways. there no tangible way to rate them, and there's no frame of reference to declare that the #5 guy is actually "twice as good" as the #10 guy and four times better than #20 guy, etc. it's strictly a popularity contest, and there's nothing wrong with that as a way to sell magazines (in fact, it's an old trick to get readers involved), but it certainly doesn't mean it reflects "the best" in any context of reality. plus, the concept of "the best" is totally subjective anyway!

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Um, hate to burst your bubble, but the concept of a Top 100 list doesn't entail (necessarily) that the #5 guy is twice as good as the #10 guy, in any circumstances.

But, as you say, everything is subjective anyway, so I don't really see why I'm bothering to make a point at all

Anyways, more broadly, this is (compared to the usual standard) a pretty shoddy excuse for a thread. Why doesn't everyone go and read Fact or Stylus or whatever makes them happy? DJ is obviously shit - everyone knows that.