DJ Mag

DJ Magazine

February 2012 cover
Editor	Carl Loben
Categories	Music, technology, nightlife, style
Frequency	Monthly
First issue	31 January 1991 (1991-01-31)
Company	Thrust Publishing Ltd
Country	U.K.
Language	English
Website	djmag.com
ISSN	0951-5143

DJ Magazine (also known as DJ Mag) is a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs.^[1] Founded in 1991, the magazine is adapted for distribution in UK, USA, Spain, France, Italy, Latin America, China, South Korea, Indonesia and The Netherlands.

Top 100 DJs

The magazine's biggest property is a list of the World's most popular DJs, called Top 100 DJs. The poll attracted over 1 million votes in 2015, making it the World's biggest music poll.^[2]

Carl Cox was the first winner named as the number one DJ in the world by the magazines journalists in 1993, in a list to celebrate the 100th edition of DJ Magazine. ^[3] the magazine then introduced a Top 100 list that was still compiled by its staff until 1996. The decision was taken by the publication to let the readers of the magazine decide who they thought was the worlds top DJ and in 1997 English DJ Carl Cox was the first winner of the Top 100 DJs Award (public vote). Armin van Buuren currently holds the record of most overall wins with five and a record four consecutively.

The awards party for the poll was traditionally hosted at the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London. For the 2011 poll, the event was hosted outside of the UK for the first time in its history, being staged at the 2011's edition of the Amsterdam dance event. The 2012 and 2013 award shows were both held on 19 October at the same event.^[4][5] Until 2002, the top three had consisted of at least one British DJ, since the same year at least one Dutch DJ has featured in the top three. In 2015 the Top 100 DJs Awards Party took place as the headline moment of the Amsterdam Music Festival. Over 40,000 guests witnessed the crowning of 2015's winner's Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.^[2] Following the Amsterdam event, the winning DJs were flown to London, where they performed to a sold out Brixton Academy for the Top 100 DJs London show.

Top 100 DJs is considered to be hugely important to DJs as an influencer of booking fees and their current level of popularity. DJs regularly campaign for votes, a process which is allowed by the magazine.^[6] Dutch DJ Hardwell once did a skydive as part of his campaign video;^[7] David Guetta regularly creates animated videos as part of his voting campaign;^[7] Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike released an exclusive mix to their fans as part of their 2015 campaign.^[8] However due to the weight that is placed on Top 100 DJs ranking by bookers worldwide, there have been criticisms of the poll.

Criticisms of Top 100 DJs

Top 100 DJs has been criticised as being heavily influenced by the marketing power of DJs, rather than their skill or ability. A recent article that appeared in the US edition of the Huffington Post explores this claim. Its journalist, Kevin Yu, featured an article in July 2013 entitled "DJMag Top 100 (Marketable) DJs" where he states "Over the past few years, DJ Mag has been criticized that the list is not a true representation of their skills, but instead the amount of money they can put towards marketing."

Yu asks "Has the DJMag list transformed into a popularity contest or is it still a resemblance of the DJs talent?".^[9] The list has also been criticized for not including a more balanced reflection of artists from other Electronic dance music styles and showing rankings based on less commercial mainstream DJs. A feature in The Guardian in 2010 by the journalist Ben Child entitled "What does DJ Mag's top 100 poll tell us about UK dance music? Not much" explores this further, noting that

What's surprising, at least to those of us who don't enjoy the more mainstream genres, is the paucity of artists from outside the house and trance scenes in the top 100. This has pretty much always been the case, with the odd Drum 'N' Bass or Breakbeat acts occasionally making it into the lower reaches in years gone by, but this year's situation is particularly extreme. There is just one artist Andy C whose music is not based on the standard four-to-the-floor beat pattern adopted by mainstream dance music in the top 100 - and he has been around for more than a decade and a half.^[10]

As the poll is publicly voted, DJ Mag have no direct input into which DJs are featured.^[6]

DJ Magazine Lists

Notes: The magazines journalists selected their top 3 DJ's for the years 1991-1992, on the 21st October 1993 for the 100th issue they expanded this by introducing a top 100 Best DJs in the world list - in the opinion of all the staff - were chosen.^[11] In 1997 the magazine opened the top 100 list to a public vote which is still the current format.

1997–present

Top 3 DJs - Voted publicly
Year	1st	2nd	3rd
1997	Carl Cox	Paul Oakenfold	Sasha
1998	Paul Oakenfold	Carl Cox	Judge Jules
1999	Paul Oakenfold	Carl Cox	Sasha
2000	Sasha	Paul Oakenfold	John Digweed
2001	John Digweed	Sasha	Danny Tenaglia
2002	Tiësto	Sasha	John Digweed
2003	Tiësto	Paul Van Dyk	Armin Van Buuren
2004	Tiësto	Paul Van Dyk	Armin Van Buuren
2005	Paul Van Dyk	Tiësto	Armin Van Buuren
2006	Paul Van Dyk	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto
2007	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto	John Digweed
2008	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto	Paul Van Dyk
2009	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto	David Guetta
2010	Armin Van Buuren	David Guetta	Tiësto
2011	David Guetta	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto
2012	Armin Van Buuren	Tiësto	Avicii
2013	Hardwell	Armin Van Buuren	Avicii
2014	Hardwell	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike	Armin Van Buuren
2015	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike	Hardwell	Martin Garrix
2016	Martin Garrix	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike	Hardwell

Top 100 DJs: 2016

• Awards as given by DJ Mag^[12]

Place	Name	Nationality
1	Martin Garrix
2	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
3	Hardwell
4	Armin Van Buuren
5	Tiësto
6	David Guetta
7	Steve Aoki
8	Oliver Heldens
9	Skrillex
10	Afrojack
11	Avicii
12	KSHMR
13	W&W
14	Calvin Harris
15	Don Diablo
16	Axwell and Ingrosso
17	Dash Berlin
18	The Chainsmokers
19	Ummet Ozcan
20	Alesso
21	R3hab
22	DJ Snake
23	Diplo
24	DVBBS
25	Alok
26	Kygo
27	Swanky Tunes
28	Marshmello
29	Nicky Romero
30	Steve Angello
31	Deadmau5
32	Quintino
33	DJ Chetas
34	Bassjackers
35	Zedd
36	Headhunterz
37	VINAI
38	Florian Picasso
39	Galantis
40	Jack Ü
41	Aly & Fila
42	Shogun
43	Blasterjaxx
44	Major Lazer
45	NERVO
46	Angerfist
47	Above & Beyond
48	Yellow Claw
49	MaRLo
50	Fedde Le Grand
51	KURA
52	Lost Stories
53	Deorro
54	Vintage Culture
55	Alan Walker
56	Tom Swoon
57	Coone
58	Diego Miranda
59	Brennan Heart
60	Paul van Dyk
61	ATB
62	Yves V
63	Wolfpack
64	Dillon Francis
65	Andrew Rayel
66	Eric Prydz
67	Felguk
68	Radical Redemption
69	Robin Schulz
70	Dannic
71	Da Tweekaz
72	Daft Punk
73	Will Sparks
74	Carl Cox
75	Timmy Trumpet
76	Borgore
77	Firebeatz
78	Tujamo
79	Laidback Luke
80	Markus Schulz
81	Vicetone
82	Martin Jensen
83	Jauz
84	Carnage
85	Netsky
86	Carl Nunes
87	Sam Feldt
88	Miss K8
89	Jay Hardway
90	Porter Robinson
91	Bobina
92	Zatox
93	Dyro
94	Flume
95	Infected Mushroom
96	Showtek
97	Daddy's Groove
98	Martin Solveig
99	Ferry Corsten
100	DJ Feel

Top 100 Clubs

DJ Mag also run an annual poll called Top 100 Clubs.^[13]

Top 3 Clubs 2006–present

DJ Mag top Clubs
Year	1st	2nd	3rd
2006	Fabric	The End	Turnmills
2007	Space	Fabric	Pacha
2008	Fabric	Space	Amnesia
2009	Berghain	Fabric	Space
2010	Sankeys	Fabric	Amnesia
2011	Space	Fabric	Green Valley
2012	Space	Green Valley	Pacha
2013	Green Valley	Space	Pacha
2014	Space	Green Valley	Pacha
2015	Green Valley	Space	Hakkasan
2016	Space	Green Valley	Amnesia

Awards

• IDMA Best Music Publication 2003^[14]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2004^[15]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2005^[16]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2006^[17]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2007^[18]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2008^[19]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2009^[20]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2010^[21]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2011^[22]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2012^[23]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2013^[24]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2014^[25]
• IDMA Best Music Publication 2015^[26]

See also

• DJ Awards
• IDMA Awards

References

External links

• DJ Mag Website
• DJ Mag Website Old web site with Top-100 rankings from 1999 to 2008.
• DJ Blackbook
• Votes and standings from 1997 to 2013
• EDM Source and Resident Advisor Webzine's Alternative Top 100 DJs list 2014