The 20 Greatest EDM DJs: The Complete List

Bennessy

No Benny Benassi, but you include Skrillex? You clearly don't listen to EDM and just listed the top artists on youtube and twitter.

be21

1 Like

Love the list, I am glad Charles Feelgood made the list. It impossible to not to dance to his style of funky, disco, and vocal house.

Tony Khou

2 Like

Love everyone on the list except Skrillex. I can't believe he's on the list. Skrillex sucks!!

tchavigner

Look at this article if you're interested in learning proper knowledge about EDM...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/10/26/163722918/dance-music-looks-beyond-edm-and-hopes-the-crowd-will-follow

To all of you saying we're haters, I don't think being precise and specific is hating.

Saying people are haters without explanations is just the easier way to argue !

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

@tchavigner Damn dude you got straight schooled

tchavigner

@LAWeeklyMusic @tchavigner Are you gonna have different arguments one day? more relevant ones perhaps ? I feel like arguing with a child who doesn't have much too reply...

WaWa4

2 Like

@ ALL THE HATERS - ITS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE TO ADOPT YOURS, WE HAVE OUR OWN! GREAT LIST LA WEEKLY!!!!!!

Itsjuststupid

1 Like

do the la weekly even know anything about dj's,, obviously not.this is by far THE WORST ever top 20 list compiled.in a top 20, you should have carl cox, ricardo villalobos, carl craig, dj sasha, john digweed, sven vath and a whole bunch of other legendary and influential dj's.dj dan? what a joke,, known for his dj mag top 100 cheating the votes,,sandra collins hasn't been relevant for ever and never reached big heights,,and kazell??? please,,, kazell at 6?, seriously?, this guy has only managed to do ok in LA, he can barely get a gig anywhere else in the world and has limited skills at best from when i have seen him at avalon, he shouldn't make a top 1000 of all time, let alone top 20.someone's been bribed.rubbish

djromero moderator editortopcommenter

2 Like

@Itsjuststupid I should have pulled more for Diggers. Dan is one of the most amazing DJs I've ever seen, and I've seen them all. Kazell is sorely underrated. You're criticizing us but saying Kazell should be judged on his bookings? By the way, he's gone coast-to-coast on tour with Digweed and Sasha more than once.

In terms of the Weekly knowing about dance music or not, I've been covering the scene since 1991, FYI.

Itsjuststupid

1 Like

@djromero

Being taken on a tour doesnt make you a great dj, it means you were given a great opportunity by 'great djs' that you left off the list?? seriously?

How on earth can you call Kazell the 6th greatest EDM DJ of all time and not include Sasha, John Digweed, or Carl Craig? are you mad? so you guys are wrong with this, he shouldnt be on this list at all, like many others.

If so, you should have included Sean Cusick on the list, a much better dj and producer than Kazell, a Twilo resident who was part of historical events, who toured intensively across the united states with Sasha and Digweed for almost a decade...

And if you have been covering edm since 1991, you should know better.

ppaul77

2 Like

A pretty decent list, but not sure if it's meant to be the greatest 20 ever or the greatest working right now. Either way there are some major omissions. If you're going to include Danny Tenaglia, who does deserve to be here, then where is Carl Cox? And John Digweed? Both are legends who are still relevant today, with more passion for music and mixing skills that piss on most DJs out there.

Sandra Collins? Maybe 5 years ago, but not anymore. I'd list Maya Jane Coles or Nicole Moudaber instead.

This list is pretty US-centric (nothing wring with that), but you've ignored one of the hottest and most respected American DJs on the underground scene right now: Maceo Plex.

tchavigner

@ppaul77 one of the most rational comment I see here, there are major omissions and a total mix of generations !

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

1 Like

@tchavigner @ppaul77 Damn tchavigner ppaul schooled you!

tchavigner

@LAWeeklyMusic @tchavigner @ppaul77 One suggestion: use different adjectives at least, I'm starting to get bored by your lack of imagination. Pretty nice sense of humor though !

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

1 Like

@tchavigner @LAWeeklyMusic @ppaul77 I'm sure you're feeling bad about getting schooled by everyone tchavigner, but don't worry I'll bet your cat still loves you! hahaha

tchavigner

@LAWeeklyMusic @tchavigner @ppaul77 schooled me ? I think we're agreeing on multiple points ? oh and by the way, if we're talking about american DJs, do you know Seth Troxler? hahaha

iGroov

2 Like

Lines are being crossed everywhere. EDM has a much broader meaning these days as well the word DJ. We can get into all that some other time.

Personally, i think this list is almost solid. I'm glad Dan, Feelgood, Glaude, Hawtin, Tenaglia, are listed. These guys were pushing dance music long before mainstream media could appreciate the sound, much less understand it.

rsoncl

not bad list overall..some real talent on here for sure...but Skeechex, Assnectar and Douchemau5 aren't DJ's and Sandra Collins cant spin for being a falling down drunk addict....

djromero moderator editortopcommenter

1 Like

@rsoncl Assnector. LOL. But seriously I've stood next to Sandra as she played live on BBC Radio 1 at Ultra in Miami and she's one badass spinner.

Rego Merl

Bryan Kearney. Christopher Lawrence

Music_Junkie101

2 Like

The list couldn't be anymore fantastic :)

carlwilliams

nice one katie, arrab musik isnt a dj, djs and producers are 2 different things

ucladarts

1 Like

@carlwilliams

He performs electronic music live, so I think he could be considered a DJ. Also, everyone on this list makes EDM so they are producers as well.

tchavigner

@ucladarts whatever this is far from being the main problem of this list ! following this we can say that Hawtin isn't a DJ anymore as he now do his shows using controllers !

tchavigner

1 Like

@LAWeeklyMusic @tchavigner @ucladarts Hurting me so bad

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

1 Like

@tchavigner @LAWeeklyMusic @ucladarts The truth hurts

tchavigner

@LAWeeklyMusic @tchavigner @ucladarts Never said he was wrong, I was just making an ironic comment because what he said was more than obvious !

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

@tchavigner @ucladarts tchavigner sorry but he's right

Ismael Martinez

1 Like

EDM = Erectile Disfunctional Music!

ucladarts

2 Like

This list feels like a compromise between a handful of writers, each with their own sensibility. There's representation from the DJ Mag top 100, the "live" DJs who would play at FYF, the "real legit techno" crowd, and a bit of the resident advisor stuff.

Cant really hate on diverse picks though. Haters can always go ahead and make their own list.

tchavigner

1 Like

@ucladarts as being a journalist you can't do compromises, you have to stay neutral by reporting true and relevant information, overwise the name of the article should have been more personal, like "the greatest EDM djs for us"

I agree that it's a mix of DJ mag shitty top and RA's. Those aren't the same crowds and when you're speaking of Djing, you have to compare between similar artists !

Understanding Hawtin vision of music, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even like to see his name on this list !

Aleen Bedrosian

This list is nowhere near complete. Sorry.

KTEK

3 Like

Not sure what all the negative talk is all about. This list is on point and there is no need to be negative in a music world that is only filled with positive. These djs have been rockin it in my world since the 90's and I would like to say THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND CREATIVE MINDS TO BRING US THE AMAZING MUSIC THAT YOU DO. DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY OF DANCE MUSIC AND YOU WILL PROBABLY WRITE ANOTHER COMMENT THAT IS MUCH MORE POSITIVE THAT YOUR FIRST ONE.

AndrewS.

3 Like

Pretty stoked on this list. Much better than the top 20 in the DJ Mag list and the most ridiculous DJ list ever put together by Rolling Stone Mag.

Angela

1 Like

This list is pretty terrible. How do some of these DJs constitute as being 'the greatest'? Who even voted or picked these?

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

4 Like

@Angela The best minds of my generation

tchavigner

1 Like

@jessienzane First of all, what you're saying is completely irrelevant to what we said. We argued that some of these djs don't consider themselves as "EDM" djs. EDM is now use to characterize mainstream producers that have their electronic music played on top 40 radios.

I would repeat because I think I wasn't enough clear the first time, Richie Hawtin just went on a tour explaining how his music was different from the EDM scene. Same thing for Claude VonStroke, Chus and Ceballos or Danny Tenaglia, how can anyone say that they're doing EDM.

Finally, an important part of these djs were not even djing during the 90s...

Next time I suggest you to do some research before commenting.

jessienzane

@tchavigner @jessienzane research? I have been traveling with my husband Charles Feelgood for 10 years. Planes trains and automobiles my friend. I believe that constitutes as RESEARCH. This has been my life for a long time.

tchavigner

@jessienzane @tchavigner then we can say that your jugement is completely biased by personal feelings so I'm not sure if we can have an interesting and impartial debate here.

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

@tchavigner @jessienzane Somebody got schooled and her name is tchavigner!

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

2 Like

@tchavigner @jessienzane Dang you got schooled tchavigner!

jessienzane

2 Like

Actually!!!! this list is really ON POINT. Not sure what the fools below are speaking of, but everyone on this list have been ROCKING MY MUSIC WORLD since the 1990s.... THANK YOU!!

Ryan J. Smith

Danny Tenaglia

Carlos A. Etcheverry

1 Like

EDM bores the shit out of me and most people I know, when are we all going to get over this? it's been years.

Blue Derkin

Wait a second - you're saying that 250,000 (that's a quarter of a million people) showed up to Hollywood and Highland when Kaskade played, but in your own article that you link to, you note that the Hollywood Division didn't have to declare a tactical alert because they already had enough officers on hand? Your own article mentions no such inflated number (it says, in fact, that more 800 showed up), but it does say that only 3 people were arrested. Not too bad a day for law and order, I guess. I find the figure highly dubious - might want to check that crowd count again. I'm pretty sure I would remember if a crowd the size of Buffalo descended on Hollywood. Or was that supposed to be funny?

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

@Blue Derkin Sorry about that, you're right, and we've made the change above. Thanks.

tchavigner

I completely agree this is the worst list ever, how can you say that Richie Hawtin is doing EDM when he went on a tour comparing his music to EDM. This list is made of random DJs doing random different styles.

parkermaass

1 Like

This is probably the worst list I have seen in awhile. No Armin, Sasha, Digweed? I love GLK but the fact that he is on this list is garbage. Try again please.

LAWeeklyMusic moderator editortopcommenter

4 Like

@parkermaass Ok cool we'll be right back.

Itsjuststupid

1 Like

@LAWeeklyMusic @parkermaass

I agree,, do the la weekly even know anything about dj's,, obviously not.

this is by far THE WORST ever top 20 list compiled.in a top 20, you should have carl cox, ricardo villalobos, carl craig, dj sasha, john digweed, sven vath and a whole bunch of other legendary and influential dj's.

dj dan? what a joke,, known for his dj mag top 100 cheating the votes,,sandra collins hasn't been relevant for ever and never reached big heights,,and kazell??? please,,, kazell at 6?, seriously?, this guy has only managed to do ok in LA, he can barely get a gig anywhere else in the world and has limited skills at best from when i have seen him at avalon, he shouldn't make a top 1000 of all time, let alone top 20.

someone's been bribed.rubbish