Top 100 DJs

The magazine’s biggest property is a public poll of the world’s 100 most popular DJs. The poll attracted over one million votes in 2015, making it the world’s biggest music poll. Danny Rampling was the first to be named as the number one DJ in the world by the magazine’s journalists in 1991. In 1992 Smokin Jo was named the number one DJ by the magazine editors and is the only female DJ to have ever earned the top ranking. In 1993 to celebrate the 100th edition of DJ Magazine,^[13] the magazine introduced a Top 100 list that was still compiled by its staff until 1996. For the previous five years, the system for nominee selection and voting to determine the winners was similar to that of current Grammy Awards and the Brit Awards in that dance music industry specialists (in this case, music journalists) decided on who was nominated and who won the award. However, in 1997 the decision was taken by the publication to let the readers of the magazine decide who they thought was the world’s top DJ, and in 1997 British DJ Carl Cox was the first winner of the Top 100 DJs Award by public vote. As of 2017, Fergie holds the record for the highest new entry in the poll’s history, achieved when he placed 8th in 2000. Dutch DJs Armin van Buuren & Martin Garrix currently tie the record of most overall wins with five each.