With the surge in popularity of the DJ in 2012, it is no wonder many DJ/producers have reached “rockstar” status not just in their countries of origin but globally. There are rankings like DJ Mag’s list, which ranks the top 100 DJs ever year, but now Rolling Stone has taken things even further. They have just released their list of “The top 25 DJs That Rule The Earth.” The list somewhat follows the path of DJ Mag’s, but there are some interesting deviations from that list as well. See for yourself below, and let us know your thoughts on the list.
25. Daft Punk
24. Porter Robinson
23. Cassy
22. Carl Cox
21. A-Trak
20. Deadmau5
19. Carl Craig
18. Loco Dice
17. Todd Terje
16. Bassnectar
15. Maya Janes Coles
14. Danny Tenaglia
13. Seth Troxler
12. Ricardo Villalobos
11. Richie Hawtin
10. DJ Harvey
9. Boys Noize
8. Skrillex
7. James Murphy
6. David Guetta
5. Diplo
4. Kaskade
3. Avicii
2. Swedish House Mafia
1. Tiesto
James Murphy? I don’t agree with that. Also, Wolfgang Gartner should be on here as he’s acclaimed (by many EDM artists) as one of the most talented producers and DJs in the electro house genre. Porter Robinson even mentioned that he’s been an inspiration to him and that he sets the bar really high. Also you forgot all the trance artists that have strong followings and global appeal (Markus Schulz, Armin Van Buuren, and Above and Beyond). You got most of the legendary house/ techno artists right Carl Craig, Carl Cox, Hawtin, Villalobos… It’s possible you missed Sasha or Digweed, but your list has a lot of newer talent. Maya and Seth are definite up and comers in the deep house genre and I applaud you, RS, for listing them. Other than not listing Wolfgang Gartner, the inclusion of James Murphy at 7 (really?), and the exclusion of all trance and progressive, this is a fair list and you’re slowly gaining credibility after the EDM cover page story. You failed to mention the “roots” or beginnings of the genre and no homage was paid to any of the originator or legends (Inner City, Derrick May, Hawtin, or whatever) in the cover page article.
Gareth Emery should easily be there. I agree the lack of trance of prog, which probably suggests why Gareth is not on this list either.
why the hell is pete tong not there