Who is the number one DJ in the world? Bearing in mind music is subjective, it’s a pretty hard question to answer. Maybe even impossible. But it is clear that many DJs possess incredible music knowledge and skills, and have helped shape and inspire genres, the clubbing world, and other artists.
From legends that became the first superstar DJs to the modern forces that are blasting tunes on the biggest stages in the world, in no particular order, here are some of the best DJs of all time… so far.
Image: Daft Punk / Facebook
From: Paris, France
Genres: French House
French Electronic music pioneers, whose sci-fi-esque masks and costumes are as iconic as they come, Daft Punk are a DJ duo who there is no debate as to why they should be included in any list of this ilk.
Combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop, Daft Punk created a tour-de-force of dance music, with 8 Grammys, including Album of the Year for their groove-laden epic Random Access Memories; 2 Billboard awards, both for the same album; and a Brit for Best International Group. Despite disbanding in 2021, throughout their 18 years, they truly became icons of the dance and DJ space and cemented themselves as two of the best to ever do it.
Tickets for Daft Punk – HERE
Image: Carl Cox / Facebook
From: Oldham, England
Genres: House, Techno, Funk, Soul – he’s done it all over the years
Now sixty, Carl Cox has already had a blistering career but is showing no signs of slowing down. Always possessing a deep adoration for electronic music, young Carl would take a small turntable to school and play records at just ten years old and was clubbing by 14.
He became known as the “three-deck wizard” as he dropped tracks on a third turntable, which was supposed to be a spare. He also threw himself into the illegal rave scene before going legit. And while crucial to Britain’s rave scene, everyone knows Ibiza wouldn’t be Ibiza without Cox.
His influence over the years in house, techno, funk and soul is immeasurable. If you ask any clued-up DJ or electronic fan about the greatest DJs of all time, they’ll tell you leaving Cox off the list would be a crime.
Tickets for Carl Cox – HERE
Image: Skrillex / Facebook
From: Los Angeles, USA
Genres: Dubstep, EDM, House, Garage, and many more – Skrillex has consistently evolved and been among the best at whatever genre he takes up
From his days as the most influential name in the Dubstep scene that took the world by storm, to his more recent exploits experimenting in the scene with collaborators Fred again and Four Tet; Producer, DJ, musician, Singer & Songwriter about of LA, Sonny Moore aka Skrillex is one of the true heavyweights of the DJing world.
Having won 8 Grammy Awards (the record for most Grammys won by an electronic artist), there is nothing this man can’t do, and his influence on the scene, both artistically and as a mentor to others, is near second to none.
Tickets for Skrillex – HERE
Image: David Guetta / Facebook
From: Paris, France
Genres: EDM, dance-pop, house
A pioneer of French house and a guy who seems permanently in the charts, it was obvious Guetta would make it in our list of the best DJs in the world. He’s built up an insane 14 billion streams, secured two Grammys, and sold his recorded music catalogue for over $100 million US dollars.
Guetta started DJing at a club in Paris, playing popular songs before discovering house in 1987. A year later, he was hosting his own club nights and began releasing music shortly after. Fast forward to the present and this year in Ibiza, he’s got F*** Me I’m Famous in Ushuaia and Future Rave with Morten at Hi.
Tickets for David Guetta – HERE
Image: Armin van Buuren / Facebook
From: Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Genres: Trance
Regularly topping Best DJ polls, trance titan Armin van Buuren has been one of trance’s biggest names for decades now, helping shoot the genre into the mainstream with his A State Of Trance radio show.
Buuren came in at number one on DJ Mags Best DJ poll a record-breaking five times, including a four year in a row stint.
Tickets for Armin van Buuren – HERE
Avicii
Image: Avicii / Facebook
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Genres: EDM, House, Folk/EDM fusion
Avicii got into music early, mixing in his room at eight years old. He began making music at 16 using a pirated copy of FL Studio, inspired by his brother, who was also a DJ.
Avicii first made deep and progressive house before he began to experiment, fusing electronic with folk, soul, blues, country, and more. He created a template that many producers still follow to this day. Avicii played some of the biggest venues in the world including Ibiza’s Ushuaia before his untimely death in 2018 aged just 28. RIP.
Image: Deadmau5 / Facebook
From: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Genres: Progressive House / Trance – but truly, Deadmau5’s sound is so unique that it’s hard to define
There are few more instantly recognisable DJs on the planet than Deadmau5 (pronounced “dead mouse”) when he crowns his head with his mouse mask.
An EDM producer and performer who was at the forefront of revitalising that genre in the 2000s and the first electronic artist in history to grace the cover of Rolling Stone, he is one of the scene’s true icons and innovators who deserves all his dues.
Tickets for Deadmau5 – HERE
Image: Tiësto / Facebook
From: Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Genres: Main Room, EDM, originally Trance
He’s been voted The Greatest DJ of All Time in a 2010/2011 Mixmag poll, the best DJ of the last 20 years by DJ Mag in 2013, and is regarded by many as the godfather of EDM.
He definitely deserves a shout out as one of the best DJs of all time. We don’t think we need to say any more.
Tickets for Tiësto – HERE
Image: Eric Prydz / Facebook
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Genres: progressive house, tech house, house, techno
Growing up in the noughties was seeing and hearing Call on Me bloody everywhere. But Prydz was never destined to be a one-hit wonder. He continued charting with Proper Education, Pjanoo, and Opus. More recently, Prydz snagged ravers’ attention with his HOLO shows that feature breath-taking visuals that are sure to set an insanely high bar for other DJs’ shows.
Prydz’s music transcends genre. You don’t have to be an electronic music fan to be familiar with one or two of his tracks. And we’re certain many who’ve never clubbed or raved are certainly considering it now thanks to HOLO.
Secure your tickets now on Skiddle to check out his HOLO shows this year at his Hi Ibiza residency.
Tickets for Eric Prydz – HERE
Image: Peggy Gou / Facebook
From: Incheon, South Korea
Genres: dark house, techno, broken beats
It might seem a bit early to put Peggy Gou alongside the top DJs of all time as she’s relatively new to the scene compared to some others who’ve been about since the 90s. But we don’t care. And if you checked her out, you’d probably agree with us.
Gou’s friend taught her to DJ in 2009 before she learned Ableton in 2013 and began creating her own music, releasing her first track the next year. She was the first Korean DJ to play in Berlin’s Berghain, started her own record label, clothing line, and festival, and everyone (including us) has been obsessed with her for years now.
Tickets for Peggy Gou – HERE
Image: Black Coffee / Facebook
From: eThekwini, South Africa
Genres: deep house
Grammy-award-winning DJ Black Coffee majored in jazz at uni to expand his musical knowledge and music theory and improve his listening skills. Following his studies, he worked as a backup singer for Madala Kunene, then formed an Afro-pop trio, before becoming a DJ.
Coffee made history in 2022, becoming the first African to win a Grammy in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category. Nowadays, you can find him on the decks at the biggest electronic festivals in the world and in Ibiza’s superclubs.
Tickets for Black Coffee – HERE
Image: Adam Beyer / Facebook
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Genres: techno
Rising from Sweden’s underground to the top of the global techno scene, Beyer is probably best known for Drumcode, his techno record label and events brand that has basically transformed into a genre of its own. He’s signed some of the biggest names on the scene to his label including Alan Fitzpatrick, Amelie Lens, Maceo Plex, Charlotte De Witte, and so many more.
The label has touched down in some of the biggest party places including Ibiza, Manchester’s Warehouse Project, and festivals across the globe.
Tickets for Adam Beyer – HERE
Image: Amelie Lens / Facebook
From: Vilvoorde, Belgium
Genres: Techno
Lens always had a diverse music taste but fell in love with electronic music after attending Dour Festival in Belgium as a teen. She’s blown up fairly recently and now you can find her on main stages at some of the biggest techno events in the world.
Despite being only in her early thirties, she’s already achieved what most DJs could only dream of with her Exhale events touching down in venues across Europe and regular appearances at colossal events. We can’t wait to see what she does next.
Tickets for Amelie Lens – HERE
Image: ANDY C / Facebook
From: Walsall, England
Genres: Drum & Bass
Technically gifted and part of the scene since sneaking into raves at 13, Andy C has all the respect of any underground drum and bass fanatic.
He’s performed at just about every single major party including Ibiza’s superclubs, Creamfields, The Warehouse Project, and so many more while continuing to champion the genre he adores with his RAM record label.
His sets are perhaps best known for his abundant technical proficiency and specialising in fast mixing over three vinyl turntables.
Tickets for Andy C – HERE
Image: Fabio and Grooverider / Facebook
From: London, England
Genres: Drum and Bass and Jungle
Considering the entire UK and a fair amount of Europe is obsessed with drum and bass, it’d be illegal to not shout out Fabio and Grooverider, the originators of the scene.
F&G were part of the few UK DJs to play house before experimenting with the sound, creating something entirely different, which eventually became jungle and drum and bass.
Grooverider first DJ’d at illegal raves and warehouses while Fabio got started on Faze, a London pirate radio station. The duo rose to prominence together at their club nights, including Rage at Heaven from 1989-1991, where they developed their sound.
Tickets for Fabio & Grooverider – HERE
Tickets for Fabio – HERE
Tickets for Grooverider – HERE
Image: Honey Dijon / Facebook
From: Chicago, USA
Genres: house with disco and techno
Born and raised in Chicago, the home of house, Honey fell in love with the soul and R&B music her parents listened to at home. Later, she formed a friendship with Derrick Carter, who became her mentor and introduced her to the underground scene.
Dijon relocated to New York and developed her craft, developing into the passionate, charismatic, and strong DJ she is today. Now absolutely huge in the house scene, it’s super rare to see her events not sold out. Read our interview with Honey Dijon here.
Tickets for Honey Dijon – HERE
Image: Charlotte De Witte / Facebook
From: Ghent, Belgium
Genres: Dark and stripped-back minimal and acid techno
Once known as Raving George (a name she used to avoid negative, sexist stereotypes), Charlotte de Witte ditched her alias after seven years, choosing to go by her own name in her early 20s.
De Witte admitted producing didn’t come naturally to her but that hasn’t stopped her from releasing some incredible music and becoming one of the most in-demand and adored contemporary techno DJs right now.
Tickets for Charlotte De Witte – HERE
Frankie Knuckles
Image: Frankie Knuckles / Facebook
From: Chicago, USA
Genres: House, Soul, Disco, R&B, Chicago house
One of the original innovators of the House sound, and a man often called the genre’s godfather (a moniker he rightfully deserves), Frankie Knuckles should never be missed from any list of the greatest DJs of all time.
Hailing from the birthplace of the genre, Chicago (which he had a strong hand in giving that title), his turntable antics, which bounced off the walls of the city’s famous nightclub Warehouse, caused such inspiration in other future legends within the scene including Larry Levan, Jamie Principle, and David Morales that you could argue few DJs are more important. He unfortunately passed back in 2014, but his legacy will forever live on.
Photo: Calvin Harris / Facebook
From: Dumfries, Scotland
Genres: EDM, electro house, dance-pop
Good luck finding any greatest DJs of all time list without Calvin Harris on it. His debut album I Created Disco saw him burst onto the scene with the single Acceptable in the 80s, which was genuinely everywhere. At the time of writing, Harris sits comfortably at number 14 on Spotify’s top streamed artists in the world.
Name a huge electronic festival and chances are he’s been there and done that. Harris returns to Ushuaia Ibiza this year for 14 dates.
Tickets for Calvin Harris – HERE
From: Manchester, England
Genres: House, Funk, Soul, Disco, and anything that gets you grooving.
With 30 years in the game, smashing through every door, and having an absolute blast along the way, DJ Paulette is one of the dance music scene’s true icons and champions.
From her days as a trailblazing black queer female DJ at the Hacienda, playing their queer night Flesh; to becoming one of the biggest DJs in all of France; to being a published author exposing the exclusivity of the music industry while seeking to do justice to the often invisible women who keep the beat going; DJ Paulette is an absolute icon and we love her.
Tickets for DJ Paulette – HERE
Image: Richie Hawtin / Facebook
From: Canada
Genres: Techno, Tech House
An incredibly influential name in techno, Hawtin uses high-tech such as digital mixing equipment and drum machines to craft intelligent minimal techno sets.
Inspiring many during Detroit’s second wave of artists in the early 90s, he adopted many pseudonyms over the years to experiment with his sound. Over the years, he played a vital role in helping the genre gain popularity in clubs all over the world.
Tickets for Richie Hawtin – HERE
Image: Jeff Mills / Facebook
From: United States
Genres: Techno
A huge pioneer of electronic music, it’d be criminal not to give this hero some much-earned recognition.
One of the most influential and original DJs of all time, Mills began his career in the 80s as The Wizard, scratching and beat juggling until he started experimenting during his residency at Detroit’s The Necto. Mills often uses three decks, and a drum machine, and can play up to seventy records in an hour.
An incredible artist and visionary, he’s easily earned the right to call himself one of the best DJs of all time.
Tickets for Jeff Mills – HERE
Image: Roger Sanchez / Facebook
From: United States
Genres: House
Dominican-American house DJ Roger Sanchez has racked up four Best House awards at the DJ Awards, 8 nominations for International Dance Music Awards’ Best American DJ, and secured a Grammy for Best Remixed Recording.
One of house music’s biggest, most adored DJs, he also won the House Master award at the DJ Awards in 2018. We reckon his trophy cabinet speaks for itself, and he has to be on any list of the best DJs in the world
Tickets for Roger Sanchez – HERE
Image: Paul Oakenfold / Facebook
From: London, England
Genres: Trance
Paul Oakenfold’s influence on the British dance scene can be seen in everything from the rise of hip-hop to the Balearic explosion to ‘Madchester’, but his record label Perfecto may be the crown jewel, with it championing Trance in the UK for a whole generation. As Pete Tong said: “Getting a release on Perfecto is like a badge of honour.”
It’s impossible to fit all his influence and achievements in this short paragraph, so trust us, Paul is one of the greatest to ever do it, and a true titan of the scene.
Tickets for Paul Oakenfold – HERE
Larry Levan
Image: Paradise Garage – International Fan Community / Facebook
From: United States
Genres: Garage house, dance, disco
Which DJs make the cut for any best DJs of all time list is partially up to opinion. But in the case of Larry Levan, it simply isn’t. Levan is universally considered one of the most talented and one of the best who ever walked the earth.
The first superstar DJ and the icon who made it known there was more to DJing than just playing records, Levan held a decade-long residency at Paradise Garage, playing underground disco, dub, synth-pop, and funky rock. He developed a cult following who called his sets Saturday Mass and basically helped create the blueprint for modern-day clubbing.
Levan sadly died at 38 in 1992 of heart failure before being introduced into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for being such a ground-breaking DJ in 2004.
Image: DJ EZ / Facebook.com
From: London, England
Genres: UK garage
Not many of the names on this list can say they mixed records for 24 hours straight. EZ can, though. Plus, he did it twice. Of course, DJing isn’t about endurance. But the technical chops, music knowledge and ability to present it all as one banging set is where the skill lies. And EZ has that in abundance. Whack on his 24-hour charity mix, one of his iconic performances at Sidewinder or a mix from this year, and you’ll hear all sorts of wizardry on the decks. Perhaps the go-to garage selector for the past 20 years, he’s torn the roof off club and festival stages, mixed official compilations and gained a healthy fanbase in the modern era. That’s why he’s one of the best DJs of all time.
Tickets for DJ EZ – HERE
Image: Sir Spyro / Facebook.com
From: London, England
Genres: Grime
Grime fans could list a shedload of top-tier DJs – Logan Sama, Slimzee and Mak10 – we’re looking at you. But we reckon that Spyro is the best of the lot. He hasn’t sold out the arenas and stadiums, but he’s kept the scene healthy through his 12-year stint on Rinse FM, his current residency on 1Xtra and production credits on tracks like ‘Side By Side’ and ‘Topper Top’. And when he did hit the mainstream, he watered nothing down. Stormzy’s ‘Big For Your Boots’ – produced by Spyro himself – felt at home on national radio and a late-night grime set.
Tickets for Sir Spyro – HERE
Image: Youngsta / Facebook.com
From: London, England
Genres: Dubstep
Before dubstep went global, it was DJs like Youngsta we had to thank for the genre. Cutting his teeth on pirate radio and a regular at FWD>> in both its early and golden years, his deep, dark and minimal sound became the framework for dubstep. Youngsta’s style was so distinct that future stars like Skream, Benga and Loefah would make tunes to specifically suit Youngsta’s DJ style. As his influence in the scene grew, he worked closely with producers, carried out A&R work for influential label Tempa and mixed the Dubstep Allstars compilation. A purist and pioneer, we couldn’t possibly leave Youngsta out of our list.
Tickets for Youngsta – HERE
Andrew Weatherall
Image: Andrew Weatherall / Facebook.com
From: London, England
Genres: Acid house, house, techno, disco, rockabilly, dub, big beat, indie
When you think about a DJ – impeccable taste, an endless record collection and an ear for a tune like no other – you’re pretty much thinking of Andrew Weatherall. His boundless approach, which saw him mix house, techno, rockabilly, dub, and pretty much anything you can think of, brought him a dedicated fanbase charmed by his music-first approach. Plus, his production and remix work for the likes of Primal Scream and Happy Mondays bridged the gap between indie and electronic music, creating a whole new sound in the process. Weatherall sadly passed away in 2020, but his influence remains. Ask any dance music fan, selector or artist worth their salt, and they won’t be able to stop talking about why he was one of the best DJs of all time.
Kool Herc
From: The Bronx, New York City, USA
Genres: Hip-Hop
Imagine a world without breakbeats? No hip-hop, jungle or drum and bass. Yeah, we’d rather not. It’s Kool Herc we have to thank for bringing them to the world in the context of DJing, pioneering the ‘merry-go-round’ technique to loop the drum sections of soul records in the ‘70s. He’d play these at parties across The Bronx, giving birth to hip-hop and a whole culture around it. And while Herc didn’t directly invent jungle, it’s highly likely that without the practice of searching for and playing breaks, the genre wouldn’t exist as we know and love it today.
Image: Theo Parrish / Facebook.com
From: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres: House, techno, disco, soul, afrobeat, funk
It’d be too easy to sit here and call Detroit legend Theo Parrish a ‘DJ’s DJ’ and other such cliches. For us, his ability to connect the dots is the reason he’s one of the best DJs of all time. House, techno and disco are common fixtures of his sets, but then he throws in a sprinkle of funk, soul or afrobeat, bringing everything together with ease. And let’s be honest, when you’re hearing modern house tunes mixed into classic Fela Kuti anthems, there’s nothing else to do but dance.
Tickets for Theo Parrish – HERE
Image: Ben Klock / Facebook.com
From: Berlin, Germany
Genres: Techno
Ben Klock nearly gave up DJing in the 2000s. Luckily for him, us and the rest of the electronic music world, he bagged his Berghain residency in 2005 and never looked back. In the 20 years since, he’s become one of Berlin’s finest techno selectors, delivering hypnotic sets that lock you into a never-ending groove. He’s taken the genre worldwide, played on the biggest festival stages and given new producers a platform via his label Klockworks. When you put it all together, the picture is clear: a modern techno icon who delivers every time he steps up to the decks.
Tickets for Ben Klock – HERE
From: United Kingdom
Genres: Progressive house
To a certain generation of ravers, Sasha & John Digweed are the gold standard. And, to be honest, after listening to Renaissance: The Mix Collection and Northern Exposure, we’re not surprised. Both CDs are packed with watertight mixing, emotional highs, and of course, a load of absolute heaters. The duo took progressive house up and down the country, eventually conquering America with their residency at Twilo. The duo don’t tour as excessively as they did back in the ‘90s, but when they get together, it’s an absolute must-see.
Tickets for Sasha – HERE
Tickets for John Digweed – HERE
Ron Hardy
From: United States
Genres: House
Where would Chicago house be without Ron Hardy? In fact, where would acid house be without Ron Hardy? A lesser place, that’s for sure. Taking up a residency at The Music Box in the ‘80s, Hardy treated dancers to a wild mix of rare soul cuts, gospel and italo disco, even playing tracks backwards, speeding them up and making edits on the fly. It was fast, frenetic and full of energy, a contrast to Frankie Knuckles, who preferred a slick and polished approach. Hardy’s appetite for the new led him to connect with the likes of Marshall Jefferson and Phuture, with the latter’s track ‘Acid Tracks’ becoming one of the pioneering acid house tunes. Hardy sadly passed away in 1992, but he’s forever etched into the history of Chicago house and electronic music history.
Fred again..
Image: Fred Again / Facebook.com
From: London, England
Genres: House, electronica, drum & bass, dubstep, grime
Genre-hopping is nothing new in modern music scenes, but we’d argue that Fred again.. has really cracked it. Whether it’s him playing plush, electronic sounds on a rooftop, smashing out euphoric house at Boiler Room, or delivering grime sets with OG MCs to packed-out rooms, the crowds are always locked in. People are moving, dancing and enjoying music with friends. The best DJs make people feel something, and Fred again.. does just that.
Tickets for Fred again.. – HERE
After running through this list, one thing is clear – there’s no single answer to who the number one DJ in the world is. From pioneers like Kool Herc and Larry Levan to modern innovators like Fred again., each artist has shaped the scene in their own way. Whether it’s technical ability, track selection or cultural impact, these names represent the very best to ever step behind the decks. And as dance music continues to evolve, there’s no doubt new contenders will emerge to join the conversation. If you liked this, why not check out the best DJ sets of all time?
Check out our What’s On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
