Top 15 Biggest and Best DJs in the World | 2023

Last Updated on September 7, 2023 by Norvan Martin

When you think of the greatest and best DJs at work right now, who do you think of? Names such as Martin Garrix, David Guetta, and Hardwell come to mind.

Why?

Because they produce great hits, sell the most records, have the biggest following, earn lots of money, fill the biggest arenas, and their music is featured on top charts and the best music download sites in the world.

Apart from these undisputed kings, who are the other top DJs worldwide? We considered several factors when deciding on this list, including those mentioned above (hits, record sales, following, etc.). So, though we know this has been the top of many arguments, we have decided on the list below as the top 15 DJs in the world.

DJ Name	Monthly Listeners	Country	Income (approx.)	Genre
David Guetta	30M	France	$75M	EDM
Martin Garrix	28M	Netherlands	$45M	EDM
Armin Van Buuren	20M	Netherlands	$40M	Trance
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike	25M	Belgium	$35M	House
Marshmello	33M	USA	$40M	Trap, Future Bass
Hardwell	17M	Netherlands	$32M	Big Room House
Calvin Harris	35M	Scotland	$90M	House, EDM
Tiësto	28M	Netherlands	$85M	Progressive House, Trance
Deadmau5	15M	Canada	$30M	Progressive House, Electro House
The Chainsmokers	40M	USA	$50M	Pop, EDM
Skrillex	20M	USA	$35M	Dubstep, Trap
Afrojack	18M	Netherlands	$28M	Dutch House
Steve Aoki	19M	USA	$30M	Electro House, Dubstep
Nicky Romero	16M	Netherlands	$25M	Progressive House, Electro House
Diplo	25M	USA	$30M	Moombahton, Trap

Before we continue, you can also check out our list of the best old school DJs.

#1 DAVID GUETTA

Known as the grandfather of electronic dance music, Pierre David Guetta is a French record producer, remixer, songwriter, and DJ.

He was playing in nightclubs before releasing his first album (Just a Little More Love) in 2002, before being the co-founder of Gum Productions in 2001.

He released Guetta Blaster in 2004 and Pop Life in 2007, which were followed by many hit songs with famous music artists like DJ Tiësto, Kelly Rowland, and others.

David Guetta has many accolades and achievements in his career, including a Grammy nomination in 2011, for his album “One Love”.

He won two Grammy awards in 2010 and 2011 and bagged the coveted American Music Award for his favorite EDM category.

 David Guetta’s Top Songs

• Titanium feat. Sia
• Memories feat. Kid Cudi
• 2U feat. Justin Bieber

#2 MARTIN GARRIX

Martin Garrix is a pro-Dutch DJ, musician, and producer. Garrix is regarded by many as the best DJ in the world at the moment, or, more correctly, the biggest DJ in the world.

He was discovered by Tiësto and became a superstar before he was 18. You may know him for his viral hit ‘Animals’, which was released in 2013. In 2016, he left Spinning Records to form his label, STMPD Records.

Garrix is currently in a deal with Sony music, and his latest hitmaker, “So Far Away,” has amassed over 100 million views on YouTube.

The single collaborates with another top DJ, David Guetta, and features guest vocals from the British singer and songwriter Jamie Scott and Dutch singer Romy Dya. The song premiered during Garrix’s performance at Tomorrowland 2017.

Over the years, Garrix has collaborated with world-renowned artists like Troye Sivan, Bebe Rexha, and Dua Lipa.

Martin Garrix’s Hit Songs

• Animals
• Only Way Is Up (ft Tiësto)
• Scared to be Lonely (ft Dua Lipa)

#3 ARMIN VAN BUUREN

Armin Van Buuren is a top Dutch DJ, record producer, and remixer.  This Grammy-nominated DJ is famous for his hit song “This Is What It Feels Like” feat Trevor Guthrie.

His dedication to electronic music has won him a top spot in the DJ’ing world along with his weekly radio show known as “A State of Trace” which airs in over 84 countries.

Van Buuren headlines hundreds of shows annually at leading venues and festivals worldwide. You may know him from Omnia Nightclub in Las Vegas, Tomorrowland (Belgium), Ushuaia (Ibiza), and many others.

Armin Van Buuren’s Greatest Hits

• This Light Between Us
• Intense
• Waiting For The Night

#4 DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE

Next on our list of the best DJs in the world is the undisputed kings of tomorrow’s land, Dimitri and Michael Thivaios.

Known as the kings of Tomorrowland, these Belgian-Greek DJs and producers started their careers at a young age and became resident DJs at BeatFM Radio before they rose to fame.

They became famous after remixing the song ‘The Rotterdam City Of Love’, which was released in November 2008.

In their DJ careers, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike have collaborated with many famous artists, including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, and Hardwell, to name a few.

In addition, they have performed on some of the world’s top stages, including Creamfields, EDC Las Vegas, and Parookaville.

DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE’s Best Songs

• Hey baby (Ft Diplo & Deb’s daughter)
• Complicated (Ft Kiiara & David Guetta)
• Higher Place (Ft Ne-Yo)

#5 MARSHMELLO

Marshmello is a rising DJ and EDM producer whose talent is highly evident in his music. You may know him as the DJ who wears a marshmallow helmet, but no one knows the man behind the mask. Well, we know but we don’t know!

We will say that rumor has it that Christian Comstock known as DJ Dotcom, is the American dude behind the mask.

He first came into the limelight in 2015 after releasing his first hit, “WaVeZ”. He earned the support of major DJs in the world, like Skrillex, who aided his quest by reposting his song “Find Me” on SoundCloud.

Marshmello has also collaborated with famous artists like DJ Khalid, Selena Gomez, Troye Sivan, and numerous others.

 Marshmello’s Greatest Songs

• Silence feat. DJ Khalid
• Keep It Mello Ft. Omar LinX
• Wolves Ft. Selena Gomez

#6 HARDWELL

Robert van de Corput, better known as Hardwell, is a world-famous Dutch DJ, record producer, and remixer.

He is known for his legendary judo skills and has been nominated as the world’s number 1 DJ by DJ Magazine in 2013 and 2014. His hip-hop DJ career started at the age of twelve, and since then, he has played with legendary artists, including his mentor Tiësto.

Hardwell came to the limelight after releasing “Show Me Love vs. Be” in 2009, just before launching his label Revealed Recording in 2010.

He is well known for his major work, “United We Are,” and you might recognize him from the International Dance Music Awards, where he won the best breakthrough DJ in 2012.

 Hardwell’s Greatest Songs

• Spaceman
• Apollo feat. Amba Shepard
• Zero 76 (ft. Tiësto)

#7 CALVIN HARRIS

Calvin Harris is a Scottish DJ, singer, and record producer named Adam Richard Wiles.

His musical journey started in 1999 when he recorded his first demo and rose to fame in 2007 after recording his debut album ‘I Created Disco’, released by Colombia Records.

In 2010, Calvin Harris started ‘Fly Eye Records’, his record label, and later formed a partnership with ATV Music in 2014. You may know for winning the prestigious Ivor Novello Award in 2013 for being the Songwriter of the year.

Calvin Harris’s Top Songs

• How Deep Is Your Love
• One Kiss (ft. Dua Lipa)
• We Found Love (ft. Rihanna)

#8 TIËSTO

Tiësto is the stage name for Tijs Michiel Verwest, a Dutch record producer and an international EDM DJ.

Many respect him as the greatest DJ of all time and the Godfather of EDM. He started his career at Noculan records in 1994, working with sub-labels “Coolman” and “Chemo”.

Tiësto became popular after remixing the song “Silence” by Delerium in October 2000. He has collaborated with artists such as Armin van Buuren, Gouryella, Kamaya painters, and others.

His love for electronic dance music has won him many awards, including a Grammy for mixing John Legend’s song “All of Me”. He is also the founder of Black Hole Recordings.

Tiësto’s Top Hits

• Lethal Industry
• Feel It In My Bones (ft. Tegan & Sara)
• Adagio for Strings

#9 DEADMAU5

Deadmau5 is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and dance artist. His real name is Joel Thomas Zimmerman.

The name Deadmau is actually pronounced “dead mouse”. He is known for wearing a strange-looking mouse costume.

He has amazing skills in electronic music, and he has worked with a number of famous DJs around the world. Deadmau5 released his debut album (Get Scraped) in July 2005 and is a six-time Grammy award nominee.

In 2007, Deadmau5 started his recording label (Mau5trap) and released several great hits. He has featured in video games like DJ Hero 2 and has performed alongside world-known artists like Lady Gaga, Wolfgang and others.

Deadmau5’s Top Songs

• Strobe
• Ghosts n Stuff (ft. Rob Swire)
• I Remember (ft. Kaskade)

#10 THE CHAINSMOKERS

The Chainsmokers is a famous American DJ duo of Andrew Taggart and Alex Paul. You may know these guys from their hitmaker ‘#Selfie’, which was released in 2014, followed by another viral hit ‘Roses’ in 2015.

They won a Grammy for the song “Don’t Let Me Down” under the best dance recording category.

The Chainsmokers have collaborated with famous artists like Emily Warren, Hasley, Coldplay, and many others.  Their latest hit songs include “Paris” featuring Emily Warren and “Closer” featuring Halsey, which achieved a Grammy nomination.

The Chainsmokers’ Top Hits

• Something Just Like This (featuring Coldplay)
• Don’t Let Me Down (featuring Daya)
• Closer (featuring Halsey)

#11 SKRILLEX

Sonny John Moore ‘Skrillex’ is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, instrumentalist, and DJ. His music career started in 2004 when he was chosen to be the lead vocalist for a Rock band after volunteering to play the guitar.

Together with the band, Skrillex continued to produce major hits until 2007, when he launched his solo career.

Skrillex has bagged eight (yes 8!) Grammy awards and two consecutive MTV Music Video awards in his career. You may know him from major albums like ‘More Monsters and Sprites’, ‘Bangarang’ and ‘My Name Is Skrillex”, to mention a few.

Skrillex’s Top Songs

• Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites
• Where Are U Now (ft. Justin Bieber)
• Cinema (ft. Gary Go)

#12 AFROJACK

Nick Van De Wall, better known as Afrojack, is a renowned Dutch record producer, remixer, and DJ. He started his career at 14 years and released his first song in 2007.

The song was titled ‘In Your Face’ and was released under his stage name. He later collaborated with Eva Simons and released ‘Take Over Control’, a song that earned him international recognition.

AFROJACK ranks as the 7^th highest-paid DJ in the world and has associated with many international artists.  These artists include the likes of  David Guetta, Hardwell, Beyonce, and Bebe Rexha.

AFROJACK’s Top Songs

• Hey Mama, featuring Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, and Bebe Rexha
• Take Over control featuring Eva Simons
• Give me Everything featuring Nayer, Pitbull, and Ne-Yo

#13 STEVE AOKI

Steven Hiroyuki Aoki is a talented American DJ, record producer, music executive, and EDM artist popularly known by his stage name, STEVE AOKI.

He is the founder of Dim Mak, a global music brand responsible for unveiling many top electronic DJs. You may know him for throwing birthday cakes to his fans at live concerts.

In 2012, Steve was ranked as the highest-earning dance artist in North America. He has collaborated with famous vocalists and producers like Afrojack, BTS, Will.I.AM, Iggy Azalea and Kid Cudi, among others.

Steve Aoki’s Top Songs

• Just Hold On (with Louis Tomlinson)
• Waste It On Me (featuring BTS)
• Boneless (with Chris Lake & Tujamo)

#14 KYGO

Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, better known by his stage name KYGO, is a Norwegian DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He is famous for his tropical house style of music.

KYGO’s breakthrough came with his single “Firestone” which featured Conrad Sewell. Since then, he has continued to rise in popularity with numerous hits.

KYGO has collaborated with a variety of artists including Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, and more. His music is known for its melodic and tropical vibes.

KYGO’s Top Songs

• Stole the Show (ft. Parson James)
• It Ain’t Me (ft. Selena Gomez)
• Firestone (ft. Conrad Sewell)

#15 ALAN WALKER

Alan Walker is a British-Norwegian DJ and record producer. He gained international fame with his single “Faded” which became a massive hit.

Alan Walker is known for his distinctive logo and the use of a hoodie and face mask during his performances.

He has continued to release music that combines elements of electronic, house, and pop genres. Some of his other popular songs include “Alone” and “Sing Me to Sleep.”

Alan Walker’s Top Songs

• Faded
• Alone
• On My Way (ft. Sabrina Carpenter & Farruko)

So there you have it, the top 15 DJs in the world. Keep in mind that rankings in the music industry can change over time, but these DJs have made significant impacts on the electronic dance music scene.

Whether you’re a fan of progressive house, trance, tropical house, or any other subgenre of EDM, these DJs have something to offer for every electronic music enthusiast. Be sure to check out their music and performances to experience the excitement and energy of the EDM world!

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