David Guetta has been crowned the World’s No.1 DJ for a record-equalling fifth time at DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs 2025 awards in Ibiza.

David Guetta has been crowned as The World’s No.1 DJ, as DJ Mag announced the results of Top 100 DJs 2025 at an awards show at [UNVRS] Ibiza. The historic win comes 14 years after his first crown in 2011, which was followed by a spell of dominance in the early 2020s, which saw him win the title in 2020, 2021 and 2023. By reclaiming top spot in this year’s public poll, the Frenchman has become only the third person to have won the title five times, alongside Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren.

 

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Now more than four decades into his career, Guetta continues to operate at full speed, releasing over a single a month in the past year. 2025 has been one of his most varied too, with releases including the trap and hip-hop influenced track ‘Lucky’, with MORTEN, collaborations with Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Hypaton, Nicky Romero, Hugel, MK, Fatboy Slim, a new single with Sia, in addition to a remix for fictional K-pop group Huntr/x.

This creative drive extended to the live arena too. His new [UNVRS] residency, Galactic Circus, which ran from June to October, saw him perform extended, improvised sets. Internationally, he is touring The Monolith, a large-scale show featuring advanced LED staging and visuals, with recent landmark performances at AlUla in Saudi Arabia and Paris’ Stade de France.

Speaking of his history-making win, David Guetta said:
To win Top 100 DJs again, for joint-record fifth time, is an honour, it means a lot to me because the greatest feeling in my life, truly, is playing new music for people and seeing their reactions. It might sound crazy, but I still make music every single day, because I see it as a hobby and a passion. The most exciting thing for me is being creative and going away from what everyone else is doing.”

For the first time in Top 100 DJs history, the World’s No. 1 DJ was crowned live in Ibiza with the Top 100 DJs Awards taking place at newly opened [UNVRS]. David Guetta performed a two-hour headline set at the venue, as part of a genre-spanning bill that also included Armin van Buuren, Miss Monique, Boris Brejcha, Indira Paganotto and Jazzy.

During the awards ceremony, hosted by Arielle Free, awards were presented to David Guetta (The World’s No.1 DJ), Armin van Buuren (The World’s No.1 Trance DJ & Outstanding Contribution), Michael Bibi (Highest New Entry), Sara Landry (The World’s No.1 Hard DJ), Jazzy (Future Star) and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (The World’s No. 1 DJ Group). Additional award winners include Charlotte de Witte (The World’s No. 1 Techno DJ), FISHER (The World’s No.1 House DJ), and Solomun (Highest Climber).

As part of the results rollout, DJ Mag hosted a fundraiser, in aid of Bridges for Music, the groundbreaking non-profit and music academy based in the Langa township, South Africa. DJ Mag canvassed artists featured in the poll to consider giving back by sponsoring students from under-served communities to join the Bridges for Music programme, a holistic initiative combining music, mental health support and entrepreneurship, and providing access to the music industry. At the time of publication, the partnership had raised £149,442.

Read the full Top 100 DJs results now at https://djmag.com/top100djs

Against All Ødds unleashes his latest track ‘Out Of Control’ via Giolì & Assia’s RESURRECTION imprint, blending cinematic tension with soaring energy.

Against All Ødds has released his newest single, ‘Out Of Control’, via Giolì & Assia’s RESURRECTION imprint. The track offers fans a euphoric journey through cinematic soundscapes and pulsating club energy. With his distinct vision, the DJ and producer once again demonstrates his ability to merge melody and intensity into a track designed for global dancefloors.

Moreover, the single highlights how far the artist—real name David Mimram—has pushed his craft. Known for past successes including ‘Unity’, ‘Agartha’, and ‘Faded’, he has quickly earned recognition across the industry. In fact, his productions have received support from a who’s who of electronic music, ranging from Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Miss Monique, Paul van Dyk, David Guetta, Joris Voorn, to Yotto. Each endorsement underscores his growing reputation as one of the scene’s most exciting rising names.

At the same time, ‘Out Of Control’ feels like a defining moment in his career. The track builds with hypnotic layers, unleashing waves of euphoric release that embody his forward-thinking approach to dance music. By combining modern melodic structures with festival-ready drive, Against All Ødds continues to carve out a unique identity that resonates with fans worldwide.

Ultimately, the single captures what he has always stood for: music that unites listeners in moments of collective release. With ‘Out Of Control’ now out on RESURRECTION, Against All Ødds solidifies his reputation as a visionary act whose trajectory shows no signs of slowing down.

‘Out Of Control’ is available now on all major streaming platforms.

The history of EDM shows how what started in underground warehouse parties is now shaping festivals, pop culture, and digital spaces alike.

In the 90s, electronic dance music, or EDM, was the underground sound of the moment. It lived in the shadows, in secret warehouse raves, abandoned fields, and dingy clubs. It was a subculture, a community built around a shared love of a repetitive beat and being an outsider. Fast forward to today, and that same sound is the soundtrack to some of the biggest festivals on the planet, a dominant force in pop music, and a key part of the world of online gaming.

There is no denying the epic story of how EDM has gone from fringe to the frontline of global culture. It’s a story of technological innovation, commercial explosion, and a fundamental change in the consumption of music. Here, we consider the shifts in EDM since its roots in the 90s rave culture, and the forces behind its seemingly unstoppable rise.

From Secret Raves to a Global Movement

Because early EDM was sort of secretive, the scene was super underground. The vibe was the PLUR culture: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. Raves were illegal parties, their locations divulged on fliers and via whispered telephone calls. The music was raw and diverse, and it was broken up into tribes like techno, house, trance, and jungle. The DJs were legends within it, and unknown outside of it. Individuality became secondary to the collective experience of the music and the dance floor.

The first of these followed as the sound began to go mainstream in the late 90s/early 2000s. Acts like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Daft Punk came along. They began to receive attention in film and television commercials, and their music videos were played on MTV. For the first time, this electronic sound was being exposed to the general public, not as an underground subculture but as a cool option for pop music. And it set the stage for what was to come.

The Rise of the DJ as a Rock Star

The next big shift was the DJ becoming a global superstar. In the 2010s, with the rise of bro-step and progressive house, Skrillex, Avicii, and David Guetta became household names. This new wave of EDM was bigger, louder, and more melodic. It was festival crowd ready.

This was the era of the drop. The music was built around building tension and releasing it in an explosive bass and synth crescendo. This created a shared emotional moment for tens of thousands of people at once. As a result of this, DJs were no longer just playing records; they were performers, the main attraction. They commanded huge fees, had elaborate stage productions with pyros and LED screens, and flew around the world in private jets. The anonymous figure in the dark corner of the club was replaced by a modern-day rock star.

The Festival Experience

The festivals grew as the DJs did. Small festivals like EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland Belgium, and Ultra Miami became weekender extravaganzas. These aren’t just music, they are total experiences! They are pop-up fantasy worlds with carnival rides, art installations, costumed performers, and high production values. This festival boom turned EDM into an industry. These are billion-dollar events and a rite of passage for millions of people. Instead of the small, local, and personal vibe of a ’90s rave, it became a big, shiny production. This combination of super festivals made EDM mainstream.

The Digital Age: Streaming, Social Media, and Gaming

The Internet played a role at each stage of EDM’s trajectory. It was essentially through online forums and file-sharing that the music got out in its early days. Finding new artists and genres is easier than ever today, with streaming services such as Spotify and Soundcloud. A new producer can create a song in their bedroom, upload it to the Internet, and it can go viral overnight, entirely without involving traditional music industry middlemen. Additionally, artists have used social media to engage directly with audiences and fans. DJs post behind-the-scenes content, new music, and shows on Instagram and TikTok. This has fostered a community and a loyal sense of belonging to the scene.

More recently, EDM has found itself as the go-to music choice for gamers. Players strap into and blast EDM; the consensus online is that it helps to “lock in” and enhances gameplay performance. This has become so mainstream that a quick search on platforms like Spotify for Gaming EDM will give you thousands of playlists that are specifically tailored to this.

Game developers have noticed this trend and incorporated it into their games. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 use the music genre heavily in their soundscape, and games like Fortnite host virtual EDM concerts with artists like Marshmello.

EDM (electronic dance music) has become increasingly integrated into niche gaming scenes, like the iGaming industry. Video slot developers often feature EDM for its background music; Microgaming even developed a game in collaboration with Deadmau5, and many other sites include the music as the background soundscape for their live dealer rooms.

These platforms understand it’s not just about having bonuses for their site—like the highly contested no deposit bonus—but also about maintaining a game library that follows and caters to popular gaming trends. In an industry where trends evolve rapidly, failing to adapt quickly can leave operators falling further behind the competition, making it essential to stay in tune with what players want.

The Sound Spreads

The big-room festival sound was the dominant sound of the 2010s. But the EDM landscape is now more diverse than ever. As the mainstream sound got more commercial, fans and artists started looking for something different. And that’s led to a big resurgence of the genre’s roots.

Today, there’s a scene for almost every subgenre imaginable. The deep, hypnotic techno and house grooves are filling clubs from Berlin to Ibiza. More melodic and emotional genres, like progressive house and trance, still have global followings. And new sounds are emerging all the time, blending hip-hop, pop, and world music with electronic beats. So, the genre never gets old and has something for almost every taste.