In the past we’ve seen DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll as an easily manipulatable popularity contest – but the team over at the magazine this year are getting ruthless. After a listing on eBay Italy was passed around the internet purporting to sell votes in the DJ contest, DJ Mag has issued a statement saying they know who’s cheating – and that they plan to expose the cheaters this week. Read on for the full statement!
[via DJ Mag]Last week, on Wednesday 26th July, it was brought to DJ Mag’s attention that a posting on eBay Italy was claiming to be selling votes in the annual Top 100 DJs poll. This was posted in Italy by somebody trying to discredit the poll, and is no longer active as a live auction bid.
DJ Mag believes that this fake eBay posting was probably done by the same group of people responsible for the video last year that claimed to expose how people could cheat in the poll.
“I view this simply as an attempt to discredit the poll,” said Martin Carvell, Managing Director of DJ Mag. “DJ Mag takes the issue of cheating in the Top 100 DJs poll very seriously. As the guardians of the biggest poll in dance music, we do all we can to eliminate cheating in the poll so as to make this the most authoritative snapshot of a DJ’s popularity and visibility at any one time.”
“Although there were no bids made, there was also nothing to suggest that the person behind the scheme would be able to provide the service he or she was advertising.”
By looking at the back end of the voting system, it’s easy to spot who has been cheating. We are currently investigating a number of DJs with a succession of fraudulent votes, and will be making an announcement on this in due course.
There are a number of DJs that have been caught cheating, and DJ Mag will be naming and shaming them by the end of this week.
We’ve written about the flaws of the DJ Mag Poll previously, and while it is fundamentally a popularity contest and not connected to quality of performance or skill, it continues to be used as an industry marker of who the most successful DJs are worldwide. It’s impressive that DJ Mag is stepping up to the plate and taking ownership of the authenticity of their poll – but we’d love to see them adopt a system closer to that of Resident Advisor’s top DJ list.
Additionally, here’s a screen capture of the original eBay Italy auction, purporting that they can sell the ability to “BECOME A SUPERSTAR DJ”, and promising “No disqualification!” and that “Your image will be clean!”
We’re interested to see who DJ Mag has caught red-handed – do you think it will be any big names vying for a higher spot on the list, or just no-name DJs trying to buy their way on? Discuss in the comments below.
I just saw Burn Energy Drink hustling votes for Guetta on facebook, with 700+ likes supporting it. Isn’t that cheating?! I, atleast, would think so!
This poll is worthless anyway and everyone knows it. I don’t see why it’s such a big fuss for everyone… All the real, clued up industry people never vote in it, which is why you rarely see any decent acts in it. There are hundreds if not thousands of better DJs than Guetta and Co. (if you argue that point, you clearly haven’t got a clue either). I do like DJ Mag at times but this poll is a joke. Check out the polls of either trackitdown or RA which more accurately represent talent as opposed to marketing teams and cheesy pop music.
“Buy votes”… how goddamn pathetic. “Become a DJ Pioneer”… well. I always knew that money is what makes famous people famous, but I never thought it was that pathetic.
I look forward to hearing the cheats. I can think of one particular female who’s been doing this for a few years.
The reality is, people need to remember it’s a Dj POLL… One wheer people should be voiting their favourite DJ’s of the year, but I see SO many times that people create events on Facebook, message people, post on their wall, create groups and SO MUCH MORE asking to be voted.
One question… Why should these DJ’s ask for a vote? Surely they should be voted for based on someone’s own choice, not as a result of a reminder from their constant spamming and REQUESTS to be voted for.
It’s a joke now. Anyone inviting me to “Vote for me in the Top 100” is deleted from Facebook. I’ll vote for artists who have earned the right. Not someone who asks for the right.
Hopefully everyone realizes this is more of a “top 100 producers” list. I think there are under 5 DJ’s that don’t produce their own music on here.
Why is dj-ing a popularity contest now? Maybe they should start calling out all the dj spotlight whores in the top 100 who play pre-mix cd’s at venues too. Bring house back where it belongs!
The DJ Mag top 100 is litterally a list of DJ’s based not on skill or ability, just on how many people have heard of them. I suppose its chart of who has the best PR team i guess.
I don’t mean this in a negative way, its just an observation.
the account “djmag2012” hasn’t sold anything since 2010, and in the sales recorded there are no signs they have sold likes/votes/etc.
interestingly, they bought 3000 facebook fans/likes on 25 april 2012.
Do none of you seriously know about DJ Mag doing this before? DJ Mag has ousted 3 DJ’s before. One was an unheard of DJ from Asia (I believe it was HK or Singapore) who went straight to #1. This caught their eye so they checked and they saw that he had multiple votes from the same IP address. They then checked all the other votes and found that DJ Dan and Christopher Lawrence were doing the same thing. They too got disqualified. Not surprisingly enough, Dan and Christopher had the same manager and blamed him. You be the judge.
How does “djmag2012” have 508 feedback? I mean, I get the name, but why trade so much under it?
either someone no one knows, or cares about like #100 orrrrr david guetta..
stupid fucks like steve angello will of course be on the cheating list! real dj’s like carl cox or richie hawtin, wont have that problem coz they dont do it for the fame!
“As the guardians of the biggest poll in dance music”
Well there’s your reason for sabotage right there. Pompous statements such as those, weather serious or not, tend to rub people the wrong way. But seriously man, who cares it’s fucking music, er music playing. Me thinks both sides need a reality check.
just look at the poll, any year, and you realize its bullshit anyway.
Except, it’s not. The poll does not purport to judge quality, simply popularity.
lol in that case they should eliminate people who have ever been caught premixing or hitting the sync button.
hitting sync is ok 😀 but premixing is the DEVIL!!!!!
who gives a fuck? ive been playing, going out for the last 15 years, if your focusing on that list or care you shouldnt be playing/making music, do it because you love it. Ive had better times at glastonbury festival in the little back tent rocking to someone who will never go near the main stage or care he’s just doing his thing well!
“do it because you love it” well said, sir. I get sick to death of some these babies begging for twitter followers or votes – SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! do music and quit getting caught up in worrying about stupid numbers
invalid statement ^^^^^ people pay attention to the list because they love the music, who wants someone on top who doesn’t deserve it
I knew it!!! Love it, that why I’m NOT voting anymore, it’s a big farce!!!
so how much would it cost me to get in the top 10…
50 bucks I’ll get you in top 10
10 million bucks, “) no joke, these top guys are very talented, skilled and can blow the doors off of most musicians on the planet, don’t forget they make their own music that over a billion listen to weekly,
dj mag does that still exist?
DJ Paris Hilton and DJ Jazzy Jeff all the way!
Why would you put Jazzy Jeff and Paris Hilton in the same sentence???
Because they are equally current, and deserve to win this lame poll. Why would you question my leetness?
lame, go go skrillex
Do you even know who Jazzy Jeff is?
I do… why would I write down his name if I didn’t? Or did you try to imply that I’m not old enough to know who he is?
old doesnt mean wise pal.jazzy jeff is a turntable genius that does it for the love not the attention.and paris….she can do as she pleases,she always will
If it wasn’t for Jazzy Jeff, we wouldn’t have crossfaders. I can’t think of anything Paris Hilton has brought to djing
Titties…small perky titties
titties. small, perky titties..
Your obviously not smart enough to know who he is, and shame on you for disrespecting him. with ignorance like that you don’t deserve to be here, or call yourself a DJ. read a book
I’m so sorry if you’re not bright enough to pick up sarcasm. It may have been a bad joke, and would prolly gone better if I’d used DJ Bobo instead of Jaz, but I picked the first non-current DJ I could think of. I don’t call myself a DJ because I don’t DJ. However I’ve been making music for over 20 years, and been listening to edm for even longer. I don’t make music to please others, I just enjoy doing it… It’s a hobby. And seeing as this site features a lot of the musicians and DJ’s I love, aswell as midi-controllers and similar tech, it’s only natural for me to follow this page.
As I said, I’ve been a true follower of the EDM-scene since the late 80’s, and I’ve seen how it has changed (for good and BAD) over the decades. How the old-timers are left in the shadows, while new generic acts steal all the glory. Late 90’s, Tiesto came and messed everything up, with a gig at a party on a Norwegian mountain where he had brought a selfcomposed track named after said Norwegian mountain. I digress…
As for DJmag and this poll… I totally agree this does not reflect skills or talent at all. It’s just a list over the DJ’s with the most familiar names on the planet (wich leads to biggest paychecks per gig). Last years poll was a disgrace. No sight of Stimming, Maceo Plex, Solomun, Terry Lee Brown Jr, Timewriter, Trentemøller, Pablo Bolivar and so on… The whole list is basically all “post-Tiesto sellout-trance/house”.
/rant off
Now I understand why…
why Guetta?
Lol tr4gik
This could get very, very interesting.
Wait… Did we start taking that poll seriously at some point?
i wondered when this would finally happen
Reminds me of the “Buy facebook likes” business where some creative business men have already made a lot of money.