Skip to main content
DJ Mag Top100 DJs
27
The Chainsmokers
1
To say it has been a different year for The Chainsmokers would be an understatement. Alex Pall and Drew Taggart spent 2019 at the top of Forbes’ list of highest-paid DJs in the world, their relentless schedule packing out crowds in cities across the world, and production work hitting No.1 on the regular. No longer able to tour and notably quiet on the release front since the start of the pandemic, nevertheless it has been another defining few months for the US duo. 
 
Their single ‘Closer’, featuring Halsey, went 12-times platinum in the US as spring arrived, making it one of only four tracks in the history of music to reach that status. Since then there have been ‘drive-in’ shows for charities, and 10,000 face-masks donated to New York healthcare workers. In a year in which we’ve all taken stock of priorities, the pair took that idea to the next level with investments in tech companies and deals with Bitcoin’s Casa. It’s a brave new world indeed. 
 
 
What three things have most helped you through Coronavirus Lockdown? 
 
“Friends.” 
 
 
What lessons should the industry learn from this crisis? 
 
“To never take any show or experience for granted.”
 
 
What steps need to be taken to address the racism in the dance music scene? 
 
“Holding everyone accountable to make a change and be kind to one another.”
 
 
What industry changes are you personally pushing for to make the dance music scene more inclusive? 
 
“Donating to those in need of technology to help them participate in learning how to produce music.”
 
 
What’s the greatest dance music track of all time? 
 
“Avicii ‘Seek Bromance’.”