God Is a DJ (Faithless song) explained

God Is a DJ
Cover:Faithless God Is A DJ1.jpg
Caption:UK and European cover
Type:single
Artist:Faithless
Album:Sunday 8PM
Genre:Trance
Length:8:01
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Don't Leave
Prev Year:1997
Next Title:Take the Long Way Home
Next Year:1998

"God Is a DJ" is a song by British group Faithless, written by Maxi Jazz, Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Jamie Catto. It was released on 24 August 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, Sunday 8PM (1998). The single reached number six in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1998. The title and core lyric originated from words on a T-shirt worn to rehearsal by the band guitarist Dave Randall.

Faithless won a Brit Award for Best British Act in 1999 for their work on the song and other tracks on Sunday 8PM. Billboard claimed in an article in early 1999 that many people involved with dance music thought that "God Is a DJ" should have been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording of 1998.[1] The song re-entered the UK chart in 2005 following the release of Forever Faithless and reached number 66. After Maxi Jazz died in December 2022, the song charted at number 40 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Faithless are "melding electronic elements into a trance-disco beat." He noted further that vocalist Maxi Jazz "strides atop the track with a hypnotic chant that boldly declares the club a church. As he rants "this is my church," organ lines swoop and surround him as the beat pumps with intense authority."[2] Daily Record described it as a "pumping, hypnotic track".[3]

Track listings

UK CD release

  1. "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:34
  2. "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) [edit] – 06:52
  3. "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) [edit] – 05:09
  4. "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) [edit] – 04:27

European CD release

  1. "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:33
  2. "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) [edit] – 06:53
  3. "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) [edit] – 05:09
  4. "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) [edit] – 04:26

French CD release

  1. "God Is a DJ" (radio mix) – 03:32
  2. "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 04:26

Greek CD release

  1. "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:33
  2. "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) – 06:53
  3. "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) – 05:09
  4. "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 04:26

12-inch release

  1. "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) – 08:01
  2. "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 09:21

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1998)Peak
position
Denmark (IFPI)[4] 4
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[5] 4
Greece (IFPI)[6] 6
Hungary (Mahasz)[7] 10
Italy (Musica e dischi)[8] 17
Spain (AFYVE)[9] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 31
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 45
Canada Dance (RPM)[12] 4
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[13] 33
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 31
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 34
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 35
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 92
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 27
US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[19] 16

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United States11 August 1998Rhythmic contemporary radio[20]
United Kingdom24 August 1998Cheeky[21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Billboard, 23 January 1999, Vol. 111 Issue 4, p34, Accessed through EBBSCO Publishing, 20 May 1999
  2. Single Reviews. Billboard. 110. 34. 16. 22 August 1998. 9 February 2020.
  3. "Chartslot". Daily Record. 4 September 1998. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 15. 44. 12. 31 October 1998. 12 July 2021.
  5. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 15. 42. 10. 17 October 1998. 6 February 2020.
  6. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 15. 47. 22. 21 November 1998. 8 June 2020.
  7. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 15. 42. 14. 17 October 1998. 8 June 2020.
  8. Hits of the World – Italy. Billboard. 110. 50. 52. 12 December 1998. 4 June 2020.
  9. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1998. Ultratop. nl. 21 October 2019.
  11. Web site: Rapports Annuels 1998. Ultratop. fr. 21 October 2019.
  12. Web site: RPM's Top 50 Dance Tracks of '98. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 4 November 2020.
  13. Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998. Music & Media. 15. 51. 8. 19 December 1998. 6 February 2020.
  14. Web site: Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1998. GfK Entertainment. de. 7 August 2015.
  15. Web site: Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1998. Dutch Top 40. 21 October 2019.
  16. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998. MegaCharts. nl. 21 October 2019.
  17. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1998. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 21 October 2019.
  18. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1998. hitparade.ch. de. 21 October 2019.
  19. The Year in Music 1998: Hot Dance Club-Play Singles. Billboard. 110. 52. YE-54. 26 December 1998.
  20. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1261. 49. 14 August 1998.
  21. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 35. 22 August 1998. 12 July 2021.

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