From 2002 to 2025, Dutch DJs topped DJ Mag's fan vote for world No. 1 in 15 of 24 years – from a country of 18 million. The raves, companies and export money behind it, and the Olympic set that inspired the next No. 1.
A small country built a dance industry – and its stars keep inspiring the next ones.
Facts
- DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs is a public vote – “the world's largest publicly voted music poll”, where anyone can name five DJs. From 2002 to 2025 a Dutch DJ came first 15 times out of 24: Tiësto (2002–04), Armin van Buuren (2007–10, 2012), Hardwell (2013–14) and Martin Garrix (2016–18, 2022, 2024). In 2018 the poll drew 1.2 million votes, most of them from the USA; the Netherlands came eighth.
- The Netherlands has about 18 million people (18.05 million on 1 January 2025, CBS) – roughly 0.2 % of the world's 8 billion (computed). In 2019, 7 of DJ Mag's top 10 were Dutch; in 2025, 23 of the 100.
- In the 1990s, gabber raves went mainstream in the Netherlands – Billboard called it Holland's “first homegrown youth culture” in 1997. Dutch companies grew around the scene: ID&T (Thunderdome from 1992, Sensation from 2000), Spinnin' Records (1999), Armin van Buuren's weekly radio show A State of Trance (2001), Armada Music (2003). In 2017 Warner Music reportedly paid more than $100 million for Spinnin'.
- The Amsterdam Dance Event has run every October since 1996; in 2025 it counted 600,000 visitors and 11,000 music professionals.
- Buma Cultuur's yearly estimate: Dutch dance music (shows abroad and dance labels) earned over €170 million abroad in 2025 – 69 % of all Dutch music exports (€247.6 million). In 2008 it was €17.8 million, 35.4 %.
- Hardwell, from Breda like Tiësto, says Tiësto inspired kids like him to DJ, and that Tiësto emailed him in 2009 calling him “the biggest talent”. Hardwell was the youngest No. 1 in 2013, at 25; Garrix took that record in 2016. Garrix says seeing Tiësto at the Athens 2004 Olympic opening ceremony got him into electronic music – and in 2018 he played the PyeongChang Winter Olympics closing ceremony.
Sources
- Wikipedia: DJ Mag – Top 100 DJs (winners table, 1997–present) · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- DJ Mag: Top 100 DJs 2026 voting is now open (archived 6 Oct 2026) · DJ Mag checked 9 October 2026
- DJ Mag: Martin Garrix crowned The World’s No. 1 DJ in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs 2024 (archived) · DJ Mag checked 9 October 2026
- DJ Mag: David Guetta crowned The World’s No. 1 DJ in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs 2025 (archived) · DJ Mag checked 9 October 2026
- DJ Mag: Martin Garrix wins DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2018 (archived) · DJ Mag checked 9 October 2026
- Billboard: Hardwell wins DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs poll (22 Oct 2013) · Billboard checked 9 October 2026
- CBS: Forecast – population of the Netherlands will reach 19 million in 2037 · CBS checked 9 October 2026
- United Nations: Global issues – Population · UN checked 9 October 2026
- VICE (Thump): An entire generation of Dutch children was ruined by gabber (4 Feb 2014, archived) · VICE checked 9 October 2026
- Boiler Room: It's not a disgrace to be a gabber! (8 Nov 2014, archived) · Boiler Room checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Gabber · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: ID&T · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Sensation (event) · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Music Business Worldwide: Warner buys Spinnin' Records in $100m+ deal (7 Sep 2017) · Music Business Worldwide checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Armada Music · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: A State of Trance · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Amsterdam Dance Event: About ADE – what is ADE · ADE checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Amsterdam Dance Event · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Buma Cultuur / Perfect & More: Exportwaarde Nederlandse populaire muziek 2025 (10 Jan 2026) · Buma Cultuur checked 9 October 2026
- Buma Cultuur / Perfect & More: Exportwaarde Nederlandse populaire muziek 2019 · Buma Cultuur checked 9 October 2026
- Time Out Singapore: Interview – Hardwell (4 Jun 2015) · Time Out checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Tiësto · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Hardwell · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Remix Magazine: Tiësto performs at Olympic Games opening ceremony (2004, archived) · Remix Magazine checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- DJ Mag: Martin Garrix – ‘Tiësto inspired me to get into dance music’ (27 Feb 2018, archived) · DJ Mag checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Martin Garrix · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
- Wikipedia: 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony · Wikipedia checked 9 October 2026
All sound is original: synthesised for the episode, no samples, no licensed tracks. The narrator’s voice is AI-generated. General information. Features differ by software, player and version – check your own manual. Read how facts are checked and corrected.
Script
Why are so many superstar DJs Dutch? From 2002 to 2025, Dutch DJs won DJ Mag's fan vote for world number one 15 times out of 24. Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Martin Garrix – from a country of about 18 million. In the '90s, Dutch raves went mainstream. Then Dutch companies built a machine around them: giant events, record labels, radio shows. In 2025, Dutch dance earned an estimated €170 million abroad. That's 69% of all Dutch music exports. And stars inspire stars. Hardwell says Tiësto inspired kids like him in their hometown, Breda. Athens, 2004: Tiësto DJs the Olympic opening ceremony. One kid watching: eight-year-old Martin Garrix. In 2018, Garrix plays the Olympics too.
Sources last checked 9 October 2026.