"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.Billboard, 23 January 1999, Vol. 111 Issue 4, p34, Accessed through EBBSCO Publishing, 20 May 1999 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." Daily Record described it as a "pumping, hypnotic track"."Chartslot". Daily Record. 4 September 1998. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
Track listings
UK CD release "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:34 "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) [edit] – 06:52 "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) [edit] – 05:09 "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) [edit] – 04:27
European CD release "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:33 "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) [edit] – 06:53 "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) [edit] – 05:09 "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) [edit] – 04:26
French CD release "God Is a DJ" (radio mix) – 03:32 "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 04:26
Greek CD release "God Is a DJ" (radio edit) – 03:33 "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) – 06:53 "God Is a DJ" (Serious Danger remix) – 05:09 "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 04:26
12-inch release "God Is a DJ" (Monster mix) – 08:01 "God Is a DJ" (Sharp remix) – 09:21
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1998)PeakpositionDenmark (IFPI)4Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)4Greece (IFPI)6Hungary (Mahasz)10Italy (Musica e dischi)17Spain (AFYVE) 6 Chart (2022)Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1998)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)31Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)45Canada Dance (RPM)4Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)33Germany (Media Control)31Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)34Netherlands (Single Top 100)35Sweden (Hitlistan)92Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)27US Dance Club Play (Billboard)16
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United States18 August 1998Rhythmic contemporary radioUnited Kingdom24 August 1998Cheeky
See also List of number-one dance singles of 1998 (U.S.)
References
External links
Faithless / Rollo / Sister Bliss & related artists - Unofficial Discography