Who knows what we’ll do when we hit 25k.

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UPDATE: Our photographers have assembled a killer image pack that’s great for backgrounds. Download it here. Photos by Skyler Greene, Andrew Spada, and Jacob Schulman.

Included Bootlegs

Killmode vs Right Here Right Now (CZT’s A Soccer Hurdle BOOTLEG) – Cazzette

Blue Resurrection Antidote (Ken Loi Bootup) - Michael Calfan vs Michael Canitrot vs Swedish House Mafia

Dangerously Alive (Ken Loi Bootup) - Deniz Koyu vs Thomas Gold & Dirty South

Where Have Your Been Absolut? (Fareoh & MAKJ Bootleg) - Rihanna Vs Bjornberg

Sweet Rebound (Michael Brun Mashup) - Arty & Mat Zo vs. The Temper Trap

Feel The Valodja (Michael Brun Mashup) - Steve Angello & AN21 vs. Axwell

Raw 2 Da Floor (Lazy Rich Mash Up) - Calvertron vs Qalvr

 
Photo: Skyler Greene

Dancing Astronaut can’t tell you who the #1 Artist in the world is because that title cannot be bestowed by one person, group, or media organization. What qualifies a person to be #1? The amount of fans he has? The size of his name on a poster? The number of people who would vote for him in a popularity contest?

We have no idea how these five artists affected you personally, but we do know that each one of our top five has shaped the global dance music scene in identifiable, concrete ways. This isn’t our attempt to guess who your favorite artists is (and by “you,” we mean “everyone who listens to EDM”).

This is our account of events that we have seen with our own eyes, heard with our own ears, and felt with our own hearts. This is how EDM made history in 2011.

Without further ado:

5. David Guetta

You may hate David Guetta, but the truth is that once his music comes through the speakers, you can’t help but appreciate his prowess. Because the truth is, you stop hating David Guetta the second you hear him speak. Despite everything you want to believe, David Guetta is not an arrogant, self-righteous man. He is humble and articulate, the kind of guy who can express himself equally well in at least three languages. He delivers a hell of a show live, and is a quintessential entertainer of the year 2011 — just see his performance from Electric Zoo if you don’t believe us.

“F*** Me, I’m Famous!”, is Guetta’s tagline, and the fact is that there’s nothing wrong with being mainstream or commercial. Even though EDM-enthusiasts may take issue with his new approach, without David Guetta, dance music would not be what it is today.

The greatest indicator of Guetta’s remarkable success came when his hands were imprinted at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. As he placed his famous fingers into the concrete and looked unblinkingly into the paparazzi’s blinding flashes, Guetta cemented his name into pop culture history.

David Guetta has paved the way — now it’s up to new names to further the cause.

4. Steve Angello

Without Steve Angello, we wouldn’t have been blessed with the likes of Thomas Gold, Tim Mason, Third Party, and AN21& Max Vangeli. As the head honcho of Size Matters, he’s responsible for organizing the finest collection of young talent in progressive house. We’re eternally grateful to Steve for discovering and mentoring these new names, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they started to outshine him one day. Month after month, Size Matters continues to impress us with its emphasis on gorgeous melodies and commitment to flawless productions. Steve Angello will hang up his headphones one day, but Size Matters will live on.

While it’s been a spectacular year behind the desk, it’s been an equally impressive one behind the decks. In 2011, Swedish House Mafia went from progressive house superstars to bonafide global celebrities. We’re not exactly sure quite what makes the triumvirate so absurdly successful, or who does what within the supergroup, but we’d like to hazard a guess: Axwell brings the heart, Seb brings the passion, and Steve brings the style. Yeah, there was #thatawkwardmoment when he was caught faking performing with his set pre-mixed, but selling out the Garden in 9 minutes and proceeding to deliver one of the most memorable nights in New York EDM history has got to count for something.

If we do have to reduce Steve Angello to a single word, it would be style. What better way to describe the red Ferrari, the slicked-back ponytail, the signature “Knas” sound. It’s been well a year, but “Knas” still sounds as fantastic as the day we heard it for the first time. Thanks, Steve. We love you.

3. Axwell

Sure, we could talk about Axwell’s gorgeous productions, his fantastic DJ sets, or the fine work of his Axtone imprint, but there’s something inherently cool about Axel Hedfors that we can’t quit put our finger on. Part of his allure has to be the special way he embodies everything we adore about the dance music scene. His signature line: “You wanna party?” His sense of humor: “For the love of God, can you just say insert woman!” His infamous disregard for the authorities and their rapacious desire to keep young people from having fun in the wee hours of the morning.

What Axwell understands is that dance music is about more than bleeps and bloops, bottle service, and bass. It’s about spiritual healing. Sometimes in life, it’s important to “Turn off the head, turn on the heart.” Because, as we all know, “goosebumps never lie.”

2. Avicii

Oooh-oooh-ooh-sometimes… I get a good feeling….

If Coca-Cola has trademarked happiness, then Avicii has trademarked joy. Pure, innocent, unadulterated joy.

Yes, we know his DJing skills are not the most impressive, and that many of his productions sound the same. We also understand that Avicii live sets can be somewhat underwhelming or repetitive — but none of that matters.

Why? Because everyone — yes, everyone — likes Avicii when they hear his music for his first time. His tracks have a timeless, universal quality that seems to affect people regardless of their age, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation, favorite sports teams, political ideology, or any other affiliation that we humans use to divide ourselves. Heck, have any other songs in DA history ever passed the Mom Test? He’s become so wildly popular that even his flannel has a Twitter.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, Avicii makes you feel good. We would know, since we saw him an absurd amount of times this year — from coast to coast, to the beach, to backstage in Sweden.

Somehow, Avicii has managed to transcend himself. It’s about more than watching him DJ, it’s about the way in which Avicii’s music has infected the hearts and minds of thousands of people across the world, lifting us when we are sad and comforting us when we feel alone. It’s about how a skinny, pasty Swede somehow tapped into the inherent human desire to be happy. It’s about how whenever Le7els plays, whether you’re at a Starbucks, a shitty dive bar, or EDC, the energy level ramps up another notch.

If you still don’t believe us, here’s a simple test. At the next social gathering you attend, wait till the guests have had a chance to meet, mingle, and have a few drinks. Wait till a few brave souls have ventured out on to the dance floor. Wait till people are laughing, smiling, and ready to have a good time. Then turn “Le7els” up to full volume, and watch the magic happen.

1. Tiësto

When Tiësto abandoned his roots in uplifting trance, many viewed it as a betrayal of sorts. The elevated BPMs and swirling, ethereal melodies were unceremoniously dumped in favor of a more progressive/electro style. For lesser artists, this may have been a career setback, but Tiësto wasn’t thinking short-term. He wanted to conquer the final territory, the one place that was resisting dance music’s global pull — the US of A.

In a way, Tiësto’s change of heart was emblematic of a larger trend within EDM — or perhaps it started the trend. You’ve probably noticed that our list is light on trance and heavy on progressive. That’s an indicator of American tastes, as well as a reflection of the subgenres that have gained traction in 2011. If you’ll allow us one sweeping generalization, it’s that the current generation of American EDM fans were converted fairly recently. Progressive and electro lend themselves naturally to newcomers, particularly when compared to trance and techno, which require a more patient, disciplined ear. Call it the “David Guetta/Tiësto” effect, but the time when trance ruled the world is over. Even Armin van Buuren has been ousted from his perch atop the DJ Mag Top 100 — a list that’s typically full of trance gods who are boosted by their huge followings across Europe and parts of Asia.

Our genre is steeped in history, beginning with Paul Oakenfold’s EDM education on the beaches of Goa and the White Island of Ibiza. It’s time to update that history. It’s time to recognize the power of progressive and electro to rise up from the underground and occupy the mainstream. We’ll remember 2011 as the year in which dance music officially (re)arrived in the United States — a cultural development for which Tiësto deserves much credit. If Vegas really is the new Ibiza, we can thank Tiësto’s lucrative residency at the Joint (as well as Kaskade’s run at Marquee), which emphatically demonstrated that EDM DJs are worth the investment. Is there any better way to end a weekend in Vegas than by leaving Tiësto’s residency at 5AM, completely energized?

As we mentioned at the start of this list, these rankings aren’t speculation. They’re based on our account of actual events, events that we chronicled right here on our beloved blog. Tiësto’s seminal moment came when he performed to 25,000 rabid fans at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. We can debate whether any other DJ would have been able to pull off a gig of that size. But only Tiësto had the balls to attempt such a spectacular event and the star power to actually pull it off. The man is an icon.

For more than a decade, Tijs Michiel Verwest has been rocking audiences around the world. His childhood nickname has become a valuable worldwide brand, a powerful entity that resonates wherever and whenever it’s heard. If you’ve never heard the name “Tiësto” in your life, that’s entirely your fault.

It’s very hard for an entertainer to deliver on massive hype — just ask LeBron James. But Tiësto never fails to impress. His name on a poster is a set-in-stone guarantee of a good time. While much of the Tiësto’s overwhelming popularity can be attributed to savvy marketing and a fantastic publicity team, that doesn’t detract from the core point: the man always throws down. A Tiësto gig never fails to keep its promise. It’s the real thing.

We’re not really sure why EDM fans have to defend our love for this music to outsiders, but for some reason, we do. “It’s not real music,” people like to proclaim. “Anyone could do this, anyone with a laptop and some time.”

What’s the best way to win over the haters? Take ‘em to a Tiësto gig and let this Dutch deity blow their minds.

See the full lists here: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-6

10. Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris is undoubtedly one of the most versatile DJs on this list. The Scottish producer was once known for his soft disco sound and keyboard synths on tracks like “Century,” “I’m Not Alone,” and “Flashback.” But this year, as electro-house gained more popularity than ever, Adam Richard Wiles (that’s Calvin’s real name) completely changed up his style and released one of the biggest anthems of the year: “Awooga.” The anthemic electro-house tune was an unexpected production from Calvin Harris, but that’s not to say it’s not incredible. The track was highly supported by EDM icons, and almost 100% of the time played as one of the biggest tracks in any DJ’s set. Just for all the haters/idiots out there who still doubted Calvin Harris, his later original productions: “Bounce,” “”Feel So Close,” and “We Found Love” were all attention grabbing tracks that were remixed by the likes of Michael Woods, Sandro Silva, Chuckie, and R3hab (among others).  Besides his special gift for producing, Calvin Harris is also a tremendous DJ. His track selection is full of energy, his mixing is optimal, and his fan base is enormous. Don’t believe us? Check out our reviews of Calvin Harris at Lavo NYC and Electric Zoo 2011.

9. Fedde Le Grand 

It wasn’t quantity that placed Fedde Le Grand so high up on the list but the immense quality of his productions this past year. Right before Ultra 2011 Fedde released his first video teaser of “Autosave” featuring Patric La Funk off his own label, Flamingo Recordings. Launching him even more ahead of the game was his rework of “So Much Love,” his tech-house masterpiece “Metrum,” and last but definitely not least his breathtaking remix to Coldplay’s “Paradise.” Practically every track Fedde Le Grand put out this year held a #1 spot on Beatport for at least a few weeks, leading us to believe that 2011 was by far Fedde’s biggest year in EDM. His strong influence and mentoring capabilities helped Fedde sign monstrous tracks like Deniz Koyu’s “Tung!” and “Hertz,” and co-produce on Sultan & Ned Shepard’s “Running” and Nicky Romero’s “Rockin High.” Topping it all off, Fedde stands with the best DJs in the world when it comes to live performances. The superstar knows how to conform to any crowd and never plays anything close to what his previous set sounded like — just see our experience at Sensation White. Can Fedde Le Grand take a top 10 spot in 2012?

8. Sebastian Ingrosso

Sebastian Ingrosso is the first member of the Swedish House Mafia on our list. First off, just the fact that this guy is a member of the Swedish House Mafia — who’s had one of the biggest years in EDM history — gives Ingrosso a deserving spot at #8. We are sure Ingrosso’s productional skills had something to do with “Save The World,” “Antidote,” and the remix to Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” but the guy is responsible for creating “One.” (Watch Take One if you don’t believe us.) Although individually Ingrosso hasn’t come out with nearly as many tracks as his counterparts, he was a co-producer on “Calling,” which is arguably one of the biggest tracks of 2011. At Electric Zoo, “Calling” sounded off at almost every stage we visited from nearly every DJ there. (EDX even played it twice!) Above all, Ingrosso and his label Refune Recordings are responsible for delivering the EDM world the biggest breakthrough artist of 2011: Alesso. Ingrosso to Alesso is like Dr. Dre to Eminem. Ingrosso accomplished signing Alesso’s ground breaking Dynamite EP, ”Raise Your Head,” and also many other notable tracks from Style Of Eye, Arno Cost, and Swanky Tunes.

7. Skrillex 

Sonny John Moore is one of the biggest revolutionaries the EDM world has witnessed in 2011. Beginning 2011 with a bang, Skrillex began his Mothership Tour, visiting 50 cities in only three months and easily selling all of them out. Adding to his immense showmanship, Mr. Moore showcased his new “Skrillex Cell” that consists of an avatar on a giant screen behind him and uses 3D motion tracking tech to produce a truly mind-blowing liveshow. From spectacularly remixing Benassi’s “Cinema” to producing the main theme for Mortal Combat’s video game (“Reptile’s Theme,”) Skrillex has conquered a vast amount of territory this past year. Extremely noteworthy is Skrillex’s five Grammy nominations, which made him the leading EDM nominee ahead of moguls such as David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, Deadmau5, and Avicii. Adding to Skrillex’s success is his OWSLA record label, which signed some of the biggest electro-house/dubstep tracks of the year: think “Shave It,” “Unison,” and “Spitfire.” Skrillex has ended 2011 with a mean remix to “Levels,” and we all can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in 2012.

6. Afrojack 

There should be no argument that Afrojack (aka Nick van de Wall) is one of the most engaging, humorous, energetic, and wild DJs on this list. Besides his extraordinary showmanship behind the decks, Afrojack’s productional talents are responsible for some of the most prolific and distinguished music in the game. After having a monstrous 2010 with “Take Over Control” charting at #1 in many countries and later in the USA, “Give Me Everything” featuring Pitbull, Ne-Yo, & Nayer, has put Afrojack’s name back up at #1 in 2011. Following the footsteps of his mentor David Guetta, Afrojack’s “Pon de Floor” became so popular that his instrumentals contributed to a Beyonce single in the form of “Run The World (Girls).” (We know Major Lazer got all the credit, but Nick did co-produce it.) Afrojack’s unimaginable talents have helped him release distinguished and mind-boggling tracks such as “Lionheart,” “Selecta,” “Prutataaa,” “Doing It Right,” and “No Beef.” Wall Recordings has boomed more than ever this year signing awesome talent like Apster, Quintino, R3hab, Nicky Romero, Moguai, Spencer & Hill, Swanky Tunes, and more. In 2011 Afrojack’s domination led him to a residency in XS nightclub at the Wynn/Encore Resorts in Vegas, which is the best hotel/nightclub in the heart of the new EDM capital of the world. Last year Nick won his first Grammy at the age of 23 alongside David Guetta. This year, it will be interesting to see if the superstar can win another one for remixing Leona Lewis’s controversial “Collide.”

20. Nicky Romero

It would be unfair to call Fedde Le Grand protege Nicky Romero a “rising star.” Yes, he’s only 22 and has been releasing one banger after the next, but he has already arrived as a formidable name in EDM. Romero’s spot among older veteran artists on this list is well-deserved. This Dutch DJ started off 2011 with “Solar,” whose massive, euphoric synths earned it major play during Miami Music Week and festivals throughout the year. Romero also dropped “Camorra,” “Toulouse,” “Beta” (his collab with Hardwell), and stellar remixes to “Titanium,” “Haters Gonna Hate,” and many more. And, while it was released in 2010, his take on Green Velvet’s “Flash” is a bona fide classic – it even made a cameo in Swedish House Mafia’s MSG set.

19. Hardwell

Hardwell is very close in age to most of the DA editors, but endlessly more accomplished. The 23-year-old producer/DJ/label head churned out banger after banger this year, while also putting on kick-ass live shows. He and his mentor Tiesto shook up Beatport with “Zero 76″ (part of one of our all-time favorite bootlegs), and he kept the momentum going with “Encoded,” “Beta,” “Cobra,” and “Munster.” Needless to say, he’s prolific as hell. And we can’t forget his stellar remixes – “Ready 2 Go,” “Love Comes Again,” “In The Air,” you get the idea. All in all, Hardwell makes us feel like massive underachievers on a regular basis.

18. Laidback Luke

He’s not just one of the nicest guys in the EDM world, he’s also one of the most talented. Laidback Luke churns out nuanced productions at a steady clip, while also playing high-energy, genre-bending sets… and responding to pretty much everyone who tweets him. We checked him out at SiriusXM HQ not too long ago, and continue to be impressed by his skills behind the decks; he has an ear for unlikely combinations (and making them work), not to mention an impressive catalog that allows him to jump from hip-hop to house to hard rock and back again. One Luke release is never like the next: his 2011 releases include “Turbulence,” “Natural Disaster,” “Who’s Wearing The Cap,” and remixes like “Better Off Alone” (classic!), “Un Deux Trois,” “Sundown,” and “Cinema.”

17. Alesso

Alesso’s productions simply speak for themselves. The Swedish DJ is an incredible talent who made a splash in the biggest way this year. Starting off with “Nillionaire,” Alesso truly caught our attention when his “Pressure” remix exploded onto the scene. It’s indisputably one of our favorite tracks of the year. He kept the momentum going with two more iconic tracks, “Calling” and “Raise Your Head.” The rest of his remixes – “Good Love,” “Save The World,” “Titanium,” etc. – weren’t so bad either. We’re pretty sure Alesso will continue to ascend to the top of this list… if this is what he can do in a year, imagine what he’ll have accomplished in five.

16. Above & Beyond

If you’re the type of person that likes to spend your free time making yourself miserable by contemplating all the pain, suffering, and injustice in the world, you’re probably an Above & Beyond fan. A&B’s music is at once heartbreaking and beautiful. Their sets are an emotional journey. At an Above & Beyond show, you’re as likely to see people moved to tears as you are filled with joy. But that’s the point. The world may not be perfect, but when Above & Beyond perform, it is.

15. Armin van Buuren

There is a theory that suggests that Armin van Buuren is the second coming of Jesus Christ. If you disagree, you’ve probably never seen him perform. When Armin’s on stage, clad in the purest white, smiling that divine smile, it’s very easy to see where the term “trance god” comes from. Cynics can disparage the spiritual power of Armin’s sets all they want, but  here’s what’s not up for debate: no other DJ can create such profound mass euphoria through the strength of his music and the force of his stage presence.

14. Deadmau5

So Deadmau5 may not have released a whole lot of music this year (“Where My Keys,” “HR 8938 Cephei,” and “Aural Psynapse” are among his only releases)… but he sure managed to keep busy. The masked man’s “Meowingtons Hax” tour broke boundaries and shattered records – he took his show’s tech to the next level, and played Roseland Ballroom for an unprecedented six consecutive nights. Oh, and did we mention he made the entire London skyline his stage this fall? Say what you will about his music, but the man puts on a hell of a show. With his upcoming Vegas residency, we know he’s going to kick things into even higher gear come 2012.

13. Thomas Gold

Thomas Gold may have been missing from certain other DJ lists, but this German superstar is firmly planted in the upper tiers of the DA ranking. His talent is simply undeniable. Whether it’s the military-precision drums on “Marsch Marsch” or the subtle hi-hat that propels “aGORa,” every Thomas Gold track is incredibly detailed yet clearly engineered for maximum dance floor impact. His “Judas” remix is just explosive, and got major play at countless festivals this year. Plus – and take our word on this – TGold’s set at Escape from Wonderland is easily among the best of 2011. His bootlegs were so surprising and well-executed that he managed to manipulate staid songs (“Feel So Close,” “Toca’s Miracle”) and tell an entirely new story. To us, the set truly represents DJing at its best and is quintessential Thomas Gold. The end of 2011 saw Gold collaborating with Dirty South on “Alive,” with another collaboration is in the works for 2012. He also released an end-of-year mix that is not to be missed.

12. Dirty South

When it comes to progressive house, no one does it better than Dirty South. His tracks are all unique, but each has an amazing drive and energy behind it, usually from the smallest of touches. Take the rapid-fire tick-tocking synth in his “Coming Home” remix, for example. That track, which is arguably one of the biggest of the year, set the tone for Dirty’s 2011. Basically, he’s been killing it. “Alive” and “Walking Alone” are gorgeous, with unforgettable vocals and dance-ready drops. In addition to his production prowess, Dirty South is an exceptional DJ, delivering sets that rock considerably harder than his ethereal beats.

11. Kaskade

America spoke, and Kaskade came out on top: he was voted America’s number-one DJ in Pioneer’s annual competition. No small feat for a laid-back, Mormon, married-with-kids producer who started off in the deep house scene almost two decades ago. 2011 was the year when Kaskade embraced his duality as a producer. His album Fire & Ice featured two mixes for each song, one highlighting his ambient, chilled-out roots, the other paying homage to where he’s been ever since. Kaskade has become the master of big-room fun, crafting tracks that rock venues from Roseland Ballroom to Marquee Las Vegas. His songs are so popular because they’re more than just fun dance to – Kaskade creates some of the most emotionally evocative, beautifully transcendent songs in all of EDM. On top of his album, Kaskade headlined the first-of-its-kind Identity Tour, which brought the party to cities across America. And did we mention his weekly free Music Monday giveaways? Here’s hoping we can look forward to many #KMM gems in 2012.

Criteria:

1. Artist must have released at least one track in 2011 to qualify.

2. Artist must have been featured on Dancing Astronaut at least once this year (in any form of post).

3. The artist must have potential to do great things in 2012 (example: Bob Sinclar cannot qualify, because there is someone else producing inside of his carcass).

Biases:

1. Age Bias – As a group of young 20-somethings, our age does play a big factor. DJs of the past do not resonate with us as much as they do with people born in decades before.

2. Dancing Astronaut Bias – We are sure you know what this means. If the artist has been featured on Dancing Astronaut a ton, it probably means we like him/her a lot or they’ve made a big splash in the world of EDM to warrant a post. There mere fact that we have developed a connection with them will obviously aid in their ranking. If you don’t like it – tough luck.

3. 2011 Bias – This ranking list is not a lifetime achievement award by any means. That doesn’t mean that work done in the past doesn’t influence your ranking, it just means that we have put a premium on 2011′s results over any other year.

4. Showmanship Bias – If you throw a great party, bring the energy day in day out, your ranking as an artist deserves to be upgraded. Daft Punk doesn’t make it on this list, because for all we know they might not play a live show ever again. How can you be considered an artist if no one is able to see your work live?

It is important to point out that these rankings are done “in house,” and that they only reflect our thoughts and opinions. This is a Dancing Astronaut list, and we have done the best we can to make it as objective as possible given our requirements. If you agree or don’t agree, you are more than welcome to voice your opinion on our Facebook page, Twitter account (use the hashtag #DATop50), or in the comments.

We hope this is an enjoyable read and a constructive way to create discussion among the best fans in EDM — our fans.

Without further ado, here’s the first segment of Dancing Astronaut’s Top 50 artists of 2011, starting at number 50.

50. Benny Benassi

This was one of the most perplexing artists to rank, and we struggled with where to place Benny Benassi on this list. The variety of tracks that he came out with was truly amazing, most notably “Beautiful People” and “Cinema.” These two tracks did well in the mainstream charts (“Beautiful People” hit number one on the Billboard charts) and helped pull house music out of the underground world. The downside? The remixes of “Cinema” did significantly better than the original mix — Skrillex and Laidback Luke definitely gave it the added oomph and wobble to make their versions more prominent in the world of EDM. Benny also came out with an album called Electroman which featured a few more marginal hits.  His most recent release, “Close To Me,” features Gary Go (same tandem from “Cinema”), but again, it’s the remixes that are played at clubs, not the originals. Also, Benny played in a Best Buy in 2011 — how wild was that?

49. John Dahlback

How is John Dahlback still flying under the radar? Not only did he create an unbelievable amount of tracks this year, but most of them were of the highest quality. It’s hard to place your finger on Dahlback’s sound; sometimes he comes out with darker tunes (think: “Overdose“), sometimes it’s uplifting progressive (think: “Big” remix), but he can also get straight up crazy (think: “Grunge“).  His biggest release “One Last Ride” was featured in Swedish House Mafia’s Madison Square Garden set. Pretty big year, huh?

48. NERVO

We forgot to add another bias to our list above: the “incredibly good looking” bias. Dancing Astronaut is comprised of mostly 20-something year old dudes, so go figure. More importantly, the NERVO girls have had quite the extraordinary year, coming out with hits such as “We’re All No One” and “The Way We See The World.” They throw a hell of a live show and are engaged with the crowd the minute they take the stage. Heck, even Steve Aoki and Afrojack do nothing but gush over their talents. They were also the stars of our most popular Behind The Booth feature to date. We almost forgot to mention their upcoming single “Army” which features vocals from Omarion. This track is going to be a must have.

47. Swanky Tunes

This band of Russians has been crushing it since the very beginning of 2011. First, they released “Together” which was a Miami Music Week anthem, and shortly afterwards they experienced some serious success with “Feedback,” “XOXO,” and “Smolengrad.” More recently, they have teamed up with R3hab to create “Sending My Love” and to remix Tiesto’s “Maximal Crazy.” The Swedish House Mafia has been among their biggest supporters all year and have frequently featured their songs in their individual sets. 47 is where they end up this year, but these guys have to be on your radar for the biggest movers of 2012. Just wait until they fully infiltrate the US market. We assure you that sparks will fly.

46. Sidney Samson

Some people are going to be outraged at this ranking, but hear us out. His remixes of “Turbulence” and “Punk” alone have to garner him some serious attention. Not only are they festival anthems, but they go damn hard. The creation of his label RockTheHouze has done reasonably well, and his involvement with Surrender Nightclub in Vegas has earned him some serious respect within the Vegas community. Sidney is the master of throwing the wildest parties, and he is one of those artists that only get better the more times you see him. His DJing capabilities give him a little more credibility among the actual DJs within our circle.

45. Third Party

Bold statement: Size Matters has been the most prominent label this year, bar none. Third Party has flown under the radar until very recently, but their “Otherside” remix has put them over the top. Usually, when Third Party remixes a tune we listen to their remix first, due to the fact that it’s probably the best mix of the bunch. Check out their remixes of “Daddy,” “Militia,” and “I Believe In” — they definitely have their own unique sound that is among the most uplifting in the world. By the way, on a scale from 1 – 10, how big was “Duel?” Our answer: 12.675.

44. Sultan & Ned Shepard

This year was more about quality rather than quantity for these progressive stalwarts. Their two most notable releases were “Running” and “In The Air.” Not only did both of these do well at the box office, they also featured other superstar DJs such as Morgan Page, Fedde Le Grand, and BT. Their remix of Lady GaGa’s “Edge Of Glory” was vastly underrated, and their previous work from years before earn them a comfortable ranking within our Top 50. “Fire In Your New Shoes,” anyone?

43. Diplo

There is one thing we know for certain: Diplo’s fan base is crazy. He’s one of those guys that sells out shows because he is a performer and a stage presence. “Que, Que” was first featured on HBO’s Entourage, and just in case you weren’t aware, having your music featured on that show automatically makes you the shit. The variety of skills and sounds Diplo brings to the table is sublime, he has cornered the moombahton, hip hop, and Dutch markets, and even did this awesome interview with us earlier this year. What else can this guy do?

42. Bingo Players

These guys get a little boost because they are two of the biggest bros in the game. They are fun, lively, and just plain awesome. “Cry (Just A Little)” was this duo’s signature track of the year, but their recent releases are impressive too. “Mode” and “Rattle” have gotten some serious exposure, as have their well-done remixes of  ”Give Me Everything” and “Koko.” Check out our review of their show at Ruby Skye just in case you need any more convincing to catch them in action.

41. Deniz Koyu

We would love to have on the record that Dancing Astronaut absolutely adores this guy. Who doesn’t? He has had one of the biggest years a DJ can have, and he is highly regarded by the biggest names. “Dangerous” may be one of the best tracks of the entire year (this isn’t up for debate, it’s a fact), and it may have been the most played track at EDC outside of “Levels.” “Tung” and “Hertz” have been used frequently by artists such as NERVO, Kaskade, Axwell, Steve Angello, Fedde Le Grand, and many more. “Hydra” deserved more attention than it got too. It may have been his 4th biggest release — which says a lot about Koyu’s year — but it was unreal. The biggest thing about Deniz is that his productions are way better live than they are at home. This guy is the real deal and deserves to be featured on the main stage at every festival from this day forward.

Check back tomorrow for artists  31-40. Stay tuned!

New Years Eve is a time for champagne and celebration, but it’s also become an excuse for hardcore partying, and, of course, dance music. (Which holiday will be next?) This year your options are better than ever, so we’ve gathered a list of our DA-approved parties in our two favorite East Coast rage locations: New York and Miami. Click through for the créme de la créme of New Year’s festivities, and check out Wantickets comprehensive guide for the full exhaustive list of options. (Don’t forget to see our West Coast guide too for Vegas, SF, and LA!)

New York

deadmau5 Unhooked at Pier 36, NYC

Why you should go:

1. Deadmau5 Unhooked > Deadmau5 with the Griefing Machine.
2. You are tired of hearing “Levels.”
3. 21+ means no 15 year old kids throwing up and passing out like they were at Roseland Ballroom.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You are seeing Avicii because you can’t get enough of “Levels.”
2. Skinny Canadian guys aren’t your thing.
3. You are lactose intolerant or allergic to mice.

Purchase Tickets

Avicii at Pier 94, NYC

The lineup:

Glenn Morrison, Arty, Cazzette, Avicii, Swanky Tunes

Why you should go:  

1.  Avicii, Arty, Cazzette, Swanky Tunes, and Glenn Morrison UNDER ONE ROOF.
2.  133,000 square feet to alleviate overcrowding.
3. “Levels,” “Levels,” “Levels,” and “Levels.”  Did we mention “Levels”? Okay, just making sure.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You are one of Tim’s many discarded female companions.
2. You hate how mainstream Avicii has become.
3. You can’t get enough of PACHA NYC.

Purchase Tickets

Laidback Luke ‘s “Super You & Me” at Pacha, NYC

The lineup:

Laidback Luke, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Sandro Silva

Why you should go:  

1. You think Laidback Luke is LIKE, OMG, SUPER CUTE!
2. Timebomb still hasn’t gotten old for you.
3. You want to chime in the New Year with one of the loudest systems in NYC.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You can’t afford a table in the VIP.
2. You don’t like two of the coolest, up and coming, DJs on the planet.
3. You lost your PACHA souvenir headband.

Purchase Tickets

NERO Afer Hours at Webster Hall, NYC

The lineup:

NERO

Why you should go:  

1. You prefer wobbles with your champagne.
2. The other parties have ended and this one has just begun.
3. You want that heavy dose of weird that only Webster Hall can provide.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You are a straight-edge, rookie partier.
2. You drink microbrews, not piss-warm Pabst.
3. You are already passed out, half naked, next to someone whose name you don’t remember.

Purchase Tickets

New Year’s Day

• Dayglow New Year’s Day @ Pier 94, NYC | Benny Benassi, Alesso, David Solano | Tickets

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Miami

New Years Eve:

Axwell New Year’s Eve at Fontainbleau Poolside, Miami

The lineup: Axwell

Why you should go:

1. We’ve got nothing but love for him. His sets are guaranteed dance floor killers.
2. You’re not from Miami and want to take in the amazing weather.

Purchase tickets

LIV New Year’s Eve 2012

The lineup: Busta Rhymes, Politik, and The Chainsmokers (9 PM – 1 AM), Sebastian Ingrosso

Why you should go:

1. You want to party until 7 AM.
2. You want a little hip-hop with your house.
3. Axwell will obviously make an appearance when he’s done with his set.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You are such a house head that you can’t imagine ringing in 2012 with Busta Rhymes – even if it’s to see Ingrosso later.
2. Someone bought you a ticket to Wall. See below.

Purchase tickets

Afrojack and Bobby Burns: JACKED NYE 2012 with at W South Beach Wet

The lineup: Afrojack and Bobby Burns

Why you should go:

1. Lionheart. ‘Nuff said.
2. Another poolside venue. Do it like the Floridians do.

Purchase Tickets

NYE 2012 at Wall at W South Beach

The lineup: Alesso

Why you should go:

1. Small venue.
2. Huge talent.

Tickets: http://nye.wantickets.com/Events/96434/NYE-2012-at-The-Wall-at-W-South-Beach-featuring-Alesso/

New Year’s Day:

Dirty South at Mansion

The lineup: Dirty South

Why you should go:

1. Dirty South killed the last time we saw him.
2. GA tickets are $25 each. Need we say more?

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You’ve never seen Deadmau5 live.
2. You hate Australians.

Purchase tickets

Deadmau5 Unhooked at Fontainebleu Poolside

The lineup: Deadmau5

Why you should go:

1. You haven’t seen Mau5 in awhile.
2. You like his music more than his production value. This show will be bare-bones.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You were poolside the night before.
2. You’re still hungover/drunk from NYE.

Purchase tickets

New Years Eve is a time for champagne and celebration, but it’s also become an excuse for hardcore partying, and, of course, dance music. (Which holiday will be next?) This year your options are better than ever, so we’ve gathered a list of our DA-approved parties for cities all over the USA. This first part of our guide focuses on events out West, and we’ll have a roundup of East Coast options as a followup. Of course, we’ve just gathered a select few elite parties and there’s a whole lot more of them out there, so check out Wantickets’ list to see all your options.

Las Vegas

RINGING IN 2012 WITH XS NIGHTCLUB (Purchase Tickets)

Friday, Dec 30: Sebastian Ingrosso
Saturday, Dec 31: Steve Angello
Sunday, Jan 1: Afrojack
Monday, Jan 2: Deadmau5

Why you should go:

1. Ingrosso
2. Angello
3. Afrojack
4. Deadmau5
5. You shouldn’t need anymore reasons.

Why you shouldn’t you go:

1. You hate house music.
2. You’re not 21 yet.
3. You’re at Marquee seeing Kaskade

KASKADE NYE AT MARQUEE NIGHTCLUB (Purchase Tickets)

Why you should go:

1. “Turn it Down” is one of the songs of the year and Kaskade is the mastermind behind it.
2. He has three small children… someone has to pay for those Xmas presents.
3. Kaskade is known for giving phenomenally good live performances.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You’re feeling like a quiet night in.
2. You’re seeing Steve Angello at XS
3. You’re not 21 yet.

Los Angeles

WHITE WONDERLAND (INSOMNIAC EVENTS) at ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER (Purchase Tickets)

Insomniac is ripping off paying homage to Sensation White with a brand-new New Year’s Eve festival, White Wonderland. While the lineup may not be as “sensational” as the real thing European version, it’s still pretty damn good.

Saturday, December 31: Paul van Dyk (!), Benny Benassi, Kaskade, Dada Life

Sunday, January 1: Steve Angello, AN21 & Max Vangeli, Thomas Gold, Tara Brooks

Why you should go:

1. Paul van Dyk’s set will probably be a spiritual experience.
2. You’re over 21, and you don’t want to ring in the new year with sweaty teenagers.
3. Thomas Gold’s set will be better than Steve Angello’s. That’s not a jab at Steve, but rather an indication of how ridiculously good TG is.
4. It’s always fun to party dressed in white. It adds a certain classiness to the affair.

TOGETHER AS ONE (GO VENTURES) at OAK CANYON PARK (Purchase Tickets)

Together As One (TAO) used to be a co-produced by LA’s two biggest promoters — Insomniac and Go Ventures. Following the Monster Massive fiasco misunderstanding, however, Insomniac has relinquished all affiliation with the one-day event. We can confirm that Go Ventures has entered an agreement with a venue — meaning the event isn’t just hypothetical. We fully expect this one to go ahead as scheduled.

Saturday, December 31: Dirty South, Duck Sauce, Chromeo (DJ set), Felix Da Housecat, Bloody Beetroots (DJ set), Funkagenda, LA Riots

Why you should go:

1. The lineup is much more eclectic than White Wonderland’s. You’ll get progressive, electro, house, and everything in between.
2. You’re not 21.
3. You’re looking for a “rave” atmosphere, as opposed to White Wonderland’s “club” atmosphere.

Why you shouldn’t go

1. The security checkpoints at TAO last year were a disaster. Even if you go without anything on the banned items list, you still had to wait for up to two hours in poorly-managed lines.
2. You’re a progressive house junkie, and don’t want to listen to anything else.

JOHN DIGWEED AT AVALON HOLLYWOOD (Purchase Tickets)

John Digweed comes from a time before DJs were global celebrities. He comes from a time in which the music did the talking. A time when less was more. A time when fist-pumping was socially appropriate only if it came with the requisite amount of groove.

Why you should go:

1. You like dancing like someone trying to shake off the effects of a general anesthetic.
2. You’re not a newbie, and need a little more subtlety from your dance music
3. You’re a music snob

Why you shouldn’t go

1. The crowd at the Avalon is notoriously ‘diverse’ — meaning at any moment, you could find your backside subjected to the unwanted gyrations of someone else’s crotch.
2. You’re looking for variety, and need a bunch of different sets to keep you entertained.

 

San Francisco

NYE WITH RUBY SKYE (Purchase Tickets)

 
Thursday, Dec 29: Nero
Friday, Dec 30: Wolfgang Gartner
Saturday, Dec 31: Cedric Gervais
Sunday, Jan 1: Fedde Le Grand

Why you should go:

1. You happen to live in San Francisco and also happen to love EDM.

2. Ruby Skye is a fantastic venue and they have lined up some great acts for New Years.

3. You want to get a wide sampling of EDM. Dubstep Thursdays, Electro Fridays and Progressive Sundays.

4. Your favorite EDM website (Yes, I’m referring to Dancing Astronaut) is teaming up with TORQ to bring you Nero on Thursday and we know how to get it done.

Why you shouldn’t go:

1. You happen to live in San Francisco but also happen to hate EDM.
2. You don’t live in San Francisco.

Doing something different for New Year’s Eve? Be sure to shout it out in the comments!