God Is a DJ (Faithless song)

"God Is a DJ" is a song by British group Faithless. It was released in August 1998 as the lead single from their album, Sunday 8PM. The single reached number six in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in September 1998.[1]

"God Is a DJ"
UK / European cover
Single by Faithless
from the album Sunday 8PM
Released	24 August 1998
Recorded	1998
Genre	Progressive house, trance
Length	8:01
Label	Cheeky BMG
Songwriter(s)	Rollo Armstrong Maxwell Fraser Ayalah Deborah Bentovim Jamie Catto
Producer(s)	Rollo Sister Bliss
Faithless singles chronology
"Reverence" (1997) "God Is a DJ" (1998) "Take the Long Way Home" (1998)
Alternative cover
12" cover
Audio sample
"God Is a DJ" excerpt file help
Music video
"God Is a DJ" on YouTube

The song was written by Maxi Jazz, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Jamie Catto. 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.[2]

The song re-entered the UK chart in 2005 following the release of Forever Faithless and reached number 66.

Critical reception

Billboard wrote that Faithless are "melding electronic elements into a trance-disco beat." They 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."[3]

Track listing

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" release

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

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[4] 37 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 4 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] 5 Belgium Dance (Ultratop)[8] 4 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[9] 1 Denmark (Tracklisten)[10] 4 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 4 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 6 France (SNEP)[13] 43 Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 2 Greece (IFPI)[15] 6 Hungary (Mahasz)[16] 10 Ireland (IRMA)[17] 11 Italy (Musica e dischi)[18] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 1 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 10 Norway (VG-lista)[22] 4 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[23] 6 Spain (AFYVE)[24] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 20 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 2 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[27] 6 UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[28] 4 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[29] 1 US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[30] 44

Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 31 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[32] 45 Canada Dance (RPM)[33] 4 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[34] 33 Germany (Official German Charts)[35] 31 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 34 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] 35 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 92 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 27 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Belgium (BEA)[40] Gold 25,000^* Germany (BVMI)[41] Gold 250,000^^ Norway (IFPI Norway)[42] Gold   United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Gold 400,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1998 (U.S.)

References

1. Rock on the Net - Faithless
2. Billboard, 23 January 1999, Vol. 111 Issue 4, p34, Accessed through EBBSCO Publishing, 20 May 1999
3. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard magazine. 22 August 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
4. "Australian-charts.com – Faithless – God Is a DJ". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
5. "Austriancharts.at – Faithless – God Is a DJ" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
6. "Ultratop.be – Faithless – God Is a DJ" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
7. "Ultratop.be – Faithless – God Is a DJ" (in French). Ultratop 50.
8. "Ultratop Dance 31/10/1998". ultratop.be. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
9. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7069." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
10. Danish peak
11. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 42. 17 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
12. "Faithless: God Is a DJ" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
13. "Lescharts.com – Faithless – God Is a DJ" (in French). Les classement single.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Faithless – God Is a DJ". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
15. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 47. 21 November 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
16. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 42. 17 October 1998. p. 14. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – God Is a DJ". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
18. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 110 no. 50. 12 December 1998. p. 52. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Faithless" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Faithless – God Is A DJ" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
21. "Charts.nz – Faithless – God Is a DJ". Top 40 Singles.
22. "Norwegiancharts.com – Faithless – God Is a DJ". VG-lista.
23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
24. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
25. "Swedishcharts.com – Faithless – God Is a DJ". Singles Top 100.
26. "Swisscharts.com – Faithless – God Is a DJ". Swiss Singles Chart.
27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
28. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
29. "Faithless Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
30. "Faithless Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
31. "Jaaroverzichten 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
32. "Rapports Annuels 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
33. Canada Top Dance Tracks of 1998 RPM Magazine
34. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
35. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
36. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
37. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
38. "Årslista Singlar – År 1998" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
39. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1998 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
40. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
41. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Faithless; 'God Is a DJ')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
42. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
43. "British single certifications – Faithless – God Is a DJ". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 May 2020.

External links

• FaithlessWeb.com
• Faithless / Rollo / Sister Bliss & related artists - Unofficial Discography