Help needed with TOP 40 songs!

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Help needed with TOP 40 songs!

Hey guys!!

I’m having a big problem right now. When I started DJing little over half year ago I decided that I would never play top 40 shit. And actually big reason for me even start DJing was that I wanted to change things in my local clubs and bars.

So I haven’t played any gigs so far. But today I have a chat with a guy who knows about that stuff in my town a lot. And actually he said that he wants to help me with the start and get me gigs and stuff. But he said that there is no clubs that would take DJ that doesn’t play TOP 40 shit.. And to be honest there isn’t really going that much EDM stuff here. Only exception is that if some bigger DJ comes to town. Then he is allowed to do so. And actually then nobody is complaining.

Also guy said that he could help me with the special nights so I could play my own music. But that wouldn’t be nowhere close that often. And then other problem is that if I play with TOP 40 songs I think it totally kills the vibe of trance music that I mostly play… I just think that there isn’t a lot of pop songs that go well with progressive trance that I play… Also I would really hate to play that music.

But then.. I have really started to love DJing and this would be an awesome opportunity.. What should I do? Could you guys help me??

2

Do you want DJ’ing to be your bread and butter? Than play top 40 music.
You want to DJ for fun and only what you like? Than rarely play but when you do, play the music you like :slight_smile:

3

The top 40 isn’t as bad as people make out, that’s a potential 40 new tracks every week (Although it averages out more around 5-7 here in the UK) and good songs will generally get into the 20-40 range without a huge marketing push behind them. The trick is to find ways to mix your personal tastes into the top 40 music, thereby people think you are “Proper sick DJ” and did a live remix. Which you kinda did but they don’t realise it was actually two different songs.

4

I mean if you really hate it thaaaaat much, then don’t do it.

but if you’re just starting out and it’s what will help you get more gigs , if you’re willing to you’re gonna have to sacrifice and play what they want. Eventually when you get known better around the area you could maybe do a night of the music you are actually passionate about.

I say do it

5

Thanks for the help guys I will try to find a way to do it :smiley: because this is what I rely want to do to get my bread and butter :smiley:

6

(Commercial) Cheese pays the bills :slight_smile:

But in saying that there are many styles of cheese and you just need to find one that works for you and your gigs. These days punters are open to left field remixes and mash-ups as long as they know the hook or vocal. I know I certainly push the boundaries every now and then!

7

Look for remixes of the top 40 stuff. Make mashups of top 40.

Sounds like if you want to dj in front of crowds where you live, that’s really your only option. You can throw in an occasional song or two you like, but the bulk of it would have to be top 40.

Your job as a DJ is to get people dancing and having fun, which equates to playing for the most part what they want to hear in an environment like that.

8

After a long stint with doing “EDM” nights, I actually enjoy my Top 40 nights now. Top 40 is either insanely easy or hard as hell to mix, there’s really no in-between. You can mash it back and forth at most places and nobody will really give a sh!te, or you can really get into working transitions, BPM changes, mashups, etc., and that’s where the challenge/fun comes in. In fact now I can’t stay at one genre for very long. If I stayed at 128 for 2 hours like I used to, I’d go insane.

EDIT: Sambo made a great point about making it your own. Typically I play a lot of thrashy electro remixes, trap remixes, etc. because that’s just my style. I was mixing that stuff before I started mixing Top 40 on a regular basis. So not only am I happy doing my thing all night, the crowd knows the songs and can dance to them. Granted, you’ll likely still have to play the Wobble :wink:

9

You CAN do both. I make a very decent living playing Top 40 and Indie/Alt gigs.
I also play what I want at gigs and festivals usually playing dubby-disco/funk/hiphop stuff.

The 2 kinds of DJing are not mutually exclusive.

10

Sure you can do both, but not at the same time. And if you could only do alt/indie, would you still make enough? So not only can you do both, you actually need to do both…

11

Stupid question - How do I find top 40 tracks?

12

try billboard? google uk top 40?

13

Ask any girl in school with you :roll_eyes:

Was honestly hoping no-one would actually reply to this seriously, being possibly the most utter height of laziness I’ve ever come across on DJTT if it’s not sarcasm

14

^ ^ it was so simple :stuck_out_tongue: simple question for a simple answer thank you Student 10/10 <3

15

Just make two alias’s. One for top 40 and another for your trance. A lot of guys have two names they go by.

16

That’s what I do.

I play top 40 which pays exceptionally well at a local club, then I play techno under a different name for no where near as much money, but twice the fun.

17

In VERY broad generalizations that are bound to piss of at least a few people…

The role of the DJ can be seen as an “Artist” or as a “Service Provider”. There are a lot of other ways to view DJing…but focus on the Artist/Service Provider split for now.

Many mobile DJs view themselves more as “service providers” than as “artists.” This means that the mobile DJ is there to play music that their clients (and their guests) will enjoy. To the extent that the DJ approaches that task with some point of view and with their own taste and style, so much the better. Requests are a given, and unless REALLY out of place, should be played.

Many club DJs view themselves more as an “artist” rather than as a “service provider.” The DJ may take their artistic queues from themselves, or from the format of the club…but the DJ is there to put on a show. It may or may not be “their” show. To the extent that the DJ “reads the floor” and “plays for the crowd”, so much the better. Requests may or may not be permitted. In the end the “advertised format” is MORE important in setting the format than requests from the people who show up (e.g. if the club advertises a “techno night” there is no amount of requests that should get a “country” song played).

Neither approach is “better.” There is a lot of fun to be had with both approaches, and money to be made with both approaches. It is important to be comfortable with the approach that you are taking. If you are really not comfortable seeing yourself as a “service provider,” then mobile DJing may not be for you. If you like playing a wiiiiide variety of music across many genres, then club DJing may not be for you.

I am primarily a mobile DJ. I sit in at clubs several times a year for friends…and it takes a LOT of prep work for me to change gears and get into a “single format” mindset for an evening. I enjoy the challenge, the excuse to geek out over music, and the intellectual exercise of crafting a set with those kinds of limits. BUT, it is not something I would enjoy week in and week out. That is an important thing to know about yourself.

Getting back to the OPs comments. You seem to be “down” on Top 40 songs, but you also seem to be largely unfamiliar with the genre. You are early in your DJ career. Try not to rule out whole styles of music before you really get a change to explore them.

There is still a LOT of individual expression that is possible within the “Top 40” genre. I pull from the Top 40 lists going back 2 to 4 to 10 years. I routinely pull in remixes of Top 40 tracks. I have even pulled in acoustic covers of Top 40 songs. AND…I still mix in “other” music that is not Top 40…Classic Rock, EDM, Hip-hop. With most non-EDM genres, there is a wide tempo range to work with…that can be really challenging to mix & blend into a set. There are even “live drummers” on occasion…so you have to pay attention and ride the pitch bend to keep the music in sync. Even in something as “awful” as Top 40, there is more than enough for any DJ to keep themselves (and hopefully the audience) entertained. :wink: