Yeah the top 100 is super weird, it’s all these commercial EDM DJs but the weird thing is the magazine doesn’t otherwise really seem to target that audience. I don’t read it but I have come across some good long form pieces like this from them online, so actually I think they are trying to do some good stuff.
I'd imagine that it's because the DJs ask people to vote for them. A lot of the DJs I follow do that every year. If the big commercial DJs with the biggest following do that, then they would naturally land at the top.
Yeah I guess what I mean is that it seems to go against the rest of their brand, the magazine usually covers slightly more underground dance music it seems - not super underground, still big names, but not stadium EDM stuff.
Maybe their philosophy is that the Top 100 should be an open thing and they shouldn't restrict who can enter based on music style... to me, it makes DJ Mag way less credible, but I guess they probably make money out of the Top 100 being so big.