We love to joke about DJs. We joke about how all they do is go up on stage and play their ipods. We joke about how they're overpaid button pushers yet somehow have huge followings. How could some who plays other peoples' somehow be a rock star themselves? We think this is some strange new trend...but this has been going on since the beginning of rock n roll. For years, radio DJs were the authority when it came to music. They were the ones who unveiled new music on the world. Because of their musical insight, they gained followings of devoted listeners. People tuned into the radio to hear the DJs as much as they tuned in to hear the music. Mainly, because they knew the DJs would play music they loved to hear. Many radio DJs had authority over what they would play. It made them into rock stars. Wolfman Jack, Rodney Bigenheimer, Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly, and Casey Kasem were all DJs who all became famous for playing other peoples' music. But that ended in the 90s, when radio conglomerates came in and overtook the radio stations. They fazed out the radio DJs in lieu of pre-determined water-down playlists. They wanted to make their stations more appeasing to a wider audience because they thought people listened only to the music. They didn't realize that the reason the people listened to the music in the first place was because the DJs made them want to listen to it. Once that ended, people stopped listening even though all their market data said otherwise.
Today, DJs have found a way to survive. People don't want to listen to music programmed by a computer to appeal the widest market. They want to hear something personal. They want to hear a playlist that comes from a human being. Why do you think mixtapes were so popular? Music is a personal message. It speaks how we feel. A personalized playlist conveys an emotional message from the creator of the list. A computerized playlist is just empty words. Today's DJs feed off crowds and audiences. They don't just create a playlist, they create an experience.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Me First & The Gimme Gimmes:
- Rocket Man (Have A Ball)
- Wild World (Blow In The Wind)
- Crazy (Take A Break)
- Science Fiction Double Feature (Are A Drag)
- Danny's Song (Have A Ball)
- Uptown Girl (Have A Ball)
- Rich Girl (Have Another Ball)
- Sweet Caroline (Have A Ball)
- Goodbye Earl (Love Their Country)
- Hello (Take A Break)
- Jolene (Love Their Country)
Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s. Available now!
