God Is a DJ (Faithless song)
1998 single by Faithless
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"God Is a DJ" is a song by British group Faithless, written by Maxi Jazz, Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Jamie Catto. It was released on 24 August 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, Sunday 8PM (1998). The single reached number six in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1998. The title and core lyric originated from words on a T-shirt worn to rehearsal by the band guitarist Dave Randall.[1]
| "God Is a DJ" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
UK and European cover | ||||
| Single by Faithless | ||||
| from the album Sunday 8PM | ||||
| Released | 24 August 1998 | |||
| Genre | Trance | |||
| Length | 8:01 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Faithless singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 12-inch cover | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"God Is a DJ" excerpt | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "God Is a DJ" on YouTube | ||||
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. After Maxi Jazz died in December 2022, the song charted at number 40 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Faithless are "melding electronic elements into a trance-disco beat." He 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] Daily Record described it as a "pumping, hypnotic track".[4]
Track listings
|
UK CD release
European CD release
French CD release
|
Greek CD release
12-inch release
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium (BRMA)[42] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[43] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[44] | Gold | |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[45] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18 August 1998 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [46] | |
| United Kingdom | 24 August 1998 |
|
Cheeky | [47] |