Tiesto is a Dutch DJ and producer, born Tijs Verwest in Breda in 1969. He helped shape trance in the early 2000s before moving into mainstream house and EDM, a shift that earned him the nickname godfather of EDM.
In My Memory
His 2001 debut album In My Memory launched hits like “Lethal Industry”. He was voted the world’s number one DJ by DJ Mag three years running, from 2002 to 2004.
Athens 2004
After his second album Just Be, which carried “Traffic” and “Adagio for Strings”, he became the first DJ to perform live at an Olympics opening ceremony, in Athens in 2004. A teenage Martin Garrix later said that set is what made him want to produce music; the two paired up years later on “The Only Way Is Up”.
Going mainstream
He founded the Musical Freedom label in 2009 and leaned into pop-facing dance music. A Town Called Paradise (2014) brought “Red Lights” and “Wasted”, and “Jackie Chan” (2018) and “The Business” (2020) became streaming giants. He has also worked with Karol G.
Grammy and beyond
He won a Grammy in 2015 for his remix of John Legend‘s “All of Me”, and holds a long Las Vegas residency.
Most loved songs
A spread across the catalogue. Each title opens through the in-site player.
▶ Red Lights
▶ The Business
▶ Wasted
▶ Jackie Chan
▶ Traffic
▶ The Only Way Is Up
- Full nameTijs Verwest
- BornJanuary 17, 1969, Breda, Netherlands
- GenresTrance, house, EDM
- Also known for“Adagio for Strings”
From a trance epic to a festival anthem, the odds are good a Tiesto track has stayed with you. Type the line you remember into the search box above and you may find it leads back to him.