Arts Entertainments

Spinning through time

In many ways, the role of disc jockeys or DJs has not changed in the last fifty years, but in others, the new generation is unrecognizable from its predecessors. It was in the days of Radio Luxembourg that the name disc jockey became part of the popular vocabulary.

Thousands of British children went to bed at night with their portable radios hidden under the covers, so they could listen to the likes of Simon Dee, Tommy Vance and Noel Edmunds. They played the kind of modern music that the BBC didn’t. Many would say that this was the biggest contributor to the birth of Pirate Radio.

With the birth of Radio Caroline and Radio London, based on boats moored off the Essex coast, the term DJ came true. People like Jonny Walker, Dave Lee Travis, and Emperor Rosko became household names. They not only broadcast “pop” music twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but they also interacted with their listeners.

The success of these modern pirates was directly responsible for the modernization of the BBC and the introduction of Radios One and Two. It was a memorable day in September 1967, when Tony Blackburn became the first “jock” to take the airways of a national radio station serving only the younger generation.

Of course, there is another side to the story of the disc jockey, and that is the live performance. With the birth of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, the concept of people playing records rather than live music really took off. Thousands of kids flocked to dance halls and clubs each week to hear their favorite American music – Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and the rest.

Before long, the DJ established himself as the source of entertainment. Even today, he or she is the preferred choice for providing the music at clubs, weddings, parties, and any other social gathering. The mobile disco continues to circulate, providing hours of popular music guaranteed for everyone to get up and dance.

Disc jockeys today are a completely different breed. They don’t just play music anymore. Today they make music. Many of them release highly successful albums with their innovative sounds and mixes in genres such as Garage, House, and Hardcore. They also appear on many singles alongside top singers and rappers. It has recently been reported that vinyl records are making a comeback; so it seems that the DJ is here to stay.

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