Who is Paul Oakenfold and what is he known for?
Paul Oakenfold is an English record producer, remixer, and trance DJ. He is best known for two things: a remix catalog that runs to more than 100 tracks for artists including U2, Madonna, Britney Spears, and Michael Jackson, and being voted the No. 1 DJ in the World twice by DJ Magazine, in 1998 and 1999. His official site, pauloakenfold.com, is where his current projects and releases are listed.
What he does
Oakenfold works across three overlapping roles:
- Record producer — creates original productions rather than only reworking other people's material.
- Remixer — reworks existing tracks for other artists, which is the work most responsible for his mainstream recognition.
- Trance DJ — performs and mixes in the trance and broader electronic dance music space.
The combination matters: a remixer who only edits other people's songs has a different profile from a DJ who also produces and releases original material. Oakenfold sits in the second category.
The remix catalog
The site describes more than 100 remixes for over 100 artists. Names given include:
| Artist | Type |
|---|---|
| U2 | Rock band |
| Moby | Electronic musician |
| Madonna | Pop artist |
| Britney Spears | Pop artist |
| Massive Attack | Electronic/trip-hop group |
| The Cure | Rock band |
| New Order | Post-punk/electronic band |
| The Rolling Stones | Rock band |
| The Stone Roses | Rock band |
| Michael Jackson | Pop artist |
The spread across rock, pop, and electronic acts is the useful signal here. It shows his remix work was commissioned across genres, not confined to dance music.
The DJ Magazine ranking
Oakenfold was voted the No. 1 DJ in the World by DJ Magazine in 1998 and 1999 — two consecutive years. The ranking is a reader-voted poll, so the result reflects popular standing in the dance music audience at that time rather than a technical measurement. Winning it twice in a row places him in a small group of DJs who held the top spot across multiple years.
What's on the site now
The current page headings point to active or recent items rather than a general biography:
- Big Brother Theme 2026
- Name Of The Game (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
- Mission Underground
- Metaverse
- 1998
If you arrived looking for a specific release or project, these headings are the fastest way to see what is currently being promoted. "1998" as a heading is consistent with the era tied to his DJ Magazine wins.
Why he matters in electronic music
Two things give his career weight beyond the individual credits:
- Reach into pop and rock. Remixing U2, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and Michael Jackson put electronic production in front of audiences who were not dance music listeners.
- Timing. The 1998–1999 No. 1 rankings sit at the point when trance was moving from club culture into wider mainstream visibility. Being the poll's top name in those years ties him to that transition.
For anyone tracing how trance and electronic production entered mainstream pop and rock, Oakenfold's remix list is one of the more direct pieces of evidence.