45 Fun Facts About The Chainsmokers

'Closer' was the second song to top both the Hot 100 and Billboard's dance/electronic chart, after which 2013 viral hit?

Harlem Shake: it debuted at No. 1 the week Billboard began counting YouTube views, as fans uploaded their own dance clips.

Which 2014 novelty track gave The Chainsmokers their breakthrough?

#Selfie: the parody of a selfie-obsessed clubgoer was promoted by online influencers to the very people it mocked.

Which manager set Alex Pall up with Drew Taggart when The Chainsmokers re-formed in New York?

Adam Alpert: Taggart then moved to New York, and the two began playing clubs all over the city.

Which helmeted DJ, one of Drew Taggart's early heroes, mocked The Chainsmokers on Twitter after an American Idol appearance?

Deadmau5: his tweet said the only thing the duo and pop EDM probably had in common was cancer.

Which country singer duets with Drew Taggart on The Chainsmokers' single 'This Feeling'?

Kelsea Ballerini: they performed it together at the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the last before the show was cancelled.

Where did Drew Taggart study before joining The Chainsmokers?

Syracuse: while studying there he interned at Interscope Records, where he also made music for the label.

In which state was Drew Taggart raised?

Maine: in high school he studied abroad in Argentina, where he got hooked on dance music.

Which label picked up The Chainsmokers' breakthrough single and put it out officially?

Dim Mak Records: Steve Aoki's label bought the track from the duo, who had first posted it online for free.

The Chainsmokers named the follow-up to their viral novelty hit after which rapper?

Kanye West: sung by sirenXX, the song dreams of living like a star who does whatever he wants.

Which label, a joint venture with Sony run by their manager, did The Chainsmokers sign with in 2015?

Disruptor Records: their manager then parlayed his star signing into a partnership with Columbia, which released their records alongside it.

Which single gave The Chainsmokers their first Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit?

Roses: reaching No. 6, it showed they were more than the novelty act behind their 2014 breakthrough.

Which Grammy Award did "Don't Let Me Down" win?

Best Dance Recording: the duo won it after famous DJs had mocked them on Twitter over an American Idol stunt.

"Don't Let Me Down" was originally intended for which superstar, whose team turned it down?

Rihanna: Pall said the rejection was fine, because young unknown artists 'have this hunger' to work hard.

Which singer duets with Drew Taggart on "Closer"?

It was the first Hot 100 number one for both acts.

Which Rae Sremmurd hit ended the 12-week No. 1 run of 'Closer'?

Black Beatles: viral Mannequin Challenge videos set to it pushed the song to No. 1.

Drew Taggart said 'Closer' was inspired by which pop-punk band the duo played on repeat?

Blink-182: Taggart first named 'I Miss You', then 'Feeling This', then admitted he'd played their whole album to death.

At which 2016 ceremony did The Chainsmokers give a performance Taggart later said "sounded like shit"?

The New York Times and Rolling Stone called it the worst performance of the night.

The beat of "Closer" was created in a session with Freddy Kennett, a member of which electronic act?

Louis the Child: Taggart took that beat and wrote the rest of the song with Canadian DJ Shaun Frank in a single session.

What was the title of The Chainsmokers' second EP, released in November 2016?

It followed a debut EP whose title was another arty single word.

What is the title of The Chainsmokers' debut studio album?

Memories...Do Not Open: 'Closer', their biggest hit, was left off the standard album, which held new songs besides its singles.

Which band joined The Chainsmokers on "Something Just Like This"?

Coldplay: months before release, the duo posted short clips of Chris Martin singing.

At which event was "Something Just Like This" premiered live in February 2017?

The Brit Awards: the live debut was kept secret until it happened, just hours after the song's surprise release.

Before The Chainsmokers, which group was the last to hold three Hot 100 top 10s at once?

Bee Gees: they did it in 1978, as 'Night Fever' climbed while two earlier Saturday Night Fever hits were still in the top 10.

Which songwriter sang uncredited backing vocals on "Paris" after a last-minute studio call?

Emily Warren: she hadn't written the song, and simply layered extra vocal parts over Taggart's lead.

Which fashion model stars in the official video for "Paris"?

Martha Hunt: in the clip her house starts floating up into the sky while the duo watch from the ground.

With which Las Vegas resort did The Chainsmokers sign an exclusive three-year residency in 2017?

Wynn: the exclusive deal barred them from playing any other U.S. nightclub or dayclub until 2019.

What was the title of The Chainsmokers' second album, released in December 2018?

Sick Boy: they teased the title song by posting the caption 'How many likes is my life worth?'

How did The Chainsmokers release the songs on their second album?

A single every month: apart from May and June, each new track was stacked atop the earlier ones in a growing bundle.

The Chainsmokers' film company developed a movie of 'Paris' with the author behind which musical comedy franchise?

Pitch Perfect: author Mickey Rapkin came up with the story after listening to the song, and TriStar picked the film up.

Which Chainsmokers single features 5 Seconds of Summer?

Who Do You Love: the two acts followed it with a 41-city North American tour, joined by Lennon Stella.

Where did The Chainsmokers hold their controversial "Safe & Sound" drive-in charity concert in July 2020?

Southampton, New York: the state health commissioner wrote demanding to know how the town could have issued a permit.

Which Wall Street chief executive performed a DJ set at The Chainsmokers' 2020 Safe & Sound concert?

David Solomon of Goldman Sachs: he took the stage less than a day after his bank agreed to pay Malaysia $3.9 billion over the 1MDB scandal.

The Chainsmokers scored the soundtrack of which 2020 film during their hiatus?

It included the new song "If Walls Could Talk".

When 'Closer' hit No. 1, The Chainsmokers became the first duo to top the Hot 100 since which pair?

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: they took 'Thrift Shop' to No. 1 as an independent release.

What was unusual about the credits on The Chainsmokers' 2022 album?

It featured no guest artists at all: yet Akon and T-Pain still turned up among its songwriting credits.

The Chainsmokers announced a break from what while they worked on their fourth album?

Social media: even so, they broke the silence now and then to post promotion, as they'd allowed for 'a few obligations'.

Whom did The Chainsmokers dethrone as the world's highest-paid DJs on Forbes' 2019 list?

The Scot had held the top spot for six straight years.

Before their breakthrough, The Chainsmokers built an online following by releasing what?

Remixes of indie songs: their dance versions of tracks charting on the blog aggregator Hype Machine rose to the top of its charts.

Which pop star's 2025 Hot 100 No. 1 did The Chainsmokers remix in November 2025?

Taylor Swift: her official fan account Taylor Nation announced the remix, and the duo commented that it was truly an honor.

How did Berklee pianist Tony Ann land a spot on The Chainsmokers' 2017 tour?

They found his cover online: he went on to co-write the title song of their second album.

Which singer features on the 2016 Chainsmokers single 'All We Know'?

Phoebe Ryan features on 'All We Know', which the duo released in September 2016 while 'Closer' was still No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Which nominee beat The Chainsmokers to the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2017?

Chance the Rapper won Best New Artist at the 2017 Grammys, but the duo still went home with a trophy that night for 'Don't Let Me Down'.

Which Japanese rock star performed a classical version of 'Closer' with The Chainsmokers in a 2023 documentary?

Yoshiki performed it in his film Yoshiki: Under the Sky, a documentary conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, when musicians and fans were cut off from each other.

The Chainsmokers' 'Closer' was up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2017 Grammys, but which song won?

Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots won, and the band accepted in their underwear.

Which song beat The Chainsmokers' 'Closer' to Song of the Year at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards?

Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake took Song of the Year, but 'Closer' still won Dance Song of the Year the same night.