Drum Corps International World Class Champions

Last updated December 22, 2023

At the end of the summer season, Drum Corps International (DCI) World Class corps compete to earn the title of DCI World Class Champion (formerly DCI Division I World Champion). The championships consist of three rounds—Preliminaries, Semifinals, and Finals—held on the first or second Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of August. Through 2010, all active World Class corps (22 corps as of 2016) competed in the Quarterfinals, with the top 17 advancing to the Semifinals. The top 12 corps from Semifinals then advanced to the Finals. Since the 2011 season, all active DCI corps (Open and World Class) have been permitted to compete for the championship. In this format, about 40 corps compete in Preliminaries, while the top 25 advances to Semifinals, with the top-scoring 12 advances to Finals. The champion is determined by the overall high score in the Finals competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the DCI World Championship and tour were cancelled. In 2021, to mark the return of drum corps, there were no scores given during the season, and the season concluded with a three-day celebratory event at Lucas Oil Stadium consisting of exhibition performances.

Only 10 corps have ever won the title (including 3 ties):

Blue Devils – 21 titles (2 ties)
The Cadets – 10 titles (1 tie)
The Cavaliers – 7 titles (1 tie)
Santa Clara Vanguard – 7 titles (1 tie)
Madison Scouts – 2 titles
Phantom Regiment – 2 titles (1 tie)
Anaheim Kingsmen – 1 title
Star of Indiana – 1 title
Carolina Crown – 1 title
Bluecoats – 1 title

The Anaheim Kingsmen and Star of Indiana are no longer active.

Year	Champion & Repertoire	Score	Location
2023	Blue Devils (Concord, California) The Cut-Outs The Rise Caves Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders “Jotaro's Theme" Resistance Both Sides Now Of Energy Incident in Jazz Grand Canyon Fanfare	98.975	Indianapolis, Indiana
2022	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Tempus Blue Lapis Lazuli Divine Blue Carnival of Venice Moon River Hands And Feet Silk Sonic Intro Tank! Home Of The Brave	98.750	Indianapolis, Indiana
2021	No scored competitions		Indianapolis, Indiana
2020	Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Ghostlight Discombobulate Don't Think Rhythm Song A True Passion Stroke of Genius Symphony No. 3 Ghostlight Circus	98.325	Indianapolis, Indiana
2018	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Babylon My Body is a Cage Journey to the Center of the Earth Metropolis 1927 Apology Club Sound	98.625	Indianapolis, Indiana
2017	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Metamorph Birth of Eternity Dreamscape Facing Future The Triumph of Time Flight of the Bumblebee Everything Must Change Crystal	98.538	Indianapolis, Indiana
2016	Bluecoats (Canton, Ohio) Down Side Up Jose/beFORe JOHN5 Heat of the Day Raga Raja Udacrep Akubrad The Great Gig in the Sky Down Slide Up Todo Tiende	97.650	Indianapolis, Indiana
2015	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Ink Dark Forest Sweeney Todd The Giant Attack The Mad Hatter's Tea Party I Like You Children Will Listen Last Midnight	97.650	Indianapolis, Indiana
2014	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Felliniesque Act 1 - Fellini's Religion Old Toys La Strada Act 2 - Fellini's Circus The Clowns Circo Compagnia Act 3 - Fellini's Fantasy Be Italian Movie Studio	99.650	Indianapolis, Indiana
2013	Carolina Crown (Fort Mill, South Carolina) e=mc² Einstein on the Beach Also Sprach Zarathustra Walking With Heroes The Devil's Bridge The Abyss The Light Fantastic The Dark Side of the Moon	98.300	Indianapolis, Indiana
2012	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Cabaret Voltaire Harmonielehre Morrison Mania Children's Hour of Dream Symphonies: V Bird and Bela in B Flat Gymnopedies Amazon Ballet Mecanique Peppy and George (from The Artist) Dr. Bones New Arrival (from Corpse Bride) Tevot Rhapsody in Blue	98.700	Indianapolis, Indiana
2011	The Cadets (Allentown, Pennsylvania) Between Angels and Demons Angels in the Architecture 160 BPM (from Angels and Demons) Doxology/Amazing Grace Finale	98.350	Indianapolis, Indiana
2010	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Through a Glass, Darkly City of Glass Suite Conflict Mirage Trajectories Incident in Jazz Laura La Suerte De Los Tontos	98.900	Indianapolis, Indiana
2009	Blue Devils (Concord, California) 1930 Get Happy Happy Days Are Here Again Playing Love Piano Variations Rialto Ripples I Got Rhythm Piano Concerto in F Caravan Rhapsody in Blue	99.050	Indianapolis, Indiana^[1]
2008	Phantom Regiment (Rockford, Illinois) Spartacus Ein Heldenleben Selections from Spartacus Toccata from Piano Concerto No.1 Dance of Ecstasy Battlefield from KÀ (Cirque du Soleil)	98.125	Bloomington, Indiana ^[2]
2007	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Winged Victory Pegasus Fantasy Ascension Heaven	98.000	Pasadena, California
2006	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) Machine Genesis Wired Premonition The Machine Age	97.200	Madison, Wisconsin
2005	The Cadets (Allentown, Pennsylvania) The Zone: Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door Twisted Nerve from Kill Bill Liquid Overture to a New World (from Dancer in the Dark) Cvalda (from Dancer in the Dark) Vertigo False Mirrors	99.150	Foxborough, Massachusetts
2004	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) 007 Goldeneye Hovercraft (from Die Another Day) Tomorrow Never Dies	98.700	Denver, Colorado
2003	Blue Devils (Concord, California) The Phenomenon of Cool Concierto de Aranjuez Take Five Blue Rondo A La Turk Unsquare Dance	98.800	Orlando, Florida
2002	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) Frameworks Melody Harmony Rhythm	99.150	Madison, Wisconsin
2001	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) Four Corners	98.350	Orchard Park, New York
2000	The Cadets (Bergen County, New Jersey) We Are the Future Disney Millennium Celebration The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) Niagara Falls Niagara Falls Richard Saucedo Original Composition	97.650	College Park, Maryland
1999	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Rhythms...At the Edge of Time Estancia Ballet (Rhythm 1 – Afrocuban/Malambo) Powerhouse: Rhumba for Orchestra (Rhythm 2 – Rhumba) Powerhouse: Rhumba for Orchestra (Rhythm 3 – Samba) Adios Nonino (Rhythm 4 – Tango) Unchained Melody (Rhythm 5 – Jazz) The Dirty Boogie (Rhythm 6 – Swing) Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Inventions for a New Millennium: Music by Samuel Barber and Frank Ticheli The Canyon Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 1 Blue Shades	98.400	Madison, Wisconsin
1998	The Cadets (Bergen County, New Jersey) Jan Van der Roost's Stonehenge Stonehenge Canterbury Chorale	98.400	Orlando, Florida
1997	Blue Devils (Concord, California) As Time Goes By... Casablanca Bangkok A Night in Tunisia As Time Goes By	98.400	Orlando, Florida
1996	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Club Blue: A Gangster Chronicle Children's Hour of Dream Desi Tess' Theme (from Dick Tracy) Trouble (from Mission Impossible) Phantom Regiment (Rockford, Illinois) A Defiant Heart: The Music of Dmitri Shostakovich Fourth Ballet Suite First Symphony, Second Movement Fifth Symphony, Fourth Movement	97.400	Orlando, Florida
1995	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) The Planets Mars Venus Mercury Jupiter	98.300	Orchard Park, New York
1994	Blue Devils (Concord, California) My Spanish Heart Spanish Fantasy Part I Night Streets Day Danse My Spanish Heart Spanish Fantasy Part 4	98.400	Foxborough, Massachusetts
1993	The Cadets of Bergen County (Bergen County, New Jersey) In the Spring, At the Time When Kings Go Off to War In the Spring, When Kings Go Off to War Ballet Sacra On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss	97.400	Jackson, Mississippi
1992	The Cavaliers (Rosemont, Illinois) Revolution and Triumph Gavorkna Fanfare Cornish Dances, 4th Movement English Dances, 4th Movement Peterloo Overture	97.500	Madison, Wisconsin
1991	Star of Indiana (Bloomington, Indiana) Roman Images: The Music of Ottorino Respighi Roman Festivals – Movement I The Pines of Rome – Movement I Roman Festivals – Movement II Roman Festivals – Movement III Roman Festivals – Movement IV	97.000	Dallas, Texas
1990	The Cadets of Bergen County (Bergen County, New Jersey) A Bernstein Celebration Overture to Candide Mass Somewhere (from West Side Story) Fancy Free Ballet	97.700	Orchard Park, New York
1989	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Phantom of The Opera Angel of Music Masquerade Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again Track Down this Murderer	98.800	Kansas City, Missouri
1988	Madison Scouts (Madison, Wisconsin) Concerto For Guitar and Jazz Orchestra Malagueña	97.100	Kansas City, Missouri
1987	Garfield Cadets (Garfield, New Jersey) Appalachian Spring	97.900	Madison, Wisconsin
1986	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Channel One Suite Conquistador Spanish Fantasy Chick Corea Suite	98.400	Madison, Wisconsin
1985	Garfield Cadets (Garfield, New Jersey) Jeremiah Symphony Overture to Candide Make Our Garden Grow (from Candide)	98.400	Madison, Wisconsin
1984	Garfield Cadets (Garfield, New Jersey) Selections from West Side Story	98.000	Atlanta, Georgia
1983	Garfield Cadets (Garfield, New Jersey) Rocky Point Holiday Mass	94.400	Miami, Florida
1982	Blue Devils (Concord, California) T.O. Pegasus Paradox One More Time Chuck Corea People Alone (from The Competition)	95.250	Montreal, Quebec
1981	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Northridge A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Slava Don't Cry For Me Argentina (from Evita)	94.000	Montreal, Quebec
1980	Blue Devils (Concord, California) New York Fantasy Ya Gotta Try Pegasus Free La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) Pauper in Paradise Dindi	90.600	Birmingham, Alabama
1979	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Chicago III Suite La Suerte de Los Tontos(from Cuban Fire Suite) My Heart Belongs to Me	93.550	Birmingham, Alabama
1978	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Overture to a New Era Dance of Welcome (from Gayne Ballet) Adagio (from Gayne Ballet) Lezghinka (from Gayne Ballet) Gopak (from Gayne Ballet) If You Believe (from The Wiz) Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof)	91.550	Denver, Colorado
1977	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Channel One Suite Spanish Fantasy Gonna Fly Now (from Rocky)	92.050	Denver, Colorado
1976	Blue Devils (Concord, California) Channel One Suite Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor Chase the Clouds Away	92.700	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1975	Madison Scouts (Madison, Wisconsin) Slaughter on 10th Avenue (from On Your Toes) MacArthur Park Rhapsody in Blue Dueling Banjos The Way We Were	92.500	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1974	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Siegfried's Rhine Journey (from Die Götterdammerung) A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Overture to Candide A Little Night Music Weekend in the Country (from A Little Night Music) Send in the Clowns (from A Little Night Music)	89.500	Ithaca, New York
1973	Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, California) Fanfare and Allegro A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Wedding Celebration &Bottle Dance (from Fiddler on the Roof) Chava Ballet (from Fiddler on the Roof)	88.650	Whitewater, Wisconsin
1972	Anaheim Kingsmen (Anaheim, California) March from Folk Song Suite When Johnny Comes Marching Home Mickey Mouse Club March Ritual Fire Dance (from El Amor Brujo) Sing Sing Sing Exodus King of Kings	88.100	Whitewater, Wisconsin

↑ DCI has contracted with the City of Indianapolis to hold the Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium every year through 2033.
↑ The 2008 Championships were originally to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium but were moved to Indiana University's Memorial Stadium in Bloomington due to construction delays.

External links

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[Indy-1] DCI has contracted with the City of Indianapolis to hold the Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium every year through 2033.

[2] The 2008 Championships were originally to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium but were moved to Indiana University's Memorial Stadium in Bloomington due to construction delays.

[1]

[2]