# The 9 Best Breakbeat Hardcore Tracks of All Time

Britain's rave music between acid house and jungle: sampled funk breaks sped to breaking point, piano riffs, cartoon samples and a sub-bass borrowed from Kingston. Two frantic years that produced two whole genres.

- **Origin:** United Kingdom, 1990
- **Tempo:** 125–155 BPM
- **Also known as:** hardcore, rave, ardkore, oldskool
- **Tracks:** 9
- **Updated:** 2026-08-29
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/genre/breakbeat-hardcore/

## The list

### 1. [Lennie De Ice](https://waxonia.com/artist/lennie-de-ice/) — [We Are I.E.](https://waxonia.com/track/lennie-de-ice--we-are-i-e/)

*1991*

Routinely named as the first jungle record, made two years before anyone used the word. A reggae bassline under a hardcore break, and the entire future of British bass music in four minutes.

Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — 160](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-160/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Lennie%20De%20Ice%20We%20Are%20I.E.) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_gx7Uv3sl5A)

### 2. [The Prodigy](https://waxonia.com/artist/the-prodigy/) — [Charly](https://waxonia.com/track/the-prodigy--charly/)

*1991 · XL*

A public information cat sampled over a hardcore breakbeat, and a top three hit that the scene never forgave for the wave of novelty records it licensed.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/The%20Prodigy%20Charly) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTBFZ-To2E)

### 3. [2 Bad Mice](https://waxonia.com/artist/2-bad-mice/) — [Bombscare](https://waxonia.com/track/2-bad-mice--bombscare/)

*1991 · Moving Shadow*

Moving Shadow's calling card and hardcore at its most musical — a genuinely lovely chord progression fighting a breakbeat that keeps trying to fall over.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/2%20Bad%20Mice%20Bombscare) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=iQVv40_9NSo)

### 4. [Metalheads](https://waxonia.com/artist/metalheads/) — [Terminator](https://waxonia.com/track/metalheads--terminator/)

*1992 · Synthetic*

Goldie and Mark Rutherford discover time-stretching and use it to make a break sound like it is being pulled apart. The technical leap that turned hardcore into jungle.

Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — 160](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-160/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Metalheads%20Terminator) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Knu-7A7BLtQ)

### 5. [SL2](https://waxonia.com/artist/sl2/) — [On a Ragga Tip](https://waxonia.com/track/sl2--on-a-ragga-tip/)

*1992 · XL*

Number two in the national charts with a record built on a Jamaican vocal sample and a hoover bass. British pop has rarely been this directly a report from a field somewhere off the M25.

Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/SL2%20On%20a%20Ragga%20Tip) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=M6vgWFsKpdw)

### 6. [T99](https://waxonia.com/artist/t99/) — [Anasthasia](https://waxonia.com/track/t99--anasthasia/)

*1991*

Belgian, orchestral, and completely deranged. The stab sound on this record became a standard component of British rave within about six weeks of its release.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/T99%20Anasthasia) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1v2oLxr2EZ8)

### 7. [Human Resource](https://waxonia.com/artist/human-resource/) — [Dominator](https://waxonia.com/track/human-resource--dominator/)

*1991*

Dutch hardcore, and the origin of the hoover — a synth patch so recognisable that it functions as a genre marker thirty years later.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Human%20Resource%20Dominator) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx_Fp5NdHcA)

### 8. [Origin Unknown](https://waxonia.com/artist/origin-unknown/) — [Valley of the Shadows](https://waxonia.com/track/origin-unknown--valley-of-the-shadows/)

*1993 · RAM*

Two spoken words about a long dark tunnel, an Amen break and a sub-bass. The point at which hardcore has clearly become jungle and everybody involved knows it.

Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — 160](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-160/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Origin%20Unknown%20Valley%20of%20the%20Shadows) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=B3FPYOou_Mg)

### 9. [Shades of Rhythm](https://waxonia.com/artist/shades-of-rhythm/) — [The Sound of Eden](https://waxonia.com/track/shades-of-rhythm--the-sound-of-eden/)

*1991 · ZTT*

The euphoric end of the spectrum: piano, a diva sample and no cynicism whatsoever. Hardcore is remembered as chaotic, and half of it sounded like this.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Shades%20of%20Rhythm%20The%20Sound%20of%20Eden) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1gnotG0jcf8)

---

Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.