Breakbeat Classics: From the Roots to Recent Hits [2025]

TransatlanticQuantic

Quantic – Transatlantic

This track, which makes you feel as if you’re being breezed by a refreshing sea wind just by listening, is “Transatlantic” by Quantic.

It’s known as a staple in the nu-jazz genre, which fuses jazz and soul music.

While traditional jazz is often seen as something you have to listen to attentively, this song makes bold use of breakbeats, so you can enjoy it casually, almost like you’re listening to R&B.

That Elvis TrackSol Brothers

That Elvis Track

A dance hit from a two-man alias project consisting of Freestylers members Andrew Galea and Aston Harvey.

It boldly samples Ultramagnetic MCs’ “Poppa Large,” delivering a big, classic breaks anthem.

The funky, quintessential breakbeat vibe is striking, making it a track likely to be prized for dance battles.

The duo have operated under numerous monikers, producing a wide range of works tailored to different styles.

It’s a New DaySkull Snaps

It’s a New Day

This track is also a funk classic from the early 1970s by Skull Snaps, whose drum beats were heavily sampled later on.

In the hip-hop scene, these drums have become a legendary sample and went on to become a staple breakbeat.

Skull Snaps are known as a mysterious funk group active from the 1960s to the early 1970s, with the members’ identities unknown and the group still shrouded in a veil of mystery.

IlluminatiFatboy Slim

Fatboy Slim – Illuminati (Official Audio)

Fatboy Slim is the solo project of Norman Cook, a key figure in the UK big beat scene.

He has even won a Grammy Award, so many of you are probably familiar with him.

As with this track, he has produced many hit songs that use breakbeats, but he has also had a major impact on the dance-pop scene.

Even today, he performs at massive outdoor festivals, delivering innovative DJ sets that draw big crowds every year.

A veteran artist who continues to be supported by many young people.

Break InCirrus

Break In

Cirrus is a big beat trio formed in Los Angeles in 1995, consisting of Aaron Carter and Stephen James Barry.

They performed live frequently, incorporating a full live band setup—alongside typical electronic instruments like guitar and bass—into their shows.

This track became one of their long-running hits.

It was later included on the soundtrack of the game Gran Turismo 3, becoming a beloved tune not only among dance music fans but also among gamers.

IntergalacticBeastie Boys

Beastie Boys – Intergalactic (High Quality)

Intergalactic is a signature track by the Beastie Boys, released in 1998 on Grand Royal.

It falls under the Electric and Hip-Hop genres, with styles including Breakbeat, Downtempo, Breaks, and Drum’n’Bass.

The Beastie Boys are a hip-hop group from New York, USA, consisting of Mike D, King Ad-Rock, and MCA, active from 1979 to 2012.

Mary Go AroundKool Herk

Kool Herc “Merry-Go-Round” technique

Kool Herc, born in 1955, is a Jamaica-born DJ regarded as one of the three major DJs of hip-hop’s early days.

He moved from Jamaica to the Bronx, New York, in 1967, began DJing in 1973 for his sister’s birthday party, and is credited with inventing the breakbeat using his own reggae sound system, the Herculords.

He quit DJing in 1980, worked at a record store in the South Bronx, and appeared in a film in 1984.