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

Born in New York in the 1980s, breakbeats is both a technique and a genre in innovative music production that began by sampling the drum solo “break” sections.

Rhythm patterns cut from classic funk and jazz records of the time laid the foundation for hip-hop and went on to have a major impact on electronic music.

In the ’90s, it also helped spark new genres such as drum and bass and big beat.

In a breakbeat scene that continues to evolve to this day—from the original samples and historically iconic tracks to the latest trends—we present a collection of songs packed with musical innovation and appeal.