Music Metrics Vault

Breakbeat

Most popular artists in Breakbeat

This chart is based on the monthly listeners metric for all artists tagged with the genre breakbeat by Spotify. It may contain some errors or some data may not be up to date. You can check the artist profile to update data if necessary.

# Artist Monthly Listeners Followers
1
3,898,648
2,553,155
2
2,986,441
2,107,463
3
Noisia
1,047,933
277,385
4
Bassnectar
954,832
600,615
5
Orbital
651,259
347,306
6
The Crystal Method
541,709
311,205
7
Deekline
477,675
35,653
8
Ed Solo
431,159
39,498
9
Apollo 440
403,479
137,388
10
Leftfield
386,655
217,792
11
Layo & Bushwacka!
373,689
29,227
12
Freestylers
358,794
71,084
13
Propellerheads
280,524
151,737
14
Datsik
259,738
338,848
15
Overseer
220,124
29,995
16
Timo Maas
204,320
57,279
17
Fluke
186,335
89,833
18
Roni Size
184,918
97,467
19
Krafty Kuts
167,474
45,852
20
Dub Pistols
163,555
66,898
21
The Future Sound Of London
158,697
149,138
22
Evil Nine
153,765
27,241
23
Stanton Warriors
112,612
61,226
24
Far Too Loud
110,187
34,284
25
CIRRUS
95,926
11,571
26
Hybrid
95,721
53,307
27
Adam Freeland
91,714
18,633
28
Aphrodite
80,636
57,554
29
Skool Of Thought
77,686
8,365
30
ILS
58,407
9,250
31
Plump DJs
51,478
35,151
32
Rhythm On The Loose
48,685
3,044
33
Freq Nasty
45,069
6,780
34
Aquasky
40,235
10,813
35
Nick Thayer
38,424
4,649
36
Bentley Rhythm Ace
36,593
21,323
37
Freeland
33,539
10,613
38
Future Funk Squad
33,049
14,899
39
A.Skillz
31,145
15,922
40
Shade k
27,504
6,583
41
DJ Icey
27,471
22,003
42
Colombo
26,793
11,951
43
UFO Project
25,380
3,489
44
JFB
23,952
9,055
45
Midfield General
22,794
5,918
46
Lionrock
22,658
8,904
47
Keith Mackenzie
22,322
4,283
48
DJ Fixx
21,355
6,883
49
Beat Assassins
20,272
1,844
50
Featurecast
20,029
7,539
51
Suga7
19,924
3,165
52
Elite Force
19,521
8,262
53
General Midi
17,145
6,456
54
Lady Waks
16,959
8,107
55
The Darrow Chem Syndicate
15,475
2,403
56
Rennie Pilgrem
14,712
5,316
57
Guau
13,874
3,342
58
Left/Right
13,308
6,989
59
Huda Hudia
13,087
5,592
60
OnDaMiKe
11,052
3,443
61
Destroyers
10,736
1,523
62
Drumattic Twins
10,208
8,489
63
Yo Speed
9,212
2,979
64
Hankook
9,107
4,457
65
DJ Baby Anne
8,746
13,886
66
DJ30A
8,685
1,945
67
Kid Panel
7,901
1,268
68
Baymont Bross
7,838
2,873
69
Perfect Kombo
7,419
1,762
70
Cut La Roc
7,387
3,943
71
kuplay
7,207
1,799
72
Bombo Rosa
6,945
1,903
73
Stereo 8
6,943
1,497
74
Meat Katie
6,185
7,305
75
The Brainkiller
6,106
3,373
76
Bassbin Twins
4,641
4,688
77
Ctrl-Z
4,511
1,864
78
GreenFlamez
4,494
431
79
Quadrat Beat
4,309
2,074
80
The Rogue Element
4,178
3,987
81
JDS
3,947
718
82
Mutantbreakz
3,935
2,759
83
Slyde
3,730
3,333
84
The Breakfastaz
3,666
5,888
85
K-65
3,632
1,113
86
Infiniti (Scott Christina)
3,613
1,069
87
Kid Digital
3,517
1,025
88
Digital Base
3,248
928
89
Backdraft
3,164
1,056
90
Soul Of Man
2,877
6,258
91
The Autobots
2,741
1,725
92
Screwface
2,731
904
93
Tony Faline
2,678
3,655
94
Sharaz
2,649
3,071
95
Lee Coombs
2,583
4,336
96
Sekret Chadow
2,472
936
97
Uberzone
2,461
4,683
98
Atomic Hooligan
2,358
4,656
99
Nubreed
2,349
1,973
100
Mike & Charlie
2,318
1,005
101
Jackal and Hyde
2,192
4,108
102
ED209
2,034
1,447
103
Baobinga
1,930
602
104
Criminal Element Orchestra
1,791
383
105
Nosk
1,783
583
106
Dylan Rhymes
1,748
2,555
107
BreaksMafia
1,664
1,606
108
Rektchordz
1,490
641
109
K-Deejays
1,422
698
110
601
1,359
453
111
Dave London
1,333
2,058
112
Forme
1,308
907
113
Afghan Headspin
1,291
1,043
114
BSD
1,237
346
115
The Magnet Men
1,233
370
116
Rob Le Pitch
1,208
781
117
Ben & Lex
1,182
263
118
Mafia Kiss
1,125
1,115
119
Splitloop
1,079
3,877
120
Curtis B
1,064
894
121
Christian J
1,034
252
122
DJ Mutiny
1,023
466
123
Deibeat
1,011
573
124
Earth Leakage Trip
1,007
672
125
Pirate Jams
916
549
126
Napt
886
1,347
127
Deep Impact
881
492
128
Deekline & Wizard
775
3,504
129
Wes Smith
750
855
130
The Funk Lab
531
805
131
Merka
516
327
132
Under Break
498
441
133
B.L.I.M.
494
293
134
Break The Box
348
642
135
Brothers Bud
346
1,235
136
Beber
334
580
137
Transformer Man
331
359
138
Shimon & Nixon
186
469
139
Smithmonger
119
319
140
Dom Almond
58
205
141
Kid Blue
54
338
142
Wavewhore
53
327
143
Plaza De Funk
40
176
144
Drummatic Twins
27
1,970
145
Control Z
24
226
146
Porno Breaks
19
238

Some info about breakbeat

Breakbeat is a versatile and dynamic genre of electronic dance music characterized by the use of syncopated rhythm and breakbeats—drum patterns that deviate from the straightforward beats of house music. Though its roots can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970s with the foundational breaks in funk, soul, and jazz music, the distinct genre of breakbeat emerged prominently in the UK during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It gained popularity as DJs and producers began isolating and looping the break sections (parts where other instruments drop out, leaving just the percussion) of funk and soul records to create a continuous rhythmic groove that was ideal for dance.

Breakbeat provided the backbone to various forms of dance music culture and gave rise to subgenres like big beat, nu skool breaks, and progressive breaks, among others. In its formative years, the genre was heavily reliant on the sample-heavy ethos stemming from hip-hop turntablism, yet it carved its own niche by focusing on dance-floor friendly tracks that incorporated elements from all kinds of musical styles including jazz, funk, hip-hop, and later, electronic sounds.

In the UK, breakbeat was synonymous with rave culture and was mainly propagated through underground scenes and pirate radio stations. Legendary venues like the Shoom in London and clubs in Manchester played pivotal roles in the proliferation of this music style. Fast forward to the 1990s, the genre saw a transformation with the emergence of big beat, a subgenre that fused breakbeat with rock, techno, and hip-hop influences. This new style was popularized by artists like The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim, who brought breakbeat to mainstream audiences and festival circuits, dramatically expanding its appeal and visibility.

In the United States, the genre became popular in urban areas where there was a strong culture of DJing and dance music, particularly on the East and West Coasts. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco became hotbeds for breakbeat through the 90s club scene. American DJs and producers contributed by blending breakbeat with elements of domestic genres like hip-hop, breeding a rich, cross-cultural stylistic mix.

The narrative of breakbeat wouldn't be complete without mentioning key figures who defined and developed its contours. Pioneers such as DJ Kool Herc, known for developing breakbeat DJing in the world of hip-hop, and UK artists like Carl Cox, who integrated breakbeat into techno, had a massive influence. Records from labels like Moving Shadow and Reinforced became seminal, thanks to contributions from artists such as Goldie and 4hero, who infused breakbeat into their drum and bass productions.

Today, breakbeat maintains a robust presence in electronic music through artists who keep the genre fresh by incorporating contemporary influences and new technologies. It thrives in the underground scenes and continues to influence mainstream electronic music. Breakbeat enjoys popularity not only in the UK and US but has also found fanbases in Australia, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia, where festivals and club nights dedicated to breakbeat attract thousands of fans eager for its rhythmic complexity and energetic beats.

For enthusiasts looking to dive deeper, exploring breakbeat involves understanding its history and evolution, listening to its classic tracks and contemporary iterations, and attending live shows that showcase its unique vibe. As a genre that continuously reinvents itself, breakbeat represents an enduring facet of the ever-expanding universe of electronic music.