My Top 75 Classic Hardcore Songs

Submitted by neptune on Tue, 02/05/2008 - 04:53
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  1. By this I mean all the best Hardcore from the era of 90-93, when Hardcore had its peak (as from after that, a huge decline occoured in quality and new terrible genres emerged). The genres being accepted into this are; Rave & Mentasm Hardcore (Joey Beltram) & Oldskool Breakbeat Hardcore (Acen). New Beat is too small a genre to be accepted, and sounds too different from the other two. Suggestions are more than welcome!
  2. .
  3. Instruments/Sounds Used in Classic Hardcore;
  4. .
  5. The Mentasm (The Hoover): The Roland Alpha Juno 2 synthesizer created this monumental sound (labelled on the synth as the “WhatThe?” style), using LFOs (low-frequency oscillations) and pulse-width modulations to create the thick, swirly, gluey, hypnotic sound that you will hear countless times in classic hardcore. Featured heavily in: Second Phase - Mentasm
  6. .
  7. Acid: The Roland TB-303 created this phenomenal (and hugely used) synth sound mainly by accident, as it was intended to sound like a bass guitar (which it doesn’t, at all). It has been described as squelchy, trippy, hypnotic and countless other psychedelic adjectives, and has been used in nearly every single genre existent today. Featured heavily in: Altern 8 – Armageddon
  8. .
  9. Breakbeat/Jungle Samples: These are beat which have been cut up and spliced in many different ways to make beats for songs, usually from samples (such as the Amen Break, or Funky Drummer) and then sped up to suit the music. Featured heavily in: Acen – Trip II the Moon (All parts)
  10. .
  11. Vocal Samples: These usually aren’t the people who make the song’s voices, or anyone even vaguely affiliated with them, just random vocals sampled (stolen) from famous television programmes, films and more mainstream popular music. And despite being the loveable audio pirates that they are, the people who get sampled sometimes get quite annoyed and sue said artist (Acen was sued by the Beatles for sampling George Harrison’s “Here comes the sun” vocal on Close Your Eyes (Original Mix). Usually these samples are left as they are, but sometimes are “chipmunked” (made extremely high) or deepened greatly.
  12. .
  13. Misc. Samples: In classic hardcore, sampling each other’s work was commonplace (especially in Oldskool Breakbeat Hardcore), some of the best songs on here just blatantly rip off songs, and just add to them further. Nebula II – Anthema is an insane Oldskool Breakbeat hardcore song, with two main melodies, one being a sped up and distorted version of the main melody from LFO – LFO, but in context it fits perfectly.
  14. .
  15. And so to the list itself…
  16. .
  17. .
  18. Second Phase – Mentasm
  19. [1991]
  21. Acen – Close Your Eyes (Optikonfusion!)
  22. [1992]
  24. Human Resource – Dominator (Original Mix & Beltram Mix)
  25. [1991]
  27. The Hypnotist – The House Is Mine (Original Mix)
  28. [1991]
  30. The Prodigy – Charly (Alley Cat Remix)
  31. [1991]
  33. Twinhead – U Said U
  34. [1992]
  36. Joey Beltram – Energy Flash
  37. [1990]
  39. Acen – Trip II The Moon (Parts 1, 2 & The Kaleidoscopiklimax)
  40. [1992]
  42. 808 State - Colony
  43. [1992]
  45. Gordon Edge – Compnded (Edge 1)
  46. [1998]
  48. Altern 8 - Armageddon
  49. [1992]
  51. Ultraviolet – I Wish That
  52. [1991]
  54. Outlander - Vamp
  55. [1991]
  57. Program 2 - Twister
  58. [1992]
  60. CJ Bolland – Horsepower (Original Mix & Exclusive Mix)
  61. [1991]
  63. Joey Beltram & Program 2 – The Omen
  64. [1991]
  66. Nebula 2 - Antheama
  67. [1991]
  69. The Prodigy – Out of Space
  70. [1992]
  72. Messiah – Temple of Dreams
  73. [1993]
  75. The Hypnotist – Pioneers of The Warped Groove/Pioneers of The Universe/Pioneers of The Warped Acid
  76. [1990/93]
  78. Spectrum – Brazil
  79. [1990]
  81. The Prodigy - Jericho
  82. [1992]
  84. Mental Mayhem – Where Are They Hiding?
  85. [1990]
  87. Orbital - Satan
  88. [1990]
  90. Fierce Ruling Diva – Rubb It In
  91. [1991]
  93. Mike Dred - Macrocosm
  94. [1994]
  96. Jimmy J & Cru-L-T - Runaway
  97. [199-]
  99. Timebase ft. Kromozone - Fireball
  100. [1991]
  102. The Sorcerer – Amp Destructor
  103. [1992]
  105. U96 – Das Boot
  106. [1991]
  108. Terrorize – It’s Just A Feeling
  109. [1992]
  111. The Hypnotist – Rainbows in The Sky
  112. [1991]
  114. Jonny L – Hurt You So
  115. [1992]
  117. Manix – Feel Real Good
  118. [1991]
  120. The Prodigy – Your Love
  121. [1992]
  123. Program 2 – The Beast
  124. [1992]
  126. Lords of Acid – Let’s Get High
  127. [1992]
  129. Joey Beltram – Joey’s Riot
  130. [1990]
  132. SL2 – On A Ragga Tip
  133. [1992]
  135. The Hypnotist – Hardcore You Know The Score
  136. [1990]
  138. Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia
  139. [1990]
  141. Altern 8 - Activ8 (Hardcore Holocaust Mix)
  142. [1991]
  144. Krome & Time – This is The Sound For The Underground
  145. [1992]
  147. Nebula II - Seance
  148. [1991]
  150. L.A. Style – James Brown is Dead
  151. [1991]
  153. Human Resource - Freak 101
  154. [1993]
  156. Joey Beltram – Fuzz
  157. [199?]
  159. The House Crew – We Are Hardcore (Fantasy Mix)
  160. [1992]
  162. Hysteria – Energy Express
  163. [1992]
  165. Mole The Dipper – Ecstatic House
  166. [1993]
  168. Autechre – Cavity Job
  169. [1991]
  171. Rhythm Section – Feel The Rhythm
  172. [1991]
  174. Acen - Obsessed II (Pictures of Silence)
  175. [1991]
  177. Rhythm For Reasons – Sweet Memories
  178. [1994]
  180. Smart Systems – The Tingler (Remix)
  181. [1991]
  183. Program 2 - Hysteria
  184. [1992]
  186. Awesome 3 – Don’t Go
  187. [1992]
  189. Altern 8 – Hypnotic St-8
  190. [1992]
  192. Praga Khan – Injected With a Poison
  193. [1991]
  195. The Hypnotist – Death by Dub
  196. [1991]
  198. Channel X – Rave The Rhythm
  199. [1991]
  201. Sonz of A Loop Da Loop Era – Far Out
  202. [1991]
  204. Natural Instinct - Reflections
  205. [1992]
  207. T99 – Anasthasia
  208. [1991]
  210. The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu – It’s Grim Up North
  211. [1991]
  213. Doctor Baker - Kaos
  214. [199-]
  216. Acen – Window in The Sky (Kingdom of Light Mix)
  217. [1993]
  219. Urban Hype – I Feel The Heat
  220. [1992]
  222. Dragon fly – Visions of Rage
  223. [1992]
  225. Quadrophonia – The Man With The Masterplan
  226. [1990]
  228. DJ Rap – Divine Rhythms
  229. [1992]
  231. Baby D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy
  232. [1992]
  234. The Hedgehog Affair – Come On Let’s Have Some Fun
  235. [1991]
  237. Force Mass Motion – Chemical Warfare
  238. [1992]
  240. Mad Ragga John – So Good
  241. [199-]
  243. The Frightener – Hyper On Experience
  244. [1993]
  246. Church of Extacy – Church of Extacy (Pray for Acid)
  247. [1992]
Author Comments: 

No longer represents my original opinions and I probably won't be updating this list again, but might be a worthwhile read for a newbie to the genre who wants a few trakcs to start off with.

khriz02/05/2008

AMAZING list. I suppose there are some songs which get a bit debateable whether they belong in here as they are rave but not hardcore like "orbital - remind" (acid rave) or "808 state - cubik" (rave techno). In fact a lot of early orbital and 808 state would be rave techno. If this gets expanded to Hardcore and Rave then I recommend the above 2 and:

Orbital - Speed Freak [Reve Techno/Acid Rave]
Orbital - Oolaa [Rave Techno]
808 State - In Yer Face [Rave Techno]
Love Revolution - Give It To Me Baby [Acid Rave]
Orbital - Lush 3-1/3-2 [Acid Rave]
Orbital - Chime [Rave]
Commander Tom - Are Am Eye? [Err kinda Mentasm Hardcore]

Some others which could come under Hardcore:

Second Phase - Mind To Mind
Joey Beltram - Psycho Bass; Sub Bass Experience; My Sound; The Melody; Get Into Life (There are more amazing Beltram ones but they definately cross over into Pure Techno)
The Prodigy - Everybody In The Place (Original Mix/Fairground Mix); Android; Crazy Man
Outlander - Vamp (Top 10 worthy)
Digital Excitation - Pure Pleasure (Original Mix) The Rave Mix of this is too similar to Rave Generator.
Toxic Two - Rave Generator
The Hypnotist - Pioneers Of The Warped Groove (This should get a high spot too, its like Caspar's version of Mentasm, sickly hypnotic Rave Hardcore. I guess House Is Mine is like that too); The Ride; Death By Dub; Night Of The Living E Heads
T99 - Anasthasia; Nocturne
Orbital - Oolaa (Beltram Mutation); Speed Freak (Moby Mutation); Chime (Ray Keith Mutation)
4 Hero - Mr Kirk's Nightmare (not as Hardcore as the other early 4 Hero ones); Cooking Up Ya Brain; Where's The Boy (Original Mix/4 Hero Remix); Journey From The Light
Messiah - There Is No Law; 20,000 Hardcore Members; Asylum;
Acen - The Life & Crimes Of A Ruffneck
2 Bad Mice - Bombscare; Hold It Down; 2 Bad Mice; Waremouse (Remix); Drumscare
Altern 8 - Frequency; Infiltrate 202; Evapor-8 (it samples Strings Of Life!!!); Hypnotic St-8; Brutal-8-E; Armageddon (We H-8 Garage Mix); Move My Body (Hard Hardcore Mix); Everybody (2 Bad Mice Mix)
Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Acen In Wonderland)
Delerium - Days Of Our Lives (Beltram Mix/Manix Mix)
Spiral Tribe - Ragga Boom; Seven
Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era - Let Your Mind Be Free; Scratchadelikizm; Peace & Lovism; Bust That Groove
LTJ Bukem - Logical Progression
Moby - Go (Rainforest Mix); Next Is The E
Shades Of Rhythm - Sweet Sensation; Exorcist; Homocide; Everybody; Sound Of Eden

neptune02/06/2008

Why thankyou. Debatable songs will probably be put in here, but give it time, gotta have the definitive tracks before I start bending the rules. 808 State and Orbital are undoubtedly amazing, I agree about the yin-yang comment you made.
I have some of those tracks, just not bothered to add them yet, and the others I will get ASAP. Thanks for the recs!

khriz02/19/2008

Did you update it with Vamp, the Program 2 songs, Brazil and stuff? Cos if you did its not appearing on my computer.

neptune02/20/2008

Not yet I'm busy, I will do soon though.

d9103/06/2010

If you want more songs on this list, I could really recommend the Reactivate albums, especially the first ones. It's all hardcore / rave on that. Nice list btw, going to listen to them all.

d9103/14/2010

Oh yeah, I heard a very nice ravetune yesterday: Red Alert & Mike Slammer - In Effect. You HAVE to hear that one.