The genre of hardstyle originated in the Netherlands and Belgium back in the 1990s. It has transformed the genre of hard dance for decades and draws influences from techno, new beat, and hardcore. Artists like The Nasty Boyz, Noisecontrollers, Technoboy, and many more have laid the foundation that is modern day hardstyle.
At the beginning of hardstyle’s inception, producers used a BPM around 140. Today’s style is produced around 150 BPM. Since the productions rely heavily on a tonal kick to drive the low-end of the tracks, producers oftentimes use the kick as the bass, too. This allows for a lot of flexibility since the kick is the only element in a track living in the lower frequencies. Through impressive distortion, equalization, and expert mixing techniques, hardstyle tracks carry a number of emotions through tonal kicks, euphoric supersaw synth melodies, and wondrous percussion.
Hardstyle heavily gained popularity in the 2010s, and its artists have performed at some of the biggest EDM festivals in the world. A few of these include, Defqon.1, Mysteryland, Qlimax, Reverze, and Sensation Black.
With hardstyle and hard dance making a mainstream comeback, fans and listeners can continue to enjoy the genre’s evolution for years to come.
I reached out to the r/hardstyle community on Reddit to get some help to compile this list. Special shout out to the community for sharing their favorite tracks to help me compile this article with tracks across euphoric hardstyle, oldschool hardstyle, hardstyle techno, and hardstyle mixes.
If you love hardstyle, check out my list of the 76 best hands up and hard dance tracks ever released. I also invite you to join my Discord server if you love all things hardstyle and hands up.
This is a comprehensive list of the best hardstyle tracks that have and continue to define a genre that has shaped the history and sound of modern day hard dance, euphoric hardstyle, and house music across various hardstyle releases.
Table of Contents
Adaro & B-Front ft. Dawnfire – Touch A Star
Adaro – A Deeper Space
Alpha² & Jack of Sound – Das Weite Land
A-lusion – Make Up Your Mind
Atmozfears Vs. The Vision – Our Destiny
Audiofreq – Dance 2 Music
Blademasterz – Katana
Brooklyn Bounce & Technoboy – Bass Beats & Melody (Technoboy 2010 Remix)
B-Front – Mysterias
B-Front & Slim Shore – Chemical
Builder – Bad Manners (Luca Antolini DJ Mix)
Builder – Hardbeat Market (The Original Soundmachine)
Builder – Her Voice (Headhunterz Remix)
Crypsis & Sasha F – Get Hit
Dark Oscillators – Nero
D-Block & S-Te-Fan – The Nature Of Our Mind (Qlimax Anthem 2009)
D-Block & S-te-Fan – Music Made Addict
Digital Mindz & Mrotek – Dark Forces
Digital Punk & Noisecontrollers – Blue Horizon
DJ Phil Ty – Miami Belch (Polite Mix)
DJ Stephanie – Groovin To The Beat
Dozer – Drop The Bomb
Dozer – The Legacy
Dutch Master – Recalled to Life
Frequencerz – The Night
Frequencerz – The Unknown
Frequencerz – The Unknown (Pro Mix)
Frontliner – On The Rise
Frontliner ft. Ellie – Lose The Style
Frontliner – Warphole
Hardstyle Masterz – Age Of Reverse Bass (Technoboy Rude Remix)
Hardstyle Masterz & Max Enforcer – Respect
Hardstyle Masterz – Light of the Dark (ft. Max Enforcer)
Headhunterz – Reloaded Part 2
Headhunterz – Scrap Attack (Defqon.1 2009 Anthem)
Headhunterz – Path of the Hunter
Headhunterz – Rock Civilization
Headhunterz – The Power Of The Mind (Qlimax Anthem 2007)
Headhunterz & Wildstylez & Noisecontrollers – World Of Madness
Headhunterz vs. Wildstylez – Project One
Headhunterz & Wildstylez – Project 1 (Sound Rush Remix)
Headhunterz & Wildstylez vs. Noisecontrollers – Tonight
Headhunterz & Wildstylez vs. Noisecontrollers – Tonight (Alpha Twins Remix)
Ivan Carsten – Bumpin’ Hard (Tuneboy Remix)
JDX ft. Sarah Maria – Live The Moment
Josh & Wesz – Let’s Get Dirty
Josh and Wesz – Like Thiz
KELTEK – The Alignment
Killer Clown – Silentium
Luna – Bring That Shit Back
Mike Williams – Wait Another Day (Atmosfearz Extended Remix)
MYST – Bliss
Nagoom – Atmosphere
The Nasty Boyz – Angel
Noisecontrollers – Attack Again
Noisecontrollers – Ctrl.Alt.Delete (In Qontrol Anthem 2009)
Noisecontrollers – People Are Awesome
Noisecontrollers – Spirit Of Hardstyle
Overdrive – Children x Insane (Bootleg)
Phuture Noize – Circles And Squares
Phuture Noize ft. Josh & Wesz – Liberal
The Pitcher – Pump It Loud (Cenoginerz Mix)
Project One – Life Beyond Earth
Project One – Rate Reducer (Headhunterz Remix)
Ran-D – Living for the Moment
Project One – Luminosity
Raxtor – Fight Or Escape
Scope DJ – Lockdown
Shockerz feat. Kirsten – Set Me Free
Showtek – FTS (Fuck The System)
Slim Shore & Code Black – Time of Your Life (WiSH Outdoor 2012 Anthem)
SMD – Just Like You
Squarehead – The Gathering (Hardstylers United Anthem)
Star Creatorz – Killzone (Hunter Remix)
Tatanka – Borderline (Parto Mix)
Tatarola – Who Is Calling
Technoboy – Next Dimensional World (Qlimax 2008 Anthem)
Technoboy – Nothing Nu
Technoboy – Vanilla Sky
Technoboy & Activator – Steam Train
The Hose – The Piano Song
The KGB’s – Infinity (DJ Phil Ty Remix)
The KGB’s – The Disco Fan (Hardisco Mix)
The Pitcher – I Just Can’t Stop
The Pitcher – Music to Keep Me Alive
The Pitcher – Serenity
The Pitcher – Strange Love
The Pitcher – The Rising (Last World 2011 Anthem)
TNT – Musick
Tuneboy – Sexbusters (Technoboy Remix)
Vazard – Immersion
Vazard & Delete vs Main Concern – Absolute Terror
Vyral – Nothingness
Wasted Penguinz – Follow Your Dream
Wasted Penguinz – Resistance
Wasted Penguinz – Sacrifice
Waverider – What I Need
Wildstylez – Year of Summer
Zanza Labs – Zanzarismo
Zatox & Max Enforcer – It Must Be
Zatox – Headbangerz
Zatox – Back to the Oldschool
Zatox – Opera
Zedd – Spectrum (Headhunterz Edit)
2 Best Enemies – Phases (TBY Romantic Mix)
Mike Williams & Mesto – Wait Another Day (Atmozfears Extended Remix)
Is hardstyle dead? No, the hardstyle genre is growing exponentially and we’re beginning to see more mainstream artists of the genre perform at global festivals and huge arenas.
Why is hardstyle good? This is entirely up to the listener, but hardstyle is oftentimes received as a good genre because of its unique elements within the EDM scene. It breaks the norms of the festival formula (write music to drop it at a festival). Hardstyle contains so much more emotion and connection. Through melodic content, pitched kicks, piercing percussion, the genre certainly has its standout sounds and reasons why it can clearly stand on its own.
Is hardstyle drum and bass? No, drum and bass is not hardstyle, and vice-versa. Drum and bass is its own genre. Listen to REAPER and Bella Renee‘s track “IMY” on Bassrush Records. That’s drum and bass.
If you have any tracks that you think should be included in this list, leave a comment below so I can check it out and get it added. This is a living list.
If you’re looking for an extensive list similar to this one for hands-up, then check out this list of 76 of the best hands up tracks to ever be released.
Join my Discord server here to talk all things hard dance, hands up, and hardstyle.
Hi,
In the beginning you say ‘here is a detailed list of the best hardstyle tracks that shaped dance music’, well then these classics cannot be skipped:
D-Block & S-Te-Fan – Music Made Addict
Headhunterz – Rock Civilization
Josz & Wesz – Like Thiz
Scope DJ – Lockdown
Builder – Her Voice (Headhunterz Remix)
Showtek – FTS
And some early hardstyle like:
Tuneboy – Sexbusters (Technoboy Remix)
Tatarola – Who is Calling
Hardstyle Masterz – Age of Reverse bass(Technoboy Remix)
Builder – Bad Manners (Luca Antolini Remix)
Builder – Hardbeat Market
The KGB’s – Disco Fan (Hardisco Mix)
There so many good tracks made in the past like:
Killer Clown – Silentium
The Hose – Piano Song
Frontliner – Warphole
Hardstyle Masterz – Light of the Dark
Dozer – Legacy
The Pitcher – Pump it loud (Cenoginerz Remix)
And i can go on and on and on 😀 😀
Hey Roan, thanks for the comment! I’m definitely going to check those tracks out and add them to the list. 🙂