The 37 Best Popular Dubstep Tracks of 2011 [Best of 2011 Series]

2011 saw the rise of a new sound in popular music, much to the consternation of long-time 2-step and garage fans familiar with the darker, deeper, sparser sounds of dubstep circa 2007. While the masses called it (and Skrillex, Datsik, Feed Me, Zeds Dead, Flux Pavilion, Knife Party, and so many other stars of 2011) dubstep, these ‘purists’ insisted that the kids should get off their lawn. Or at least call it electro-dubstep.

Whatever you want to call these tracks, popular will suffice. These are the biggest, baddest, grittiest, dirtiest, filthiest and most importantly, widely listened to, dubstep tracks of 2011. Wherever you went in North America, be it festival, 500+ person dubstep night, or frat party, you heard these songs at some point.

Ranking them was a monumental task, and while I had my selection compiled by early December, I have fretted and waited til today to publish for one simple reason – it’s hard as hell to do, and totally subjective. And by subjectivity I don’t even mean “your order or selection would be different”; my tastes change, and my selection criteria even for this particular list has changed a number of times.

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2011, the year of bass, in one easy-to-digest mix

To celebrate the completion of this monumental list, I’ve put together a mini mix with the year’s finest electro-dubstep, moombahcore, and moombahsoul!

(right click to download)
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Tracklist:
Nero – Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)
Zeds Dead & The Killabits – Bassmentality (Original Mix)
Dillon Francis – Beautician
Dillon Francis – Beautician 2.0
Diplo & Dillon Francis – Que Que feat. Maluca (Torro Torro Remix)
Dillon Francis – Brazzers Theme (Munchi Remix)
Feed Me – Pink Lady
Porter Robinson – Unison (Knife Party Remix)
Munchi – Hope
Jeremy Glenn – New Life (Torro Torro Remix)
Toddla T – Take it Back (Dillon Francis Remix)
Emalkay – When I Look at You (Heartbreak Remix)
Emalkay – When I Look at You
Trolley Snatcha – Rocco’s Revenge
Zeds Dead ft. Omar Linx – Rude Boy (Original Mix)
Knife Party – Fire Hive
Giant – Party Starter

I also suggest you check out my most popular mix ever, Summer of Dubstep, which is comprised almost wholly by tracks from this very list (aka the most popular dubstep of the year).

37. Zomboy – Organ Donor

When I talked to Skrillex at EDC this year about Zomboy he said “I KNOW he sampled me” How? “…I just know”.

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36. Modestep – Sunlight (Jacob Plant Remix)

Jacob Plant has all the ingredients to have a big 2012 – solid production and interesting use of vocals, plus the backing of some serious heads in the business.

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35. Xilent – Choose Me II

Same story as Jacob Planet. Watch for him in 2012.

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34. Bare Noize – Twilight Zone

My friend in LA remarked a few weeks ago “Why play Skrillex? His sound is his.. if you like it, at least do something new and throw down some Bare Noize”.

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33. Thrice – Broken Lungs (Adventure Club Remix)

Big productions and bigger gigs for AC in 2011.. can’t wait to see what 2012 holds in store for my fellow Canucks.

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32. Doctor P – Watch Out

Circus was unstoppable this year. The focus was on Skrillex in North America, but Nero’s album was a drop in the UK bucket where Circus made waves.

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31. InContext – Just Believe (Skrillex Remix)

Debuted at EDC this year, Dallas if I recall correctly. I heard it first at EDC Vegas, as Skrillex’s opening track.

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30. Foreign Beggars ft. Noisia – Contact (Trolley Snatcha Remix)

One of my favourite tracks from the Summer of Dubstep mix I dropped this year.

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29. 12th Planet + Plastician – Westside Dub

Are these guys officially OG status yet or what? Huge collabo at the intersection of LA bass and UK dub.

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28. Foreign Beggars ft. Skrillex – Still Gettin’ It

Unforgettable hook “10 years in the game, still gettin’ it!” Wish I had seen these guys on the Mothership Tour.

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27. Chase & Status – Time (Queensway)

Chase & Status proved they didn’t have to make festival tracks to have success in the 2011 dubstep arena.

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26. Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Phonat Remix)

Most innovative remix of this track by far. No surprise – Phonat is an incredible musician!

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25. Jason Falkner – Only You (Zeds Dead Remix)

Everything Zeds Dead touched this year turned to gold.

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24. Noisia – Gutterpump (Matta Remix)

One of the lesser known, yet biggest tracks (crowd response wise) in my 2011 dubstep dj sets.

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23. Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend (Feed Me Remix)

A thousand remixes of Robyn in 2011, and Feed Me had the best. I can’t believe how far this guy has come with his bass in 2011.

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22. Noisia – Tommy’s Theme

Best sample of the year, hands down.

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21. Jakwob – Right Beside You (VIP)

Another favourite from my Summer of Dubstep mix.

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20. Flux Pavilion – Bass Cannon

One of the most recognizable Circus jams of the year.

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19. RacknRuin feat. Janai + Illaman – Dazed & Confused (SKiSM’s Baroque Out Remix)

Love the classical feel of this track.. similar appeal as Wolfgang’s Symphony.

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18. Skrillex – First of the Year (Equinox)

Up for a Grammy, for best short video.

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17. Trolley Snatcha – Rocco’s Revenge

A late addition to my set that is pure fire.

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16. Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix VIP)

Bar none, the biggest VIP of the year. The original remix was sick and these guys managed to let their audience experience the track for the first time again, at a live show with a swelling + crazed audience. Dizzying drops.

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15. Rusko – Everyday

Not sure if this one was on the radar in North America, but it was huge. Crowd reaction to this track in Rusko’s dj sets was crazy!

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14. Cassius – I 3 U So (Skream Remix)

Skream mastered this classic.

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13. Nero – Me & You (Original Mix)

One of the most epic tracks of the year. Possibly the epic-est.

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12. Zeds Dead – Rude Boy feat. Omar LinX

Most innovative track of the year, sick rap, and the energy in dj sets was unstoppable. Anthem.

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11. DJ Fresh – Louder (Feat. Sian Evans) (Flux Pavilion And Doctor P Remix)

The climbing bass noise at the beginning is bigger than 100 reggae horns. The biggest Circus jam of the year by far. Flux and Doc P nailed it. Anthem.

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10. Benny Benassi Feat. Gary Go – Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

The most recognizable anthem of the year. Nuff said.

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9. Feed Me – Strange Behaviour ft Tasha Baxter (Original Mix)

Somewhere between mid and up-tempo, this song’s climbing vocals, incredible dynamic range, and enormous winding drops make it one of my favourite tracks of the year, and the opening track off my Summer of Dubstep mix.

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8. Skrillex – Ruffneck (FULL Flex)

While the Cinema remix converted the masses, for the initiated this was the real Skrillex anthem at this summer’s festivals.

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7. Bare & Datsik – King Kong

These guys managed to nail this collabo somewhere between the popular modern talking sound of this year and the too-grimy chainsaw sound of yesteryear. I dropped this in literally every dubstep set I played in 2011. I saw Datsik drop this on the third day of Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, and I can say definitively I saw fewer than five crowd reactions as powerful all year.

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6. Knife Party – Fire Hive

Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen are coming in for a takeover in 2012, and their we can do it better attitude has secured them a place in all the big festivals. You’ll see them first at Ultra in Miami, and that’s just the beginning.

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5. Giant – Party Starter

The biggest track that no one knew. Rusko dropped it in almost every set he did this year, as did I. No wonder, it sounds like classic Rusko. Watch for this Russian trio in 2012.

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4. Dillon Francis – Beautician

Dillon Francis is one of the best AND most important artists of 2012 for having several of the biggest tracks, for being at the forefront, and contributing to the maturation, of a nascent genre (moombahton), and for having one of the best/only online personalities. I have a hard time deciding if I like 1.0 or 2.0 better. Fortunately I don’t have to decide in this article.

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3. Deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon (Noisia Remix)

One of the most beautiful tracks of the year with an incredible flip by Noisia. These guys are a rare and truly talented group of musicians. If you are afforded the opportunity, see them live.

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2. Nero – Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)

The biggest collaboration of the year. A combination of the most epic vocals, from the UK kings of epic bass music, with the grimy modern talking bass sound that propelled dubstep and Skrillex to the mainstream (and the Grammys) in 2011. Just think of how many people this track converted.. nuts.

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1. Zeds Dead + The Killabits – Bassmentality

The holy trinity of excellent percussion, non-derivative synths, and high production values were hard to find in dubstep in 2011. No surprise though, that these four extremely talented musicians would get it done. Bassmentality is many things – the two duos’ most popular collaboration, one of the biggest dubstep anthems of the year, the namesake of the weekly party they founded in Toronto, and a description of the rise of popular dubstep in 2011, and the disposition of its new fans.

Kudos to these gentlemen for making one of the finest tracks of the year – a gem, and a true classic!

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