← Back to 12:51

10 songs that feel like 12:51

Matched to 12:51 by The Strokes on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

12:51
The song you love
12:51
The Strokes
moderate 55/100 intensity 146 BPM
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Generator — Foo Fighters moderate 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) — Billy Joel moderate 138 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

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Boy Division — My Chemical Romance moderate 135 BPM

Keeps the same joyful pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 98% alike.

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My Life — Billy Joel moderate 132 BPM

Measures 97% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

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Tell Her About It — Billy Joel moderate 130 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100).

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If U Seek Amy — Britney Spears moderate 130 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

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Moar Ghosts 'n' Stuff — Deadmau5 moderate 130 BPM

Keeps the same joyful pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 97% alike.

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Waiting for Tonight — Jennifer Lopez moderate 130 BPM

Measures 97% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

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Antidote — Travis Scott moderate 130 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100).

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Panama — Van Halen moderate 130 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when 12:51 is more than you want right now.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
I Wanna Dance with Somebody — Whitney Houston safe 119 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 40/100, down from 55.

The Less I Know the Better by Tame Impala
The Less I Know the Better — Tame Impala safe 116 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 29/100 — the pull without the edge.

Changes by David Bowie
Changes — David Bowie safe 124 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 27/100.

9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
9 to 5 — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 42/100, versus the original's 55.

Two Doors Down by Dolly Parton
Two Doors Down — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 36/100, down from 55.

Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That by Dolly Parton
Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 45/100 — the pull without the edge.

Vogue by Madonna
Vogue — Madonna safe 116 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 38/100.

Material Girl by Madonna
Material Girl — Madonna safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 35/100, versus the original's 55.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “12:51” by The Strokes?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Generator” by Foo Fighters, “Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)” by Billy Joel, “Boy Division” by My Chemical Romance — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “12:51” but calmer?

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala, “Changes” by David Bowie keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “12:51”?

It measures 55/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 146 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 75% of songs, calmer than the other 25%. Its intensity reading of 55/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 94% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout7/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2003 in context

The 365 songs we’ve measured from 2003 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity55
Dynamics67
Tempo59
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load0

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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