← Back to Africa

10 songs that feel like Africa

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

Africa
The song you love
Africa
Toto
moderate 44/100 intensity 92 BPM
♪
Get Money — The Notorious B.I.G. moderate 93 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (93 BPM).

♪
Crybaby — Mariah Carey moderate 90 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Criminal (Remix) — Natti Natasha & Tainy moderate 90 BPM

Keeps the same joyful pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

♪
Vaina Loca — Ozuna, Manuel Turizo moderate 90 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Suddenly I See — KT Tunstall moderate 96 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (96 BPM).

♪
Touch the Sky — Kanye West moderate 96 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.

♪
The Rising — Bruce Springsteen moderate 76 BPM

Keeps the same transcendent pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Measured 97% alike.

♪
Mi Gente — J Balvin moderate 100 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Work — Rihanna moderate 100 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

♪
Friends in Low Places — Garth Brooks safe 100 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon
Give Peace a Chance — John Lennon safe 100 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 31/100, down from 44. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Mas Que Nada by Jorge Ben
Mas Que Nada — Jorge Ben safe 100 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 35/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Riptide by Vance Joy
Riptide — Vance Joy safe 100 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 22/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

One Piece at a Time by Johnny Cash
One Piece at a Time — Johnny Cash safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 29/100, versus the original's 44. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Halo by Beyoncé
Halo — Beyoncé safe 84 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 40/100, down from 44. Nearly the same tempo, too.

A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion
A New Day Has Come — Celine Dion safe 92 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 25/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way It Is by Celine Dion
That's the Way It Is — Celine Dion safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 36/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Better Get to Livin' by Dolly Parton
Better Get to Livin' — Dolly Parton safe 104 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 37/100, versus the original's 44.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Africa” by Toto?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Get Money” by The Notorious B.I.G., “Crybaby” by Mariah Carey, “Criminal (Remix)” by Natti Natasha & Tainy — 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 “Africa” but calmer?

“Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon, “Mas Que Nada” by Jorge Ben, “Riptide” by Vance Joy keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Africa”?

It measures 44/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, no sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 92 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 41% of songs, calmer than the other 59%. Its intensity reading of 44/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, no sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 61% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — 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

Sleep5/10
Focus9/10
Workout3/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

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

1982 in context

The 211 songs we’ve measured from 1982 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

Intensity44
Dynamics67
Tempo29
Surprise0
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?

Find its sonic twin →
Share on X
Check another song →