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10 songs that feel like Black Sun

Matched to Black Sun by Death Cab for Cutie on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Black Sun
The song you love
Black Sun
Death Cab for Cutie
moderate 57/100 intensity 85 BPM
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Pilot Jones — Frank Ocean moderate 92 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).

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You Had Your Soul With You — The National moderate 95 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (58/100). Same layered texture.

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Speak to Me — Depeche Mode moderate 85 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

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Two Hands — Big Thief moderate 85 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100). Same layered texture.

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Die schöne Müllerin — Franz Schubert moderate 90 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

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Capacity — Big Thief intense 85 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100). Same layered texture.

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These Days — Foo Fighters moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Measured 95% alike.

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Sweet Heart Sweet Light — Spiritualized moderate 95 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Same layered texture.

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Someone Saved My Life Tonight — Elton John intense 72 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100).

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The Holy River — Prince moderate 85 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 28/100, down from 57. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way by Led Zeppelin
That's the Way — Led Zeppelin safe 72 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 21/100 — the pull without the edge.

Happy For You by Dua Lipa
Happy For You — Dua Lipa safe 95 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 29/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Water Shows the Hidden Heart by Enya
Water Shows the Hidden Heart — Enya safe 72 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 15/100, versus the original's 57.

Changes by Black Sabbath
Changes — Black Sabbath safe 72 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 21/100, down from 57.

Which Will by Nick Drake
Which Will — Nick Drake safe 72 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 11/100 — the pull without the edge.

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness by John Prine
Speed of the Sound of Loneliness — John Prine safe 85 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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The Tree of Forgiveness — John Prine safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 21/100, versus the original's 57. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Black Sun” by Death Cab for Cutie?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Pilot Jones” by Frank Ocean, “You Had Your Soul With You” by The National, “Speak to Me” by Depeche Mode — 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 “Black Sun” but calmer?

“If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé, “That's the Way” by Led Zeppelin, “Happy For You” by Dua Lipa keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Black Sun”?

It measures 57/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 85 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 76% of songs, calmer than the other 24%. Its intensity reading of 57/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate 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 77% 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

Sleep0/10
Focus4/10
Workout4/10
Dinner6/10
Party / hype4/10

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

2015 in context

The 373 songs we’ve measured from 2015 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 7/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

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

The fingerprint

Intensity57
Dynamics67
Tempo25
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load13

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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