10 songs that feel like Cities
Matched to Cities by Talking Heads on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 94% feel-match — carries the same anxious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (64/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (63/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same anxious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Measured 95% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (58/100). Same layered texture.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same anxious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same anxious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (58/100). Measured 93% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (65/100). Same layered texture.
A 94% feel-match — carries the same anxious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (57/100).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (64/100). Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Cities is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 41/100, down from 60. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
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 34/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 24/100, versus the original's 60. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 40/100, down from 60. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 29/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 27/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 27/100, versus the original's 60. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Cities” by Talking Heads?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Synchronicity II” by The Police, “Surface Pressure” by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “There Goes a Tenner” by Kate Bush — the top match scores 94% 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 “Cities” but calmer?
“Monday Morning” by Fleetwood Mac, “10:15 Saturday Night” by The Cure, “Silver” by Echo & the Bunnymen keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Cities”?
It measures 60/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 120 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 77% of songs, calmer than the other 23%. Its intensity reading of 60/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, moderate 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 blazing intensity: 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 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1979 in context
The 245 songs we’ve measured from 1979 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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