10 songs that feel like Cowboys
Matched to Cowboys by Portishead on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 89% feel-match — carries the same menacing pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).
84% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 49/100.
Keeps the same menacing pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (64/100). Measured 82% alike.
Measures 90% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100).
A 88% feel-match — carries the same dark pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (64/100).
90% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (58/100).
Keeps the same dark pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Measured 89% alike.
Measures 89% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100).
A 89% feel-match — carries the same menacing pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).
86% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 52/100.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Cowboys is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it eases off just enough to take the edge off. Intensity 57/100, down from 63. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 13/100 — 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 21/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 17/100, versus the original's 63. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it measures markedly calmer overall. Intensity 52/100, down from 63.
It measures markedly calmer overall, so it lands at 49/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it measures markedly calmer overall. Reads 46/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 49/100, versus the original's 63.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Cowboys” by Portishead?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Voodoo” by Black Sabbath, “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “Down in the Bottom” by Howlin' Wolf — the top match scores 89% 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 “Cowboys” but calmer?
“All Mine” by Portishead, “Lebanese Blonde” by Thievery Corporation, “Shadows” by Bonobo keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Cowboys”?
It measures 63/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, complex 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
This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 83% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 63/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, complex 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 83% 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.
1997 in context
The 389 songs we’ve measured from 1997 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. 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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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