10 songs that feel like Desolation Row
Matched to Desolation Row by Bob Dylan on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 90% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100).
90% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same heavy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Measured 89% alike.
Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (14/100). Same smooth texture.
A 93% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (12/100).
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Measured 92% alike.
Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (9/100). Same smooth texture.
A 85% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (16/100).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Desolation Row 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 12/100, down from 12.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 14/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 21/100.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 12/100, versus the original's 12.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 11/100, down from 12. Nearly the same tempo, too.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 11/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 11/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 13/100, versus the original's 12. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Desolation Row” by Bob Dylan?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens, “Killing for Love” by José González, “Parasite” by Nick Drake — the top match scores 90% 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 “Desolation Row” but calmer?
“Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish, “That's the Way” by Led Zeppelin keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Desolation Row”?
It measures 12/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 3/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and spoken word. Tempo is 60 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 sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 99% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 12/100 comes from a dynamic range of 3/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and spoken word. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 100% 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1965 in context
The 133 songs we’ve measured from 1965 average a dynamic range of 5.9/10. At 3/10, this track is gentler and steadier 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?
Find its sonic twin →