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10 songs that feel like Don't Play That Song (You Lied)

Matched to Don't Play That Song (You Lied) by Aretha Franklin on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
The song you love
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
Aretha Franklin
moderate 52/100 intensity 108 BPM
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Damage Gets Done — Hozier moderate 110 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (110 BPM).

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Dang! — Mac Miller feat. Anderson .Paak moderate 110 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

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Cloudbusting — Kate Bush moderate 102 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (102 BPM).

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Cry Wolf — a-ha moderate 116 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

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Nights on Broadway — Bee Gees moderate 100 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

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Baile Inolvidable — Bad Bunny moderate 95 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

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She's Only 18 — Red Hot Chili Peppers moderate 124 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Measured 97% alike.

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Seventeen — Sharon Van Etten moderate 126 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

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Kite — U2 moderate 112 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (112 BPM).

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Hey Jane — Spiritualized moderate 112 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Don't Play That Song (You Lied) is more than you want right now.

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Hometown Glory — Adele safe 124 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 33/100, down from 52.

Homesick by Dua Lipa
Homesick — Dua Lipa safe 98 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 27/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Can't You Hear Me Calling by Bill Monroe
Can't You Hear Me Calling — Bill Monroe safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 45/100.

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We Belong Together — Randy Newman safe 112 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 32/100, versus the original's 52. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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New Years Day — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 20/100, down from 52.

Hey Mama by Kanye West
Hey Mama — Kanye West safe 85 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 16/100 — the pull without the edge.

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The Tree of Forgiveness — John Prine safe 90 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 21/100.

Honky Tonk Blues by Hank Williams
Honky Tonk Blues — Hank Williams safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 25/100, versus the original's 52.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Don't Play That Song (You Lied)” by Aretha Franklin?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Damage Gets Done” by Hozier, “Dang!” by Mac Miller feat. Anderson .Paak, “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush — 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 “Don't Play That Song (You Lied)” but calmer?

“Hometown Glory” by Adele, “Homesick” by Dua Lipa, “Can't You Hear Me Calling” by Bill Monroe keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Don't Play That Song (You Lied)”?

It measures 52/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 108 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 68% of songs, calmer than the other 32%. Its intensity reading of 52/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild 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 blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 68% 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

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype4/10

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

1970 in context

The 307 songs we’ve measured from 1970 average a dynamic range of 6.1/10. 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

Intensity52
Dynamics67
Tempo38
Surprise25
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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