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10 songs that feel like History Lesson Part II

Matched to History Lesson Part II by Minutemen on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

History Lesson Part II
The song you love
History Lesson Part II
Minutemen
moderate 23/100 intensity 112 BPM
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So We Won't Forget — Khruangbin safe 105 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (22/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (105 BPM).

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Chicago (That Toddlin' Town) — Frank Sinatra safe 120 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (23/100). Same smooth texture.

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Think It Over — Buddy Holly safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same warm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (23/100). Measured 98% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

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What a Fool Believes — The Doobie Brothers safe 100 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (22/100). Same smooth texture.

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Só Danço Samba — Antônio Carlos Jobim safe 96 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100).

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The Lady Don't Mind — Talking Heads safe 95 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Same smooth texture.

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Ode to Joy — Wilco safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same warm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Measured 97% alike.

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What Do I Know? — Ed Sheeran safe 92 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Same smooth texture.

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Give Me One Reason — Tracy Chapman safe 92 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100).

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Passionfruit — Drake safe 110 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (22/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when History Lesson Part II is more than you want right now.

The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Girl from Ipanema — Antonio Carlos Jobim safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 19/100, down from 23. Nearly the same tempo, too.

I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) by Hall and Oates
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) — Hall and Oates safe 100 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 31/100 — the pull without the edge.

What a Fool Believes by The Doobie Brothers
What a Fool Believes — The Doobie Brothers safe 100 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 22/100.

Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega
Tom's Diner — Suzanne Vega safe 100 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 36/100, versus the original's 23.

Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton
Here You Come Again — Dolly Parton safe 110 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 37/100, down from 23. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Vienna by Billy Joel
Vienna — Billy Joel safe 112 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 29/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Close to Me by Ellie Goulding, Swae Lee, Diplo
Close to Me — Ellie Goulding, Swae Lee, Diplo 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 27/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Say You'll Be There by Spice Girls
Say You'll Be There — Spice Girls safe 110 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 33/100, versus the original's 23. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “History Lesson Part II” by Minutemen?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “So We Won't Forget” by Khruangbin, “Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)” by Frank Sinatra, “Think It Over” by Buddy Holly — 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 “History Lesson Part II” but calmer?

“The Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim, “I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)” by Hall and Oates, “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “History Lesson Part II”?

It measures 23/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 112 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 85% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 23/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. 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 88% 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

Sleep9/10
Focus10/10
Workout1/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype3/10

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

1984 in context

The 222 songs we’ve measured from 1984 average a dynamic range of 6.7/10. At 5/10, 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

Intensity23
Dynamics44
Tempo40
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load0

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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