← Back to Numbness

10 songs that feel like Numbness

Matched to Numbness by The Verve on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Numbness
The song you love
Numbness
The Verve
moderate 51/100 intensity 95 BPM
♪
Welcome to the Machine — Pink Floyd moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same spacious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

♪
OX4 — Ride moderate 95 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Diving Woman — Japanese Breakfast moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same spacious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

♪
Tenere Taqqim Tossam — Tinariwen moderate 85 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Walking in My Shoes — Depeche Mode moderate 95 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

♪
Da Art of Storytellin' Pt. 1 — Outkast moderate 92 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Pieces of a Man — Gil Scott-Heron moderate 90 BPM

Keeps the same heavy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

♪
Voices — Sturgill Simpson moderate 85 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

♪
Chet Boghassa — Tinariwen moderate 95 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same spacious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

♪
Daydreaming — Massive Attack moderate 95 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Numbness is more than you want right now.

Horizon by Tycho
Horizon — Tycho 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 51. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — Arctic Monkeys safe 85 BPM

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.

♪
He Doesn't Know Why — Fleet Foxes safe 72 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.

Islands by Philip Glass
Islands — Philip Glass safe 72 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 13/100, versus the original's 51.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 12/100, down from 51.

The Man in Black by Johnny Cash
The Man in Black — Johnny Cash safe 88 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 32/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 28/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Atmosphere by Joy Division
Atmosphere — Joy Division safe 102 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 25/100, versus the original's 51. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Numbness” by The Verve?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Welcome to the Machine” by Pink Floyd, “OX4” by Ride, “Diving Woman” by Japanese Breakfast — 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 “Numbness” but calmer?

“Horizon” by Tycho, “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino” by Arctic Monkeys, “He Doesn't Know Why” by Fleet Foxes keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Numbness”?

It measures 51/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 95 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 66% of songs, calmer than the other 34%. Its intensity reading of 51/100 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 66% 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.

2008 in context

The 259 songs we’ve measured from 2008 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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

Intensity51
Dynamics67
Tempo31
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load25

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

Find its sonic twin →
Share on X
Check another song →