10 songs that feel like Paper
Matched to Paper by Talking Heads on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 88% feel-match — carries the same paranoid pull and runs a little hotter at 58/100.
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same anxious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Measured 93% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same anxious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100).
89% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 57/100. Same layered texture.
Keeps the same anxious pull — runs a little hotter at 58/100. Measured 88% alike.
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100). Same layered texture.
A 90% feel-match — carries the same paranoid pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100).
91% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 55/100. Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Paper is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 33/100, down from 48. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 24/100 — 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 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 19/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 19/100, versus the original's 48. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 34/100, down from 48. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 12/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 24/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 28/100, versus the original's 48.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Paper” by Talking Heads?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Man of War” by Radiohead, “scared of my guitar” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Tunnel of Love” by Bruce Springsteen — the top match scores 88% 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 “Paper” but calmer?
“Seigfried” by Frank Ocean, “People's Parties” by Joni Mitchell, “Man on the Moon” by R.E.M. keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Paper”?
It measures 48/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 110 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 52% of songs, calmer than the other 48%. Its intensity reading of 48/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, 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 an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 79% 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.
1979 in context
The 245 songs we’ve measured from 1979 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 6/10, 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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