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10 songs that feel like Pennyroyal Tea

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

Pennyroyal Tea
The song you love
Pennyroyal Tea
Nirvana
moderate 27/100 intensity 90 BPM
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Summer, Highland Falls — Billy Joel safe 93 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (28/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (93 BPM).

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Pipes of Peace — Paul McCartney safe 94 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (28/100). Same smooth texture.

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Self Care — Mac Miller moderate 85 BPM

Keeps the same calm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

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Wolves Without Teeth — Of Monsters and Men moderate 80 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Same smooth texture.

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Easy — Camila Cabello moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

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We're Good — Dua Lipa safe 94 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (32/100). Same smooth texture.

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Misty Mountain Hop — Led Zeppelin moderate 83 BPM

Keeps the same calm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (31/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (83 BPM).

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making the bed — Olivia Rodrigo moderate 80 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (30/100). Same smooth texture.

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So Fly — Snoop Dogg safe 84 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (84 BPM).

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Fernando — ABBA safe 90 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Sæglópur by Sigur Rós
Sæglópur — Sigur Rós safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 31/100, down from 27. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Don't Know Why by Norah Jones
Don't Know Why — Norah Jones safe 84 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Fire and Rain by James Taylor
Fire and Rain — James Taylor safe 90 BPM

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. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised — Gil Scott-Heron safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 32/100, versus the original's 27. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Near Light by Ólafur Arnalds
Near Light — Ólafur Arnalds safe 75 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 21/100, down from 27.

Awake by Tycho
Awake — Tycho safe 80 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 26/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding safe 88 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 20/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Cherry Wine by Hozier
Cherry Wine — Hozier safe 80 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 20/100, versus the original's 27. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Pennyroyal Tea” by Nirvana?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Summer, Highland Falls” by Billy Joel, “Pipes of Peace” by Paul McCartney, “Self Care” by Mac Miller — 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 “Pennyroyal Tea” but calmer?

“Sæglópur” by Sigur Rós, “Don't Know Why” by Norah Jones, “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Pennyroyal Tea”?

It measures 27/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 90 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 83% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 27/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, 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 deep calm: more extreme on that axis than 83% 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

Sleep8/10
Focus10/10
Workout1/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype1/10

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

1993 in context

The 260 songs we’ve measured from 1993 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 6/10, 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

Intensity27
Dynamics56
Tempo28
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability50
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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