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10 songs that feel like Samson and Delilah

Matched to Samson and Delilah by Grateful Dead on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
Samson and Delilah
Grateful Dead
moderate 53/100 intensity 120 BPM
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People Have the Power — Patti Smith moderate 128 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same uplifting pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

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Underdog — Sly and the Family Stone moderate 110 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

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Revolution Rock — The Clash moderate 135 BPM

Keeps the same uplifting pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 97% alike.

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Gold — Prince moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

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ST 100/6 — Big Star moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same uplifting pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

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Don't Knock My Love — Wilson Pickett moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

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Soul Dance Number Three — Wilson Pickett moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same uplifting pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

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Soul Man — Sam and Dave moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

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Holdin On — Sam and Dave moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same uplifting pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

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Talk to the Man — Sam and Dave moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Friday I'm In Love by The Cure
Friday I'm In Love — The Cure safe 135 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 34/100, down from 53.

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Stand — R.E.M. safe 106 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 40/100 — the pull without the edge.

Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.
Shiny Happy People — R.E.M. safe 135 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 42/100.

Holiday by Vampire Weekend
Holiday — Vampire Weekend safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 45/100, versus the original's 53. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Ramblin' Fever by Merle Haggard
Ramblin' Fever — Merle Haggard safe 115 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 31/100, down from 53. Nearly the same tempo, too.

This Time I Know It's for Real by Donna Summer
This Time I Know It's for Real — Donna Summer safe 118 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 41/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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When Tomorrow Comes — Eurythmics safe 117 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. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Roanoke by Bill Monroe
Roanoke — Bill Monroe safe 128 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 18/100, versus the original's 53. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Samson and Delilah” by Grateful Dead?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “People Have the Power” by Patti Smith, “Underdog” by Sly and the Family Stone, “Revolution Rock” by The Clash — the top match scores 98% 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 “Samson and Delilah” but calmer?

“Friday I'm In Love” by The Cure, “Stand” by R.E.M., “Shiny Happy People” 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 “Samson and Delilah”?

It measures 53/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 120 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 69% of songs, calmer than the other 31%. Its intensity reading of 53/100 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 69% 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
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10

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

1977 in context

The 226 songs we’ve measured from 1977 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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

Intensity53
Dynamics67
Tempo44
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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