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10 songs that feel like Schizophrenia

Matched to Schizophrenia by Sonic Youth 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
Schizophrenia
Sonic Youth
intense 70/100 intensity 142 BPM
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Institutionalized — Kendrick Lamar intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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Third Uncle — Brian Eno intense 142 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Same layered texture.

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Not That Funny — Fleetwood Mac intense 140 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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On Sight — Kanye West intense 140 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

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Is She Weird — Pixies intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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Icky Thump — The White Stripes intense 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

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Dance on a Volcano — Genesis intense 140 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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Super Stupid — Funkadelic intense 140 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

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Best Clockmaker on Mars — Sturgill Simpson intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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Pretty Visitors — Arctic Monkeys intense 145 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

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Ohio — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young moderate 128 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. Intensity 50/100, down from 70.

Actor Out of Work by St. Vincent
Actor Out of Work — St. Vincent moderate 126 BPM

It measures markedly calmer overall, so it lands at 60/100 — the pull without the edge.

Everything Counts by Depeche Mode
Everything Counts — Depeche Mode moderate 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. Reads 49/100.

Ready to Start by Arcade Fire
Ready to Start — Arcade Fire moderate 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 60/100, versus the original's 70.

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Red Right Hand — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds moderate 114 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. Intensity 49/100, down from 70.

When the Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys
When the Sun Goes Down — Arctic Monkeys moderate 168 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 53/100 — the pull without the edge.

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Revolutionary Generation — Public Enemy moderate 95 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it measures markedly calmer overall. Reads 51/100.

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Black Thighs — The Last Poets moderate 85 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. 40/100, versus the original's 70.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Schizophrenia” by Sonic Youth?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Institutionalized” by Kendrick Lamar, “Third Uncle” by Brian Eno, “Not That Funny” by Fleetwood Mac — 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 “Schizophrenia” but calmer?

“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Actor Out of Work” by St. Vincent, “Everything Counts” by Depeche Mode keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Schizophrenia”?

It measures 70/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 142 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 is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 90% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 70/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 93% 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

Sleep0/10
Focus2/10
Workout8/10
Dinner5/10
Party / hype7/10

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

1987 in context

The 205 songs we’ve measured from 1987 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 8/10, 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

Intensity70
Dynamics78
Tempo57
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability100
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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