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10 songs that feel like Straight Up and Down
Matched to Straight Up and Down by Eric Dolphy on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (65/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same intense pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (65/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).
Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same complex texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same intense pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (62/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).
93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (67/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same intense pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (66/100). Measured 98% alike.
Measures 90% the same. It runs a little hotter at 73/100. Same complex texture.
A 91% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (66/100).
88% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 76/100. Same complex texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Straight Up and Down is more than you want right now.
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 65.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 49/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it eases off just enough to take the edge off. Reads 60/100.
Holds the same feel while it eases off just enough to take the edge off. 64/100, versus the original's 65.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it eases off just enough to take the edge off. Intensity 60/100, down from 65.
It eases off just enough to take the edge off, so it lands at 60/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it measures markedly calmer overall. Reads 49/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 38/100, versus the original's 65.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Straight Up and Down” by Eric Dolphy?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Round Trip” by Ornette Coleman, “Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two” by King Crimson, “Up 'Gainst the Wall” by John Coltrane — 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 “Straight Up and Down” but calmer?
“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Hateful” by The Clash, “Monkey Gone to Heaven” by Pixies keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Straight Up and Down”?
It measures 65/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 8/10, complex texture, moderate sudden shifts, and instrumental. Tempo is 140 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 85% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 65/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, complex texture, moderate shifts, and instrumental. 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 90% 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1964 in context
The 132 songs we’ve measured from 1964 average a dynamic range of 6.1/10. 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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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