10 songs that feel like Sultans of Swing
Matched to Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 94% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Measured 94% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It runs a little hotter at 64/100. Same complex texture.
A 89% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same joyful pull — runs a little hotter at 64/100. Measured 92% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).
Measures 92% the same. It runs a little hotter at 66/100. Same complex texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same energetic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (59/100).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (61/100). Same complex texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Sultans of Swing is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 31/100, down from 58.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 40/100 — 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 27/100.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 42/100, versus the original's 58.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 36/100, down from 58.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 45/100 — 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 35/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 45/100, versus the original's 58.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Jikijela” by Miriam Makeba, “A Hazy Shade of Winter” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Dance of the Clairvoyants” by Pearl Jam — the top match scores 94% 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 “Sultans of Swing” but calmer?
“Jamming” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “Changes” by David Bowie keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Sultans of Swing”?
It measures 58/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, complex texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 148 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 77% of songs, calmer than the other 23%. Its intensity reading of 58/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, complex texture, mild 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 95% 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.
1978 in context
The 214 songs we’ve measured from 1978 average a dynamic range of 6.1/10. 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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