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10 songs that feel like The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
Matched to The Boy with the Thorn in His Side by The Smiths on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 98% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100).
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 39/100. Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (107 BPM).
Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same smooth texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (104 BPM).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).
Measures 94% the same. It sits a little calmer at 39/100. Same smooth texture.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same smooth texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when The Boy with the Thorn in His Side 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 27/100, down from 45. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 22/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
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 27/100.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. 27/100, versus the original's 45.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 8. Intensity 21/100, down from 45.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge.
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 38/100.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. 24/100, versus the original's 45.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” by The Smiths?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “I Don't Wanna Cry” by Mariah Carey, “Come Home The Kids Miss You” by Jack Harlow, “Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande — 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 “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” but calmer?
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police, “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers, “Circles” by Post Malone keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”?
It measures 45/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 8/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 108 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 42% of songs, calmer than the other 58%. Its intensity reading of 45/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, smooth texture, no sudden 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 a huge quiet-to-loud swing: more extreme on that axis than 80% 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.
Dial the feeling up or down
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1986 in context
The 223 songs we’ve measured from 1986 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. 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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