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10 songs that feel like The Skills to Pay the Bills
Matched to The Skills to Pay the Bills by Beastie Boys 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 warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (102 BPM).
99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same warm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Measured 97% alike.
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same energetic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same energetic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same energetic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when The Skills to Pay the Bills is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 22/100, down from 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 36/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 38/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 31/100, versus the original's 41.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 19/100, down from 41.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 19/100 — the pull without the edge.
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.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 27/100, versus the original's 41.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “The Skills to Pay the Bills” by Beastie Boys?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest, “Keep Their Heads Ringin'” by Dr. Dre, “My Blood” by Twenty One Pilots — 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 Skills to Pay the Bills” but calmer?
“Riptide” by Vance Joy, “That's the Way It Is” by Celine Dion, “Kinky Reggae” by Bob Marley keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “The Skills to Pay the Bills”?
It measures 41/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, no sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 94 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 35% of songs, calmer than the other 65%. Its intensity reading of 41/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered 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 an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 79% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — 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.
1992 in context
The 233 songs we’ve measured from 1992 average a dynamic range of 6.7/10. At 6/10, this track is gentler and steadier 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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