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10 songs that feel like Wave

Matched to Wave by Patti Smith 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
Wave
Patti Smith
moderate 39/100 intensity 70 BPM
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Obvs — Jamie xx moderate 76 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same introspective pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (76 BPM).

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REVOFEV — Kid Cudi moderate 80 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

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Dirty Boulevard — Lou Reed moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 95% alike.

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River Cross — Pearl Jam moderate 70 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.

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Villanova Junction Blues — Jimi Hendrix moderate 70 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (70 BPM).

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Looking East — Jackson Browne moderate 70 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.

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One of These Days — Emmylou Harris moderate 70 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (70 BPM).

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Marat Sade — Judy Collins moderate 70 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.

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The Petrified Florist — Lambchop moderate 70 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (70 BPM).

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Watch the Sky — Phoebe Bridgers moderate 70 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin
Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 — Frédéric Chopin safe 60 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 25/100, down from 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 12/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Kiss the Rain by Yiruma
Kiss the Rain — Yiruma safe 60 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish
What Was I Made For — Billie Eilish safe 60 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 14/100, versus the original's 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Across the Universe by The Beatles
Across the Universe — The Beatles safe 69 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 27/100, down from 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Thumbing My Way by Pearl Jam
Thumbing My Way — Pearl Jam safe 80 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 23/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way by Led Zeppelin
That's the Way — Led Zeppelin safe 72 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 21/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — Arctic Monkeys safe 85 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. 13/100, versus the original's 39.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Wave” by Patti Smith?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Obvs” by Jamie xx, “REVOFEV” by Kid Cudi, “Dirty Boulevard” by Lou Reed — 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 “Wave” but calmer?

“Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2” by Frédéric Chopin, “Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “Kiss the Rain” by Yiruma keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Wave”?

It measures 39/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and spoken word. Tempo is 70 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 32% of songs, calmer than the other 68%. Its intensity reading of 39/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and spoken word. 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 slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 96% 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

Sleep4/10
Focus9/10
Workout2/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

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

1979 in context

The 245 songs we’ve measured from 1979 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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

Intensity39
Dynamics56
Tempo17
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force40
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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