10 songs that feel like What It Takes
Matched to What It Takes by Aerosmith on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Measured 97% alike.
Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (35/100). Same smooth texture.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100).
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 31/100. Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same intimate pull — sits a little calmer at 30/100. Measured 92% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).
Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (34/100). Same smooth texture.
A 98% feel-match — carries the same feel and lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100).
91% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 29/100. Same smooth texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when What It Takes is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 8. Intensity 16/100, down from 38. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 19/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 8. Reads 14/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 8. 17/100, versus the original's 38. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. Intensity 30/100, down from 38. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 8, so it lands at 14/100 — 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 28/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 8. 24/100, versus the original's 38. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “What It Takes” by Aerosmith?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “When I'm Gone” by Eminem, “Feel” by Robbie Williams, “The Dance” by Garth Brooks — the top match scores 95% 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 “What It Takes” but calmer?
“Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, “Let Her Go” by Passenger, “Chega de Saudade” by Joao Gilberto keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “What It Takes”?
It measures 38/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 8/10, smooth texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 90 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 27% of songs, calmer than the other 73%. Its intensity reading of 38/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, smooth texture, mild shifts, and soft 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.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1989 in context
The 219 songs we’ve measured from 1989 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. 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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