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10 songs that feel like Workin' Man Blues

Matched to Workin' Man Blues by Merle Haggard on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Workin' Man Blues
The song you love
Workin' Man Blues
Merle Haggard
moderate 47/100 intensity 135 BPM
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Wet Dreamz — J. Cole moderate 136 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same confident pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (136 BPM).

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I Decided — Solange moderate 122 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Same layered texture.

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Honey Bee — Muddy Waters moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same confident pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Measured 97% alike.

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Tesla Girls — Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark moderate 135 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Same layered texture.

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When You Were Mine — Prince moderate 136 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (136 BPM).

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Congratulations — Post Malone moderate 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100). Same layered texture.

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Why Can't I Touch It — Buzzcocks moderate 140 BPM

Keeps the same confident pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

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You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover — Bo Diddley moderate 140 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100). Same layered texture.

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Wild Reputation — AC/DC moderate 128 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same confident pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

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Pork and Beans — Weezer moderate 120 BPM

93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Workin' Man Blues is more than you want right now.

The Lady Is a Tramp by Frank Sinatra
The Lady Is a Tramp — Frank Sinatra safe 140 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 29/100, down from 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Love and Marriage by Frank Sinatra
Love and Marriage — Frank Sinatra safe 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 19/100 — the pull without the edge.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard by Paul Simon
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard — Paul Simon safe 130 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 42/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Kids Don't Stand a Chance by Vampire Weekend
The Kids Don't Stand a Chance — Vampire Weekend safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 45/100, versus the original's 47.

Walkin' the Boogie by John Lee Hooker
Walkin' the Boogie — John Lee Hooker safe 140 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 29/100, down from 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Back in the U.S.A. by Chuck Berry
Back in the U.S.A. — Chuck Berry safe 120 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 35/100 — the pull without the edge.

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Almost Grown — Chuck Berry safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 37/100.

Not Fade Away by Buddy Holly
Not Fade Away — Buddy Holly safe 135 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 29/100, versus the original's 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Workin' Man Blues” by Merle Haggard?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Wet Dreamz” by J. Cole, “I Decided” by Solange, “Honey Bee” by Muddy Waters — 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 “Workin' Man Blues” but calmer?

“The Lady Is a Tramp” by Frank Sinatra, “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Workin' Man Blues”?

It measures 47/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 135 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 49% of songs, calmer than the other 51%. Its intensity reading of 47/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild 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 fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 89% 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

Sleep4/10
Focus8/10
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype5/10

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

1969 in context

The 222 songs we’ve measured from 1969 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. 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

Intensity47
Dynamics56
Tempo53
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force75
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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