Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds lives in the middle ground — 21 moderate songs that balance intensity with control. 15 quiet anchors and 8 songs where they let go completely.

The character of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Across the 44 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds songs we've measured, intensity averages 39/100 — calmer than the typical song we measure (46/100).

They run from Into My Arms (the calmest here, 11) to Distant Sky (the most charged, 89), with layered textures most common and a mix of the expected and the surprising. It spans 1988–2024.

The widest dynamic swing belongs to The Mercy Seat.

5.6
Avg Intensity
44
Songs Decoded
0
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The songs that hit hardest

The controlled burn

Deanna moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1988
Straight to You moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1992
Do You Love Me moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1994
Henry Lee moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1996
Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 2001
God Is in the House moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2001
Hiding All Away moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 2004
Nature Boy moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2004
Midnight Man moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 2008
Jubilee Street moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 2013
Anthrocene moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 6 · 2016
Girl in Amber moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 5 · 2016
Magneto moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2016
Rings of Saturn moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 5 · 2016
Galleon Ship moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2019
Ghosteen Speaks moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2019
Hollywood moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2019
Frogs moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7 · 2024
Joy moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2024
Long Dark Night moderate
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2024
Song of the Lake moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2024

The quiet ones

The Ship Song safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 6 · 1990
Far From Me safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 1997
Into My Arms safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3 · 1997
Lime Tree Arbour safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 1997
Love Letter safe
smooth texture · mild changes · DR 4 · 1997
People Ain't No Good safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 1997
As I Sat Sadly by Her Side safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2001
We No Who U R safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3 · 2012
Mermaids safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2013
Push the Sky Away safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2013
I Need You safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3 · 2016
Bright Horses safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2019
Ghosteen safe
smooth texture · mild changes · DR 3 · 2019
Spinning Song safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 4 · 2019
Waiting for You safe
smooth texture · none changes · DR 3 · 2019

Frequently asked about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Answered from our measurements of every song above.

What is the most intense Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song?

Of the 44 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds songs we've measured, “Distant Sky” scores highest at 89/100 for intensity — computed from its dynamic range, texture, sudden changes and tempo.

What is the calmest Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song?

“Into My Arms” measures gentlest at 11/100. It runs 72 BPM. The songs here span 11–89 on our 0–100 intensity scale.

How intense is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds overall?

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds averages 39/100 intensity across 44 measured songs — calmer than the 46/100 catalog average.

What is the average tempo of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?

The Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds songs we've measured average about 90 BPM — midtempo.

Which Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds songs are calm enough for background listening?

These measure in our gentlest band (steady level, no sudden shifts): “Into My Arms”, “I Need You”, “Waiting for You”, “We No Who U R”.

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