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10 songs that feel like Bad Sneakers

Matched to Bad Sneakers by Steely Dan 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
Bad Sneakers
Steely Dan
moderate 41/100 intensity 120 BPM
For Love — Lush moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

September — The Shins moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

Grand Coulee Dam — Woody Guthrie moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Martha — Jefferson Airplane moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

Going Back — The Byrds moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Red and Blue Jeans — The Promise Ring moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

B Is for Bethlehem — The Promise Ring moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Forget Me — The Promise Ring moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

Deep South — The Promise Ring moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Working in a Goldmine — Aztec Camera moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

That's Not Me by The Beach Boys
That's Not Me — The Beach Boys safe 122 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 37/100, down from 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sampa by Caetano Veloso
Sampa — Caetano Veloso 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. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Nose on the Grindstone by Tyler Childers
Nose on the Grindstone — Tyler Childers safe 110 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 19/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Uncle John's Band — Grateful Dead safe 140 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 30/100, versus the original's 41.

The Tree of Forgiveness — John Prine safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 21/100, down from 41.

Volver a los 17 — Mercedes Sosa safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge.

It's Too Late by Carole King
It's Too Late — Carole King safe 126 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 24/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan
The Times They Are a-Changin' — Bob Dylan safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 27/100, versus the original's 41. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Bad Sneakers” by Steely Dan?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “For Love” by Lush, “September” by The Shins, “Grand Coulee Dam” by Woody Guthrie — 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 “Bad Sneakers” but calmer?

“That's Not Me” by The Beach Boys, “Sampa” by Caetano Veloso, “Nose on the Grindstone” by Tyler Childers keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Bad Sneakers”?

It measures 41/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 120 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, 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 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

Sleep6/10
Focus10/10
Workout5/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype5/10

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

1974 in context

The 176 songs we’ve measured from 1974 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

Intensity41
Dynamics56
Tempo44
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force25
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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