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10 songs that feel like Ballad of a Thin Man
Matched to Ballad of a Thin Man by Bob Dylan on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 97% feel-match — carries the same eerie pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same eerie pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Measured 93% alike.
Measures 93% the same. It runs a little hotter at 60/100. Same layered texture.
A 92% feel-match — carries the same eerie pull and runs a little hotter at 53/100.
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 53/100. Same layered texture.
Keeps the same contemptuous pull — runs a little hotter at 62/100. Measured 86% alike.
Measures 90% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same reflective pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (96 BPM).
89% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 56/100. Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Ballad of a Thin Man is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 30/100, down from 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 27/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 18/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 20/100, versus the original's 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 47.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 28/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 27/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 28/100, versus the original's 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Ballad of a Thin Man” by Bob Dylan?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Group Four” by Massive Attack, “Morning Bell” by Radiohead, “Fake Palindromes” by Andrew Bird — the top match scores 97% 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 “Ballad of a Thin Man” but calmer?
“Xtal” by Aphex Twin, “Both Sides, Now” by Joni Mitchell, “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Ballad of a Thin Man”?
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 96 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 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1965 in context
The 133 songs we’ve measured from 1965 average a dynamic range of 5.9/10. 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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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