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10 songs that feel like Bodhisattva

Matched to Bodhisattva 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
Bodhisattva
Steely Dan
moderate 49/100 intensity 120 BPM
Always Asking Questions — Howard Jones moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Polar Opposites — Modest Mouse moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Unthought Known — Pearl Jam moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Question...? — Taylor Swift moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Tango Whiskeyman — Can moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

I Nearly Married a Human — Gary Numan moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Thanks a Lot — Third Eye Blind moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Was It You — Spoon moderate 120 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Man from the Magazine — Haim moderate 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

TV in the Gas Pump — Wednesday moderate 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

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

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 49. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Kind of Blue — Miles Davis safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 22/100 — the pull without the edge.

Monday Morning by Fleetwood Mac
Monday Morning — Fleetwood Mac 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 41/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Seigfried by Frank Ocean
Seigfried — Frank Ocean safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 33/100, versus the original's 49. Nearly the same tempo, too.

People's Parties by Joni Mitchell
People's Parties — Joni Mitchell safe 110 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 24/100, down from 49. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Man on the Moon by R.E.M.
Man on the Moon — R.E.M. safe 115 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.

New Test Leper by R.E.M.
New Test Leper — R.E.M. 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.

Meeting Across the River by Bruce Springsteen
Meeting Across the River — Bruce Springsteen safe 110 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. 15/100, versus the original's 49. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Bodhisattva” by Steely Dan?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Always Asking Questions” by Howard Jones, “Polar Opposites” by Modest Mouse, “Unthought Known” by Pearl Jam — 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 “Bodhisattva” but calmer?

“It's Too Late” by Carole King, “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, “Monday Morning” by Fleetwood Mac keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Bodhisattva”?

It measures 49/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic 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 55% of songs, calmer than the other 45%. Its intensity reading of 49/100 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

Sleep4/10
Focus7/10
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype5/10

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

1975 in context

The 249 songs we’ve measured from 1975 average a dynamic range of 6.2/10. 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

Intensity49
Dynamics56
Tempo44
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
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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