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10 songs that feel like Bottom of the World

Matched to Bottom of the World by Tom Waits on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Bottom of the World
The song you love
Bottom of the World
Tom Waits
moderate 42/100 intensity 85 BPM
Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn — The White Stripes moderate 85 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Dodger Blue — Kendrick Lamar moderate 95 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Same layered texture.

A Sorta Fairytale — Tori Amos moderate 92 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).

TURiSTA — Bad Bunny moderate 95 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Same layered texture.

Land Locked Blues — Bright Eyes moderate 85 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Rose in Paradise — Waylon Jennings moderate 70 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.

Suedehead — Morrissey moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Measured 94% alike.

Half Light I — Arcade Fire moderate 85 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Same layered texture.

Cosmia — Joanna Newsom moderate 85 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Secrets — The Weeknd moderate 88 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Bottom of the World is more than you want right now.

House Where Nobody Lives by Tom Waits
House Where Nobody Lives — Tom Waits safe 85 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 16/100, down from 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Furry Sings the Blues by Joni Mitchell
Furry Sings the Blues — Joni Mitchell safe 85 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Both Sides, Now by Joni Mitchell
Both Sides, Now — Joni Mitchell safe 82 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 27/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding safe 88 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 20/100, versus the original's 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sky's the Limit by The Notorious B.I.G.
Sky's the Limit — The Notorious B.I.G. safe 88 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 36/100, down from 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

It's Good to Be King by Tom Petty
It's Good to Be King — Tom Petty safe 80 BPM

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

Tangerine by Led Zeppelin
Tangerine — Led Zeppelin safe 78 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Million Years Ago by Adele
Million Years Ago — Adele safe 78 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 16/100, versus the original's 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Bottom of the World” by Tom Waits?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” by The White Stripes, “Dodger Blue” by Kendrick Lamar, “A Sorta Fairytale” by Tori Amos — 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 “Bottom of the World” but calmer?

“House Where Nobody Lives” by Tom Waits, “Furry Sings the Blues” by Joni Mitchell, “Both Sides, Now” by Joni Mitchell keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Bottom of the World”?

It measures 42/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 5/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 85 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 38% of songs, calmer than the other 62%. Its intensity reading of 42/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, 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 88% 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

Sleep5/10
Focus8/10
Workout3/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

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

2006 in context

The 252 songs we’ve measured from 2006 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 5/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity42
Dynamics44
Tempo25
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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