10 songs that feel like Break It Up
Matched to Break It Up by Patti Smith on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (86/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).
97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (84/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same transcendent pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (88/100). Measured 93% alike.
Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (86/100). Same layered texture.
A 91% feel-match — carries the same transcendent pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (84/100).
89% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 91/100.
Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (89/100). Measured 94% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (80 BPM).
Measures 89% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (89/100).
A 91% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (85/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).
91% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 78/100. Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Break It Up is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it measures markedly calmer overall. Intensity 61/100, down from 85. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 30/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 52/100.
Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 52/100, versus the original's 85.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it measures markedly calmer overall. Intensity 65/100, down from 85. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 57/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 50/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. 58/100, versus the original's 85. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Break It Up” by Patti Smith?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins, “Posing for Cars” by Japanese Breakfast, “I Am the Resurrection” by The Stone Roses — 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 “Break It Up” but calmer?
“Sweet Heart Sweet Light” by Spiritualized, “Pagan Poetry” by Björk, “Hunger” by Florence and the Machine keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Break It Up”?
It measures 85/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, extreme 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
This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 97% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 85/100 comes from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, extreme shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 97% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — 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.
Dial the feeling up or down
What it’s good for
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 9/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than 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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