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10 songs that feel like Can't Get There from Here

Matched to Can't Get There from Here by R.E.M. on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Can't Get There from Here
The song you love
Can't Get There from Here
R.E.M.
moderate 50/100 intensity 126 BPM
Lily (My One and Only) — The Smashing Pumpkins moderate 127 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (127 BPM).

Distopian Dream Girl — Built to Spill moderate 140 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

Off to the Races — Lana Del Rey moderate 125 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (125 BPM).

Box Elder — Pavement moderate 145 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

Bad Connection — Yazoo moderate 118 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (118 BPM).

Telephone Call from Istanbul — Tom Waits moderate 128 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

The 13th — The Cure moderate 124 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (124 BPM).

Carolina — Harry Styles moderate 124 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

Stateside — PinkPantheress moderate 130 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (130 BPM).

Stereo — Pavement moderate 130 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Can't Get There from Here is more than you want right now.

Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.
Shiny Happy People — R.E.M. safe 135 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 42/100, down from 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard by Paul Simon
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard — Paul Simon safe 130 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 42/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Back in the U.S.A. by Chuck Berry
Back in the U.S.A. — Chuck Berry safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 35/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain — Traditional safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 19/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Friday I'm In Love by The Cure
Friday I'm In Love — The Cure safe 135 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 34/100, down from 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock
Cantaloupe Island — Herbie Hancock safe 105 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 30/100 — the pull without the edge.

22 by Taylor Swift
22 — Taylor Swift safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 39/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Monday Morning by Fleetwood Mac
Monday Morning — Fleetwood Mac safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 41/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Can't Get There from Here” by R.E.M.?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Lily (My One and Only)” by The Smashing Pumpkins, “Distopian Dream Girl” by Built to Spill, “Off to the Races” by Lana Del Rey — 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 “Can't Get There from Here” but calmer?

“Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M., “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon, “Back in the U.S.A.” by Chuck Berry keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Can't Get There from Here”?

It measures 50/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 126 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 62% of songs, calmer than the other 38%. Its intensity reading of 50/100 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 a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 83% 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.

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10

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

1985 in context

The 186 songs we’ve measured from 1985 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

Intensity50
Dynamics56
Tempo48
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load0

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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