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10 songs that feel like Chains

Matched to Chains by Carole King on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Chains
The song you love
Chains
Carole King
moderate 29/100 intensity 120 BPM
Heartbeat — King Crimson safe 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (29/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Way Out West — Big Star moderate 110 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (32/100). Same smooth texture.

Sweet Jane — Lou Reed safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same warm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Hailie's Song — Eminem moderate 92 BPM

Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (31/100). Same smooth texture.

LOVE. — Kendrick Lamar safe 131 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (30/100).

Cattails — Big Thief safe 120 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (29/100). Same smooth texture.

Hello Sunshine — Bruce Springsteen safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same warm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (27/100). Measured 94% alike.

True Blue — boygenius safe 120 BPM

Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100). Same smooth texture.

Hometown Glory — Adele safe 124 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same warm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (124 BPM).

Sunblind — Fleet Foxes safe 110 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (32/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Send for Me by The National
Send for Me — The National safe 110 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 19/100, down from 29. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way the World Goes 'Round by John Prine
That's the Way the World Goes 'Round — John Prine safe 105 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 18/100 — the pull without the edge.

Forgiving You Was Easy by Willie Nelson
Forgiving You Was Easy — Willie Nelson safe 110 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 19/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

In a Little While — U2 safe 104 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 26/100, versus the original's 29.

The Tree of Forgiveness — John Prine safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 21/100, down from 29.

The Greatest by Cat Power
The Greatest — Cat Power safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 17/100 — the pull without the edge.

Best of My Love — Eagles safe 100 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 36/100.

I Don't Want to Live on the Moon — Sesame Street safe 100 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 18/100, versus the original's 29.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Chains” by Carole King?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Heartbeat” by King Crimson, “Way Out West” by Big Star, “Sweet Jane” by Lou Reed — 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 “Chains” but calmer?

“Send for Me” by The National, “That's the Way the World Goes 'Round” by John Prine, “Forgiving You Was Easy” by Willie Nelson keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Chains”?

It measures 29/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft 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

This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 81% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 29/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

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

Sleep7/10
Focus10/10
Workout4/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype4/10

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

1980 in context

The 257 songs we’ve measured from 1980 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. 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

Intensity29
Dynamics44
Tempo44
Surprise25
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load13

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

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