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10 songs that feel like Cities in Dust

Matched to Cities in Dust by Siouxsie and the Banshees on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Cities in Dust
The song you love
Cities in Dust
Siouxsie and the Banshees
moderate 49/100 intensity 120 BPM
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Ohio — Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young moderate 128 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

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A Means to an End — Joy Division moderate 116 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

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Hasta el Fin — Banda MS moderate 115 BPM

Keeps the same heavy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (115 BPM).

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Burn the Witch — Radiohead moderate 124 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

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Sweet Nothing — Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch moderate 126 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (126 BPM).

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Iron Man — Black Sabbath moderate 130 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

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Crying in the Club — Camila Cabello moderate 120 BPM

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

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You're Gonna Miss Me — 13th Floor Elevators intense 120 BPM

Measures 94% the same. It runs a little hotter at 60/100. Same layered texture.

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Keep the Customer Satisfied — Simon & Garfunkel moderate 115 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (115 BPM).

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Ndiaye — Youssou N'Dour moderate 115 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 Cities in Dust is more than you want right now.

The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan
The Times They Are a-Changin' — Bob Dylan safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 27/100, down from 49. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Jump by Madonna
Jump — Madonna safe 125 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 45/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

yellow is the color of her eyes by Soccer Mommy
yellow is the color of her eyes — Soccer Mommy safe 110 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 37/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 28/100, versus the original's 49.

If I Ever Lose My Faith in You by Sting
If I Ever Lose My Faith in You — Sting safe 102 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 45/100, down from 49.

I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty
I Won't Back Down — Tom Petty safe 100 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 25/100 — the pull without the edge.

Happy For You by Dua Lipa
Happy For You — Dua Lipa safe 95 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 29/100.

End of the Road by Boyz II Men
End of the Road — Boyz II Men safe 60 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 37/100, versus the original's 49.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Cities in Dust” by Siouxsie and the Banshees?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “A Means to an End” by Joy Division, “Hasta el Fin” by Banda MS — the top match scores 98% 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 “Cities in Dust” but calmer?

“The Times They Are a-Changin'” by Bob Dylan, “Jump” by Madonna, “yellow is the color of her eyes” by Soccer Mommy keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Cities in Dust”?

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.

1986 in context

The 223 songs we’ve measured from 1986 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 6/10, 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

Intensity49
Dynamics56
Tempo44
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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