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10 songs that feel like Crosses

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

Crosses
The song you love
Crosses
José González
moderate 21/100 intensity 72 BPM
This Old Dog — Mac DeMarco safe 85 BPM

A 91% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (22/100).

Heaven — Talking Heads safe 80 BPM

89% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 12/100. Same smooth texture.

My Love, My Life — ABBA safe 68 BPM

Keeps the same serene pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (21/100). Measured 87% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (68 BPM).

The Lake — Antony and the Johnsons moderate 60 BPM

Measures 84% the same. It runs a little hotter at 28/100. Same smooth texture.

Everybody — Mac Miller moderate 60 BPM

A 84% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and sits a little calmer at 14/100.

Like an Angel Passing Through My Room — ABBA moderate 72 BPM

87% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 15/100. Same smooth texture.

Revelator — Gillian Welch moderate 72 BPM

Keeps the same serene pull — sits a little calmer at 15/100. Measured 87% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

Take This Longing — Leonard Cohen moderate 60 BPM

Measures 89% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (18/100). Same smooth texture.

Snowstorm — Galaxie 500 safe 60 BPM

A 87% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (20/100).

Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye — Ella Fitzgerald moderate 72 BPM

91% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 29/100. Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Water Shows the Hidden Heart by Enya
Water Shows the Hidden Heart — Enya safe 72 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 15/100, down from 21. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 12/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way by Led Zeppelin
That's the Way — Led Zeppelin safe 72 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 21/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Big Ship by Brian Eno
The Big Ship — Brian Eno safe 60 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 8/100, versus the original's 21.

This Old Dog — Mac DeMarco safe 85 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 22/100, down from 21.

Slow Cheetah by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Slow Cheetah — Red Hot Chili Peppers safe 70 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 15/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

On Your Shore by Enya
On Your Shore — Enya safe 60 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 10/100.

My Love, My Life by ABBA
My Love, My Life — ABBA safe 68 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 21/100, versus the original's 21. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Crosses” by José González?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “This Old Dog” by Mac DeMarco, “Heaven” by Talking Heads, “My Love, My Life” by ABBA — the top match scores 91% 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 “Crosses” but calmer?

“Water Shows the Hidden Heart” by Enya, “Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “That's the Way” by Led Zeppelin keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Crosses”?

It measures 21/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 4/10, smooth texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 72 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 87% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 21/100 comes from a dynamic range of 4/10, 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 97% 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

Sleep8/10
Focus9/10
Workout1/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype1/10

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

2003 in context

The 365 songs we’ve measured from 2003 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 4/10, 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

Intensity21
Dynamics33
Tempo18
Surprise25
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load50

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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