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10 songs that feel like Evil

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

The song you love
Evil
Howlin' Wolf
intense 75/100 intensity 120 BPM
I Need Somebody — Iggy & The Stooges intense 120 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same intense pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (75/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Cowboys — Portishead intense 85 BPM

85% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 63/100.

Mutual Core — Björk intense 120 BPM

Keeps the same emotional pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Measured 90% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Over the Wall — Echo & the Bunnymen moderate 128 BPM

Measures 80% the same. It sits a little calmer at 61/100.

Up Jumped the Devil — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds intense 140 BPM

A 80% feel-match — carries the same menacing pull and sits a little calmer at 65/100.

Zero the Hero — Black Sabbath intense 145 BPM

80% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 66/100.

Requiem in D Minor, K. 626 — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart intense 120 BPM

Keeps the same emotional pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (73/100). Measured 88% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

Screwdriver — The White Stripes intense 142 BPM

Measures 92% the same. It runs a little hotter at 81/100. Same harsh texture.

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground — The White Stripes intense 144 BPM

A 92% feel-match — carries the same intense pull and runs a little hotter at 81/100.

Oh, the Guilt — Nirvana intense 145 BPM

92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 81/100. Same harsh texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Warrior — Steve Earle moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Intensity 49/100, down from 75. Nearly the same tempo, too.

I Put a Spell on You — The Animals moderate 120 BPM

It trades the harsher texture for something layered, so it lands at 53/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

I Put a Spell on You — Creedence Clearwater Revival moderate 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Reads 49/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Violin Concerto in D Minor — Jean Sibelius moderate 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it trades the harsher texture for something layered. 63/100, versus the original's 75. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Si pel ciel — Giuseppe Verdi moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Intensity 53/100, down from 75. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Pain by Jimmy Eat World
Pain — Jimmy Eat World moderate 120 BPM

It trades the harsher texture for something layered, so it lands at 53/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Tango Apasionado by Astor Piazzolla
Tango Apasionado — Astor Piazzolla moderate 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Reads 50/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Stimela by Hugh Masekela
Stimela — Hugh Masekela moderate 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while it trades the harsher texture for something layered. 53/100, versus the original's 75. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Evil” by Howlin' Wolf?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “I Need Somebody” by Iggy & The Stooges, “Cowboys” by Portishead, “Mutual Core” by Björk — 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 “Evil” but calmer?

“Warrior” by Steve Earle, “I Put a Spell on You” by The Animals, “I Put a Spell on You” by Creedence Clearwater Revival keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Evil”?

It measures 75/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, harsh texture, moderate 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

This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 92% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 75/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, harsh texture, moderate 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 92% 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

Sleep0/10
Focus2/10
Workout8/10
Dinner5/10
Party / hype8/10

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

1954 in context

The 33 songs we’ve measured from 1954 average a dynamic range of 5.8/10. At 7/10, 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

Intensity75
Dynamics67
Tempo44
Surprise50
Density85
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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