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10 songs that feel like Icky Thump

Matched to Icky Thump by The White Stripes on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Icky Thump
The song you love
Icky Thump
The White Stripes
intense 69/100 intensity 140 BPM
On Sight — Kanye West intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Is She Weird — Pixies intense 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

Dance on a Volcano — Genesis intense 140 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Super Stupid — Funkadelic intense 140 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

Best Clockmaker on Mars — Sturgill Simpson intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Third Uncle — Brian Eno intense 142 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Same layered texture.

Pretty Visitors — Arctic Monkeys intense 145 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (145 BPM).

One Hot Minute — Red Hot Chili Peppers intense 145 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Same layered texture.

Not That Funny — Fleetwood Mac intense 140 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Institutionalized — Kendrick Lamar intense 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Relax — Frankie Goes to Hollywood moderate 130 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it eases off just enough to take the edge off. Intensity 70/100, down from 69. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Got Nuffin by Spoon
Got Nuffin — Spoon moderate 126 BPM

It measures markedly calmer overall, so it lands at 53/100 — the pull without the edge.

The Heinrich Maneuver — Interpol moderate 126 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it measures markedly calmer overall. Reads 53/100.

Abacab — Genesis moderate 136 BPM

Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 61/100, versus the original's 69. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Be Afraid by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Be Afraid — Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit moderate 135 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it measures markedly calmer overall. Intensity 54/100, down from 69. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Stay in Your Grave by The Black Keys feat. Alice Cooper
Stay in Your Grave — The Black Keys feat. Alice Cooper moderate 128 BPM

It measures markedly calmer overall, so it lands at 54/100 — the pull without the edge.

The Wicker Man by Iron Maiden
The Wicker Man — Iron Maiden moderate 140 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it eases off just enough to take the edge off. Reads 62/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sanctuary by Iron Maiden
Sanctuary — Iron Maiden moderate 130 BPM

Holds the same feel while it measures markedly calmer overall. 51/100, versus the original's 69. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Icky Thump” by The White Stripes?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “On Sight” by Kanye West, “Is She Weird” by Pixies, “Dance on a Volcano” by Genesis — 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 “Icky Thump” but calmer?

“Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Got Nuffin” by Spoon, “The Heinrich Maneuver” by Interpol keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Icky Thump”?

It measures 69/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 140 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 89% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 69/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered 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 a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 90% 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 / hype7/10

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

2007 in context

The 311 songs we’ve measured from 2007 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 8/10, 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

Intensity69
Dynamics78
Tempo56
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability100
Vocal force75
Trigger load13

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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