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10 songs that feel like Josie

Matched to Josie by Steely Dan 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
Josie
Steely Dan
moderate 39/100 intensity 100 BPM
Cornelia Street — Taylor Swift moderate 100 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

The Lady — Hugh Masekela moderate 100 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Communication — Spandau Ballet moderate 100 BPM

Keeps the same intimate pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

You Know I Love You Don't You — Howard Jones moderate 100 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Luxury Liner — Emmylou Harris moderate 100 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

Tuareg — Gal Costa moderate 95 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Palette — IU moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same intimate pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

21 Questions — 50 Cent moderate 92 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Take a Bow — Madonna moderate 92 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).

Funeral — Phoebe Bridgers moderate 90 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (38/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Future Days — Pearl Jam safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Work Song by Hozier
Work Song — Hozier safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Fifteen by Taylor Swift
Fifteen — Taylor Swift safe 96 BPM

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

Begin Again by Taylor Swift
Begin Again — Taylor Swift safe 95 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 24/100, versus the original's 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Delicate by Taylor Swift
Delicate — Taylor Swift safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 29/100, down from 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The 1 by Taylor Swift
The 1 — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Golden Slumbers — The Beatles safe 71 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 33/100.

Ours — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 30/100, versus the original's 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Josie” by Steely Dan?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Cornelia Street” by Taylor Swift, “The Lady” by Hugh Masekela, “Communication” by Spandau Ballet — 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 “Josie” but calmer?

“Future Days” by Pearl Jam, “Work Song” by Hozier, “Fifteen” by Taylor Swift keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Josie”?

It measures 39/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 100 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 32% of songs, calmer than the other 68%. Its intensity reading of 39/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft 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

Sleep6/10
Focus10/10
Workout2/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

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

1977 in context

The 226 songs we’ve measured from 1977 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity39
Dynamics56
Tempo33
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force25
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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