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10 songs that feel like Lampshades on Fire

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

Lampshades on Fire
The song you love
Lampshades on Fire
Modest Mouse
moderate 54/100 intensity 138 BPM
Country House — Blur moderate 131 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same cynical pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (131 BPM).

Animal Nitrate — Suede intense 120 BPM

88% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 64/100. Same layered texture.

Harmony in My Head — Buzzcocks moderate 120 BPM

Keeps the same cynical pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Measured 90% alike.

Man-Sized Wreath — R.E.M. moderate 138 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

Digital Witness — St. Vincent moderate 137 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (137 BPM).

GOD. — Kendrick Lamar moderate 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Same layered texture.

Running Free — Iron Maiden moderate 140 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Spanish Bombs — The Clash moderate 140 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (55/100). Same layered texture.

Revolution Rock — The Clash moderate 135 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (135 BPM).

You Were Right — Built to Spill moderate 135 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Changes by David Bowie
Changes — David Bowie safe 124 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 27/100, down from 54.

Hung Up by Madonna
Hung Up — Madonna safe 126 BPM

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

Give It 2 Me by Madonna
Give It 2 Me — Madonna safe 126 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 45/100.

Girl Gone Wild by Madonna
Girl Gone Wild — Madonna safe 128 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 36/100, versus the original's 54. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Jump by Madonna
Jump — Madonna safe 125 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 45/100, down from 54.

Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles
Good Day Sunshine — The Beatles safe 125 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 27/100 — the pull without the edge.

Cornerstone — Arctic Monkeys safe 128 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 20/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
I Wanna Dance with Somebody — Whitney Houston safe 119 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 40/100, versus the original's 54.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Lampshades on Fire” by Modest Mouse?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Country House” by Blur, “Animal Nitrate” by Suede, “Harmony in My Head” by Buzzcocks — 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 “Lampshades on Fire” but calmer?

“Changes” by David Bowie, “Hung Up” by Madonna, “Give It 2 Me” by Madonna keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Lampshades on Fire”?

It measures 54/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 138 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 74% of songs, calmer than the other 26%. Its intensity reading of 54/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, 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 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

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout7/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10

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

2015 in context

The 373 songs we’ve measured from 2015 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. 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

Intensity54
Dynamics67
Tempo54
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
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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