10 songs that feel like Lithium
Matched to Lithium by Nirvana on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (65/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (110 BPM).
96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (64/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (69/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (116 BPM).
Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Same complex texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (70/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (123 BPM).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (71/100). Same complex texture.
Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (68/100). Measured 95% alike.
Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (71/100). Same complex texture.
A 92% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and runs a little hotter at 73/100. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).
93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (67/100). Same complex texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Lithium is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 45/100, down from 66.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 37/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 28/100.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 37/100, versus the original's 66.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 24/100, down from 66.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 29/100 — the pull without the edge.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 24/100.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 22/100, versus the original's 66.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Lithium” by Nirvana?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Money” by Pink Floyd, “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica — 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 “Lithium” but calmer?
“If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” by Sting, “yellow is the color of her eyes” by Soccer Mommy, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Lithium”?
It measures 66/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, complex texture, moderate sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 117 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 87% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 66/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, complex 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 87% 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1991 in context
The 266 songs we’ve measured from 1991 average a dynamic range of 6.8/10. At 7/10, 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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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