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10 songs that feel like Mad Rush

Matched to Mad Rush by Philip Glass 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
Mad Rush
Philip Glass
moderate 43/100 intensity 120 BPM
Sound and Vision — David Bowie moderate 120 BPM

A 87% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (38/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

New Year's Day — U2 safe 76 BPM

87% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

Sunbathing — Lush safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same serene pull — sits a little calmer at 36/100. Measured 86% alike.

Breeze — Lush safe 95 BPM

Measures 86% the same. It sits a little calmer at 36/100. Same layered texture.

Autumn Leaves — Bill Evans safe 160 BPM

A 83% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and sits a little calmer at 35/100.

Rue the Whirl — Boards of Canada moderate 90 BPM

83% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 26/100. Same layered texture.

Quiet Now — Bill Evans safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same serene pull — sits a little calmer at 28/100. Measured 83% alike.

Mallet Quartet — Steve Reich moderate 144 BPM

Measures 89% the same. It sits a little calmer at 34/100. Same layered texture.

Hurricane Eye — Paul Simon safe 92 BPM

A 85% feel-match — carries the same serene pull and sits a little calmer at 32/100.

Cathedral in a Suitcase — Pat Metheny safe 80 BPM

84% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 35/100. Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Überlin by R.E.M.
Überlin — R.E.M. safe 92 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 17/100, down from 43.

Neroli — Brian Eno safe

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 2 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 8/100 — the pull without the edge.

So I Could Find My Way by Enya
So I Could Find My Way — Enya safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 13/100.

Heaven by Depeche Mode
Heaven — Depeche Mode safe 100 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 18/100, versus the original's 43.

Ode to Joy — Wilco safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 21/100, down from 43.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 12/100 — the pull without the edge.

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — Arctic Monkeys safe 85 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 13/100.

Music for Airports 1/2 by Brian Eno
Music for Airports 1/2 — Brian Eno safe

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 2 where the original climbs to 6. 15/100, versus the original's 43.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Mad Rush” by Philip Glass?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Sound and Vision” by David Bowie, “New Year's Day” by U2, “Sunbathing” by Lush — the top match scores 87% 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 “Mad Rush” but calmer?

“Überlin” by R.E.M., “Neroli” by Brian Eno, “So I Could Find My Way” by Enya keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Mad Rush”?

It measures 43/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, moderate sudden shifts, and instrumental. 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

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 39% of songs, calmer than the other 61%. Its intensity reading of 43/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and instrumental. 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.

Dial the feeling up or down

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout6/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype5/10

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

1979 in context

The 245 songs we’ve measured from 1979 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

Intensity43
Dynamics56
Tempo44
Surprise50
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force0
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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