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10 songs that feel like Midnight Man

Matched to Midnight Man by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Midnight Man
The song you love
Midnight Man
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
moderate 54/100 intensity 128 BPM
She's the One — Bruce Springsteen moderate 128 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 (128 BPM).

What's the Frequency, Kenneth? — R.E.M. moderate 128 BPM

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

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

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

People Have the Power — Patti Smith moderate 128 BPM

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

Dancing Choose — TV on the Radio moderate 128 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 (128 BPM).

Elephant Stone — The Stone Roses moderate 128 BPM

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

Better Be Good to Me — Tina Turner moderate 128 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

Nutbush City Limits — Ike & Tina Turner moderate 128 BPM

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

Set the House Ablaze — The Jam moderate 130 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 (130 BPM).

Neighborhood #2 (Laïka) — Arcade Fire moderate 126 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (53/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Friday I'm In Love by The Cure
Friday I'm In Love — The Cure safe 135 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 34/100, down from 54. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Vicar in a Tutu — The Smiths safe 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 27/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Here Comes a Regular by The Replacements
Here Comes a Regular — The Replacements safe 120 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 7. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Darklands by The Jesus and Mary Chain
Darklands — The Jesus and Mary Chain safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 19/100, versus the original's 54. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Let's Stay Together by Al Green
Let's Stay Together — Al Green safe 123 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 24/100, down from 54. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken by Camera Obscura
Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken — Camera Obscura safe 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 23/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Girl from Ipanema by Stan Getz
The Girl from Ipanema — Stan Getz safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 23/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Ship Song — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds safe 108 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 34/100, versus the original's 54.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Midnight Man” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “She's the One” by Bruce Springsteen, “What's the Frequency, Kenneth?” by R.E.M., “Stay in Your Grave” by The Black Keys feat. Alice Cooper — 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 “Midnight Man” but calmer?

“Friday I'm In Love” by The Cure, “Vicar in a Tutu” by The Smiths, “Here Comes a Regular” by The Replacements keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Midnight Man”?

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 128 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 84% 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.

2008 in context

The 259 songs we’ve measured from 2008 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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

Intensity54
Dynamics67
Tempo49
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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