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10 songs that feel like Moonlight on the River

Matched to Moonlight on the River by Mac DeMarco on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Moonlight on the River
The song you love
Moonlight on the River
Mac DeMarco
moderate 36/100 intensity 100 BPM
Lust for Life — Lana Del Rey moderate 110 BPM

A 98% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100).

Fourth of July — Galaxie 500 moderate 110 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Same layered texture.

A Movie Script Ending — Death Cab for Cutie safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (34/100). Measured 94% alike.

Cut Here — The Cure moderate 124 BPM

Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (35/100). Same layered texture.

The Greatest — Lana Del Rey moderate 78 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (34/100).

10 Mile Stereo — Beach House safe 90 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (35/100). Same layered texture.

yellow is the color of her eyes — Soccer Mommy safe 110 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100). Measured 98% alike.

Tree by the River — Iron & Wine safe 110 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (33/100). Same layered texture.

The Sound of Settling — Death Cab for Cutie moderate 128 BPM

A 93% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100).

Born to Die — Lana Del Rey moderate 128 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Moonlight on the River is more than you want right now.

All of Our Yesterdays by Mac DeMarco
All of Our Yesterdays — Mac DeMarco safe 72 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 15/100, down from 36.

Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding safe 88 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge.

Sky's the Limit by The Notorious B.I.G.
Sky's the Limit — The Notorious B.I.G. safe 88 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 36/100.

Cornerstone — Arctic Monkeys safe 128 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 20/100, versus the original's 36.

House Where Nobody Lives by Tom Waits
House Where Nobody Lives — Tom Waits safe 85 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 16/100, down from 36.

Furry Sings the Blues by Joni Mitchell
Furry Sings the Blues — Joni Mitchell safe 85 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge.

There Goes My Miracle by Bruce Springsteen
There Goes My Miracle — Bruce Springsteen safe 110 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 26/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Electrolite — R.E.M. safe 92 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 17/100, versus the original's 36. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Moonlight on the River” by Mac DeMarco?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Lust for Life” by Lana Del Rey, “Fourth of July” by Galaxie 500, “A Movie Script Ending” by Death Cab for Cutie — the top match scores 98% 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 “Moonlight on the River” but calmer?

“All of Our Yesterdays” by Mac DeMarco, “Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “Sky's the Limit” by The Notorious B.I.G. keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Moonlight on the River”?

It measures 36/100 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 24% of songs, calmer than the other 76%. Its intensity reading of 36/100 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 / hype2/10

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

2017 in context

The 461 songs we’ve measured from 2017 average a dynamic range of 6.0/10. 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

Intensity36
Dynamics56
Tempo33
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load0

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

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