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10 songs that feel like Mr. Grieves

Matched to Mr. Grieves by Pixies 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
Mr. Grieves
Pixies
intense 83/100 intensity 145 BPM
Fear of the Dawn — Jack White intense 160 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (84/100).

Question! — System of a Down intense 140 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (82/100). Same layered texture.

Endorphinmachine — Prince intense 124 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (81/100). Measured 96% alike.

Toxicity — System of a Down intense 155 BPM

Measures 98% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (84/100). Same layered texture.

Screaming for Vengeance — Judas Priest intense 140 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (78/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Ram It Down — Judas Priest intense 140 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (78/100). Same layered texture.

The Chase Is Better than the Catch — Motorhead intense 140 BPM

Keeps the same rebellious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (78/100). Measured 94% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).

Walk Idiot Walk — The Hives intense 130 BPM

Measures 93% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (78/100). Same layered texture.

Nightrain — Guns N' Roses intense 125 BPM

A 93% feel-match — carries the same rebellious pull and sits a little calmer at 77/100.

I Against I — Bad Brains intense 180 BPM

92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (82/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Relax — Frankie Goes to Hollywood moderate 130 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Intensity 70/100, down from 83.

Abacab — Genesis moderate 136 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 61/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Be Afraid by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Be Afraid — Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit moderate 135 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 54/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Wicker Man by Iron Maiden
The Wicker Man — Iron Maiden moderate 140 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. 62/100, versus the original's 83. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sanctuary by Iron Maiden
Sanctuary — Iron Maiden moderate 130 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. Intensity 51/100, down from 83.

Hurricane by Bob Dylan
Hurricane — Bob Dylan moderate 144 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9, so it lands at 55/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Vertigo — The Libertines moderate 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 6 where the original climbs to 9. Reads 49/100.

Peek-A-Boo! by Devo
Peek-A-Boo! — Devo moderate 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 7 where the original climbs to 9. 60/100, versus the original's 83.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Mr. Grieves” by Pixies?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Fear of the Dawn” by Jack White, “Question!” by System of a Down, “Endorphinmachine” by Prince — the top match scores 97% 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 “Mr. Grieves” but calmer?

“Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Abacab” by Genesis, “Be Afraid” by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Mr. Grieves”?

It measures 83/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, frequent sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 145 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 95% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 83/100 comes from a dynamic range of 9/10, layered texture, frequent 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 a huge quiet-to-loud swing: more extreme on that axis than 96% 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

Sleep0/10
Focus1/10
Workout9/10
Dinner4/10
Party / hype9/10

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

1989 in context

The 219 songs we’ve measured from 1989 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 9/10, 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

Intensity83
Dynamics89
Tempo58
Surprise75
Density33
Predictability100
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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