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10 songs that feel like No Surprises

Matched to No Surprises by Radiohead on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

No Surprises
The song you love
No Surprises
Radiohead
moderate 26/100 intensity 104 BPM
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Atmosphere — Joy Division safe 102 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (102 BPM).

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The Eternal — Joy Division safe 112 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (26/100). Same smooth texture.

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True Colors — Celine Dion safe 92 BPM

Keeps the same calm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Measured 98% alike.

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Timshel — Mumford & Sons safe 85 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (24/100). Same smooth texture.

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A Foggy Day — Frank Sinatra safe 100 BPM

A 96% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (22/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

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Under Control — The Strokes safe 108 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (26/100). Same smooth texture.

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When I Fall in Love — Celine Dion safe 100 BPM

Keeps the same calm pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

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Power Is Mine — Major Lazer safe 100 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Same smooth texture.

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I Won't Back Down — Tom Petty safe 100 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

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Light Speed — Dr. Dre moderate 81 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (24/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when No Surprises is more than you want right now.

Sæglópur by Sigur Rós
Sæglópur — Sigur Rós safe 90 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 31/100, down from 26.

Fire and Rain by James Taylor
Fire and Rain — James Taylor safe 90 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 21/100 — the pull without the edge.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised — Gil Scott-Heron safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 32/100.

Don't Know Why by Norah Jones
Don't Know Why — Norah Jones safe 84 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 20/100, versus the original's 26.

Near Light by Ólafur Arnalds
Near Light — Ólafur Arnalds safe 75 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 21/100, down from 26.

Awake by Tycho
Awake — Tycho safe 80 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 26/100 — the pull without the edge.

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

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 20/100.

Cherry Wine by Hozier
Cherry Wine — Hozier safe 80 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 20/100, versus the original's 26.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “No Surprises” by Radiohead?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Atmosphere” by Joy Division, “The Eternal” by Joy Division, “True Colors” by Celine Dion — 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 “No Surprises” but calmer?

“Sæglópur” by Sigur Rós, “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “No Surprises”?

It measures 26/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 104 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 sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 83% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 26/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is deep calm: more extreme on that axis than 83% 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

Sleep8/10
Focus10/10
Workout1/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype1/10

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

1997 in context

The 389 songs we’ve measured from 1997 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. 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

Intensity26
Dynamics56
Tempo36
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load0

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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