← Back to Pusherman

10 songs that feel like Pusherman

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

Pusherman
The song you love
Pusherman
Curtis Mayfield
moderate 36/100 intensity 92 BPM
Mad World — Tears for Fears moderate 92 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).

Someone Great — LCD Soundsystem moderate 95 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Same layered texture.

Pretty Pimpin — Kurt Vile moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

Closedown — The Cure moderate 85 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (35/100). Same layered texture.

Shirt — SZA moderate 85 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (31/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Team — Lorde moderate 90 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (35/100). Same layered texture.

Sunbathing — Lush safe 95 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

Breeze — Lush safe 95 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (36/100). Same layered texture.

Sound and Vision — David Bowie moderate 120 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (38/100).

Sad Lisa — Cat Stevens moderate 72 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (34/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

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

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 12/100, down from 36.

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 28/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Thumbing My Way by Pearl Jam
Thumbing My Way — Pearl Jam safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 23/100.

In My Secret Life — Leonard Cohen safe 82 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6. 12/100, versus the original's 36. Nearly the same tempo, too.

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen
You Want It Darker — Leonard Cohen safe 80 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.

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

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 17/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Future Proof — Massive Attack safe 80 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 12/100.

Butterfly Caught — Massive Attack safe 80 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 16/100, versus the original's 36.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Pusherman” by Curtis Mayfield?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Mad World” by Tears for Fears, “Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem, “Pretty Pimpin” by Kurt Vile — 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 “Pusherman” but calmer?

“Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé, “Thumbing My Way” by Pearl Jam keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Pusherman”?

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 92 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.

1972 in context

The 269 songs we’ve measured from 1972 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
Tempo29
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load25

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

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

Find its sonic twin →
Share on X
Check another song →