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10 songs that feel like Rikki Don't Lose That Number

Matched to Rikki Don't Lose That Number by Steely Dan 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
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Steely Dan
moderate 39/100 intensity 100 BPM
Cornelia Street — Taylor Swift moderate 100 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

Long Story Short — Taylor Swift moderate 100 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

How Many Lies — Spandau Ballet moderate 100 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

Luxury Liner — Emmylou Harris moderate 100 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Tape from California — Phil Ochs moderate 100 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

Burned — Buffalo Springfield moderate 100 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Release — Aztec Camera moderate 100 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (100 BPM).

English Rose — The Jam moderate 96 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Same layered texture.

Rose Parade — Elliott Smith moderate 95 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (95 BPM).

Brando — Lucy Dacus moderate 95 BPM

99% 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 Rikki Don't Lose That Number is more than you want right now.

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

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 20/100, down from 39.

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.

Merry Go 'Round by Kacey Musgraves
Merry Go 'Round — Kacey Musgraves safe 85 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 27/100.

Brenda's Got a Baby by 2Pac
Brenda's Got a Baby — 2Pac safe 92 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 28/100, versus the original's 39. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 36/100, down from 39.

The 1 by Taylor Swift
The 1 — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Male Fantasy by Billie Eilish
Male Fantasy — Billie Eilish safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 26/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Oh Daddy by Fleetwood Mac
Oh Daddy — Fleetwood Mac safe 120 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 23/100, versus the original's 39.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Rikki Don't Lose That Number” by Steely Dan?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Cornelia Street” by Taylor Swift, “Long Story Short” by Taylor Swift, “How Many Lies” by Spandau Ballet — 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 “Rikki Don't Lose That Number” but calmer?

“Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé, “Merry Go 'Round” by Kacey Musgraves keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Rikki Don't Lose That Number”?

It measures 39/100 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 32% of songs, calmer than the other 68%. Its intensity reading of 39/100 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 / hype3/10

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

1974 in context

The 176 songs we’ve measured from 1974 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. 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

Intensity39
Dynamics56
Tempo33
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force25
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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