← Back to Start Me Up

10 songs that feel like Start Me Up

Matched to Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Start Me Up
The song you love
Start Me Up
The Rolling Stones
moderate 59/100 intensity 123 BPM
♪
1969 — The Stooges intense 128 BPM

A 90% feel-match — carries the same energetic pull and runs a little hotter at 66/100. Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).

♪
Stupid Love — Lady Gaga moderate 123 BPM

81% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 44/100.

♪
Waterloo — ABBA safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same joyful pull — sits a little calmer at 44/100. Measured 81% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (120 BPM).

♪
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours — Stevie Wonder intense 95 BPM

Measures 81% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (60/100).

♪
Born This Way — Lady Gaga moderate 124 BPM

A 81% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and sits a little calmer at 48/100. Nearly the same tempo, too (124 BPM).

♪
Baila Esta Cumbia — Selena moderate 115 BPM

81% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it sits a little calmer at 43/100.

♪
Sure Shot — Beastie Boys moderate 102 BPM

Keeps the same joyful pull — sits a little calmer at 42/100. Measured 80% alike.

♪
Rock Your Body — Justin Timberlake moderate 100 BPM

Measures 80% the same. It sits a little calmer at 42/100.

♪
Stuntin' Like My Daddy — Lil Wayne moderate 100 BPM

A 80% feel-match — carries the same joyful pull and sits a little calmer at 42/100.

♪
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag — James Brown moderate 130 BPM

80% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100).

…and if you want it calmer

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

I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
I Wanna Dance with Somebody — Whitney Houston safe 119 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Intensity 40/100, down from 59. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Less I Know the Better by Tame Impala
The Less I Know the Better — Tame Impala safe 116 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 29/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Changes by David Bowie
Changes — David Bowie safe 124 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it trades the harsher texture for something smooth. Reads 27/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Let's Dance by David Bowie
Let's Dance — David Bowie safe 115 BPM

Holds the same feel while it trades the harsher texture for something smooth. 38/100, versus the original's 59. Nearly the same tempo, too.

9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
9 to 5 — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 42/100, down from 59. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Two Doors Down by Dolly Parton
Two Doors Down — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 36/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That by Dolly Parton
Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That — Dolly Parton safe 120 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it trades the harsher texture for something layered. Reads 45/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Come Fly with Me by Frank Sinatra
Come Fly with Me — Frank Sinatra safe 110 BPM

Holds the same feel while it trades the harsher texture for something smooth. 34/100, versus the original's 59.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “1969” by The Stooges, “Stupid Love” by Lady Gaga, “Waterloo” by ABBA — the top match scores 90% 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 “Start Me Up” but calmer?

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala, “Changes” by David Bowie keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Start Me Up”?

It measures 59/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, harsh texture, no sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 123 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 77% of songs, calmer than the other 23%. Its intensity reading of 59/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, harsh texture, no sudden 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 fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 81% 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.

Dial the feeling up or down

Same feeling, calmer: Stupid Love — Lady Gaga
Same feeling, bigger: White Riot — The Clash

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout7/10
Dinner6/10
Party / hype6/10

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

1981 in context

The 194 songs we’ve measured from 1981 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 7/10, 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

Intensity59
Dynamics67
Tempo46
Surprise0
Density85
Predictability0
Vocal force75
Trigger load0

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 →