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10 songs that feel like That Was Your Mother
Matched to That Was Your Mother by Paul Simon on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100).
99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (128 BPM).
Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
A 93% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100).
92% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same nostalgic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (140 BPM).
Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100). Same layered texture.
A 90% feel-match — carries the same nostalgic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (39/100).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when That Was Your Mother is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 27/100, down from 44.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 39/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 43/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 30/100, versus the original's 44. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 19/100, down from 44.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 26/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
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 17/100.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 38/100, versus the original's 44. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “That Was Your Mother” by Paul Simon?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Parklife” by Blur, “All Under One Roof Raving” by Jamie xx, “Girl” by Jamie xx — the top match scores 95% 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 “That Was Your Mother” but calmer?
“Mozambique” by Bob Dylan, “Little Ghost” by The White Stripes, “Sugar Magnolia” by Grateful Dead keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “That Was Your Mother”?
It measures 44/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and spoken word. Tempo is 135 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 41% of songs, calmer than the other 59%. Its intensity reading of 44/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and spoken word. 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 a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 89% 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
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1986 in context
The 223 songs we’ve measured from 1986 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 6/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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