10 songs that feel like The Waiting
Matched to The Waiting by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same spacious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).
95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same spacious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Measured 98% alike.
Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same spacious pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100).
93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (45/100). Same layered texture.
Keeps the same spacious pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (54/100). Measured 96% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (93 BPM).
Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.
A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).
99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when The Waiting is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 25/100, down from 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 21/100 — 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 7. Reads 15/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 20/100, versus the original's 50. 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 7. Intensity 15/100, down from 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.
It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 37/100 — 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 7. Reads 21/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 15/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “The Waiting” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters, “Grown Ocean” by Fleet Foxes, “Walking on the Moon” by The Police — 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 “The Waiting” but calmer?
“Atmosphere” by Joy Division, “Plainsong” by The Cure, “Hours” by Tycho keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “The Waiting”?
It measures 50/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic 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 62% of songs, calmer than the other 38%. Its intensity reading of 50/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic 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 blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 62% 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.
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
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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