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10 songs that feel like Try Again

Matched to Try Again by Big Star 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
Try Again
Big Star
moderate 15/100 intensity 72 BPM
The Letters — Leonard Cohen moderate 72 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

The Weekend — SZA safe 72 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door — Bob Dylan moderate 72 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) — Neil Young moderate 72 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

Campaigner — Neil Young safe 72 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

Jezebel — Iron & Wine safe 72 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

Summer's End — John Prine moderate 72 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

The Ghost of Tom Joad — Bruce Springsteen moderate 70 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (70 BPM).

Sweetness Follows — R.E.M. safe 70 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

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

Both Sides, Now by Joni Mitchell
Both Sides, Now — Joni Mitchell safe 82 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 27/100, down from 15. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 12/100 — 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 it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 27/100.

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 23/100, versus the original's 15. Nearly the same tempo, too.

It's Good to Be King by Tom Petty
It's Good to Be King — Tom Petty safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 24/100, down from 15. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Everybody Hurts — R.E.M. safe 75 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 22/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Teardrops on My Guitar by Taylor Swift
Teardrops on My Guitar — Taylor Swift safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 20/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

White Horse by Taylor Swift
White Horse — Taylor Swift safe 80 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 23/100, versus the original's 15. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Try Again” by Big Star?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “The Letters” by Leonard Cohen, “The Weekend” by SZA, “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” by Bob Dylan — 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 “Try Again” but calmer?

“Both Sides, Now” by Joni Mitchell, “Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “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 “Try Again”?

It measures 15/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 4/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 72 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

This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 97% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 15/100 comes from a dynamic range of 4/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is deep calm: more extreme on that axis than 97% 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

Sleep10/10
Focus9/10
Workout0/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype0/10

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 4/10, 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

Intensity15
Dynamics33
Tempo18
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability0
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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