"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Allison" by Pixies. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: energetic, nostalgic. Visual style: early-1990s alternative aesthetic, weathered film grain. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Balanced energy, right in the middle of 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
145
BPM
Allison by Pixies is 145 BPM — Allegro (fast).
Half-time 73 BPM · Double-time 290 BPM · released 1990
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An abstract illustration of what this song feels like. Each image is built from a prompt — the text description fed to the image generator. Listeners submit their own prompts, upvote the ones that fit best, and the top-voted prompt drives the next regeneration. After 100 image votes, we make a new picture.
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Song DNA
Notes: Features noisy, punchy guitar riffs with a surf-rock edge and dynamic shifts from driving rhythms to howling elements, creating moderate sensory engagement without overwhelming intensity. Textures blend raw production with catchy hooks, suitable for focused listening.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: energy focus
A noisy, punchy tribute to jazz musician Mose Allison with surf riffs, ferocious grunge guitar, and Black Francis's dynamic vocals on the 1990 album Bossanova.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: energetic, nostalgic
Traditions: alternative rock, surf rock
Pacing Guide
"Allison" runs at 145 BPM — tempo run territory.
For runners: match cadence to BPM and the song does half the work. Texture stays layered; vocals sit dynamic. Nothing in the arrangement asks for your attention mid-stride. Good as a steady-state track; less useful for interval work where you want explicit tempo shifts.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Pixies's catalog
We have 47 songs from Pixies in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 18 Moderate, and 28 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits below the artist average of 7.5, making it the #43 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from Bossanova
We have 7 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- The Happening — moderate DR 8
- Is She Weird — intense DR 8
- Dig for Fire — moderate DR 7
- Velouria — moderate DR 6
- Havalina — safe DR 4
- Stormy Weather — moderate DR 6
1990 context
Released in 1990. We have 238 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
The Calmest Songs We’ve Ever Measured
Out of 19,144 songs scored for intensity, these measure as the very calmest — the gentlest, steadies…
Why Post-Rock Works for Focus — The Logic of Slow Builds
Why post-rock holds attention that slides off everything else: long builds, few sudden changes, and …
How to Build the Perfect Focus Playlist for Work — A Sensory-Rated Approach
How to Build the Perfect Focus Playlist for Work — A Sensory-Rated Approach — A guide for sensory-se…
How fast is "Allison"?
145 BPM — Fast (workout / running pace)
For running
Steady-state running pace. Matches most recreational runners' natural cadence.
For workouts
HIIT, Spin class, dance, intense intervals.
For daily life
Active tasks, getting pumped up, party, anything high-energy.
Browse more songs at 145 BPM.
When "Allison" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
~
Focus / studying
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
✓
Running / workout
Yes — 145 BPM sits squarely in the running / cardio band. Matches natural stride cadence.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
~
Emotional release / catharsis
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Why Post-Rock Works for Focus — The Logic of Slow Builds
Why post-rock holds attention that slides off everything else: long builds, few sudden changes, and enough happening to occupy the part of y…
The Calmest Songs We’ve Ever Measured
Out of 19,144 songs scored for intensity, these measure as the very calmest — the gentlest, steadiest, lowest-energy music in the library. A…
How to Build the Perfect Focus Playlist for Work — A Sensory-Rated Approach
How to Build the Perfect Focus Playlist for Work — A Sensory-Rated Approach — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
51/100 intensity
See how “Allison” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
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For focused listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-14. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
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 66% of songs, calmer than the other 34%. Its intensity reading of 51/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, 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 a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 94% 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
Bryn — Vampire Weekend · 99%Mathilda — Jerry Lee Lewis · 99%Jumping Someone Else's Train — The Cure · 99%Love Me Two Times — The Doors · 99%
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
Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1990 in context
The 238 songs we’ve measured from 1990 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Back to Me — ¥$ (Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign) feat. Freddie GibbsGiving Up the Gun — Vampire WeekendBryn — Vampire Weekend
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity51
Dynamics56
Tempo58
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load13
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Allison"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Allison" by Pixies?
"Allison" by Pixies has a tempo of 145 BPM (Allegro (fast)). At half-time that is 73 BPM, and at double-time 290 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Allison" by Pixies?
"Allison" by Pixies rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 6/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Allison" — what is its dynamic range?
"Allison" has a dynamic range of 6/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Allison" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Allison" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Allison" best for?
In our library "Allison" is recommended for: energy, focus. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Allison" released?
"Allison" is from 1990, on the album "Bossanova". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Allison"?
We tag "Allison" as energetic, nostalgic. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Allison"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Allison" good for running?
Yes — at 145 BPM it sits in the running-cadence band (120-180 BPM). Match your stride to the beat and it keeps pace with most recreational runners.
Is "Allison" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (6/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Allison" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Allison"?
"Allison" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
What this song means to people
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.