Pixies by the Numbers: The Catalog, Measured
By Dan Cohen · Published 2026-06-24
We measured all 47 Pixies songs in our library — tempo, dynamic range, texture, how abruptly each song shifts, how hard the vocal pushes — and rolled it into a single intensity score from 0 to 100. No other site scores a catalog this way. Here is Pixies by the numbers: a heavy catalog by the measurements, and the numbers don't flinch.
The catalog at a glance
- Average intensity: 65/100
- Average dynamic range: 7.5/10
- Average tempo: 144 BPM across 47 timed songs
- One of the widest emotional ranges we've measured for any single artist — a 81-point gap from calmest to most intense.
The calmest Pixies songs
- Havalina — intensity 19/100, 120 BPM, dynamic range 4/10
- La La Love You — intensity 44/100, 145 BPM, dynamic range 5/10
- Silver — intensity 45/100, 120 BPM, dynamic range 5/10
The most intense
- Gigantic — intensity 100/100, 120 BPM, dynamic range 9/10
- Tame — intensity 93/100, 170 BPM, dynamic range 9/10
- Rock Music — intensity 92/100, 160 BPM, dynamic range 9/10
The biggest quiet-to-loud swings
- Planet of Sound — dynamic range 9/10
- Rock Music — dynamic range 9/10
- Gouge Away — dynamic range 9/10
Tempo extremes: slowest is The Happening (95 BPM), fastest is Tame (170 BPM).
Every song here has its own measured profile — tempo, dynamics, sonic twins, what it's good for — on its page. Start from the Pixies artist page.
Computed from Music I Want's own measurements of 47 Pixies songs as of 2026-06-24. The intensity score combines dynamic range, tempo, texture, sudden changes, vocal force, and predictability. Figures update as the catalog is refined.