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Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting by Elton John

Bernie Taupin based the lyric on fights at his local Lincolnshire pub, and the band recorded it in France after a failed session in Jamaica.

Walk by Pantera

Pantera built Walk on a riff Dimebag Darrell played at a soundcheck and aimed its lyrics at old friends who treated the band differently after success, and the song is now one of the most covered in heavy metal.

More Than Words by Extreme

More Than Words, an acoustic ballad Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone wrote for Extreme's 1990 album Pornograffitti, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1991 after A&M tested it on radio.

Iron Man by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath built Iron Man in 1970 from a slow drum pattern and a groaning guitar bend, and Geezer Butler wrote its lyrics about a time traveler who turns to steel.

Jump Around by House of Pain

Jump Around, the 1992 House of Pain single, was built on a beat DJ Muggs first made for Cypress Hill and is played at every University of Wisconsin home football game.

The Things We Do for Love by 10cc

The Things We Do for Love is a 1976 single by 10cc, written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman and recorded after Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left the band, and it became the group's best-selling single.

I'm So Excited by The Pointer Sisters

The Pointer Sisters' I'm So Excited reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and a remixed version released in 1984 reached number 9.

Philosophy by Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five recorded Philosophy and the rest of its debut in four days with Caleb Southern after shelving a first attempt in Philadelphia, and that first version was released on the album's 30th anniversary edition in 2026.

The Jean Genie by David Bowie

The Jean Genie is a 1972 David Bowie single that began as a tour bus jam, reached number two in the UK and stayed in his live sets for decades.

Lido Shuffle by Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs built Lido Shuffle, the last hit from Silk Degrees, on a Fats Domino shuffle beat and recorded it with the session players who soon formed Toto.

A Free Tap BPM and Delay Calculator for Any Song

Tap along to any song and get its tempo, plus delay and reverb times in milliseconds, right in your browser.

I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner

I Want to Know What Love Is was Foreigner's only pop number one in the US and the UK, and about 30 gospel singers recorded its closing section in one take.

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me was Culture Club's first hit, released in 1982 over Boy George's objection because its lyrics were about his secret relationship with drummer Jon Moss.

Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Murder on the Dancefloor started as a chorus Gregg Alexander made up in 1994 when his car would not start, and it was a hit in 2001 and again in 2024 after Saltburn.

What the Hell by Avril Lavigne

What the Hell is the 2011 lead single from Avril Lavigne's album Goodbye Lullaby, written with Max Martin and Shellback in Stockholm.

Freed From Desire by Gala

Gala wrote Freed From Desire about wanting less after time with a Senegalese community in Harlem and re-recorded it in 2024 to win back rights she says she signed away in 1995.

U Got 2 Let the Music by Cappella

Cappella's biggest hit reworked a 1992 Bortolotti track around an Alphaville riff and was the first single fronted by Kelly Overett and Rodney Bishop.

Your Cheatin' Heart by Hank Williams

Hank Williams cut Your Cheatin' Heart at his final recording session, and it topped the country chart for six weeks after his death.

Shooting Star by Bad Company

Paul Rodgers has said Shooting Star was a warning about rock's casualties, among them Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and his old Free bandmate Paul Kossoff.

Song IQ Now Tells You What to Listen to Next

Found a song you love? Similar Songs helps you find eight more to try.

Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin's recording of Me and Bobby McGee, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1971, more than five months after her death.

Everytime We Touch by Cascada

Cascada's Everytime We Touch, a 2005 Eurodance hit built on a 1992 Maggie Reilly chorus, still plays at Duke basketball home games.

Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward wrote Nights in White Satin at 19 and named it after a set of satin sheets from a girlfriend.

Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction

Mountain Song, a 1988 Jane's Addiction single, was the first song Perry Farrell and Eric Avery wrote together.

I Was Made for Lovin' You by KISS

Paul Stanley wrote I Was Made for Lovin' You for KISS in 1979 to show how easily a disco hit could be made.

True Colors by Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper's 1986 ballad True Colors, a quiet tribute to her friend Gregory Natal, became a number one hit and an LGBTQ+ anthem.

Lola by The Kinks

Lola, a 1970 single by The Kinks written by Ray Davies, reached number two in Britain and number nine in the US.

Run-Around by Blues Traveler

John Popper wrote Run-Around, the biggest hit for Blues Traveler, about an unrequited crush on the band's first bassist.

The Winner Takes It All by ABBA

The Winner Takes It All, ABBA's 1980 ballad sung by Agnetha Fältskog, spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, longer than any other ABBA single.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles

George Harrison wrote While My Guitar Gently Weeps for the Beatles' 1968 White Album, with an uncredited lead guitar part by Eric Clapton.

Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen built Glory Days from a 1973 bar conversation with Joe DePugh, an old Little League teammate.

Ironic by Alanis Morissette

Ironic is a 1996 single from Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill that reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and set off a long debate over whether its lyrics describe irony.

Best Music Identification Apps

The best choice depends on what you have to work with—and what you want to do once you know the title.

Never Tear Us Apart by INXS

Never Tear Us Apart is a 1988 INXS single with music by Andrew Farriss and a lyric Michael Hutchence wrote about Michele Bennett.

Sober by Tool

Tool's Sober began as a faster song in Maynard James Keenan's earlier band and became the second single from Undertow in 1993.

What Hurts The Most by Cascada

Cascada's 2007 single What Hurts the Most is a 144 BPM Eurodance cover of a country ballad best known in the US from Rascal Flatts.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody across five studios in 1975, with close to 200 tracks of vocal overdubs in the opera section.

Song IQ is now on Google Play

Song IQ is free on Google Play for phones running Android 13 or newer.

Fantasy by Mariah Carey

Fantasy was built on a Tom Tom Club sample and a rap remix that Carey later said drove over half of its sales.

American Idiot by Green Day

Green Day wrote its protest single as an answer to a Lynyrd Skynyrd song heard on a car radio, aimed at cable news coverage of the Iraq War.

Rhythm Is a Dancer by Snap!

The song came off a 1992 album as a bonus track and reached number one in 11 countries after club crowds pushed it.

Africa by Toto

David Paich wrote "Africa" before he had ever set foot on the continent.

Sweet Sixteen by Billy Idol

Billy Idol's 1987 hit is about a Latvian man who spent almost thirty years building a coral castle for a woman who never saw it.

The Best Shazam Alternatives for iPhone in 2026

A comparison of the leading song recognition tools, what each one does well, and where each one falls short.

How Song IQ Names a Song in Seconds