Songs Similar to Midnight City by M83
Released 2011 · Album: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming · Electronic · Nostalgic
"Midnight City" was released in 2011 as the lead single from Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, the double album from M83, the French project led by Anthony Gonzalez. Its hook is a squealing, high-pitched synth line that is actually Gonzalez's own voice, heavily processed, set over booming gated drums, warm pads and a hushed vocal about a city lit up at night. The song builds steadily and ends with a wailing saxophone solo straight out of an 80s film. It captures a feeling of youthful nights and big cities seen through a slightly blurry memory, which is why it shows up so often in film, TV and ads.
Songs that sound like this one tend to mix 80s-style synths and big reverb-heavy drums with dreamy, buried vocals and a cinematic sense of build and release. Look toward synth-pop and dream pop with a nostalgic edge, the early-2010s indie electronic scene, chillwave, and the retro soundtrack style that synthwave artists later took further.
20 songs similar to “Midnight City”
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Data: Last.fm, updated 2026-10-11.
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FAQ about “Midnight City”
What songs are similar to Midnight City?
The closest matches are atmospheric electronic and synth-pop songs that feel cinematic and nostalgic, with soaring synth hooks, big echoing drums and soft, dreamy vocals rather than club-focused beats. On our list, the closest matches are “Where the Boats Go” by M83, “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun and “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities.
Who does Midnight City sound like?
M83 is often compared to 80s synth-pop and soundtrack composers such as Tangerine Dream, whose glowing synths it echoes. The dreamy, washed-out textures recall Cocteau Twins and shoegaze. Kavinsky, College and Chromatics share its retro night-drive mood from the same period, and chillwave acts like Washed Out share its hazy nostalgia. The Weeknd's later synth-pop is frequently mentioned alongside it.
Is Midnight City Electronic?
Largely, yes. M83 is an electronic project built on synthesizers and programmed drums, and "Midnight City" is mostly electronic in sound. It is not dance or club music, though; it works more like a synth-pop or dream pop song, with verses, a chorus and a live-sounding saxophone solo. Electronic indie or synth-pop describes it more precisely than electronic in the EDM sense.
How do you find similar songs to Midnight City?
Follow the processed vocal hook, gated 80s drums and cinematic build, then look for songs that feel like a night drive through a lit-up city. Explore the rest of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, plus synthwave, dream pop and "indie electronic" playlists from the early 2010s. SongSimilar's list above ranks matches by listening data, so it can surface songs M83 fans play next that tag searches miss.