Muse

Biography

Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion).
Muse released their debut album, Showbiz×Showbiz6 September 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sunburn3:552Muscle Museum4:233Fillip4:024Falling Down4:345Cave4:466Showbiz5:177Unintended3:578Uno3:399Sober4:0410Escape3:3211Overdue2:2612Hate This & I’ll Love You5:09, in 1999, showcasing Bellamy's falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style. Their second album, Origin of Symmetry×Origin of Symmetry13 June 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1New Born6:032Bliss4:123Space Dementia6:214Hyper Music3:215Plug In Baby3:406Citizen Erased7:197Micro Cuts3:398Screenager4:209Darkshines4:4710Feeling Good3:2011Megalomania4:40 (2001), incorporated wider instrumentation and romantic classical influences and earned them a reputation for energetic live performances. Absolution (2003) saw further classical influence, with strings on tracks such as "Butterflies and Hurricanes×Butterflies and Hurricanes20 September 2004 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Butterflies & Hurricanes (remix with additional guitars full length)5:022Sing for Absolution (Radio 2 acoustic performance)4:29", and was the first of seven consecutive UK number-one albums.
Black Holes and Revelations (2006) incorporated electronic and pop elements, displayed in singles such as "Supermassive Black Hole×Supermassive Black Hole23 May 2006 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASupermassive Black Hole3:33BCrying Shame2:36", and brought Muse wider international success. The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012) explored themes of government oppression and civil uprising and cemented Muse as one of the world's major stadium acts. Topping the US Billboard 200, their seventh album, Drones×Drones4 June 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Dead Inside4:232[Drill Sergeant]0:213Psycho5:164Mercy3:515Reapers5:596The Handler4:337[JFK]0:548Defector4:329Revolt4:0510Aftermath5:4811The Globalist10:0712Drones2:51 (2015), was a concept album about drone warfare and returned to a harder rock sound. Their eighth album, Simulation Theory×Simulation Theory9 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1Algorithm4:062The Dark Side3:473Pressure3:564Propaganda3:015Break It to Me3:386Something Human3:477Thought Contagion3:268Get Up and Fight4:059Blockades3:5110Dig Down3:4811The Void4:4512Algorithm (Alternate Reality version)3:3213The Dark Side (Alternate Reality version)3:5314Propaganda (acoustic version)3:0015Something Human (acoustic version)3:4716Dig Down (acoustic gospel version)3:57 (2018), prominently featured synthesisers and was influenced by science fiction and the simulation hypothesis. Their ninth album, Will of the People×Will of the People26 August 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Will of the People3:192Compliance4:113Liberation3:074Won’t Stand Down3:295Ghosts (How Can I Move On)3:376You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween3:007Kill or Be Killed4:598Verona4:589Euphoria3:2310We Are Fucking Fucked3:37 (2022), combined many genres and themes from their previous albums. Their tenth album, The Wow! Signal×The Wow! Signal26 June 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Dark Forest5:162Nightshift Superstar4:073Shimmering Scars4:284Cryogen5:025Be With You3:356Hexagons5:277The Sickness in You & I4:178Unravelling3:589Hush3:5610Space Debris5:23 (2026), was influenced by space, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and Bellamy's split from his wife.
Muse have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards and eight NME Awards. In 2012, they received the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. As of 2022, they had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

1994–1997: Early years

The members of Muse played in separate school bands during their time at Teignmouth Community College in the early 1990s. Guitarist Matt Bellamy successfully auditioned for drummer Dominic Howard's band, Carnage Mayhem, becoming its singer and songwriter. They renamed the band Gothic Plague. They asked Chris Wolstenholme – at that time the drummer for Fixed Penalty – to join as bassist; he agreed and took up bass lessons. The band was renamed Rocket Baby Dolls and adopted a goth-glam image. Around this time, they received a £150 grant from the Prince's Trust for equipment.
In 1994, Rocket Baby Dolls won a local battle of the bands, smashing their equipment in the process. Bellamy said, "It was supposed to be a protest, a statement, so, when we actually won, it was a real shock, a massive shock. After that, we started taking ourselves seriously." The band quit their jobs, changed their name to Muse, and moved away from Teignmouth. The band liked that the new name was short and thought that it looked good on a poster. According to journalist Mark Beaumont, the band wanted the name to reflect "the sense Matt had that he had somehow 'summoned up' this band, the way mediums could summon up inspirational spirits at times of emotional need".

1998–2002: Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry

After a few years building a fanbase, Muse played their first gigs in London and Manchester supporting Skunk Anansie on tour. They had a significant meeting with Dennis Smith, the owner of Sawmills Studio, situated in a converted water mill in Cornwall. He had seen the three boys grow up as he knew their parents, and had a production company with their future manager Safta Jaffery, with whom he had recently started the record label Taste Media. The meeting led to their first serious recordings and the release of the Muse EP on 11 May 1998 on Sawmills' in-house Dangerous label, produced by Paul Reeve. Their second EP, the Muscle Museum EP×Muscle Museum EP11 January 1999 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Muscle Museum4:212Sober4:023Uno3:404Unintended3:575Instant Messenger3:316Muscle Museum #21:21, also produced by Reeve, was released on 11 January 1999. It reached number 3 in the indie singles chart and attracted the attention of the radio broadcaster Steve Lamacq and the magazine NME.
Later in 1999, Muse performed on the Emerging Artist's stage at Woodstock '99 and signed with Smith and Jaffery. Despite the success of their second EP, British record companies were reluctant to sign Muse. After a trip to New York's CMJ Festival, Nanci Walker, then Sr. Director of A&R at Columbia Records, flew Muse to the US to showcase for Columbia Records' then-Senior Vice-president of A&R, Tim Devine, as well as for American Recording's Rick Rubin. During this trip, on 24 December 1998, Muse signed a deal with American record label Maverick Records. Upon their return to England, Taste Media arranged deals for Muse with various record labels in Europe and Australia, allowing them control over their career in individual countries. John Leckie was brought in alongside Reeve to produce the band's first album, Showbiz×Showbiz6 September 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sunburn3:552Muscle Museum4:233Fillip4:024Falling Down4:345Cave4:466Showbiz5:177Unintended3:578Uno3:399Sober4:0410Escape3:3211Overdue2:2612Hate This & I’ll Love You5:09 (1999). The album showcased Muse's aggressive yet melancholic musical style, with lyrics about relationships and their difficulties trying to establish themselves in their hometown.

During the production of their second album, Origin of Symmetry×Origin of Symmetry13 June 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1New Born6:032Bliss4:123Space Dementia6:214Hyper Music3:215Plug In Baby3:406Citizen Erased7:197Micro Cuts3:398Screenager4:209Darkshines4:4710Feeling Good3:2011Megalomania4:40 (2001), Muse experimented with instrumentation such as a church organ, Mellotron, animal bones, and an expanded drum kit. There was more of Bellamy's falsetto, arpeggiated guitar, and piano playing. Bellamy cites guitar influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine), the latter evident in the more riff-based songs in Origin of Symmetry and in Bellamy's use of guitar pitch-shifting effects. The album features a cover of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse's "Feeling Good×Feeling Good2001 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Feeling Good3:182Feeling Good (2001/04/13, TMF Cafe, Bussum, NLD)3:043Feeling Good3:22", voted in various polls one of the greatest cover versions of all time. It was released as a double A-side single, "Hyper Music/Feeling Good".
Origin of Symmetry received positive reviews. NME gave it 9/10 and wrote: "It's amazing for such a young band to load up with a heritage that includes the darker visions of Cobain and Kafka, Mahler and the Tiger Lillies, Cronenberg and Schoenberg, and make a sexy, populist album." Maverick, Muse's American label, did not consider Bellamy's vocals "radio-friendly" and asked Muse to rerecord "Plug in Baby×Plug In Baby28 February 2001 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Plug In Baby3:422Nature_13:413Execution Commentary2:304Spiral Static4:485Bedroom Acoustics2:37" for the US release. Muse refused and left Maverick. Origin of Symmetry was not released in the US until September 2005, after Muse signed to Warner Bros.
Origin of Symmetry has made appearances on lists of the greatest rock albums of the 2000s, both poll-based and on publication lists. In 2006, it placed at number 74 on Q magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of All-Time, while in February 2008, the album placed at number 28 on a list of the Best×The BestAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Uno3:392New Born6:053Shrinking Universe3:064Muscle Museum4:265Unintended3:586Bliss4:127Shine Acoustic5:138Micro Cuts3:409Darkshines4:4910Plug In Baby3:3911Sunburn3:5512Cave4:4913Hyper Chondriac Music5:3014Megalomania4:3715Falling Down4:3316Screenager4:2117Hate This & I’ll Love You5:0618Escape3:28 British Albums of All Time determined by the magazine's readers. Kerrang! placed the album at number 20 in its 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever! List and at number 13 on its 50 Best Albums of the 21st Century list.
On 10 November 2001 the band appeared on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland and performed "Hyper Music×Hyper Music21 November 2001 · EP · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks · 3 discsDisc 11Hyper Music (live)3:282Shine3:203Feeling Good (live)3:134Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want1:575Hyper Music6Feeling GoodDisc 21Bliss4:372The Gallery3:333Screenager (live)4:024Hyper Chondriac Music5:285Bliss6The Making of BlissDisc 31New Born (live)5:592Shrinking Universe3:083Piano Thing2:544Map of Your Head4:285Plug In Baby (live)3:316New Born7Plug In Baby" and "Feeling Good".
In 2002, Muse released the first live DVD, Hullabaloo, featuring footage recorded during Muse's two gigs at Le Zenith in Paris in 2001, and a documentary film of the band on tour. A double album, Hullabaloo Soundtrack×Hullabaloo Soundtrack26 June 2002 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Forced In4:182Shrinking Universe3:073Recess3:364Yes Please3:055Map of Your Head4:246Nature_13:397Shine Acoustic5:128Ashamed3:479The Gallery3:3010Hyper Chondriac Music5:30Disc 21Dead Star4:102Micro Cuts3:313Citizen Erased7:214Showbiz5:045Megalomania4:376Dark Shines4:377Screenager4:238Space Dementia5:339In Your World3:1110Muscle Museum4:2911Agitated4:12, was released at the same time, containing a compilation of B-sides and a disc of recordings of songs from the Le Zenith performances. A double-A side single was also released featuring the new songs "In Your World" and "Dead Star".
In 2002, Muse threatened Celine Dion with legal action when she planned to name her Las Vegas show "Muse", as Muse had worldwide performing rights to the name. Muse refused an offer from Dion of $50,000 for the rights, as they feared it could harm their chances of breaking into the US market. Bellamy said: "We don't want to turn up there with people thinking we're Celine Dion's backing band."

2003–2008: Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations

Muse's third album, Absolution×Absolution15 September 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks1Intro0:222Apocalypse Please4:133Time Is Running Out3:564Sing for Absolution4:555Stockholm Syndrome4:596Falling Away With You4:417Interlude0:388Hysteria3:479Blackout4:2210Butterflies & Hurricanes5:0211The Small Print3:2912Endlessly3:4913Thoughts of a Dying Atheist3:1114Ruled by Secrecy4:52, produced by Rich Costey, Paul Reeve and John Cornfield was released on 15 September 2003. It debuted at number one in the UK and produced Muse's first top-ten hit, "Time Is Running Out×Time Is Running Out3 September 2003 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Time Is Running Out3:57", and three top-twenty hits: "Hysteria×Hysteria1 December 2003 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Hysteria – Director’s Cut (video)2Hysteria (audio)3Hysteria (live at MTV2 video)4The Making of Hysteria (video)5Gallery", "Sing for Absolution×Sing for Absolution17 May 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Sing for Absolution (live)4:512Time Is Running Out (live)4:163Ruled by Secrecy (live)4:524The Small Print (live)3:48" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes×Butterflies and Hurricanes20 September 2004 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Butterflies & Hurricanes (remix with additional guitars full length)5:022Sing for Absolution (Radio 2 acoustic performance)4:29". Absolution was eventually certified gold in the US. Muse undertook a year-long international tour in support of the album, visiting Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and France. On the 2004 US leg of the tour, Bellamy injured himself onstage during the opening show in Atlanta; the tour resumed after Bellamy received stitches.
In June 2004, Muse headlined the Glastonbury Festival, which they later described as "the best gig of our lives". Howard's father, William Howard, who attended the festival to watch the band, died from a heart attack shortly after the performance. Bellamy said: "It was the biggest feeling of achievement we've ever had after coming offstage. It was almost surreal that an hour later his dad died. It was almost not believable. We spent about a week sort of just with Dom trying to support him. I think he was happy that at least his dad got to see him at probably what was the finest moment so far of the band's life."
Muse won two MTV Europe awards, including "Best Alternative Act", and a Q Award for "Best Live Act", and received an award for "Best British Live Act" at the Brit Awards. On 2 July 2005, they participated in the Live 8 concert in Paris. In 2003, the band successfully sued Nestlé for using their cover "Feeling Good×Feeling Good2001 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Feeling Good3:182Feeling Good (2001/04/13, TMF Cafe, Bussum, NLD)3:043Feeling Good3:22" for a Nescafé advertisement without permission and donated the money won from the lawsuit to Oxfam. An unofficial DVD biography, Manic Depression, was released in April 2005.
Muse released another live DVD on 12 December 2005, Absolution Tour, containing edited and remastered highlights from their Glastonbury performance unseen footage from their performances at London Earls Court, Wembley Arena, and the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

In 2006, Muse released their fourth album, Black Holes and Revelations×Black Holes and Revelations28 June 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Take a Bow4:362Starlight3:593Supermassive Black Hole3:294Map of the Problematique4:185Soldier’s Poem2:036Invincible5:007Assassin3:318Exo‐Politics3:539City of Delusion4:4810Hoodoo3:4311Knights of Cydonia6:08, co-produced once again with Rich Costey. The album's title and themes reflect the band's interest in science fiction. The album charted at number one in the UK, much of Europe, and Australia. In the US, it reached number nine on the Billboard 200.
Before the release of the new album, Muse made several promotional TV appearances starting on 13 May 2006 at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. The Black Holes and Revelations Tour started before the release of their album and initially consisted mostly of festival appearances, including a headline slot at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2006. The band's main touring itinerary started with a tour of North America from late July to early August 2006. After the last of the summer festivals, a tour of Europe began, including a large arena tour of the UK. Muse recruited an additional touring member, Morgan Nicholls, on keyboards, percussion and guitar. He performed with them until 2022.
Black Holes and Revelations was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, but lost to Arctic Monkeys. It earned a Platinum Europe Award after selling one million copies in Europe. The first single from the album, "Supermassive Black Hole×Supermassive Black Hole23 May 2006 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASupermassive Black Hole3:33BCrying Shame2:36", was released as a download in May 2006. In August 2006, Muse recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios for the Live from Abbey Road television show. The second single, "Starlight×Starlight4 September 2006 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Starlight (video)4:042Starlight (audio)4:033Starlight (video - making of)4Hidden track0:325Gallery", was released in September 2006. "Knights of Cydonia×Knights of Cydonia27 November 2006 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Knights of Cydonia (2006/10/27, Palacio de Deportes, Madrid, ESP)7:29" was released in the US as a radio-only single in June 2006 and in the UK in November 2006. The fourth single, "Invincible×Invincible26 February 2007 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Invincible (album version)5:042Knights of Cydonia (Simian Mobile Disco remix)4:52", was released in April 2007. Another single, "Map of the Problematique×Map of the Problematique18 June 2007 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Map of the Problematique2Map of the Problematique (Does It Offend You, Yeah? remix)", was released for download only in June 2007, following the band's performance at Wembley Stadium.

Muse spent November and much of December 2006 touring Europe with British band Noisettes as the supporting act. The tour continued in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia in early 2007 before returning to England for the summer. At the 2007 Brit Awards in February, Muse received their second award for Best British Live Act. They became the first act to sell out the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium when they performed two dates there in June 2007. Both concerts were recorded for a DVD/CD, HAARP, released in early 2008. In 2018, HAARP was named the 40th-greatest live album of all time by NME.
The tour continued across Europe in July 2007 before returning to the US in August, where Muse played to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They headlined the second night of the Austin City Limits Music Festival on 15 September, and performed at the October Vegoose in Las Vegas with bands including Rage Against the Machine, Daft Punk and Queens of the Stone Age. Muse continued touring in Eastern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand in 2007 before going to South Africa, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Ireland, and the UK in 2008. On 12 April, they played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Muse performed at Rock in Rio Lisboa on 6 June 2008, alongside bands including Kaiser Chiefs, the Offspring and Linkin Park. They also performed in Marlay Park, Dublin, on 13 August. A few days later, Muse headlined the 2008 V Festival, playing in Chelmsford on Saturday 16 August and Staffordshire on Sunday 17 August. On 25 September, Bellamy, Howard and Wolstenholme received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Plymouth for their contributions to music.

2009–2013: The Resistance and The 2nd Law

During the recording of Muse's fifth studio album, The Resistance×The Resistance10 September 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Uprising5:032Resistance5:473Undisclosed Desires3:564United States of Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage)5:485Guiding Light4:136Unnatural Selection6:557MK Ultra4:068I Belong to You (+ Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix)5:399Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1 (Overture)4:1810Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 2 (Cross‐Pollination)3:5611Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 3 (Redemption)4:37, Wolstenholme checked into rehab to deal with his alcoholism, which was threatening the band's future. Howard said: "I've always believed in band integrity and sticking together. There's something about the fact we all grew up together. We've been together for 18 years now, which is over half our lives."
The Resistance was released in September 2009, the first album produced by Muse, with engineering by Adrian Bushby and mixing by Mark Stent. It topped album charts in 19 countries, became the band's third number one album in the UK, and reached number three on the Billboard 200. Reviews were mostly positive, with praise for its ambition, classical influences and the three-part "Exogenesis: Symphony×Exogenesis: Symphony17 April 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1: Overture4:182Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 2: Cross-Pollination3:583Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 3: Redemption4:374Uprising (live)5:375Resistance (live)5:36". The Resistance beat its predecessor Black Holes and Revelations in album sales in its debut week in the UK with approximately 148,000 copies sold. The first single, "Uprising×Uprising3 August 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Uprising5:05", was released seven days earlier. On 13 September, Muse performed "Uprising" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City.

The Resistance Tour began with A Seaside Rendezvous in Muse's hometown of Teignmouth, Devon, in September 2009. It included headline slots the following year at festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Oxegen, Hovefestivalen, T in the Park, Austin City Limits and the Australian Big Day Out. Between September and November, Muse toured North America.
Muse provided the lead single for the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)×Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)17 May 2010 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)3:52", released on 17 May 2010. In June, Muse headlined Glastonbury Festival for the second time. After U2 canceled their headline slot following their singer Bono's back injury, their guitarist, the Edge, joined Muse to play the U2 track "Where the Streets Have No Name".
For their live performances, Muse received the O2 Silver Clef Award in London on 2 July 2010, presented by Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen. Taylor described the trio as "probably the greatest live act in the world today". On 12 September 2010, Muse won an MTV Video Music Award in the category of Best Special Effects, for the "Uprising" video. On 21 November, Muse won an American Music Award for Favorite Artist in the Alternative Rock Music Category. On 2 December, Muse were nominated for three awards for the 53rd Grammy Awards on 13 February 2011, for which they won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for The Resistance×Resistance19 February 2010 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Resistance (radio edit)3:56.
Based on having the largest airplay and sales in the US, Muse were named the Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Songs artist for 2010 with "Uprising", "Resistance" and "Undisclosed Desires×Undisclosed Desires16 September 2009 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Undisclosed Desires3:562Undisclosed Desires (The Big Pink remix)4:273Undisclosed Desires (Thin White Duke remix)7:444Undisclosed Desires (Thin White Duke remix) (edit)4:52" achieving 1st, 6th and 49th places on the year-end Alternative Song chart. On 30 July 2011, Muse supported Rage Against the Machine at their only 2011 gig at the L.A. Rising festival. On 13 August, Muse headlined the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco. They headlined the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2011. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their album Origin of Symmetry×Origin of Symmetry13 June 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1New Born6:032Bliss4:123Space Dementia6:214Hyper Music3:215Plug In Baby3:406Citizen Erased7:197Micro Cuts3:398Screenager4:209Darkshines4:4710Feeling Good3:2011Megalomania4:40 (2001), Muse performed all eleven tracks. Muse also headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park in August 2011.
In an April 2012 interview, Bellamy said Muse's next album would include influences from acts such as French house duo Justice and UK electronic rock group Does It Offend You, Yeah?. On 6 June 2012, Muse released a trailer for their next album, The 2nd Law×The 2nd Law24 September 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Supremacy4:552Madness4:403Panic Station3:044Prelude0:585Survival4:176Follow Me3:517Animals4:238Explorers5:479Big Freeze4:4010Save Me5:0911Liquid State3:0312The 2nd Law: Unsustainable3:4813The 2nd Law: Isolated System5:00Disc 21The Making of The 2nd Law: Supremacy2:072The Making of The 2nd Law: Panic Station3:403The Making of The 2nd Law: Survival6:244The Making of The 2nd Law: Animals6:255The Making of The 2nd Law: Unsustainable8:486The Making of The 2nd Law: Isolated System5:017Bonus Feature7:52, with a countdown on the band's website. The trailer, which included dubstep elements, was met with mixed reactions. On 7 June, Muse announced a European Arena tour, the first leg of The 2nd Law Tour. The leg included dates in France, Spain and the UK. The first single from the album, "Survival×Survival27 June 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Survival4:17", was the official song of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and Muse performed it at the Olympics closing ceremony.

Muse revealed the 2nd Law tracklist on 13 July 2012. The second single, "Madness×Madness2 August 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Madness4:39", was released on 20 August 2012, with a music video on 5 September. Muse played at the Roundhouse on 30 September as part of the iTunes Festival. The 2nd Law was released worldwide on 1 October, and on 2 October 2012 in the US; it reached number one in the UK Albums Chart, and number two on the US Billboard 200. The song "Madness" earned a nomination in the Best Rock Song category and the album itself was nominated for the Best×The BestAlbum · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Uno3:392New Born6:053Shrinking Universe3:064Muscle Museum4:265Unintended3:586Bliss4:127Shine Acoustic5:138Micro Cuts3:409Darkshines4:4910Plug In Baby3:3911Sunburn3:5512Cave4:4913Hyper Chondriac Music5:3014Megalomania4:3715Falling Down4:3316Screenager4:2117Hate This & I’ll Love You5:0618Escape3:28 Rock Album at the 55th Grammy Awards, 2013. The band performed the album's opening song, "Supremacy×Supremacy25 February 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Supremacy (radio edit)3:402Supremacy4:55", with an orchestra at the 2013 Brit Awards on 20 February 2013. The album was a nominee for Best Rock Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. The song "Madness" was also nominated for Best Rock Song. The album listed at number 46 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "In an era of diminished expectations, Muse make stadium-crushing songs that mix the legacies of Queen, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead while making almost every other current band seem tiny."
Muse released their fourth live album, Live at Rome Olympic Stadium×Live at Rome Olympic Stadium25 November 2013 · Album · LiveSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 37 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Supremacy5:142Panic Station3:123Resistance5:324Hysteria5:065Animals4:216Knights of Cydonia8:197Explorers5:548Follow Me3:529Madness4:3810Guiding Light4:1811Supermassive Black Hole4:0512Uprising5:3513Starlight4:28Disc 21Intro1:112Supremacy5:213Panic Station3:184Plug In Baby4:275Resistance5:366Animals4:347Knights of Cydonia8:598Explorers5:549Hysteria5:2110Feeling Good3:4511Follow Me4:0312Madness4:4813Time is Running Out4:4114Guiding Light4:2615Undisclosed Desires4:1016Supermassive Black Hole4:1517Survival4:5018The 2nd Law: Isolated System2:2719Uprising5:4420Starlight5:1121Stockholm Syndrome (Las Vegas)8:3622Unsustainable (Las Vegas)4:2523Liquid State (Dallas)3:2224The Road (The Film)4:47, on 29 November 2013 on CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray formats. In November 2013, the film had theatrical screenings in 20 cities worldwide. The album contains the band's performance at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on 6 July 2013, in front of over 60,000 people; it was the first concert filmed in 4K format. The concert was a part of the Unsustainable Tour, Muse's mid-2013 tour of Europe.

2014–2021: Drones and Simulation Theory

Muse began writing their seventh album soon after the Rome concert. The band felt that the electronic side of their music was becoming too dominant, and wanted to return to a simpler rock sound. After self-producing their previous two albums, the band hired producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange so they could focus on performance and spend less time mixing and reviewing takes. Recording took place in the Vancouver Warehouse Studio from October 2014 to April 2015.
Muse announced their seventh album, Drones×Drones4 June 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Dead Inside4:232[Drill Sergeant]0:213Psycho5:164Mercy3:515Reapers5:596The Handler4:337[JFK]0:548Defector4:329Revolt4:0510Aftermath5:4811The Globalist10:0712Drones2:51, on 11 March 2015. The following day, they released a lyric video for "Psycho×Psycho12 March 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Psycho5:28" on their YouTube channel, and made the song available for instant download with the album pre-order. Another single, "Dead Inside×Dead Inside23 March 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Dead Inside4:23", was released on 23 March.
From 15 March to 16 May, Muse embarked on a short tour in small venues throughout the UK and the US, the Psycho Tour. Live performances of new songs from these concerts are included on the DVD accompanying the album along with bonus studio footage. On 18 May 2015, Muse released a lyric video for "Mercy×Mercy18 May 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Mercy3:51" on their YouTube channel, and made the song available for instant download with the album pre-order.
Drones was released on 8 June 2015. A concept album about the dehumanisation of modern warfare, it returned to a simpler rock sound with less elaborate production and genre experimentation. It topped the album charts in the UK, the US, Australia and most major markets. Muse headlined Lollapalooza Berlin on 13 September 2015. On 15 February 2016, Drones won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. On 24 June, Muse headlined the Glastonbury Festival for a third time, becoming the first act to have headlined each day of the festival (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). On 30 November 2016, Muse were announced to headline Reading and Leeds 2017.
In 2017, Muse embarked on a co-headlining North American tour with Thirty Seconds to Mars, supported by PVRIS. On 18 May, they released "Dig Down×Dig Down18 May 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Dig Down3:48", the first single from their eighth album. In November, they performed at the BlizzCon festival. "Thought Contagion×Thought Contagion15 February 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Thought Contagion3:26", the second single, was released on 15 February 2018, accompanied by an 1980s-styled music video. In June, Muse opened the Rock In Rio festival. On 24 February, they played a show at La Cigale in France with a setlist voted for fans online, followed by a show at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, in which they played mainly older material and B-sides. A concert video, Muse: Drones World Tour, was released in cinemas worldwide on 12 July 2018.

On 19 July 2018, Muse released the third single from their upcoming album, "Something Human×Something Human19 July 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Something Human3:46", followed by "The Dark Side×The Dark Side30 August 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1The Dark Side3:47" on 30 August and "Pressure×Pressure27 September 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pressure3:55" on 27 September. Muse released their eighth studio album, Simulation Theory×Simulation Theory9 November 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1Algorithm4:062The Dark Side3:473Pressure3:564Propaganda3:015Break It to Me3:386Something Human3:477Thought Contagion3:268Get Up and Fight4:059Blockades3:5110Dig Down3:4811The Void4:4512Algorithm (Alternate Reality version)3:3213The Dark Side (Alternate Reality version)3:5314Propaganda (acoustic version)3:0015Something Human (acoustic version)3:4716Dig Down (acoustic gospel version)3:57, with a focus on 80s-inspired synthesisers, on 9 November. The Simulation Theory World Tour began in Houston on 3 February 2019 and concluded on 15 October in Lima. A film based on the album and tour, Muse – Simulation Theory, combining concert footage and narrative scenes, was released in August 2020.
In December 2019, Muse released Origin of Muse, a box set comprising remastered versions of Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry plus previously unreleased material. For the 20th anniversary of Origin of Symmetry in June 2021, Muse released a remixed and remastered version, Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX.

2022–2024: Will of the People

On 13 January 2022, Muse released the single "Won't Stand Down", which marked a return to their heavier early sound. On 9 March, Muse posted a 35-second clip across various social media platforms depicting large busts of the band members being torn down. Muse released their ninth album, Will of the People×Will of the People26 August 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Will of the People3:192Compliance4:113Liberation3:074Won’t Stand Down3:295Ghosts (How Can I Move On)3:376You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween3:007Kill or Be Killed4:598Verona4:589Euphoria3:2310We Are Fucking Fucked3:37, on 26 August 2022. It was promoted with the singles "Compliance×Compliance17 March 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Compliance4:10", "Will of the People", "Kill or Be Killed×Kill or Be Killed21 July 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Kill or Be Killed4:592Will of the People3:193Compliance4:114Won’t Stand Down3:29" and "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween". The final single "Ghosts (How Can I Move On)×Ghosts (How Can I Move On)25 November 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Ghosts (How Can I Move On)3:372Ghosts (How Can I Move On)3:37" was published as a collaborative version with Italian singer-songwriter Elisa on 25 November 2022.
The Will of the People World Tour began in April 2022. Nicholls was replaced by Dan Lancaster on additional keys, percussion and guitar. On 17 November 2023, Muse released a 20th-anniversary reissue of Absolution, featuring bonus tracks, live recordings and demos. Muse appeared on the song "1685" from the 2024 album Telos by the electronic producer Zedd. In August 2024, Wolstenholme announced a solo project, Chromes, and released the singles "Imaginary World" and "The Good Life".

2025–present: The Wow! Signal

According to the Guardian, by 2023, Muse's critical standing had declined, with "hit-and-miss albums" damaging "what was previously a bulletproof reputation for top-notch anthem-making". Bellamy conceded that Simulation Theory and Will of the People were poorly received by critics and fans. The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis suggested that Muse had been weakened by the rise of "dystopian fantasies" and conspiracy theories in the mainstream, and the adoption of their songs by rightwing commentators.
Muse's tenth album, The Wow! Signal×The Wow! Signal26 June 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Dark Forest5:162Nightshift Superstar4:073Shimmering Scars4:284Cryogen5:025Be With You3:356Hexagons5:277The Sickness in You & I4:178Unravelling3:589Hush3:5610Space Debris5:23, was released on 26 June, 2026. The lyrics were influenced by Bellamy's split from his wife, the model Elle Evans. Most tracks were produced by Lancaster, who pushed Muse to a create a more "fresh" and modern sound. It was backed by the singles "Unravelling×Unravelling20 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Unravelling3:58", "Be with You×Be With You19 March 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Be With You3:35", "Cryogen×Cryogen24 April 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Cryogen5:022Be With You3:353Unravelling3:58", "Hexagons×Hexagons19 May 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracks1Hexagons5:272Cryogen5:023Be With You3:354Unravelling3:58", "Nightshift Superstar×Nightshift Superstar5 June 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Nightshift Superstar4:072Hexagons5:273Cryogen5:024Be With You3:355Unravelling3:58", and "Hush". A North American tour began in July, with a European arena tour to begin in November.

Musical style

Described as a band that fuse alternative rock, progressive rock, space rock, hard rock, art rock, electronic rock, progressive metal, indie rock and pop, Muse also mix sounds from genres such as electronica and R&B, with forms such as classical music and rock opera. In 2002, Bellamy described Muse as a "trashy three-piece". He said supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1999 Californication tour inspired Muse to become less reserved and "up their game" in their performances. Bellamy said Lady Gaga was an influence on Muse's showmanship and stage costumes, "crossing that line between what is fantasy and what is reality".
Early in their career, Muse were often likened to Radiohead. Spin wrote that Bellamy's voice "often slips into high, mournful tones" similar to the Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke. John Leckie, who produced Muse's first two albums and also produced Radiohead's second album, The Bends (1995), dismissed the comparisons, saying: "In the late 90s, any British band that sang passionately and played guitar was going to get compared to Radiohead." He said he chose to produce Muse after The Bends because he "intentionally looked for something different". Asked in 2009, Bellamy said he did not hear the similarity, saying Muse were "past [the comparisons] in most places". Reviewing their fourth album, Black Holes and Revelations×Black Holes and Revelations28 June 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Take a Bow4:362Starlight3:593Supermassive Black Hole3:294Map of the Problematique4:185Soldier’s Poem2:036Invincible5:007Assassin3:318Exo‐Politics3:539City of Delusion4:4810Hoodoo3:4311Knights of Cydonia6:08 (2006), Spin, Stylus Magazine and Observer Music Monthly wrote that Muse had transcended comparisons to Radiohead. In 2026, the Guardian critic Alexis Petridis wrote that Muse "pulled away from a deluge of post-OK Computer artists by the simple expedient of dialling everything up to 11. As their sound became bombastic and melodramatic, the lyrics dealt not in Radiohead-esque existential grumbling but irrational conspiracy theories, luridly drawn dystopias and apocalypticism."
In 2006, Pitchfork described Muse's music as "firmly ol' skool at heart: proggy hard rock that forgoes any pretensions to restraint ... their songs use full-stacked guitars and thunderous drums to evoke God's footsteps". AllMusic described their sound as a "fusion of progressive rock, glam, electronica, and Radiohead-influenced experimentation". On Muse's association with progressive rock, Howard said: "I associate [progressive rock] with 10-minute guitar solos, but I guess we kind of come into the category. A lot of bands are quite ambitious with their music, mixing lots of different styles – and when I see that I think it's great."
The Guardian described Muse as "fearlessly flamboyant". Howard said he loved the "excess" of their music and that he liked "pushing it as far as we can", citing the choir of "Survival×Survival27 June 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Survival4:17" as an example. Wolstenholme said: "You can go on writing traditional pop-rock songs and get stale or try something new. There are risks either way." The Queen guitarist, Brian May, praised Muse in 2009, calling them "extraordinary musicians" who "let their madness show through, always a good thing in an artist".
Bellamy said that some missed the humour of their music, saying they "often crack up in the studio ... We are aware that at any point we are one step away from a Spinal Tap moment." According to The Telegraph, Muse attracted criticism from "more serious-minded rock critics, who prize the virtue of authenticity above all others. Muse sit at the other end of the spectrum to the blue-collar aesthetic of Bruce Springsteen or Manu Chao." In NME, Anthony Thorton wrote Muse descended from acclaimed rock acts such as Queen, Roxy Music and David Bowie, but their "power and ambition" was unfairly dismissed by critics seeking "authenticity". Bellamy said he saw Muse as part of a tradition of "slightly mad, eccentric English" bands such as Genesis, Queen and Depeche Mode.

For their second album, Origin of Symmetry×Origin of Symmetry13 June 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1New Born6:032Bliss4:123Space Dementia6:214Hyper Music3:215Plug In Baby3:406Citizen Erased7:197Micro Cuts3:398Screenager4:209Darkshines4:4710Feeling Good3:2011Megalomania4:40 (2001), Muse aimed to craft a "heavier", more aggressive sound. Their third album, Absolution×Absolution15 September 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks1Intro0:222Apocalypse Please4:133Time Is Running Out3:564Sing for Absolution4:555Stockholm Syndrome4:596Falling Away With You4:417Interlude0:388Hysteria3:479Blackout4:2210Butterflies & Hurricanes5:0211The Small Print3:2912Endlessly3:4913Thoughts of a Dying Atheist3:1114Ruled by Secrecy4:52 (2003), features prominent string arrangements and drew influences from artists such as Queen. Their fourth album, Black Holes and Revelations (2006) was influenced by artists including Depeche Mode and Lightning Bolt, as well as Asian and European music such as Naples music. The band listened to radio stations from the Middle East during the recording sessions.
Muse's sixth album, The 2nd Law×The 2nd Law24 September 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Supremacy4:552Madness4:403Panic Station3:044Prelude0:585Survival4:176Follow Me3:517Animals4:238Explorers5:479Big Freeze4:4010Save Me5:0911Liquid State3:0312The 2nd Law: Unsustainable3:4813The 2nd Law: Isolated System5:00Disc 21The Making of The 2nd Law: Supremacy2:072The Making of The 2nd Law: Panic Station3:403The Making of The 2nd Law: Survival6:244The Making of The 2nd Law: Animals6:255The Making of The 2nd Law: Unsustainable8:486The Making of The 2nd Law: Isolated System5:017Bonus Feature7:52 (2012) has a broader range of influences, ranging from funk and film scores to electronica and dubstep. The 2nd Law is influenced by rock acts such as Queen and Led Zeppelin (on "Supremacy×Supremacy25 February 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Supremacy (radio edit)3:402Supremacy4:55") as well as dubstep producer Skrillex and Nero (on "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" and "Follow Me×Follow Me14 November 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Follow Me (Jacques Lu Cont’s Thin White Duke mix)5:54", with the latter being co-produced by Nero), Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder (on "Panic Station×Panic Station31 May 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Panic Station3:042Panic Station (alternate version mixed by Madeon)2:53" which features musicians who performed on Stevie Wonder's "Superstition") and Hans Zimmer. The album features two songs with lyrics written and sung by Wolstenholme, who wrote about his battle with alcoholism. It features extensive electronic instrumentation, including modular synthesisers and the French Connection, a synthesiser controller similar to the ondes martenot.

Musicianship

Many Muse songs are recognisable by Bellamy's vocal vibrato, falsetto, and melismatic phrasing, influenced by Jeff Buckley. As a guitarist, Bellamy often uses arpeggiator and pitch-shift effects to create a more "electronic" sound, citing Jimi Hendrix and Tom Morello as influences. His guitar playing is also influenced by Latin and Spanish guitar music; Bellamy said: "I just think that music is really passionate...It has so much feel and flair to it. I’ve spent important times of my life in Spain and Greece, and various deep things happened there – falling in love, stuff like that. So maybe that rubbed off somewhere."
Wolstenholme's basslines provide a motif for many Muse songs; the band combines bass guitar with effects and synthesisers to create overdriven fuzz bass tones. Bellamy and Wolstenholme use touch-screen controllers, often built into their instruments, to control synthesisers and effects including Kaoss Pads and Digitech Whammy pedals.

Lyrics

Many Muse lyrics were inspired by conspiracy theories. Bellamy disowned conspiracy theories in later years, saying they had been "hijacked" by rightwing politics and describing them as quackery. The Guardian wrote that Muse incorporate "calls for revolution just vague enough that both the left and right could rally behind them". Bellamy expressed discomfort when the lyrics of The Resistance were adopted by the rightwing Fox News anchor Glenn Beck, and when their song "Uprising×Uprising3 August 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Uprising5:05" was used in YouTube videos advocating for conspiracy theories. Muse refused requests from American politicians to use "Uprising" in their rallies.
Books that have influenced Muse's lyrics include Nineteen Eighty-Four, Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins, Hyperspace by Michio Kaku, The 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin, Rule by Secrecy by Jim Marrs and Trance Formation of America by Cathy O'Brien.

Official members

Matt Bellamy – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
Dominic Howard – drums, percussion
Chris Wolstenholme – bass, backing vocals

Current

Dan Lancaster – keyboards, guitars, percussion, backing vocals (2022–present)

Former

Morgan Nicholls – keyboards, guitars, percussion, backing vocals, bass (2004, 2006–2022)
Daniel Newell – trumpet (2006–2008)
Alessandro Cortini – keyboards, synthesisers (2009, substitute)