Muse

Muse, an English trio, shifted from alt rock beginnings in the late 1990s toward an expansive style that merged progressive rock, electronic textures, and pop, establishing themselves as a boundary-crossing act whose work juxtaposed intergalactic sci-fi and government-conspiracy-theory themes against yearning anthems of love and heartbreak. Early on, Showbiz (1999) invited Radiohead comparisons, yet the group developed steadily across ten years by absorbing influences that included the grandiose arena rock of Queen and the R&B-funk of Prince on Black Holes & Revelations (2006) as well as the dubstep grind of Skrillex on The 2nd Law (2012). Their muscular, antiwar Drones earned a second Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2016, after which they delivered the flashy, synth-heavy Simulation Theory in 2018. Will of the People (2022) found them revisiting classic sounds across new tracks that evoked a greatest-hits compilation. While albums routinely led charts worldwide, Muse cultivated a standing as a premier live attraction whose award-winning spectacles, often built around big-budget, U2-esque stage setups, filled arenas and stadiums globally.

Matthew Bellamy on guitar and vocals, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard form the lineup; the three friends began performing together in Teignmouth, Devon. At age 13 they launched the band under successive names—Gothic Plague, Fixed Penalty, Rocket Baby Dolls—before settling on Muse in 1997. That year they issued a self-titled debut EP via Dangerous Records and followed it with the Muscle Museum EP in 1998. Their emotive, passionate sound and live presence generated critical praise and industry interest, securing a Maverick Records contract after a showcase at New York’s CMJ Festival. The singles “Cave” and “Uno” arrived ahead of the full-length Showbiz, which closed 1999, reached platinum status, and landed inside the U.K. Top 30. Origin of Symmetry appeared two years later, buoyed by the hit singles “New Born,” “Plug in Baby,” “Bliss,” and “Hyper Music,” and attained multiplatinum standing in the U.K. Hullabaloo Soundtrack, pairing Showbiz and Origin rarities with a live recording from Paris, surfaced the next year and peaked at number ten on the U.K. chart.

Absolution, the third album, arrived in 2003 as an apocalyptic sci-fi love epic that marked Muse’s major U.S. breakthrough and first U.K. number one. Powered by radio hits “Time Is Running Out” and “Hysteria,” it later achieved platinum certification stateside and triple-platinum certification at home. Black Holes & Revelations followed in 2006, extending the band’s reach into outer space while adding beat-driven elements; the set became their brightest and most dynamic release to date, claiming the U.K. summit in its opening week and delivering a second straight domestic number one. In America it entered the Top Ten on the strength of the funky, Prince-indebted single “Supermassive Black Hole” and the uplifting anthem “Starlight.” Capitalizing on wider international appeal, the group toured Europe, America, Australia, and Asia, earning multiple Best Live Act honors from the NME Awards, the Q Awards, and the Vodafone Live Music Awards; the performances were documented on 2008’s H.A.A.R.P. Live from Wembley.

The remainder of 2008 and early 2009 were spent recording The Resistance, released that September. The album’s closing “Exogenesis” trilogy introduced an epic orchestral scope while other tracks channeled Depeche Mode and Queen; it topped charts in more than a dozen countries, and lead single “Uprising” became their highest-charting U.S. song to that point. Another world tour followed, encompassing both headline dates and support slots for U2. Commissioned to compose the official theme for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the band supplied the triumphant rock anthem “Survival,” which led their next release, The 2nd Law (2012). That album stood apart with the electronic pop single “Madness,” an experimental dubstep influence, and two tracks written and sung by Wolstenholme. The ensuing large-scale tour included a spectacular performance at Rome’s Olympic Stadium featuring pyrotechnics, video walls, and acrobats; the show was filmed in ultra-high definition and issued as the concert movie Live at Rome Olympic Stadium in December 2013.

Returning to the studio, Muse stepped back from the electronic textures of The 2nd Law in favor of a heavier rock approach. March 2015 brought the singles “Psycho” and “Dead Inside,” the first previews of Drones, their seventh studio album. Issued that June, the conceptual set delivered a fifth consecutive U.K. number one and first U.S. chart-topper, earning a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in February 2016. The accompanying Drones World Tour, which deployed actual drones above audiences, was filmed and released theatrically in summer 2018. By then the band was already promoting its neon-washed, ’80s-inspired eighth album, Simulation Theory, via singles “Dig Down,” “Pressure,” and “Dark Side.” The effort arrived that November and secured a sixth straight U.K. number one. An international tour filled much of 2019, after which the group closed the year with a massive box set chronicling the Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry eras. Origin of Muse compiled nine CDs and four vinyl records of B-sides, demos, EPs, and live tracks from those periods. A remixed and remastered edition of the sophomore album, titled Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX, appeared in 2021. The defiant, metalcore-leaning single “Won’t Stand Down” preceded the ninth album, Will of the People, in 2022. Conceived as an alternative to the label’s request for a greatest-hits collection, the project drew from the band’s catalog to craft new songs that deliberately recalled earlier work while addressing familiar themes of rebellion, paranoia, and the state of the world.