#9: Muse

I know it’s been a while, but I intend to finish what I started with my lists of favorite songs from my favorite bands. Back a month or two ago, I posted the list and started at the bottom with #10, Death Cab For Cutie/The Postal Service. Next up at #9 is Muse.

Muse is a British rock band that I’ve only recently begun to like. I heard “Hysteria” back when it came out, and I think it charted in the U.S., but I didn’t think to explore Muse any more after hearing it. For whatever reason, I checked them out again after hearing about “Knights of Cydonia,” from their new album, Black Holes and Revelations. That song got me a little more interested, and when I checked out a few of their live videos, I was ready to buy what they were selling.

Muse is openly atheist and a wee bit strange, but I really enjoy their sound, which is some sort of experimental hard rock. I know that Radiohead fans don’t appreciate this comparison, but the two bands have similar sounds. Or, at least they did until Radiohead decided they were making the shift from “interesting” to “sounds like monkeys playing around in the practice room.” I like Muse’s singer (Matt Bellamy), guitars, and rhythms much better.

Here are my top ten Muse songs:

1. Knights of Cydonia

2. Hysteria

3. Plug-In Baby

4. Stockholm Syndrome

5. Supermassive Black Hole

6. Time Is Running Out

7. Starlight

8. Bliss

9. Exo-Politics

10. Map of the Problematique