“Simulation Theory” Songs Ranked

Similarly to “The 2nd Law”, a lot of people love to hate on this album. Similarly to before, I actually quite like this album. I’m not sure if I prefer it over “The 2nd Law”, but it’s at least good. How would I rank the songs?

Check out some of my other Muse lists below:

Meh

11 – Get up and Fight

First “Revolt” on Drones and now this – it seems that Muse can’t help themselves these days and they have to release at least one sub-par song per album.

I’m sure a lot of people would like this track, but it’s way too poppy and cliche for my liking.

OK

10 – Thought Contagion

Usually I really like Muse’s lead singles, and to be fair I did really like this song when it came out. Over time, however, it gets a bit stale – the bass intro is cool, but it’s over before it really begins.

9 – Dig Down

One of the other singles that I loved at first but got bored of over time, it was great to see the band do a gospel version of this track live – I probably prefer the slow, gospel version to this over-the-top synth song.

Good

8 – Something Human

A lovely little song, but I can’t really say much more than that. The lyrics are nice and heart-warming, but the actual song doesn’t have much going for it.

7 – Propaganda

I loathed this song when I first heard it – what the hell are they doing making a terrible mess like this?

After a few more listens I’ve really gotten into the groove of this song, and I like how Matt’s singing reminds me of Prince. It was pretty cool live as well.

Great

6 – Blockades

Probably the most “classic Muse” track on the album, at first I thought this sounded a bit filler but it’s grown on me. Those choruses of “Smash! Test! Beat the best!” are so triumphant that they make you want to sing it at the top of your lungs.

5 – Break It to Me

An extremely weird song that needs a few listens to truly appreciate, but I really like the feel of this track. Bonus points for that gnarly acoustic guitar solo that Matt does.

Amazing

4 – Algorithm

An amazing start to the album, it’s just so bombastic and I love it. There’s an alternate version that’s even bigger and crazier, but to be fair it’s probably a little over the top, so I’m glad they went with this one.

3 – The Void

Similarly to quite a few songs, I didn’t like this when I first heard it. It seemed like an anticlimactic way to end the record, but on repeated listens I’ve truly come to respect the songwriting ability. This is hauntingly beautiful, and it reminds me of “Ruled by Secrecy” a little bit.

2 – Pressure

The purest rock song on the album, and I love it.

The guitar riff is great, and the bass part is also phenomenal. Some people have called this “Supermassive Black Hole: Part Two”, but I wouldn’t really say that – there’s a kind of resemblance, but “Pressure” by itself is an amazing song.

1 – The Dark Side

When compiling this list, there was no doubt in my mind that this is the best track on the album.

Coming straight after the opener “Algorithm”, this track is an amazing 80s inspired romp that sets up the tone of the album. The chorus is belt-out-loud material, and the guitar chords in between each sung line “Break me out, break me out, set me free” are euphoric. If I had to point someone towards a great modern Muse song, it would be this one.

Aaaaand that’s the end of the Muse albums. I really liked making this series, and there are a couple of other music artists that I can give the same treatment to. Until then, you should check out some of my other lists below: