Muse Albums – Overrated / Underrated

Muse have some of the most passionate fans in all of rock music, and each one has an opinion that they would fight for until their dying breath. So I thought it would be fun to offend all of them in one fell swoop!

I love this band dearly, but even I have to admit that some of their work is overrated, or conversely underrated by the fandom and general public. I’ll try to explain my controversial reasoning for each of their ten studio albums.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Showbiz

Verdict – OVERRATED

• Overrated Track – Muscle Museum
• Underrated Track – Sober

As much as it pains me to say, their first effort is far from the underrated masterpiece that a lot in the fandom make it out to be.

Most of the tracks are fine at best, but individual diamonds like “Sunburn”, “Sober” and the title track make it worth a quick listen.

Origin of Symmetry

Verdict – PROPERLY RATED

• Overrated Track – Feeling Good
• Underrated Track – Megalomania

The first of the godly Muse trilogy of albums – “Origin of Symmetry” has renown oozing out of every track, and yet its praise is wholly justified.

It’s such an exciting rock album from start to finish, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a weak effort in the bunch.

Hullabaloo Soundtrack

Verdict – UNDERRATED

• Overrated Track – Shrinking Universe
• Underrated Track – Hyper Chondriac Music

Tucked away among the famous Muse trilogy is a B-side / live double album. For the sake of this list I’ll just look at the new tracks – and they’re mostly underrated.

None of it is sensational (apart from “Hyper Chondriac Music”, one of their most haunting tracks), but it’s all good stuff if you’re looking for a Muse fill.

Absolution

Verdict – PROPERLY RATED

• Overrated Track – Apocalypse Please
• Underrated Track – Ruled by Secrecy

“Absolution” was when the general public started to take notice of this band’s ungodly rock abilities and insane live performances, and yet again it was thoroughly deserved.

A lot of Muse’s most famous tracks, like “Hysteria” and “Stockholm Syndrome”, are on here, and even gems like “Ruled by Secrecy” seem to have slipped through the cracks.

Black Holes and Revelations

Verdict – PROPERLY RATED

• Overrated Track – Hoodoo
• Underrated Track – Exo-Politics

My favourite Muse album, and the last of the godly trilogy. As expected, the general public and Muse fandom absolutely love “Black Holes and Revelations” too.

The first four songs are sensational enough to make this an all-timer, but then “Knights of Cydonia” seals the deal. Shout-out to “Assassin”, “Exo-Politics” and “City of Delusion”, three underrated gems in the middle of the tracklist that deserve more love.

The Resistance

Verdict – UNDERRATED

• Overrated Track – Resistance
• Underrated Track – I Belong To You (+Mon Coeur S’ouvre a ta Voix)

The general consensus seems to be that Muse stopped being good once “The Resistance” came out, but I don’t agree with that sentiment in the slightest.

Every song (yes, even “Guiding Light” and “I Belong To You”) is a good time, and that three-song finale still blows me away on my hundredth listen.

The 2nd Law

Verdict – OVERRATED

• Overrated Track – Follow Me
• Underrated Track – Animals

“The 2nd Law” has seen a slight resurgence in recent years in the fandom, but I think people are letting their nostalgia get the better of them.

Tracks like “Panic Station”, “Madness” and “Animals” still hold up, while others like “Follow Me” and “Save Me” feel overblown and melodramatic.

Drones

Verdict – UNDERRATED

• Overrated Track – Psycho
• Underrated Track – Defector

After the slight backlash from “The 2nd Law”, Muse honed-in on their rock skills for “Drones”. Ultimately, I think it paid off.

Some of Muse’s best heavy stuff is on here – “Defector” and “The Handler” slap, “Reapers” is still a personal favourite, and “The Globalist” is an amazing show-stopper to end the album.

Simulation Theory

Verdict – UNDERRATED

• Overrated Track – Thought Contagion
• Underrated Track – The Void

The backlash for “Simulation Theory” was immense at the time, both critically and within the fandom, but now that the dust has settled I’ve started to appreciate the band’s creativity more.

Songs like “Thought Contagion” and “Dig Down” deserve the distain, but experimental efforts like “The Dark Side”, “Break It To Me” and especially “The Void” are Muse firing on all cylinders.

Will Of The People

Verdict – OVERRATED

• Overrated Track – Compliance
• Underrated Track – You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween

The most recent Muse album, and I’m nowhere near as enamoured by it as other Muse fans.

Almost every track here feels derivitive of their previous work, and occasional bangers like “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” and “Kill or Be Killed” don’t do enough to offset cheesy tracks like “Compliance” and “Euphoria”. Still, “We Are Fucking Fucked” is their best closer since Knights.

Aaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: