muse samuse
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As noted by Claudio O in a recent post, Matt has spent some time this summer at Abbey Road Studios. Below is a timeline of gigs and recording sessions by the band at that iconic recording studio in St. John's Wood over the years:
November 1999 - Muscle Museum [There is video of this performance on YouTube for those interested]
Late 2000/Early 2001 - Seven tracks from Origin of Symmetry (including Feeling Good, Micro Cuts and Hyper Music) partially recorded in Studio 2 including strings recorded for Citizen Erased, Space Dementia, and Megalomania and skeleton bones percussion for Screenager.
June 2001 - Bliss (BBC Radio 1 session)
August 2006 - Starlight, Map Of The Problematique and Knights Of Cydonia (Live from Abbey Road TV show)
Early to mid 2021 - Remastered Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX at the studio by Alex Wharton
Mid 2021: Tracking on LP9
Interview and live performances from the 2006 sessions at the studio for your viewing and listening pleasure on Vimeo:
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RIP Charlie Watts
"To me, Charlie IS the Rolling Stones," Keith Richards once told Billboard. "We can be as wild as we want, all over the place, but Charlie never falls out of place. He keeps it all locked in and moving forward."
The Jaded Hearts Club covered 'Paint It Black' at the 100 Club in London back in 2019, a song which hit No.1 on the singles charts in the UK, the USA, Canada, and the Netherlands in 1966 and peaked at no. 2 in Germany, Austria, Norway and Ireland:
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Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)
Top 100 Vinyl Albums Chart Run in Spain (July-September 2021)
#1 - Debut
#15 - 2nd week
#31 - 3rd week
#36 - 4th week
#30 - 5th week
#58 - 6th week
#51 - 7th week
#54 - 8th week
#62 - 9th week (Re-entry)
OoS also re-entered the France Physical Albums sales chart at #193 a month ago, spending a fifth week on this tally.
Sources: Promusicae/SNEP
Miscellaneous Touring Stats:
Artist who has opened for/supported MUSE the most during the band's career tours:
Biffy Clyro - 32 shows from 2007-2013
Other artists who have opened for/supported MUSE over the years: Coldplay [8 UK gigs in May/June 2000], Tom Morello [3 UK gigs in 2019], Thirty Seconds to Mars [special guests on North America amphitheatre tour in 2017], Nothing But Thieves, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Bastille, Razorlight, Editors, Cage The Elephant, Silversun Pickups, Paramore, Fun., Nic Cester, Andy Burrows, Miles Kane, Kiefer Sutherland, Royal Blood, Lily Allen, Rise Against, Incubus, X Ambassadors, Cold War Kids, Walk The Moon, Phantogram, The Joy Formidable, Juliette and the Licks, Birds of Tokyo, Dizzee Rascal, Dead Sara, Band of Skulls, Passion Pit, Metric, White Lies, The Horrors, The Big Pink, The Noisettes, The Like, Everything Everything
Bands which MUSE have opened for/supported the most times:
U2 - 16 stadium shows in the USA (9), Brazil (3), Argentina (3) and Chile (1) in 11 different cities in 2009 and 2011
RHCP/Foo Fighters - 15 arena shows in France (1) and the USA (14) in 1999 and 2000
My Chemical Romance - 10 shows in the USA in 2007 [7 additional gigs were cancelled because of health issues]
The Cure - 10 shows in the USA in 2004 [MUSE performed on the second stage]
Among the other notable bands who have been supported by MUSE include: Rage Against the Machine [a stadium show at LA Coliseum in 2011], Depeche Mode [a stadium show in Stockholm in 2006], Bush and LIVE [at club gigs in Europe early in their career]
Number of shows (1,667) MUSE have played by calendar year (Setlist.fm):
2000 - 150
1999 - 146
2004 - 137
2001 - 119
2006- 103
2007 - 101 [Black Holes and Revelations holds the distinction of the album world-wide tour with the most dates]
2013 - 97
2010 - 97
2016 - 82
2015 - 68
2019 - 61
2023 - 56
2009 - 56
2003 - 56
1997 - 40
2012 - 39
2002 - 38
2017 - 37
2022 - 34
2005 - 23
1998 - 23
1995 - 23
2018 - 21
2011 - 18
2008 - 17
1996 - 12
1994 - 10
2014 - 3
2021 - 0 [None Announced - Subject to change]
2020 - 0 [Scheduled show in Berlin for the Global Citizen Festival was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic]
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Filming locations for some of the band's official music videos:
Shibuya/Tokyo in Japan - Panic Station
Pacific Ocean/Off the coast of Los Angeles, CA on a bulk carrier cargo ship - Starlight
Pacific Coast Line of LA County in California - Supremacy
Union Station in Los Angeles, CA - Madness
Downtown Los Angeles - Several singles/tracks on Simulation Theory
Red Rock Canyon State Park in California - Knights of Cydonia [Some scenes also shot in Romania and London]
Elstree Studios in Borehamwood UK - Undisclosed Desires
London - Hysteria (UK version)
Toronto and New York City - Hysteria (US version)
Glastonbury in the UK - Butterflies & Hurricanes
Tower Bridge in London - Uno (1st version)
Germany - Uno (2nd version)
Brighton, UK - Dead Star
Palacio de Deportes in Madrid, Spain - Resistance
Prague, Czech Republic - New Born
Kyiv, Ukraine - Won't Stand Down
Warsaw, Poland - Compliance
Portugal - Animals (Animated)
Japan - Exogenesis Symphony Part 3 (Redemption); Follow Me; and Aftermath (All animated by Tekken)
Collaborations that almost took place:
With David Bowie in 2006 during the recording of BH&R in New York City
With Elton John in 2012 for a theme song for the 2012 Olympic Games in London
MUSE songs written in minor keys:
More than 60% of their discography (including almost every track on Origin of Symmetry)
Most popular minor keys with selected songs composed in original keys*
D minor - Uprising, Stockholm Syndrome, Butterflies & Hurricanes, Psycho, Reapers, The Handler, Assassin, Hyper Music, Micro Cuts, MK Ultra, Darkshines, Sing For Absolution, Blockades, City of Delusion, Hyper Chondriac Music, Shrinking Universe, Yes Please, Who Knows Who, Compliance
E minor - Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia, New Born, Unintended, Sunburn, Panic Station, The Dark Side, Space Dementia, Megalomania, Unnatural Selection, Uno, Piano Thing
A minor - Hysteria, Time Is Running Out, Resistance, Thought Contagion, Supremacy, Endlessly, Spiral Static, Eternally Missed, Easily, Host, T2L: Unsustainable, Liquid State, Interlude, Recess, In Your World, The Gallery, Forced In
C minor - Undisclosed Desires, Bliss, Map Of The Problematique, Dead Inside, I Belong to You, Hoodoo, The Dark Side (ARV)
G minor - Feeling Good, Algorithm, The Void, Screenager, Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist, T2L-Isolated System, Con-Science
B minor - Plug In Baby, Won't Stand Down, The Small Print, Hate This And I'll Love You, Crying Shame, Sober, Minimum, Nishe, Jimmy Kane, Nature_1
F♯ minor - Muscle Museum, Showbiz, Apocalypse Please, The Groove, Ashamed, Nishe, Pink Ego Box
F minor - Ruled By Secrecy
E♭ minor - Animals
C♯ minor - Break It To Me
Most popular major keys with selected songs composed in original keys*
G major - Pressure, Mercy, Dig Down, The Globalist, Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption), Futurism, Revolt, Fillip, Soaked, Prague, Do We Need This
C Major - Citizen Erased, Explorers, Invincible, Fury, Guiding Light, Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination), Falling Away With You, Dead Star, Exo-politics, Shine
D major - Cave, Take A Bow, Soldier's Poem, Propaganda, Defector, Save Me, Drones, Escape, Overdue, Coma
B major - Starlight, Glorious
E♭ major - United States of Eurasia, Collateral Damage, Follow Me, Big Freeze
B♭ major - Madness, Survival, Blackout, Prelude
A major - Something Human, Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture), Falling Down, Aftermath, Map Of Your Head
E major - Get Up And Fight, Bedroom Acoustics
D♭ major - Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
*Sources: Sheet Music, MuseWiki, Musicnotes.com, Notediscover.com
Songs on this MUSE album give composer/songwriter credits to all three band members: Matt, Dom, and Chris
Absolution
First instruments Matt attempted to play:
Clarinet and Violin
Songs Matt plays with piano trills:
Butterflies & Hurricanes
Collateral Damage
Matt's songs characteristics include:
Guitar Riffs/Jams
Guitar Solos
High pitched vocals/falsettos
Arpeggios
Broken Chords
Alternative Rock
Progressive Rock
Sci-Fi Space Rock
Romantic Classical
Baroque Classical
Orchestrations for Strings
R&B/Soul/Funk
Pop
Spanish Flamenco Guitar
Electronica/Dub-step
Synth-wave from the 80s
Dystopian themes
Love and Relationships
The Dark Side features a combination of the natural minor, the harmonic minor, and the melodic minor creating a nine-note scale:
E → F♯ → G → A → B → C/C♯ → D/D♯
Key Changes in MUSE songs
More than 20 tracks contain modulations including Citizen Erased, Starlight, Explorers, and the three Exogenesis Symphony parts
Cave is the first song composed by Matt in the mid-90s to feature multiple modulations showcasing classical techniques learned in his musical theory classes:
D Major - Intro
D Minor - Verses
G Minor - Chorus
Knights of Cydonia contains a modulation and chord progression spanning three keys (E minor to C minor to G♯ minor)
Take A Bow has a remarkable 13 key changes beginning in D and ending in B utilizing the circle of fifths technique.
Notable songs by other artists with multiple key changes/modulations:
Bohemian Rhapsody/Save Me/The Show Must Go On - Queen
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds/Penny Lane - The Beatles
Love On Top - Beyoncé
I Will Always Love You/I Have Nothing/I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
Man In The Mirror/Earth Song - Michael Jackson
My Girl - The Temptations
I Just Called To Say I Love You/Overjoyed - Stevie Wonder
Overture from Tommy/Pinball Wizard/My Generation - The Who
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
One - U2
Money Money Money - ABBA
La Isla Bonita - Madonna
Perfect Illusion - Lady Gaga
Good Vibrations/Wouldn't It Be Nice/In My Room - The Beach Boys
Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
So What - P!nk
Sometimes - Britney Spears
Layla - Derek and the Dominos
Invisible Touch - Genesis
42 - Coldplay
Undone (The Sweater Song) - Weezer
Stand - R.E.M.
Surrender - Cheap Trick
Our House - Madness
All By Myself - Eric Carmen
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Since You Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Mandy - Barry Manilow
I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
The Sign - Ace Of Base
To Be With You - Mr. Big
Birdhouse In Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
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Top MUSE Worldwide Tours Ranked by Estimated Gross Concert Ticket Sales and Festival Headliner Artist Fees
Over US$100 million each:
Drones Tour
2nd Law Tour
The Resistance Tour
Simulation Theory Tour
Over US$20 million:
Black Holes and Revelations Tour
Less than US$5 million total:
Absolution
Origin of Symmetry
Showbiz
Total All Tours: US$500 million [Not Adjusted for Inflation]
Play Count for the Medley [Stockholm Syndrome/Assassin/Reapers/The Handler/New Born] during the Simulation Theory World Tour in 2019
59 (including 1 performance in support of The Prince's Trust at RAH in late 2018 which also included riffs from Dead Star and Micro Cuts)
Song inspired by Italian folk music and opera and Frank Sinatra and featuring a mandolin:
Blackout
Band member who lists the Beach Boys as one of his favourite bands:
Chris Wolstenholme
Note: MUSE and the Beach Boys were on the stage together on Later...With Jools Holland in September 2012. Each band played three songs in their repertoire including respectively Panic Station, Madness and Supremacy and UK chart topper Do It Again and UK #3 Barbara Ann
Guest Performers at MUSE gigs:
Tom Morello (1) - Break It To Me - 2019 Manchester Etihad Stadium [Song in Phrygian Dominant Mode inspired by RATM]
Nic Cester (6) - Back in Black - 2010 Italy San Siro & Australia Big Day Out
Brian Johnson (1) - Back in Black - 2017 Reading Festival
The Edge (1) - Where The Streets Have No Name - 2010 Glastonbury Festival
Jools Holland (1) - Dig Down - 2018 Later...With Jools Holland BBC 2
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Oldest Shooting Location for a MUSE album cover:Bardenas Reales in Navarre, Spain for Black Holes and RevelationsOldest Shooting Location for a MUSE official music video:Red Rock Canyon State Park in California where 'Knights of Cydonia' was filmedOldest Venues MUSE have played over the yearsAncient Roman Amphitheatres and Arenas:Théâtre Antique de Fourvière (near Lyon), France (15 BC)Arena di Verona,, Italy (30 AD)Arènes de Nîmes, France (70 AD)Théâtre Antique de Vienne, France (1st Century)Amphithéâtre d'Avenches, Switzerland (130 AD)High Middle Ages:Nürburg Castle [Rock Am Ring], Germany (1166)Dublin Castle-Dublin, Ireland (1204)17th to 19th Centuries:Versailles Palace, FranceHorse Guards Parade-London, EnglandPlaines d'Abraham-Quebec, CanadaChamp de Mars/Tour Eiffel-Paris, FranceSlane Castle-Slane, IrelandOld Trafford Cricket Ground-Manchester, EnglandRoundhouse-London, EnglandLe Bataclan-Paris, FranceRoyal Albert Hall-London, EnglandBull & Gate-London, EnglandParc Jean-Drapeau-Quebec, CanadaLa Cigale-Paris, FranceAshton Gate Stadium-Bristol, EnglandEarly to Mid-20th Century:Olympic Stadium-Stockholm, SwedenTempelhof Airport-Berlin, GermanyMemorial Coliseum-Los Angeles, United StatesWembley Stadium-London, EnglandWankdorf Stadion-Bern, SwitzerlandStadio San Siro-Milan, ItalyStadio Olimpico-Rome, ItalyPetrovsky Stadium-Saint Petersburg, RussiaEstadi Olimpic Lluis Companys-Barcelona, SpainAstoria-London, EnglandStadio Olimpico Grande Torino-Turin, ItalyWaldbühne-Berlin, GermanyFreilichtbühne Loreley-Sankt Goarshausen, GermanyStade Velodrome-Marseille, FranceEstadio Nacional-Santiago, ChileZeppelinfeld [Rock Im Park]-Nuremberg, GermanyBalado [T in the Park]-Kinross, ScotlandRed Rocks Amphitheater-Morrison CO, United StatesImola Racetrack-Imola, ItalyColumbiahalle-Berlin, GermanyKnaak Club-Berlin, Germany
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Where People Are Listening to MUSE on YouTube Ranked by Cumulative Views Over the Past 90 Days
Top Cities in the United States:
Los Angeles
New York City
Houston
Chicago
Dallas
Seattle
Denver
Phoenix
San Diego
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Austin
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
Minneapolis
Atlanta
Orlando
San Jose
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Where People Are Listening to MUSE on YouTube Ranked by Cumulative Views Over the Past 90 Days
Top European Cities:
Paris
Kyiv
London
Milan
Moscow
Rome
Istanbul
Madrid
Lyon
Warsaw
Saint Petersburg
Lille
Bordeaux
Barcelona
Ankara
Budapest
Bucharest
Marseille
Tbilisi
Vienna
Dublin
Zurich
Antwerp
Tel Aviv/Yafo
Lisbon
Athens
Prague
Birmingham
Strasbourg
Izmir
Berlin
Porto
Turin
Seville
Krasnodar
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Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX
Latest chart positions:
#18(-7) Portugal Albums - 2nd week on the chart (Peak #11)
#26(+7) Netherlands Vinyl Albums - 3rd week on the chart (Peak #5)
#36(-5) Spain Vinyl Albums - 4th week on the chart (Peak #1)
#140(-68) Belgium Wallonia Albums - 5th week on the chart (Peak #4)
#193(RE) France Albums Physiques - 5th week on the chart (Peak #4)
'Uprising' celebrates its 12th anniversary of release this month. The first single from The Resistance was produced by MUSE and composed by Matt.
It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #81 in the USA becoming the band's first song to appear on this chart after 'Starlight' just missed out in 2007 peaking at Bubbling Under position #101. 'Uprising' would peak at #37 in October and sell 53,039 units following the band's performance of the track at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City in late September 2009. The music video for this track won the the MTV Video Award for Best Special Effects the following year. It spent a total of 20 weeks on the Hot 100 and 17 weeks at number one on the magazine's Alternative airplay chart. In 2013 it was ranked the top song of all time in Billboard's 25th anniversary list of the top 100 songs to appear on its Alternative Songs airplay survey. In 2018 'Uprising' retained its Greatest Of All Time #1 ranking with 'Madness' currently placing at #4. The single has also has sold over 2 million copies in the States and likely over 4 million worldwide including over 600K in the UK. To date the official music video [perhaps inspired in part by the movie Ghostbusters] has received over 200 million views on YouTube and the track is approaching 400 million plays on Spotify with perhaps another 100 million streams on other platforms such as Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal and Google Play.
In February 1963 'Ridin' the Wind' by the Tornados produced by Joe Meek and composed by Matt's father George who played rhythm guitar with the band entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #80 peaking at #63 and spending 5 weeks on this tally. The Tornado's instrumental 'Telstar' had earlier become the first song by a British group to reach the pop chart summit in the States in late 1962 before the Beatles achieved multiple number ones in 1964.
2019 MUSE Touring Stats Comparison:
225,000 total estimated attendance in France for four shows (4 stadium gigs in Paris, Marseille and Bordeaux)
184,000 total estimated attendance in the United Kingdom for six shows (3 stadium gigs in London, Manchester and Bristol and 3 arena gigs in London and Birmingham)
The top MUSE venue in Canada ranked by total concert attendees:
85,000 at Bell Centre - Montreal (6 shows from 2010-2019)
Russia - Career MUSE Estimated Attendance for 11 shows from 2001-2019
130,000 Moscow (7 concerts including a 2019 headlining gig at the national Luzhniki Stadium [Grand Sports Arena] and two shows at Olympijskiy Stadium plus two festivals including one sole headliner show at Otkritie [Spartak] Arena)
45,000 Saint Petersburg (4 concerts including one festival at Petrovsky stadium)
China - Career MUSE Estimated Attendance for 2 shows in 2015
18,000 at arena gigs in Beijing and Shanghai
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Cryosleep bows on several UK album sales charts this past week including #27 Vinyl while Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX spends a third consecutive week on both the France Top Albums Physiques list at #110 and the Belgium Wallonia Top Albums chart at #87 and re-enters at #33 on the Dutch Top Vinyl albums survey after debuting at #5 two week ago
Matt's solo vinyl picture disc (with a sheet music booklet) released on his record label Globalist Industries LLP
Official UK Album Chart Positions (OCC) for Tracking Week Ending 29 July 2021:
#21 Independent Albums Top 50
#27 Vinyl Albums Top 100
#44 Scottish Albums Top 100
#48 Album Sales Top 100 [Includes digital sales but not streaming]
#49 Physical Album Sales Top 100
#87 Album Downloads Top 100 [Last week it debuted at #46 on this tally]
Elsewhere:
#13 Netherlands Vinyl Album Sales Top 33 - dutchcharts.nl
As noted in an earlier post, it debuted last week at #79 on the Billboard Top 100 Current Album Sales chart in the USA
Ranking the three new tracks on Cryosleep by total streams/plays/views to date on Spotify and YouTube:
65k Guiding Light (on Jeff's Guitar)
54k Take A Bow (Four Hands Piano)
36k Pray
Ranking Matt's other recent tracks by total streams/plays to date on Spotify:
3 million Pray (High Valyrian)
814k Tomorrow's World
786k Unintended (Acoustic)
420k Bridge Over Troubled Water
403k We'll Meet Again [The Jaded Hearts Club]
258k Unintended (Piano Lullaby)
159k Behold, The Glove
145k Fever [The Jaded Hearts Club]
114k Simulation Theory (Instrumental)
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Cryosleep
The solo release from Matt Bellamy debuts on national album charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States
#46 - Official UK Album Downloads (Compiled by the Official Charts Company)
#79 - Top Current Album Sales (Compiled by MRC Data/Billboard) Around 1,000 mostly vinyl LPs sold at $39.00 or higher price
Please note the limited edition [4000 pressed worldwide] picture disc vinyl LP+ was held up by French customs so no physical copies were apparently available at retail for pickup or shipping for Record Store Day this past week in the UK or continental Europe. Not affected markets include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
Matt's reported vocal range in studio album recordings:
Highest falsetto: G♯5 or A♭5 on tracks Showbiz, Micro Cuts [sung entirely in falsetto] and Survival
Highest chest: B♭4 on tracks Feeling Good, Futurism, United States of Eurasia, Unnatural Selection, Madness, Survival, Follow Me, Explorers, Big Freeze and Dead Inside
Lowest Note: A2 on tracks Spiral Static, Soldier's Poem, MK Ultra, Explorers and The Globalist
Widest Range: 2 octaves, 10 semitones on tracks Spiral Static and Survival
Vocal Range Live Performances: As high as C♯6 on track Agitated to B4 chest on various tracks to as low as E2 on track Ashamed
Total Vocal Range: About 3.5 octaves
The first European venues where MUSE sold over 10,000 concert tickets at each arena in late 2003:
Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon, France - 16.8k attendance
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, France [Current Name: AccorHotels Arena] - 16.2k attendance
SSE Wembley Arena in London, UK - 11.5k attendance
Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK - 14.7k attendance
NEC Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, UK - 10.8k attendance
The first North American venues where MUSE sold over 10,000 concert tickets at each arena in 2007:
Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City - 18.2k attendance
Forum in Inglewood, California - 14k attendance
Madison Square Garden in New York City - 12k attendance
The first North American festivals where MUSE performed:
Woodstock (NY) and Popscene (San Francisco) in July 1999
The three persons who first attempted to sign MUSE to American record labels:
Rick Rubin for Columbia Records
Guy Oseary for Maverick Records - Currently manages Madonna, U2 and RHCP
Serj Tankian [System of a Down] for his own record label
MUSE signed with Maverick in late 1998 and Showbiz was released in the US in 1999 but the band left the label over creative differences on the recording and release of Origin of Symmetry. Matt bought a Madonna CD as a present for his older brother Paul a few years before signing to her record label. Madonna and Matt both have made celestial references in their lyrics to several songs notably singles 'Lucky Star' and 'Starlight.'
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"In the US the conspiracy theory subculture has been hijacked by the right to try to take down people like [President Barack] Obama and put forward right-wing libertarianism [populism]," Matt Bellamy said.
Defining himself as "a left-leaning libertarian – more in the realm of Noam Chomsky," he added: "Uprising was requested by so many politicians in America for use in their rallies and we turned them down on a regular basis."
- The Observer interview with Matt in 2012
"The track [Thought Contagion] was inspired by watching rolling news in America, and seeing how it influenced voters.
"We're living in an age where truth is getting less airtime than falsities; and that's a scary thing," said Bellamy.
"When you live in that bubble, and see that bubble, the scariest thing about it all is you realise people's minds can be influenced by false belief systems or incorrect thinking."
The title of the song came from a Richard Dawkins book that suggested that thoughts can become contagious and spread like a virus, "regardless of their accuracy and truth".
In the chorus, Bellamy sings, "you've been bitten by a true believer / you've been bitten by someone who's hungrier than you".
He said the lyric was a reference to preachers and pundits whose "belief system is in some way under threat".
"They're the ones who scream the loudest and get the most airtime."
- Mark Savage BBC Music Reporter interview with Matt in February 2018
On the cover of Black Holes and Revelations appear the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelations as envisioned by MUSE and Storm Thorgerson presaging contemporary social and political dangers*
Paranoia, Fear and Panic (eyes)
Intolerance and Xenophobia (religious symbols)
Narcissism and Megalomania (mirrors)
Greed and Corruption (in gold) - Lyrics to 'Take A Bow'
*Wars and Conflicts - Military and Economic/Trade
False Prophets/Messiahs, Demagogues and Dictators/Autocrats
Plagues, Pandemics and Famines/Poverty
Natural Disasters: Global Warming/Climate Change, Wildfires, Floods, Hurricanes/Tsunamis and Earthquakes
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AMAZING DEVON TIMELINE - SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
1977 Chris Martin born in Exeter and later attends local prep school Hylton School and Exeter Cathedral School and forms his first band the Rockin' Honkies and writes his first songs before going to Dorset to study at Sherborne School from 1990-1995 and University College in London where he met his future bandmates and formed Starfish in 1996 [later renamed Coldplay in 1998]
1985-86 Dominic Howard and family move to Teignmouth at age 8
1987-91 Thom Yorke attends Exeter University to pursue a degree in English and Fine Art and also forms a new local band Headless Chickens while his first band On A Friday [later renamed Radiohead] was on hiatus. He plays gigs at local venues and also DJ's and signs a record deal in 1991. Future album tracks 'High and Dry' and 'Creep' reportedly composed in Exeter during this time
1988-89 Matt Bellamy and family move to Teignmouth at age 10
1989-90 Chris Wolstenholme and family move to Teignmouth at age 11
1989-90 These five future rock musicians and multi-millionaires whose bands would collectively sell over 120 million albums worldwide and gross nearly $2 billion in concert ticket sales on their many tours and win 15 GRAMMY Awards were all living within about 15 miles of each other in Devon in SW England
1994 MUSE is formed after several personnel and name changes
2000 Coldplay opens for MUSE at 8 gigs in the UK in May and June including 2 at the Astoria club in London
After MUSE winning Best Alternative Act in 2010 at the American Music Awards and before leaving the stage with Matt and Dom, whom did video director and close friend of the band Tom Kirk thank instead of GOD in accepting the award while Chris was away in the UK:
Charles Darwin
Matt's Favourite Composers: Top 3 (Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Liszt) followed in no particular order by JS Bach, Glass, Morricone, Zimmer, Jarre, John Williams, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Prokofiev, Richard Strauss, Berlioz, Elgar, Albinoni, Bellini, Barber, Albeniz, Villa-Lobos, and Palestrina
Most MUSE riffs played by Matt - Top Classical Composers
Rachmaninoff (4)
Prelude in B-Flat Major Op. 23 No. 2 - [Played several times during the Origin of Symmetry era]
Prelude in G-Minor Op. 23 No. 5 - [Assassin track on Black Holes and Revelations]
Prelude in C-Sharp Minor Op. 3 No. 2 - [Played several times during the Origin of Symmetry era]
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 [Inspired and influenced several MUSE tracks: Space Dementia, Megalomania, Butterflies & Hurricanes, Exogenesis Symphony and Neutron Star Collision]
Chopin (5)
Nocturne in E-Flat Major Op. 9 No. 2 - [Collateral Damage track on The Resistance]
Étude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor (Ocean) - [Blockades track on Simulation Theory and Piano Thing track]
Étude Op. 10, No. 3 in E Major (Tristesse) - [Prelude track on The 2nd Law]
Étude Op. 10, No. 1 in C Major - [Sunburn track on Showbiz]
Nocturne in C Minor Op. 48 No. 1 [Piano Thing track]
JS Bach (4)
Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor (BWV 565) - [Plug in Baby track on Origin of Symmetry]
Bourrée from Suite in E minor for Lute (BWV 996) - [May have inspired both tracks Falling Away With You on Absolution and Blackbird by the Beatles]
Prelude No. 1 in C Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846) - [Unintended (Acoustic) track from Cryosleep (Matt's solo EP)]
Prelude in C Minor for Lute (BMV 999) - [May have inspired Pray track from Cryosleep (Matt's solo EP)]
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More Sundry Fun Facts and Trivia...
In November 2009 during rehearsals for the Children in Need charity event at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Matt and his band mates noticed Sir Paul McCartney was watching them play at the side of the stage. Eight years later in January 2018 Sir Paul joined The Jaded Hearts Club [w/ Matt on bass guitar] on stage at a charity event in Los Angeles to sing two of his Beatles songs: 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Helter Skelter.'
On 4 July 2010 at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark Matt disguised himself as a member of the crew with gaffer tape to watch Prince perform some of his greatest hits including 'Kiss' on the side of the stage. In 2012 MUSE covered 'Sign o' the Times' at three gigs in Paris, London, and Los Angeles. Later during the recording of Simulation Theory, Matt composed and produced track 'Propaganda' along with Timbaland. “We had this sort of Prince thing going on. My voice is not a traditional rock voice, so with my falsetto I like to go down the Prince route. That is what that song is really. It’s influenced by hip-hop and funk. Jumps out as being influenced by the American beat — a slow, almost hip-hop type beat”. The lyrics for these two songs address contemporary social and political issues. One of the band's biggest hit singles 'Supermassive Black Hole' also has Prince-like funk elements and falsetto vocals. MUSE have also played three career gigs at the Target Center in Minneapolis across the street from the First Avenue club where Prince played many of his first shows and where the majority of the Purple Rain movie was filmed and recorded.
Top Rock Guitarists who have inspired and influenced Matt the most: Tom Morello, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen
Favourite Rock Bands by Matt, Dom and Chris early in their career: Nirvana, Primus, Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, and NIN
Among the other artists who have influenced MUSE on various tracks later in their career or have had songs or riffs covered by the band or by Matt's supergroup cover band the Jaded Hearts Club: Queen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Who, The Kinks, Tornados, Radiohead, U2, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, The Animals, Guns N' Roses, Simon & Garfunkel, Vera Lynn, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Four Tops, the Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Robert Johnson, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Timbaland, Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra, Trent Reznor, Weezer, Belgium bands Millionaire and dEUS, the Smiths, the Strokes, QOTSA, Franz Ferdinand, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Oasis, The Troggs, Chvrches, Lightning Bolt, Talking Heads, Justice, Rush, Iron Maiden, Skrillex, The Shadows, The Cramps, and Ben Folds Five
Most Different Rock Riffs Played by MUSE - Top 2 Artists
Rage Against the Machine (14 songs in no particular order or ranking)
Freedom
Maggie's Farm [Bob Dylan cover]
Killing In The Name
Know Your Enemy
People Of The Sun
Township Rebellion
Bulls on Parade
Testify
Bombtrack
Microphone Fiend [Rakim & Eric B cover]
Revolver
How I Could Just Kill A Man [Cypress Hill cover]
War Within A Breath
Snakecharmer [No riff played but may have inspired tracks Hyper Music and Ashamed]
Nirvana (7)
Lithium [Performed 2 times in 2014 at Lollapalooza-Brazil and Coachella in California to remember the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's passing]
Endless Nameless
School
Negative Creep
Very Ape
Breed
tourette's [Performed only once at the band's first gig as MUSE in Dawlish-Devon in March 1994]
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BILLBOARD UPDATES
Most Top 10s, Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart in the USA (JUNE 2009-CURRENT)
16, Foo Fighters
15, Shinedown
13, twenty one pilots
13, Cage The Elephant
13, Imagine Dragons
11, MUSE
11, The Black Keys
10, Weezer
10, Disturbed
9, ColdplayMUSE songs ranked by peak position reached on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart based on weekly spins monitored by Luminate at 60+ modern rock radio stations in the USA:
1 "Madness" (a chart record-setting 19 non-consecutive weeks @ No. 1 and 38 consecutive weeks in the top ten and a total of 41 weeks on the chart) - Certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA selling over 2 million downloads plus streaming - Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #45 and Billboard Triple A Chart Peak Position #4
#1 "Uprising" (17 non-consecutive weeks @ No. 1; 28 weeks in the top three; 44 weeks in the top ten; and 53 total weeks on the chart) - Certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2010 but now has sold over 3 million downloads - Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #37
#1 "Dead Inside" (5 weeks @ No. 1 and 20 total weeks on the chart) - Mainstream Rock Songs Airplay Chart Peak Position at #10 and Bubbling Under Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #111
#1 "Resistance" (4 weeks @ No. 1 and 33 total weeks on the chart) - Bubbling Under Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #114
#1 "Thought Contagion" (1 week @ No. 1 and 20 total weeks on the chart) - Mainstream Rock Songs Airplay Chart Peak Position at #9
#2 "Starlight" (Certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1 million downloads - 3 weeks @ No. 2 and 26 total weeks on the chart) - Bubbling Under Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #101
#2 "Panic Station" -14 weeks in the Top 10 and 24 total weeks on the chart
#3 "Dig Down" - 20 total weeks on chart
#3 "Won't Stand Down'' [Peaked at #1 at Mainstream Rock Airplay]
#4 "Undisclosed Desires"
#5 "Pressure" - 21 weeks at Alternative [Peaked at #19 at Mainstream Rock Airplay]
#6 "Supermassive Black Hole" - Certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1 million digital downloads
#9 "Hysteria" - Bubbling Under Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position #118
#9 "Time Is Running Out" - First single for the band debuted on the U.S. charts in April 2004 - Certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 downloads
#10 "Knights of Cydonia" - Certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 downloads
#10 "Mercy"
#10 "Something Human" - Billboard Triple A Chart Peak Position #9
#13 "Compliance" - 17 weeks on the chart
#14 "Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)" - Billboard Hot 100 Chart Debut and Peak Position #77
#19 "Follow Me"
#22 "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween"
#31 "Stockholm Syndrome"
#39 "Psycho" - Also peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart
Other Charts:
#2 "Reapers" - Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay - Peak Position
#14 "Kill Or Be Killed" - Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay - Peak Position
#23 "Will Of The People" - Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay - Peak Position
#32 "The Dark Side" - Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart Peak Position - Peak Position
#39 "Survival" - Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart Peak Position - Promo Track
#39 "Supremacy" - Billboard Hot Rock Songs Chart Peak Position - Promo Track
MUSE Albums ranked by peak positions reached on the Billboard 200 chart:
#1 Drones (79k+ first week pure album sales and over 250k units sold to date)
#2 The 2nd Law (Certified Gold by the RIAA - Over 500k units sold to date)
#3 The Resistance (Certified Platinum by the RIAA - Over 1 million units sold to date)
#9 Black Holes and Revelations (Certified Platinum by the RIAA - Over 1 million units sold to date)
#12 Simulation Theory (31k first week pure album sales and over 200k equivalent album units sold to date)
#15 Will Of The People (24k equivalent album units including 20k+ first week pure album sales)
#46 HAARP (CD/DVD Certified Gold by the RIAA)
#107 Absolution (Certified Platinum by the RIAA - Over 1 million units sold to date)
#115 Live at Rome Olympic Stadium - Over 20k copies sold to date
#161 Origin of Symmetry (Debuted for one week in January 2010)
Other charts:
#1 Absolution (Heatseekers Albums) - Peak position reached in July 2004 ranking debut albums not making the Top 100 tier on the Billboard 200 chart
#3 Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX (Top Vinyl Album Sales) - Debuted in July 2021
#6 Simulation Theory (Top Album Sales) - Debuted in November 2018
#15 Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX (Top Album Sales) - 3k first week est. sales in July 2021
#79 Cryosleep [Matt Bellamy Solo Album] (Top Current Album Sales) - 1k first week est. sales in July 2021
#97 Origin of Muse (Top Current Albums) - Deluxe box set compilation of Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry album recordings including early demos and b-side tracks selling about 1k units in it first week of release in December 2019
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Fun Facts from past interviews and various web sites
Some of the first songs Matt learned on the guitar:
Shazam by Duane Eddy
Grace by Jeff Buckley
Blue Valentines by Tom Waits
Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega
Études Simples No. 6 by Leo Brouwer
Some of the first songs Matt learned on the piano:
What'd I Say by Ray Charles [Played at a local talent competition in Teignmouth won by Matt at age 13]
The theme from the American TV night-time soap opera Dallas which aired from 1978-1991 [Urged to play at age 6 at home by his older brother]
The first song Dom performed live while attending school:
(I've Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing
Songs composed by Matt covered by notable artists:
Uprising by Andra Day in 2012
Starlight by the Killers at Lollapalooza in Chicago in 2017
Endlessly by Renée Fleming in 2010 - Track on her album Dark Hope
Endlessly by Ewan McGregor in 2020 - From Episode 6 of his documentary series "Long Way Up"
Soaked by Adam Lambert in 2009 - Track on his album For Your Entertainment
Madness by Chris Martin in 2012 - Snippet played during Coldplay's performance of Clocks at the Stade de France
Unintended by Nathan Barlowe - Teaser played at several dates of Keith Urban's worldwide tour in 2016
Knights of Cydonia by Deadmau5 - Remix version played at several of his shows in 2008 and 2009
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Origin of Symmetry is the top selling vinyl album in Spain this past week according to Promusicae and also enters at #14 on the Top 100 albums chart in that market. It also debuts at #11 on the albums chart in neighboring Portugal.
It spends a second consecutive week on the UK album charts (OCC) dropping to #79 Sales and #81 Physical and falling to #71 on the France Top Albums Physiques chart and descending to #74 on the Belgium-Wallonia album chart. It reaches a new peak of #15 on the Danish vinyl albums in its second week of release after debuting at #26 last week.
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Origin of Symmetry debuts on two Billboard album charts in the United States:
#3 Vinyl Albums
#15 Top Album Sales [New Peak]
I am estimating it sold about 3K copies this past week presumably most of them the XX Anniversary RemiXX edition on vinyl. The original Origin of Symmetry debuted belatedly at #161 in January 2010 for one week on the Billboard 200 album chart which at that time was sales-based only. It likely sold about 3K copies that week as well.
Matt raises funds for the homeless population in the UK:
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Album: Cryosleep
Apple iTunes All-Genre Album Chart Positions During First Week of Release from 16-22 July 2021:
#20 United Kingdom (Peak #15)#31 Belgium (Peak #28)#31 Netherlands (Peak #8)#63 France (Peak #21)#65 Switzerland (Peak #39)#84 Australia (Peak #30)#114 Russia (Peak #71)#304 United States (Peak #255)Origin of Symmetry also re-entered the latest weekly album charts in the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium and debuted in Spain for the first time. See updated details in the preceding post.MUSE Spotify Streams as of July 2021 (Top 5 From Each Album Era)
• SHOWBIZ:
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Unintended (33,000,000+)
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Sunburn (28,000,000+)
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Muscle Museum (22,000,000+)
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Showbiz (8,000,000+)
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Cave (7,000,000+)
• ORIGIN OF SYMMETRY:
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Feeling Good (94,000,000+)
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Plug In Baby (90,000,000+)
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New Born (55,000,000+)
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Bliss (34,000,000+)
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Citizen Erased (16,000,000+)
• ABSOLUTION:
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Hysteria (135,000,000+)
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Time Is Running Out (132,000,000+)
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Stockholm Syndrome (36,000,000+)
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Butterflies & Hurricanes (26,000,000+)
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Sing for Absolution (21,000,000+)
• BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS:
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Supermassive Black Hole (262,000,000+)
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Starlight (237,000,000+)
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Knights Of Cydonia (144,000,000+)
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Map Of The Problematique (33,000,000+)
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Assassin (19,000,000+)
• THE RESISTANCE:
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Uprising (380,000,000+)
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Undisclosed Desires (124,000,000+)
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Resistance (75,000,000+)
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I Belong To You (23,000,000+)
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Unnatural Selection (22,000,000+)
• THE 2ND LAW:
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Madness (225,000,000+)
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Panic Station (62,000,000+)
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Supremacy (57,000,000+)
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Survival (34,000,000+)
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Follow Me (31,000,000+)
• DRONES:
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Psycho (167,000,000+)
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Mercy (66,0000,000+)
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Dead Inside (66,000,000+)
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Reapers (41,000,000+)
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The Handler (31,000,000+)
• SIMULATION THEORY:
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Pressure (73,000,000+)
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Thought Contagion (60,000,000+)
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Dig Down (53,000,000+)
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The Dark Side (31,000,000+)
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Something Human (30,000,000+)
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Album Weekly Chart Positions from the Official Charts Company:
Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX
#6 Official UK Albums Chart Top 100 (#1 Rock & Metal Albums; #2 Physical; #2 Vinyl; #3 Sales; and #69 Downloads)
This represents a new peak on the physical album sales chart and only its second ever position in the Top 10 on this tally since its debut at #3 in June 2001. The following week it dropped to #11 and has now spent a total of 44 weeks in the Top 100. It re-entered the survey at #89 a month ago after the remixed anniversary edition was released digitally and on streaming platforms. Origin of Muse which also contained remastered and live versions of OoS debuted at #70 on the top albums list in December 2019.
Elsewhere:
#1 Vinili Albums Top 20 in Italy - FIMI
#1 Vinilos Albums Weekly Top 100 in Spain - Promusicae
#1 Vinyl Albums Top 10 in Switzerland - Hitparade.ch
#2 Albums Top 100 in Scotland - OCC
#3 Vinyl Albums Top 25 in the United States - MRC/Billboard
#4 Albums Physiques Top 200 in France [Nouvelle Entrée]- SNEP
#4 Albums Top 200 in Belgium Wallonia - Ultratop
#4 Vinyl Albums Top 20 in Australia - ARIA [Albums from three Aussie bands debuted ahead of OoS]
#5 Vinyl Albums Top 33 in the Netherlands - Dutch Charts
#6 Albums Top 200 in Switzerland [New Peak] - Hitparade.ch
#11 Albums Top 50 in Portugal - Portuguesecharts.com A.C.Nielsen
#12 Top 100 Physical Albums in Australia - ARIA
#14 Top 100 Albums Weekly in Spain - Promusicae
#15 Album Sales Top 100 in the United States - MRC/Billboard
#15 Vinyl Albums Top 40 in Denmark - Danishchart.com IFPI Danmark
#19 Albums Top 200 in France [Nouvelle Entrée] in France - SNEP
#26 Strano Albums Top 40 in Croatia
#28 Offizielle Albums Top 100 in Germany - Offizielle Deutsche Charts/MTV
#45 Albums and Compilations Top 100 in Italy - FIMI
#55 Albums Top 100 in Ireland - OCC/IRMA
#62 Albums Top 200 in Belgium Flanders - Ultratop
Origin of Symmetry
Estimated Cumulative Sales To Date by Country:
UK - 800,000 2x Platinum Certification
France - 400,000 - 450,000
Germany - 100,000
United States - 50,000 - 100,000
Australia - 80,000 Platinum
Netherlands - 50,000 Gold
Italy - 30,000 Gold
Belgium - 30,000 Gold
Switzerland 25,000 Gold
Worldwide - 1.8 - 2.0 Million
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Classical and rock elements in the band's magnum opus 2nd studio album released 20 years ago this month in 2001:
Besides providing vocals, guitar, piano and keyboards on the album, Matt plays harpsichord and pipe organ on tracks 'Micro Cuts' featuring his falsetto vocal range peaking at G5 and 'Megalomana' respectively and was inspired by Bach's Toccata and Fugue BWV 565 on 'Plugged in Baby' and by Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 on 'Space Dementia' and 'Megalomania.' Händel, Bach and Mozart were skillful performers on both the harpsichord and organ in the baroque classical era.
'Hyper Music' has similarities to 'Snakecharmer' by RATM and the beginning of 'Futurism' resembles 'Too Many Puppies' by Primus.
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Official UK Albums Chart Update (9 July-11 July):
Origin of Symmetry is at #3 on the midweek tally and is on track to reach its highest chart position on the Top 100 albums survey since its original debut release in June 2001.
From The Official Charts Company website posted on Monday:
"Take a deep breath Inhaler fans – the Irish rock band are on course for Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart with their debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This.
The Dublin quartet lead today’s Official Chart Update by over 7,000 chart sales having racked up the most physical and download sales this past weekend. Should Inhaler hold onto the top spot by Friday’s final chart, they’ll become the third Irish group to top the albums chart in the last decade, following The Script and Westlife.
Last week’s Number 1 SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo is the most streamed album of the week so far placing at 2, while Muse album Origin of Symmetry is on track for a return to the Top 5 at 3 following its XX Anniversary RemiXX edition release. The revamped offering was released digitally last month, with its vinyl rollout occurring last Friday (9 July)."
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Chart Stats & Trivia
in Muse In the Media
Posted
Total cumulative views of all MUSE videos on YouTube in the past 90 days (Origin of Symmetry XX Anniversary RemiXX album era) sorted by continent and ranked by market in each region [Source: YouTube Music Charts & Insights]:
GLOBAL: 78.9 million views / 877K average daily views / Peak 1.195 million views on 18 June 2021 (Day of album release)
EUROPE
France 6.9 million total views
United Kingdom 3.99M
Italy 3.7M
Russia 2.2M
Spain 1.95M
Ukraine 1.94M
Germany 1.37M
Turkey 1.15M
Poland 1.1M
Belgium 820K
Portugal
Netherlands
Greece
Switzerland
Romania
Czech Republic
Hungary
Austria
Israel
Finland
Ireland
Georgia
Sweden
Norway
Denmark
Bulgaria
Serbia
Slovakia
Croatia
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovenia
Estonia
North Macedonia
Reunion (France territory)
Armenia
Cyprus
Azerbaijan
Moldova
Luxembourg
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Malta
Albania
Iceland 25K