Why the Muse Hate?

[LennieFrost]

So, this has probably been done before, but I just need to ask. Why do so many people 'hate' (I use that lightly) Muse? I was just looking online (as you do) and have come across so many discussions on why Muse is bad. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I just get confused...

[TheHappySpaceman]

So, this has probably been done before, but I just need to ask. Why do so many people 'hate' (I use that lightly) Muse? I was just looking online (as you do) and have come across so many discussions on why Muse is bad. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I just get confused...

 

There are probably a few reasons.

1. The haters are just pop fans with no taste (which applies to a lot of haters of rock bands).
   
2. They think that Muse sold out with Drones (or The 2nd Law, or The Resistance, or Black Holes and Revelations, or Absolution).
   
3. They think of Muse as a Radiohead ripoff (which they aren't).
   
4. They resent the fact that Muse's music was used in the Twilight films.
   
5. They're racist against British people.
   

 

Any of these could be possible. Who knows?

[Jobby]

They promote their music with singles like this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_xdvn52As

[TheHappySpaceman]

They promote their music with singles like this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_xdvn52As

 

Was that ever released as a single? I thought that was just an album track and the only singles from The 2nd Law were Survival, Madness, Follow Me (which to be fair isn't very good), Supremacy, and Panic Station.

[FabriPav]

The haters are just pop fans with no taste (which applies to a lot of haters of rock bands).

 

How old are you?

[TheHappySpaceman]

How old are you?

 

Hey, it was only one of the options. And to be fair, I have met plenty of people like that... in high school, but still.

[Jobby]

Was that ever released as a single? I thought that was just an album track and the only singles from The 2nd Law were Survival, Madness, Follow Me (which to be fair isn't very good), Supremacy, and Panic Station.

 

I mean, it depends on your definition of 'single' but it was the first track released to promote the record shortly before Madness came out. Pretty much the same situation as Psycho and Dead Inside, and I think most people would class Psycho as a single.

 

Either way, when you're using songs like that to promote your records, build hype and/or cause a stir, you're naturally gonna be quite a polarising band. Though apparently the band have always been like that tbf, guess it just comes with the territory of making bombastic music.

[TheHappySpaceman]

I mean, it depends on your definition of 'single' but it was the first track released to promote the record shortly before Madness came out. Pretty much the same situation as Psycho and Dead Inside, and I think most people would class Psycho as a single.

 

Okay, that's a fair point.

 

Either way, when you're using songs like that to promote your records, build hype and/or cause a stir, you're naturally gonna be quite a polarising band. Though apparently the band have always been like that tbf, guess it just comes with the territory of making bombastic music.

 

Yeah, that's Muse for ya. Again, let me restate that I feel as though they knew people would get upset about that and decided to post it just to troll us/get attention for the album.

[Jobby]

I feel as though they knew people would get upset about that and decided to post it just to troll us/get attention for the album.

 

Pretty sure they came out and said as much at the time iirc. Still, applies to them purposefully releasing polarising music.

[Hat]

Loads of people see them as insincere and over the top in a musical kind of way. Others simply don't like Matt's voice which is very understandable.

 

And a lot of people seem to be put off by the obvious influences in their music which, combined with their reputation as Radiohead rip offs, just makes them sound like a rip-off band in general. "They just stole this from Queen/Van Halen/RATM" etc.

[Hat]

The haters are just pop fans with no taste (which applies to a lot of haters of rock bands).

How do they have no taste if they're pop fans? Their taste is obviously pop music, or does that not count?

[Oy]

Loads of people see them as insincere and over the top in a musical kind of way. Others simply don't like Matt's voice which is very understandable.

.

 

I think this must be why a lot of music lovers hate Muse. People who look for musical subtlety and well crafted lyrics are going to run a mile!

[haze015]

Because they turned shit years ago.

 

They're racist against British people.

 

How can anyone be racist against British people?

[serpentsatellite]

The only reason there's more noticeable and vocal hate is because they're such a popular, "can't escape hearing about them" band (in some countries.)

 

They're an over the top, self-admittedly cheesy band that attempts to cater to the mainstream, still.

And their stage shows are well known for being obnoxiously overblown, which also isn't everyone's cup of tea and can be seen as a cry for attention (like the Uns trailer...)

 

But, basically, they've crested that popularity peak where people are just frankly sick of hearing about them. (And it's a little cool to hate on them.)

[maturefan]

The British are notorious for knocking down anyone who becomes very famous. Craig David and James Blunt are two highly talented musicians it became fashionable to hate. I think it's the same with Muse. I don't know whether this happens on other countries.

[Hat]

Not sure I'd call James Blunt "highly talented". But pretty much anyone who has a huge hit which is played everywhere for years will be hated. People like hating on things.

[serpentsatellite]

It's fashionable to act cooler than popular stuff in the first place. (As one of the posts in this very thread illustrates.)

 

But yeah, the longer someone is around, the more the public often turns against them.

 

And even James Blunt hates that song now.

[Nicklord]

I figured out that Muse hate is only strong in UK. They are pretty much seen as those crazy space rock guys in the rest of Europe from my experience

[haze015]

The British are notorious for knocking down anyone who becomes very famous. Craig David and James Blunt are two highly talented musicians it became fashionable to hate. I think it's the same with Muse. I don't know whether this happens on other countries.

 

Who hates Craig David!?

 

James Blunt is a loveable cunt though.

 

The UK doesn't hate people who become famous, we tend to hate commercialisation and 'establishment', which sadly often goes hand in hand with success.

Edited December 8, 2016 by haze015

[forevermusic]

There's probably an element of fatigue as well tbf. Muse have been headlining arenas, stadiums and festivals here for the best part of 15 years, and all their albums since Absolution have been #1 on the UK album charts, so there's probably a lot of people who have become bored of them.

 

Plus as said, its always been cool to hate on stadium bands as sell-out mainstream twaddle.

[sventington]

Severe decline in quality

[LennieFrost]

There are probably a few reasons.

1. The haters are just pop fans with no taste (which applies to a lot of haters of rock bands).
   
2. They think that Muse sold out with Drones (or The 2nd Law, or The Resistance, or Black Holes and Revelations, or Absolution).
   
3. They think of Muse as a Radiohead ripoff (which they aren't).
   
4. They resent the fact that Muse's music was used in the Twilight films.
   
5. They're racist against British people.
   

 

Any of these could be possible. Who knows?

 

Good Points. I listen to some of Radiohead songs and while a couple of Muse songs sound similar, they were quite old for the band and even then it was because they just sounded like a 'rock' song. It's like saying one Jazz song sounds like another. It's just because they're similar styles.

[LennieFrost]

I figured out that Muse hate is only strong in UK. They are pretty much seen as those crazy space rock guys in the rest of Europe from my experience

 

And in Australia (at least for me), not a lot of people know who they are, never even heard of them. Though they do recognise Uprising at least. I know one other person who knows Muse and that's because she is a huge fan of Dan and Phil...

[Jobby]

Good Points. I listen to some of Radiohead songs and while a couple of Muse songs sound similar, they were quite old for the band and even then it was because they just sounded like a 'rock' song. It's like saying one Jazz song sounds like another. It's just because they're similar styles.

 

Not really tbf. Back in the Showbiz days, the Radiohead comparisons were pretty fair. From OOS onwards they were obvs totally different bands but the 'radioheadlol' meme had become a thing so it stuck around, that's about the only extent that it has though.

[TheHappySpaceman]

Pretty sure they came out and said as much at the time iirc.

 

Is there a source for this? Because if so... hoo boy.

 

How do they have no taste if they're pop fans? Their taste is obviously pop music, or does that not count?

 

I don't know if I'd count "songs" like "Anaconda" as music.

 

Good Points. I listen to some of Radiohead songs and while a couple of Muse songs sound similar, they were quite old for the band and even then it was because they just sounded like a 'rock' song. It's like saying one Jazz song sounds like another. It's just because they're similar styles.

 

At least with Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry, I could sort of hear where they were coming from, but you have to remember that by that point, Radiohead was long past the OK Computer era and had moved on to weird electronic music, becoming mostly just the Thom Yorke show, so if Radiohead wasn't going to give us rock, then why not have Muse take over? (Especially since by Absolution, the Radiohead influences were practically invisible.)

 

Not really tbf. Back in the Showbiz days, the Radiohead comparisons were pretty fair. From OOS onwards they were obvs totally different bands but the 'radioheadlol' meme had become a thing so it stuck around, that's about the only extent that it has though.

 

I swear if I have to hear that meme from one other Muse hater I am going to flip.

 

Though I've heard Matt Bellamy's voice called a ripoff of Thom Yorke's, but... nah, Thom has a more somber depressing tone while Matt goes for extreme hamminess. Also, both are British singers in the alternative scene who cite Jeff Buckley as an influence. Of course they're going to sound alike. Doesn't make one a ripoff of the other, though. Saying one band is a ripoff of the other just because their singers sound alike is BS.

 

This is like all those people in the '70s who claimed that Queen, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin were all Cream ripoffs.

Edited December 9, 2016 by TheHappySpaceman