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Hysteria (Muse song)

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"Hysteria" is a song by the English rock band Muse, released on 1 December 2003 as the third single from their third studio album, Absolution (2003). It was produced by Muse and Rich Costey. It features a distorted bassline and lyrics about a soul-consuming obsession.

"Hysteria"
A blue-tinted image of a full moon and many raised hands.
Standard artwork
Single by Muse
from the album Absolution
B-side"Eternally Missed"
Released1 December 2003 (2003-12-01)[1]
Recorded2002–2003
Studio
Genre
Length3:47
LabelEast West
Composers
LyricistMatt Bellamy
Producers
Muse singles chronology
"Time Is Running Out"
(2003)		 "Hysteria"
(2003)		 "Sing for Absolution"
(2004)
Music video
"Hysteria" by Muse on YouTube

"Hysteria" reached number 17 on the UK singles chart and number 9 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. Its bassline was voted among the greatest of all time by MusicRadar readers and by Guitar World.

Recording

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According to the bassist, Chris Wolstenholme, "Hysteria" originated in a jam during a soundcheck in Doncaster, England, with the guitarist, Matt Bellamy, playing the riff in a blues style. Wolstenholme transferred the riff to bass guitar and changed it to a "machine-gun-like" pattern composed entirely of sixteenth notes.[2][3] He split his signal into three Marshall amps, one clean and two distorted, and blended the results with a synthesiser.[4][3] Muse processed it using the sound design system Kyma.[5]

Bellamy restructured "Hysteria" after feedback from the producer, Rich Costey.[5] The lyrics describe a soul-consuming obsession.[6] Muse recorded it at Air Studios in late 2002 and completed it at Livingston Recording Studios in early 2003, both in London.[4][7] In 2025, Wolstenholme said "Hysteria" was his favourite Muse bassline.[3]

Music video

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Two music videos were made for "Hysteria". In the European video, a man (played by Justin Theroux) obsessively views videos of a prostitute and destroys a hotel room in rage. It recalls a similar scene in the 1982 film Pink Floyd – The Wall. The American video features Muse playing before a montage of projected images.[6]

Release

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"Hysteria" was released on December 1 2003 as the third single from Absolution.[8] Performances are included the live videos Absolution Tour (2005) and HAARP (2008). A demo and a live version appeared on Absolution XX, the Absolution reissue released in 2023.[9] "Hysteria" was featured in the 2023 video game Fortnite Festival.[10]

Reception

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In NME, Kirssi Murison described "Hysteria" as "self-indulgent warp-speed rock" that "manages to wrap up Muse's pomp and majesty in what is a fabulously transparent, bewilderingly unpretentious, pop-glam hit".[11] In American Songwriter, Bryan Reesman said "Hysteria" was "amazingly aggressive and cathartic" and "certainly one of the most memorable bass lines of the modern rock era ... one of Muse's most potent tracks".[6]

In 2012, "Hysteria" was voted the best Muse song by NME readers.[12] Its bassline was named the sixth-best of all time by MusicRadar in 2011 and the fourth-best by Guitar World in 2022.[13][14] In 2022, Guitar World named it the fourth-best Muse bassline.[8]

Track listing

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  • 7", CD
  1. "Hysteria" – 3:47
  2. "Eternally Missed" – 6:05
    • Produced by John Cornfield, Paul Reeve and Muse
  • DVD
  1. "Hysteria" (video – Director's Cut)
  2. "Hysteria" (DVD Audio)
  3. "Hysteria" (live on MTV2 Video)
  4. "Artwork Gallery"

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Hysteria"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[27] Gold 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] Platinum 30,000‡
Spain (Promusicae)[29] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 29 November 2003. p. 33.
  2. ↑ Beller, Bryan (8 January 2020). "Too much is never enough: Muse's Chris Wolstenholme reinvents art-rock bass for the 21st century". Guitar World. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Leona Graham (11 February 2025). "Ep. 5 Chris Wolstenholme of Muse". The Leona Graham Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved 19 July 2025.{{cite podcast}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. 1 2 Buskin, Richard (December 2003). "Rich Costey: Producer". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Muse (2023). Absolution XX (liner notes). Warner Records.
  6. 1 2 3 Reesman, Bryan (29 February 2024). "The obsessive meaning behind 'Hysteria' by Muse". American Songwriter. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Muse (2023). Absolution XX (liner notes). Warner Records.
  8. 1 2 Wells, Nick (21 December 2022). "Chris Wolstenholme's 10 greatest Muse basslines". Guitar World. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (15 September 2023). "Muse announce Absolution 20th anniversary deluxe reissue". NME. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Coulson, David (20 March 2024). "Latest Fortnite Festival songs add Muse, Kansas, and Carly Rae Jepsen to the game". Insider Gaming. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  11. ↑ Murison, Krissi (12 September 2005). "Muse: 'Hysteria'". NME. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Beaumont, Mark (1 August 2012). "20 Best Muse Songs – As Voted By You". NME.
  13. ↑ "The 25 best basslines of all time". MusicRadar. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  14. ↑ "The 40 best basslines of all time". Guitar World. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 197.
  16. ↑ "Muse – Hysteria" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Muse – Hysteria". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Muse – Hysteria" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 7/12/2003 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. ↑ "Muse – Hysteria". Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 7/12/2003 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 7/12/2003 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  23. ↑ "Muse Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "Muse Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  25. ↑ "Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2004" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. 17 December 2004. p. 49. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  26. ↑ "Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2005" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 52. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  27. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Muse – Hysteria" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  28. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". Radioscope. Retrieved 19 June 2026. Type Hysteria in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  29. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 February 2022. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Hysteria Muse in the "Search:" field.
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