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Hysteria (Muse song)

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"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
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Matt Bellamy
Producer(s)
Muse singles chronology
"Time Is Running Out"
(2003) 		"Hysteria"
(2003) 		"Sing for Absolution"
(2004)
Music video
"Hysteria" by Muse on YouTube

"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. "Hysteria" reached number 17 on the UK singles chart and number 9 in the US on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Performances of "Hysteria" are included the live videos Absolution Tour (2005) and HAARP (2008). A demo and a live version appeared on Absolution XX, the 20th-anniversary Absolution reissue.[2] The song was featured in the video game Fortnite Festival.[3]

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" sixteenths pattern.[4] He split his signal into three Marshall amps, one clean and two distorted, and blended the results with a synthesiser.[5][4]

Bellamy restructured "Hysteria" after feedback from the producer, Rich Costey.[6] Muse recorded "Hysteria" at Air Studios in late 2002 and completed it at Livingstone Studios in early 2003, both in London.[7][8] They processed the song using the sound design system Kyma.[6] In 2025, Wolstenholme said "Hysteria" was his favourite Muse bassline.[4]

Music video

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The music video was inspired by the hotel-trashing scene from Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982). It takes the form of a short narrative depicting a man (played by Justin Theroux) awakening inside of a hotel room and, through non-linear chronological elements, discovering that he both stalked and eventually met with a prostitute with whom he was obsessed (played by Hayley Caradoc-Hodgkins). The encounter ends violently.

An alternate video was created for the release of the single in the U.S., which features the band playing in front of a green screen; with white blood vessels, a woman's face, red, grey and black circles overlapping, and lightning. This video is also used in the UK before the watershed, as the original video was deemed unsuitable for children.[9]

Reception

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In 2012, "Hysteria" was voted the best Muse song by readers of NME.[10] The bassline was named the sixth-best of all time by MusicRadar in 2011.[11]

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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Chart (2003–2005) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 61
France (SNEP)[13] 77
Italy (FIMI)[14] 31
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 92
Scotland (OCC)[16] 16
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 17
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[19] 1
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[20] 18
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[21] 9

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[22] Gold 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[23] Gold 15,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[24] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] 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. ^ Trendell, Andrew (15 September 2023). "Muse announce Absolution 20th anniversary deluxe reissue". NME. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c 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)
  5. ^ Buskin, Richard (December 2003). "Rich Costey: Producer". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Muse (2023). Absolution XX (liner notes). Warner Records.
  7. ^ Buskin, Richard (December 2003). "Rich Costey: Producer". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ^ Muse (2023). Absolution XX (liner notes). Warner Records.
  9. ^ "Muse : Video clips - promo videos - multimedia - music videos | microcuts.net". Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  10. ^ Beaumont, Mark (1 August 2012). "20 Best Muse Songs – As Voted By You". NME.
  11. ^ "The 25 best basslines of all time". MusicRadar. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 197.
  13. ^ "Muse – Hysteria" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Muse – Hysteria". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Muse – Hysteria" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Muse – Hysteria" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Muse Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Muse Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Italian single certifications – Muse – Hysteria" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". Radioscope. Retrieved 28 December 2024. Type Hysteria in the "Search:" field.
  24. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  25. ^ "British single certifications – Muse – Hysteria". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
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