20 years ago this week Muse released their stunning debut album, Showbiz. Although only a moderate success (by chart standards it only reached number 28 in Australia) it cemented Muse as a reckoning force capable of producing intricate, interesting and eclectic alternative rock. 

The album produced five singles including the massive sounding "Muscle Museum" and "Sunburn". 

Showbiz was the perfect precursor to the juggernaut that was Origin of Symmetry which followed in 2001. By the time Absolution arrived in 2003, Muse were a household name. 

Let's look back at the most grandiose, outlandish and downright cool music videos the Muse have released in their 20 plus years together.

Plug In Baby (2001)

You can't mention this song without first acknowledging that killer intro riff. A monster guitar tone such as this required a next-level video and we got exactly that. Faces metling and morphing, and just enough weirdness to keep us intrigued until the very end of the clip. But, that riff, OOOF. 

Time Is Running Out (2003)

By now we are well aware thet Muse are serious about creating epic high budget music videos. This one depicts a number of military officials seated at a round table performing actions simultaneously, moving to the beat of the song, as Muse play the song on the table, with the officials apparently oblivious to Muse's presence. Eventually, the officers begin to start dancing on the table, seeming to go insane

Knights of Cydonia (2006) 

A song as epic as "Knights of Cydonia" needs a film clip to match and, boy, the fellas did not disappoint with this six-minute space-spaghetti-western-love-triangle-ninja monolith. The band only appears a saloon holograms as viewer follow the dangerous affair between two outlaws and the people sent to find them. There’s shoot-outs, hangings, unicorns, ~relations~ and about 10 million more things - all in a day’s work in the small town of Cydonia.

Something Human (2018)

Another clip with huge production values, one of Muse’s newest takes place in a Mad Max-esq dystopian future where people are using VR headsets but also handheld cassette players??? Despite the tech smash up, it’s a thrill to follow Matt on a high-speed car chase to complete his final quest - to return a videotape to Blockbuster, those late fees must have really been stacking up. 

Uprising (2009) 

Put yourself in a situation where your childhood teddy has come to life and is tearing apart your city with fireworks and its own ferocious hands. That’s what Muse have brought to life in this video. The toy terror knocks over some buildings and creates havoc before it gets undone through its own follies. Plus, you get multiple close-ups of Matt’s face doing cute emotional singing. 

Starlight (2006) 

Ok, so maybe this isn’t the flashiest clip Muse has ever put out but it’s an absolute banger of a classic and it’s pretty much the only one that’s filmed in full light. The boys actually filmed on the deck of a bulk carrier, the MS Ocean Chie, in the middle of the ocean. Matthew Bellamy said he wanted to, “...create the idea of a band lost at sea because we see ourselves as being outside what's happening in the music scene."

Supremacy (2012) 

You only need two words to accurately sum up this video - “beach goths”....what? You want more? Urgh, fine “surfing beach goths”. More?! Ok, just because we like you “surfing beach goths that get married and have an awesome tiki torch seaside party while Muse plays on top a mountain”. That’s all you get!

BONUS: Animals (2012) 

This animated video might not have the flashiness we’re used to with Muse but the story behind it shows how creative the band’s fans are and how much the boys appreciate that. The eerie cartoon was created by Ins Freitas and Miguel Mendes of Portugal, known together as "onenessteam" and was chosen as the official video after a worldwide fan vote. That origin story is as heartwarming as the video is creepy. 

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Showbiz, Muse have announced the release of the deluxe boxed set Origin of Muse set for release on December 6th. This deluxe set will chronicle the band from their early beginnings in Devon, their early demos, first EPs, debut album and breakthrough record Origin of Symmetry.
 
Housed in a 48-page casebound book which sits in a rigid board slipcase with anti-scratch and matte laminated finish with a spot gloss. The book contains an extensive and in-depth interview with Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme as they talk about the earliest beginnings of the band, as well as the recording and release of their debut album Showbiz through to Origin of Symmetry. The book also incorporates original posters, setlists, photographs and contact sheets which are inserted and can be pulled out from the book, as well as original artwork and all CD’s and vinyl. The audio is 9 CDs and 4 coloured vinyl. For full tracklisting, and to pre-order your copy, go here.