PERFECT TEN

The guitar heroics of Matt Bellamy in the top 10 Muse songs - as voted by TG readers

- Amit Sharma

10 BLISS ORIGIN OF SYMMETRY (2001)

How exactly do you go about following the crowd-conquering and era-defining perfection of Plug In Baby and New Born? For the third single from Origin Of Symmetry, it was a case of adding even more experimentation to the mix, with futuristic synth lines warring against jangly minor chords from the very start and continuing through the hard-strummed, open position shapes of the chorus – which interestingly go into the double time after the initial opening cycles. Although it’s a simple enough technique for songwriters to use, this change of pace really adds to the dramatic tension of the build, making for a climactic rise that ends on a suspenseful F minor barre chord. And, while they’re not actually played on guitar, the opening and closing keyboard arpeggios – which move from Cm to Bb to Fm – actually make for an excellent sweep picking exercise, particularly for those interested in moving down one area of the neck and coming back up in a different position before each chord change.

09 TIME IS RUNNING OUT ABSOLUTION (2003)

Another high contender in the list of Muse tracks your bassist keeps asking to run through, and one of the last to be composed for Absolution, this top 10 single was the sound of Muse embracing a more mid-tempo and groove-oriented take on alternative rock. Oddly enough, the members have even revealed it was partly inspired by the Michael Jackson hit