History YMMV / Muse

** ''Origin of Symmetry'' has the simple, but iconic desert full of giant tuning forks under a yellow (or [[InconsistentColoring orange]][[note]]This depends on the scanner, which seems to always pick up a slightly different shade of warm yellow. On digital releases like Spotify, it's definitely orange.[[/note]]) sky. Even more so is the [[AnimationBump XX anniversary version]].
** ''Absolution'' and its weird, apocalyptic, spiritual, and vague image with the shadows. It helps that both this and the cover for ''Black Holes and Revelations'' are designed by the late and legendary Storm Thurgeson, who also designed covers for the likes of Music/PinkFloyd, particularly Music/WishYouWereHere.
** ''The Resistance'' and the colorful, spiraling image of a man ascending a staircase to possibly Heaven that resembles a futuristic stained-glass image. It's based on Jon Lomberg's "Astroengineering".
** ''Simulation Theory'' and the glorious photorealistic ''hand-drawn'' image filled with loads of cool neon blue and pink lines, {{Cyberpunk}} imagery, and lots of juxtaposition that looks like a movie poster straight out of TheEighties.
** ''Will of the People'' has amazing music videos blending large amounts of UncannyValley [[MediumBlending CGI and live-action]] and great sets.

** "Unintended" from ''Showbiz'' album has no distorted guitar, intense drumming, unorthodox bassline, complicated chords, or even thought-provoking lyrics. The only thing that makes this song "sound like Muse" is Bellamy's voice and falsetto singing.

** {{Music/Drones}} is full of this, from "Dead Inside"'s bassline, "The Handler", and "Defector" to name a few others.
** "Sunburn"'s piano piece at the beginning.
** "Space Dementia"'s main piano riff.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The band's perceived decline in quality is blamed on an increasing focus on tired, vaguely political themes that don't have the guts to take a side, a sound aiming more at pop-rock and jumping on to various mainstream trends (most notoriously in ''The 2nd Law'' and also ''Simulation Theory''), a growing excess of camp and use of synths. However, these elements were already around in early albums, including the "Big 3" regarded as SacredCow by the fandom. Vague political lyrics existed since ''Black Holes'' and even appeared on previous ones, written in an even vaguer form; the band's shift to a poppier sound in ''Absolution'' was not seen as an issue due to still staying heavy; and things like synths and dramaticness are a large part of ''precisely why'' ''Origin of Symmetry'' is so-well-loved by Musers.

** [-*slamming on keyboard*-] DDDAARRKKKKSSHIIIINNNNEEEE BRINGING ME ''DOWWWWWWNN'', MAAAAAAKING MY HEART FEEL SORE, 'CUZ IT'S [[{{Mondegreen}} GAAAAAAAAY]], YEAAAAHH...

** ''Absolution'' and its weird, apocalyptic, spiritual, and vague image with the shadows.

*** Also, "And she attacks me like a Leo/When my heart is split like Rio" just feels so forced.

* ItsPopularNowItSucks: Some of the [[{{Fan}} fen]] had this reaction to the band's incorporation into ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga''. Others just chose to hate the ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' fans and continue loving the band.

** Also, most of the song "Resistance" and Matt's poorly-done GratuitousFrench in "I Belong To You".
-->'''REEEPONDS AH MAH TONDRESSSEEEE, REEEPONDS AH MAH TONDRESSSEEEE, EHHHHHHHH VERSEEE MWAAAHH....''

** Fans of the band also respect bands who have been evidently influenced, such as Music/RoyalBlood,{{Music/Chevelle}}, and recently, Dear Sherlock.

** And Chris's baselines!

*** REEEPONDS AH MAH TONDRESSSEEEE, REEEPONDS AH MAH TONDRESSSEEEE, EHHHHHHHH VERSEEE MWAAAHH....

*** "Your mind is green and your blood is blue and your belly is all yellow" from "Defector".
** [-*slamming on keyboard*-] DDDAARRKKKKSSHAAAAINNNNNS BRINGING ME ''DOWWWWWWNN''
** "New Born" mostly has solid lyrics, but then there's the odd "Stretch it like it's a birth squeeze". [[FlatWhat What]]?
** ''We Are Fucking Fucked'' has its lyrics, and the title for how brutally honest and jarring it is, but for some, the way Matt pronounces it during the chorus as [[DullSurprise ''We are fuuucking fuuucked'']] doesn't exactly lend him the serious gravitas its message is trying to portray.

** WON'T STAND DOWN! I'M GROWING STWONGER!

*** Muse respects Radiohead as an influence to this day, but not so on the other end, as Matt has claimed that Thom Yorke looked down upon them and once tried to fight Dom, making this a one-sided feud.

** ''Origin of Symmetry'' has the simple, but iconic desert full of giant tuning forks under a yellow (or [[InconsistentColoring orange]][[note]]This depends on the scanner, which seems to always pick up a slightly different shade of warm yellow. On digital releases like Spotify, it's definitely orange.[[/note]]) sky.

** The remaster of Music/AbsolutionAlbum has fans debating over its quality. Some say it's a genuine improvement that cleaned up the muddy mixing and production of the original. Some say it was just a change that induced the placebo effect, but has enough issues to outweigh the benefits, such as inconsistent volumes of tracks and instruments across the release, especially for the Dolby Atmos version and a a very overpriced $130 boxset despite not having very much bonus content to make up for it.

** Is Matt's habit of loudly inhaling a [[RuleOfCool cool addition that makes their songs even more intense]], or is it just [[DarthWiki/MostAnnoyingSound plain annoying]]?

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: While most of their more recent material have taken on a message that's relatively simple to get, their earlier albums are sometimes considered this by non-fans... [[WildMassGuessing and even by fans themselves.]] Case in point, most of the lyrics [[IndecipherableLyrics (that can actually be understood)]] on ''Origin of Symmetry'', a lot of the last ''Absolution'' songs (we're looking at you, "[[MindScrew Ruled by Secrecy]]"), and even some from ''Black Holes and Revelations'' ("City of Delusion", anyone?). [[BrokenBase Some people will tell you that]] ''[[BrokenBase that]]'' [[BrokenBase period in their discography was their best, while others disagree.]]

** In recent years, the fandom started to overlap with the Music/QueensOfTheStoneAge and the Music/ArcticMonkeys fans, two other bands who got big by the TurnOfTheMillennium and kept evolving and soldiering on by TheNewTens.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: "Execution Commentary", obviously. It's not a bad song, but [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs ''what were they thinking'']]?

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: "Execution Commentary", obviously. It's not a bad song, but [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs ''what were they thinking?'']]

** ''Origin of Symmetry'' as a whole is plagued by a raw, but very strong and strange vibe throughout its entire runtime and murky lyrics concerning insanity, obsession, and the fear of tecnhology.

* SignatureSong: "Knights of Cydonia" or "Plug In Baby" for the older fans. "Supermassive Black Hole" or "Uprising" for several newer ones. To a lesser extent for both, "Starlight".

* SignatureSong: "Knights of Cydonia" or "Plug In Baby" for the older fans. "Supermassive Black Hole" or "Uprising" for several newer ones.

* FaceOfTheBand: Matthew Bellamy.

** "Will of the People" is generally treated as the weakest track on its album for the [[BrokenRecord repeated chant]], generic sound, and tone-deaf sampling of "The Beautiful People", especially given the sexual assault allegations that disgraced Music/MarylinManson.

** "Will of the People" is generally treated as the weakest track on its album for the [[BrokenRecord repeated chant]], generic sound, and tone-deaf sampling of "The Beautiful People", especially given the sexual assault allegations that disgraced Marylin Manson.
** "Overdue" is one of the few songs from the early that fans dislike due to being generic and forgettable.