Hysteria (Muse song)

"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.

"Hysteria"
Standard artwork
Single by Muse
from the album Absolution
B-side	"Eternally Missed"
Released	1 December 2003 (2003-12-01)[1]
Recorded	2002 — 2003
Studio	Air Studios, London Livingstone Studios, London
Genre	Alternative rock hard rock
Length	3:47
Label	East West
Composer(s)	Matt Bellamy Dominic Howard Chris Wolstenholme
Lyricist(s)	Matt Bellamy
Producer(s)	Rich Costey Muse
Muse singles chronology
"Time Is Running Out" (2003) "Hysteria" (2003) "Sing for Absolution" (2004)
Music video
"Hysteria" by Muse on YouTube

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

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.