Muscle Museum

The music video is directed by Joseph Kahn and features different people in a suburban neighbourhood, crying in different situations, as Muse plays in a high school after a party, as a janitor cleans up. As the video goes on, some of the townspeople attempt suicide, and by the end of the video, the janitor breaks down. Joseph Kahn wanted to express the "sadness" of life in the suburbs where every house looks more or less the same. Individual expression is not possible because of the surroundings and the rules in those suburbs, happiness (or pretending to be happy) is mandatory.

Though Joseph Kahn himself thinks of the video as one of the best he made, he believes that most people, including Muse,{{cite web |url=http://www.rocketbabydolls.com/channelvmarch2000.html |title=English Articles |website=www.rocketbabydolls.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050307100347/http://www.rocketbabydolls.com/channelvmarch2000.html |archive-date=7 March 2005 |url-status=dead}} don't like the video.{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/58489011|title = Muse "Muscle Museum"|date = 29 January 2013}}{{cite web | url=http://www.kursivom.ru/muse-история-песен-supermassive-black-hole-starlight-uprising/ | title=MUSE — история песен «Muscle Museum» (1999), «Supermassive Black Hole» (2006), «Starlight» (2006), «Knights of Cydonia» (2006), «Uprising» (2009) и других хитов | КУР.С.ИВ.ом - сайт Курия Сергея Ивановича | date=15 July 2016 }}

"Muscle Museum" was released on 22 November 1999 on 7" vinyl—backed with "Minimum"—and double CD—backed with "Do We Need This?", a live acoustic version of the song, "Pink Ego Box" and "Con-Science". It reached #43 in the UK Singles Chart{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4712/muse/ |title=Muse | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company |website=Official Charts |accessdate=30 June 2016}}—an improvement of nine positions on "Cave".

The song is available to play on Rocksmith 2014 as part of a Muse 5-song pack.

"Muscle Museum" was a staple in the band's live performances from 1997 until 2004. The song made occasional appearances on the Black Holes and Revelations Tour, and later, the Psycho Tour and Drones World Tour. The song has not been performed since 2018.

{{tracklist

| headline = 7"

| total_length = 7:02

| all_writing = Matthew Bellamy

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| length1 = 4:22

| title2 = Minimum

| length2 = 2:40

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = 'CD1'

| total_length = 13:21

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| length1 = 4:22

| title2 = Do We Need This?

| length2 = 4:15

| title3 = Muscle Museum

| note3 = live acoustic version

| length3 = 4:44

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = 'CD2'

| total_length = 13:49

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| note1 = full-length version

| length1 = 5:25

| title2 = Pink Ego Box

| length2 = 3:32

| title3 = Con-Science

| length3 = 4:52

}}

Personnel adapted from Showbiz liner notes{{cite AV media|title=Showbiz |author= Muse |year=1999 |type=album liner notes |publisher=Taste Media}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;Muse

• Matt Bellamy - vocals, guitar, piano, Mellotron, production, mixing
• Chris Wolstenholme - bass guitar, production, mixing
• Dominic Howard - drums, radio noise, production, mixing

{{col-2}}

;Additional Personnel

• Paul Reeve - production, mixing

{{col-end}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Muscle Museum

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Muse

| album = Showbiz

| released = 9 October 2000

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

| label = Taste/Mushroom

| composer =

| lyricist =

| producer =

| prev_title = Unintended

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = Plug In Baby

| next_year = 2001

}}

A "US Mix" of "Muscle Museum" was released on 9 October 2000 on 7" vinyl—backed with a live version of "Escape"—and double CD—backed with a live version of "Agitated", the 'Timo Maas Sunstroke Remix' of "Sunburn", the 'Saint US Mix' of "Sober" and the 'Soulwax Remix' of the song. It reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart—eighteen positions higher than its original release.

{{tracklist

| headline = 7" (MUSH84S)

| total_length = 8:03

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| note1 = US Mix

| length1 = 4:29

| title2 = Escape

| note2 = live

| length2 = 3:34

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = CD1 (MUSH84CDS)

| total_length = 18:36

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| note1 = US Mix

| length1 = 4:29

| title2 = Agitated

| note2 = live

| length2 = 3:11

| title3 = Sunburn

| note3 = Timo Maas Sunstroke Mix

| length3 = 6:27

| title4 = Muscle Museum

| note4 = live video

| length4 = 4:29

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = CD2 (MUSH84CDSX)

| total_length = 12:19

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| note1 = US Mix

| length1 = 4:29

| title2 = Sober

| note2 = Saint US Mix

| length2 = 4:04

| title3 = Muscle Museum

| note3 = Soulwax Remix

| length3 = 3:46

}}

{{tracklist

| headline = Remix promo CD (MUSE 10)

| total_length = 14:46

| title1 = Muscle Museum

| note1 = radio edit

| length1 = 3:58

| title2 = Sober

| note2 = The Saint Remix

| length2 = 4:04

| title3 = Sunburn

| note3 = Timo Maas Sunstroke Mix

| length3 = 6:44

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{MusicBrainz release group|8c99a0a1-bfaf-3c21-b871-b56af6ac7b01|name=Muscle Museum|type=single}}

{{Muse}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Muse (band) songs

Category:1999 singles

Category:Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn

Category:Songs written by Matt Bellamy

Category:1999 songs

Category:Mushroom Records singles

Category:Rock ballads