Plug In Baby

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Lore & Background

"Plug In Baby" is written in the key of B minor, though it notably does not begin or end on the tonic chord. The composition is primarily driven by guitar and bass, moving at a tempo of 136 bpm. Its famous riff is based on the harmonic minor scale and bears striking similarities to the opening of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565" as well as Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." In terms of recording history, a 1997 studio demo existed but lacked this main riff, despite sharing lyrical and structural similarities with the final version. However, the band was unsatisfied with the result of this new version.

In Their Own Story

The journey of "Plug In Baby" took a dramatic turn during its recording phase in September 2001. The band traveled to Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, to record a new version mandated by their US label, Maverick. After spending several days working on this re-recording, the band found themselves left unsatisfied with the outcome. This dissatisfaction had significant consequences: Maverick subsequently dropped Muse from the US market. As a result, Origin of Symmetry remained unreleased in the United States until 2005.

Reader's Guide

For fans and musicians alike, "Plug In Baby" is defined by its opening guitar riff, which Total Guitar magazine readers voted the number one ultimate guitar riff of the 2000s and the 13th best of all time in 2004. In 2011, Spinner.com ranked it as the 46th greatest guitar riff of all time, specifically citing its play on Bach's "Toccata and Fugue." The song is also playable in video games such as Guitar Hero 5 and Rocksmith. Live performances have cemented its status, with the track featured on the live albums HAARP (2008) and Live at Rome Olympic Stadium (2013). While the original single included the self-deprecating B-side "Execution Commentary," the main track stands as a testament to the band's ability to blend classical influences with modern rock energy, maintaining its relevance years after its initial release in early 2001.

Did You Know?

• The song's famous guitar riff is based on the harmonic minor scale and shares similarities with Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565".
• A 1997 demo of the track existed but did not include the main riff that defines the final version.
• The band recorded a new version at Long View Farm in September 2001 to satisfy label demands regarding Matt Bellamy's falsetto, but they were unsatisfied with the result.
• "Execution Commentary", a B-side to the single, was described by Matt Bellamy as "the worst song I've ever written".
• The song held the record for Muse's highest-charting UK single (number 11) until "Time Is Running Out" reached number 8 in 2003.