10 Best Sequel Songs In Rock

The very nature of the sequel has always been somewhat tricky. As far back as movies have gone on, there are only a handful of sequels that actually manage to give the original a run for their money. Then again, music tends to be just a tad more lenient on that front.

Ever since the first hit single, there have been plenty of artists who try to make lightning strike twice by just continuing a story that they started in another song. Even though something like this can be considered cheap from a writing perspective, it's all the more shocking when the thing actually works. Instead of just making another forced concept, these feel like the natural extensions of something that we were already familiar with back on the first record. In fact, some of these songs ended up being so successful that you don't even need the first song's context to enjoy it.

Whether it be part of an ongoing saga or just a fun little trip down memory lane, these tracks have history that goes way beyond just your standard rock tune. There are many sequels that haven't lived up to their potential, but these are the few examples where the backtrack is actually worth it.

Muse have certainly been no strangers to the more adventurous side of their sound. Ever since they first found their footing as one of the most interesting space-rock bands of the 21st century, their real strength was always in making songs that felt like a journey through the stars, often eclipsing the 6 minute mark. Though the album Drones certainly had a contender in The Globalist, its lineage goes back a little bit further than just another long song.

From the opening strains of piano and orchestral work, you're already prepared for something epic to come roaring in. However, as the track plods along, there's something that feels oddly familiar given the other material Muse have made over the years. When asked about the construction of the song, Matt Bellamy actually talked about the Globalist being a sequel to the song Citizen Erased from their album Origin of Symmetry.

While the tracks might not share the exact same song construction of even subject matter, they do end up sounding like mirror images of each other. Whereas the original song started with a heavy opening followed by a piano-driven interlude, we see the roles reversed as the sweeping opening of this track crashes into one of the meatiest riffs on the entire record. Even though many bands have tried to write tracks like this, not many could pull off writing a song this badass from another song's fragments.