10 Times Hard Rock Bands Went Acoustic (And Nailed It)

Muse's early period could be a bit of a mess to put it lightly. For as great as songs like "Muscle Museum" and "Sunburn" are in retrospect, the band's first release Showbiz really showed them throwing any sound they could into the mix to try to find what worked for them.

"Falling Down" may not have been the Muse that we know today, but it stands out as something special regardless.

In lieu of the more spacey sounds the band would refine on albums like Origin of Symmetry, this song is almost a country song in its presentation, with most of the track being dominated by twangy guitar and piano. While this was clearly an experiment on the record, the song still holds up, as Matt Bellamy finds a way to fit his more theatrical vocals on top of this spare acoustic passage.

Even the lyrics are more akin to something like Johnny Cash, as Bellamy sings about a down-and-out narrator who brings up heartbreak, suicide, and the end of the world as if they are the exact same thing.

This is not really something that Muse would refine later down the line, but even with a twangy costume, Muse were still miles better than they had any right to be on their debut.