Drones (Muse album)
Drones is the seventh studio album by English rock band Muse, released on 5 June 2015 through Warner Bros. Records and the band's own Helium-3 imprint. The album was recorded between October 2014 and April 2015 at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, with orchestral sections recorded at Officine Meccaniche in Milan, and was produced by the band and Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Drones is a concept album following a soldier's abandonment, indoctrination as a "human drone", and eventual defection. It also comments on the Obama administration's drone program. After their previous albums incorporated orchestral and electronic music, Muse aimed to return to a more straightforward rock sound musically.
Drones | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Cover art by Matt Mahurin | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 June 2015 | |||
Recorded | October 2014 – April 2015 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Muse chronology | ||||
| ||||
Muse studio album chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Drones | ||||
|
Drones received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised its instrumentation but criticised its concept and lyrics. It topped 21 international charts, including the UK Albums Chart (where it became Muse's fifth consecutive number-one album) and the US Billboard 200. It sold over a million copies worldwide in 2015, making it the year's 19th-bestselling album. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, it won the award for Best Rock Album. The album was listed on 41 in the NME albums of the year 2015.[1] Diffuser.fm named it the 42nd best of the year.[2].Rolling Stone named it the 39th best of the year.[3]
It was supported by an expansive world tour with appearances at several festivals and arenas, lasting from 2015 to 2016 and grossing $88.5 million from 132 shows.[4][5] A concert film of the tour, entitled Muse: Drones World Tour, was released in cinemas in July 2018.[6]
Background
On their previous albums The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012), Muse incorporated orchestral and electronic music.[7][8] In December 2013, they released the live album and video Live at Rome Olympic Stadium; songwriter Matt Bellamy said the band wanted the release "to capture some of the extremes of what we've been doing since we want to go in a different direction in the future."[7]
Muse began writing their seventh album soon after the Rome concert. Bellamy stated that the album "should be something that really does strip away the additional things that we've experimented with on the last two albums... I kind of feel like it will be nice to reconnect and remind ourselves of just the basics of who we are."[7] The band felt the electronic side of their music was becoming too dominant. According to bassist Chris Wolstenholme, some of the music on The 2nd Law was "somewhat of a bore to play live, and I'm not too certain how much of it worked for our shows ... The logical step was to strip away all the outer layers and go back to the way we started. Sometimes, making things simpler makes them more powerful."[9]
Recording
In October 2014, Muse entered the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.[10][11][12] After having self-produced their previous two albums, Muse worked with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange to spend less time mixing and reviewing takes and focus on performance.[9] Tommaso Colliva and Rich Costey served as additional producers.[10] After having used several different bass guitars and effect pedals for The 2nd Law, Wolstenholme used only one bass guitar and a small number of pedals, hoping to find a cohesive sound.[9]
The first recording session ended on 19 October, with the band calling it "emotional".[13] Muse re-entered the studio in November 2014.[14] On 1 April 2015, drummer Dominic Howard and mixer Rich Costey indicated on their Instagram accounts that they had finished mixing the album.[15][16] The result was a simpler, more consistent rock sound with less elaborate production and genre experimentation.[9][17][18]
Composition
Drones has been described as featuring alternative rock,[19] hard rock,[20] progressive rock,[21] and progressive metal.[22] It is a concept album about the dehumanisation of modern warfare.[23] The story begins with "Dead Inside", where the protagonist loses hope and becomes vulnerable to the dark forces of "Psycho". He eventually defects, revolts and overcomes his enemies.[24]
Answering fan questions on Twitter in September 2014, Bellamy said the album's themes include deep ecology, the empathy gap, and World War III.[25] In March 2015, he said:
To me, drones are metaphorical psychopaths which enable psychopathic behaviour with no recourse. The world is run by drones utilising drones to turn us all into drones. This album explores the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope, to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to their eventual defection from their oppressors.[26]
In an interview in the same month, Bellamy described Drones as "a modern metaphor for what it is to lose empathy ... through modern technology, and obviously through drone warfare in particular, it's possible to actually do quite horrific things by remote control, at a great distance, without actually feeling any of the consequences, or even feeling responsible in some way."[27]
Promotion and release
On 26 January 2015, Muse revealed the album title in an Instagram video featuring a mixing desk with audio samples and a screen stating "Artist – Muse, Album – Drones."[28] They also began using the hashtag "#MuseDrones" on Twitter and Instagram.[29] On 6 February, American artist Matt Mahurin announced he had created artwork for the album.[30][31] On 8 March, the band shared a snippet of the new song "Psycho" and mentioned "mixing with a very tight deadline".[32]
On 12 March, Muse released a lyric video for "Psycho" on their YouTube channel, and made the song available for download with the album pre-order.[33] Critics have described "Psycho" as a hard rock[34] and glam rock[35] song with elements of nu metal.[36]
On 23 March, "Dead Inside" was released as the album's lead single with a lyric video on Muse's YouTube channel.[37][38] On 18 May, Muse released a lyric video for "Mercy" and released the song on Spotify.[39] On 29 May, a lyric video for "Reapers" was released on YouTube,[40] followed by "The Handler" on 2 June[41] and "[JFK]" with "Defector" on 3 June.[42]
In an album review for The Observer, Kitty Empire commented that the pacy song "Reapers" "exposes the overlap between the unfeeling destruction of drone warfare and the unfeeling destruction wrought by people tearing each other apart," referring to Muse frontman Matt Bellamy's break-up from fiancée Kate Hudson. She also compared Bellamy to Yngwie Malmsteen, noting that the song contains "meaty riffs."[43]
Drones was released on 5 June 2015 in Europe and 8 June in the United Kingdom[44] under Warner Bros. Records and Helium-3. On 3 November, Muse released "Revolt" as the third single from the album along with a music video on iTunes.[45] The fourth single "Aftermath" was released on 11 March 2016, and on 16 April, the final single "Reapers" was released as a 7" single for Record Store Day.[46]
Tour
![](../I/20160127_Muse_at_Brooklyn_-_Drones_Tour17.jpg.webp)
From 15 to 24 March 2015, the band played the Psycho Tour, six concerts in small venues in the UK.[26] Starting with Radio 1's Big Weekend in May 2015, the band embarked on the Drones World Tour in support of the album, which led to the release of the live video Muse: Drones World Tour. Bellamy confirmed they would tour North America in late 2015 and Europe in 2016, and also said they would be flying drones over the audience during the shows. However, two concerts in San Diego and Las Vegas were rescheduled due to "technical and logistical" challenges, while the drones were not used at all in three gigs, and one gig in Detroit saw several drones fail simultaneously. From 15 to 24 March 2015, the band played the Psycho UK Tour, six concerts in small venues in the UK. The Psycho Tour was a short tour by the English rock band Muse during March 2015. The tour was first hinted at by guitarist and lead vocalist Matthew Bellamy's Twitter on March 10, 2015, with the tour being officially announced the next day on the band's Facebook page, along with the lyric video for "Psycho".[47]
The dynamics of this tour were different from what Muse had used in the past few tours, where they relied heavily on theatrical stage-craft and production, this tour took the band into smaller venues around the UK and the United States, the stage design was only a simple lighting rig and, for all but one concert, a backdrop displaying the cover art of their upcoming album. The band had not played in many of the venues since the Origin of Symmetry tour which took place from 2001 to 2002. The band was supported by Marmozets on the tour. Part of the tour also took place outside the UK in the United States.[47][26]
In May 2015, the band embarked on the Drones World Tour in support of the album, which led to the release of the live video Muse: Drones World Tour. Bellamy confirmed they would tour North America in late 2015 and Europe in 2016, and also said they would be flying drones over the audience during the shows. However, two concerts in San Diego and Las Vegas were rescheduled due to "technical and logistical" challenges, while the drones were not used at all in three gigs, and one gig in Detroit saw several drones fail simultaneously.[48] During the first leg of the tour, the band had their debut performance at Download Festival, which they also headlined.[49] The new tour stage set up featured 11 LED pillars which could be manually pushed back and forth by members of the crew to accommodate the show. Bellamy compared this set up to The Resistance tour on his Instagram. An updated version of this set was used for the remaining dates in 2017, complete with new lighting rigs and lasers.[50]
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 5.7/10[51] |
Metacritic | 63/100[52] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Daily Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | C[54] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 7/10[57] |
Pitchfork | 4.5/10[58] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 5/10[21] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Drones has an average score of 63 based on 25 reviews. Kerrang! gave Drones a perfect score, calling it "a claustrophobic classic that sharpens the focus of what is possible in the name of high-minded rock."[52] Q wrote that despite Muse's stated goal of returning to their roots, "Drones is anything but back-to-basics garage rock... befitting of its proggy conceptual narrative about state mind control, it's an album of rambling interests."[59] David Fricke of Rolling Stone called the album "a truly guilty pleasure" and praised its "chunky update of the guitar-bass-drums charge" of the band's earlier albums as "what Muse do best."[22] The NME wrote that the album's "trademark Muse themes of brainwashing, warmongering superpowers, suppression of The Truth and the urgent need to fight the hand that bleeds us still resonate in 2015, but obliquely ... Muse's music once more matches [Bellamy's] adventurous intrigue."[57]
AllMusic wrote that "it's hard to avoid [Muse's] conclusion that war is bad, but this inclination to write everything in bold, italicized capital letters is an asset when it comes to music."[23] Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote that despite the "trite" lyrics and "confusing" plot, some of Drones was "fist-pumpingly ace; a timely restatement of the need for popular music to evoke both thought and dopamine rush."[60] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork found that Drones lacked subtlety and criticised its lyrics, writing, "Whatever pleasure can be generated from Bellamy's admirable melodic sense and overblown hooks is negated by Muse's insistence that they're profound rather than fun."[58] Oliver Keens of Time Out London called the album's handling of the drones subject matter "tactless and crass" and its story "as dull as dog food – told with the wishy-washy flim-flam of a frothing conspiracy theorist ... We used to moan that musicians didn't write about politics anymore. Based on this effort, maybe that's for the best."[61] Rolling Stone named it the 38th best album of 2015, calling it a "searing commentary on our era's vague dread, computer-driven death from above and Orwellian political climate ... It was the year's most convincing howl from the abyss.".[62]
The Daily Telegraph wrote that "It's more than a little Spinal Tap, but if I was a teenage boy this is exactly the kind of thrilling madness that might turn me on to a moribund genre."[63] The Evening Standard gave it four out of five and wrote: "Prog phobics might dismiss it as latter-day Pink Floyd with a dash of Noam Chomsky. But Bellamy's maturing songwriting has become more accessible, less prone to bluster. Drones is the fearsome sound of Muse at their monumental best."[64]
Commercial performance
On the UK Albums Chart, Drones debuted at number one with sales of 72,863 copies, the third-highest opening of 2015 up to that point. It was Muse's fifth consecutive number-one album in the UK.[65] It remained at number one in the second week, selling 24,445 copies (996 from streaming), bringing total sales to 97,308.[66][67] It sold one million copies worldwide in 2015 and was the 19th best-selling album of the year.[68] By 2016, it had sold approximately 170,000 copies in UK, 230,000 copies in the US, and 192,000 copies in France.[69]
Drones debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 in the week ending 14 June, earning 84,200 album-equivalent units in its first week (including 79,400 copies on traditional sales, 26,000 on single sales and 3.3 million on single streams), surpassing estimations.[70] The album replaced How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by Florence and the Machine in the previous week, the first time two British artists had debuted consecutively at number one on the US chart since 1956. Its traditional sales took Drones to number one of the Top Album Sales chart.[71]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Matt Bellamy; all music is composed by Bellamy, except where noted[10]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dead Inside" | 4:22 | |
2. | "[Drill Sergeant]" | 0:21 | |
3. | "Psycho" | 5:16 | |
4. | "Mercy" | 3:51 | |
5. | "Reapers" | 5:59 | |
6. | "The Handler" | 4:33 | |
7. | "[JFK]" | 0:54 | |
8. | "Defector" | 4:33 | |
9. | "Revolt" | 4:05 | |
10. | "Aftermath" | 5:47 | |
11. | "The Globalist" |
| 10:07 |
12. | "Drones" | 2:49 | |
Total length: | 52:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Psycho" (Live at Glasgow Barrowlands) | 5:44 |
2. | "Dead Inside" (Live at Brighton Dome) | 4:38 |
3. | "The Handler" (Soundcheck, Exeter Great Hall) | 4:45 |
4. | "Reapers" (Live at Exeter Great Hall) | 6:18 |
5. | "Bonus Studio Footage – The Globalist / Defector" | 10:00 |
Total length: | 32:57 |
Notes
- "The Globalist" contains music based on "Nimrod" from the Enigma Variations, composed by Edward Elgar.
- "Drones" contains music based on the "Benedictus" from Missa Papae Marcelli, composed by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.
Personnel
All personnel adapted from album liner notes.[10]
Muse
Technical personnel
|
Additional musicians and performers
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[124] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[125] | Gold | 7,500* |
Canada (Music Canada)[126] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[127] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
France (SNEP)[128] | 2× Platinum | 200,000* |
Italy (FIMI)[129] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON)[130] | Gold | 30,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI)[131] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Russia (NFPF)[132] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[133] | Platinum | 20,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[134] | Gold | 100,000* |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 1,100,000[135] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Australia[136] | 5 June 2015 |
|
Warner Bros. |
Austria[137] | |||
Finland[138] | |||
Germany[139] | |||
Ireland[140] | |||
Netherlands[141] | |||
New Zealand[142] | |||
Switzerland[143] | |||
United Kingdom[44] | 8 June 2015 | ||
France[144] | |||
Poland[145] | |||
Canada[146] | 9 June 2015 | ||
Italy[147] | |||
Spain[148] | |||
United States[149] | |||
Japan[150] | 10 June 2015 | ||
Norway[151] | |||
Sweden[152] |
References
- "NME best albums of 2015". NME. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "diffuser best albums of 2015". 2 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- "Rolling Stone best albums of 2015". Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- "Pollstar Year End Top 100 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- "Year End Top 100 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). Pollstar.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- "Muse Drones World Tour". Trafalgar Releasing. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- Greene, Andy (2 December 2013). "Muse Singer Matt Bellamy: Live DVD Completes an 'Upside-Down Journey'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- "Muse: 'Our new album is set for Classic FM'". NME. 2 March 2009. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- "Chris Wolstenholme and Muse Return to Their Hard Rock Roots". www.bassplayer.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- Drones (album liner notes). Muse. Warner Bros. Records / Helium-3. 2015.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Muse are finish with the first session of the new album!". Matter of Sound. 19 October 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- Brandle, Lars (6 October 2014). "Muse Returns to the Studio". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- Van Nguyen, Dean (19 October 2014). "Muse complete 'emotional' first session for new album". NME. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- Trendell, Andrew (5 November 2014). "Muse 'back in action' in studio to finish seventh album". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- "Dom Howard Instagram". Instagram. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "Rich Costey Instagram". Instagram. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "Muse Drones Album Interview And Review By Jane Gazzo". Triple M. 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- Mumford, Gwilym (4 June 2015). "Muse: Drones review – the band's most focused work in a decade". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Muse – Drones". PopMatters. 9 June 2015. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- "Muse, Paul Weller and FFS bring back the 1970s we should have had". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- Joyce, Colin (9 June 2015). "Review: Even Muse's Idea of 'Back to Basics' Is Complicated on 'Drones'". Spin. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Fricke, David (9 June 2015). "Drones". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Drones – Muse". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- Davidson, Amy (5 February 2015). "Muse appear to confirm Drones as new album title with cryptic photos". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- Khomami, Nadia (5 February 2015). "Muse confirm new album title 'Drones' on Instagram". NME. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- Morris, Andy; Trendell, Andrew (11 March 2015). "Muse announce Drones album and UK Psycho Tour". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Britton, Luke Morgan (24 March 2015). "Muse say new album 'Drones' is 'a modern metaphor for what it is to lose empathy'". NME. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- "Muse Instagram video". Instagram. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "#MuseDrones Instagram". Instagram. 4 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- Mahurin, Matt (6 February 2015). "MUSE PROJECT". mattmahurin.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- Shutler, Ali (8 February 2015). "Matt Mahurin will be behind the artwork for Muse's new album 'Drones'". DIY. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ""Psycho" Instagram video". Instagram. 8 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "Muse – Psycho [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- Hawk, Jesse (18 March 2015). "TRACK REVIEW: "Psycho" by Muse". B-Sides.tv. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
The vocals sound eerily familiar in the bulk of the song when compared to previous hits, such as Uprising (possibly the band's biggest hit, and most well-renowned song); however, the instrumentals on this track are of a heavier rock sound than Muse has gone to before.
- Beaumont, Mark (27 May 2015). "NME Reviews – Muse – 'Drones'". NME. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- Dionne, Zach (8 June 2015). "Muse's Muses: 9 of the British Band's Funky, Heavy, Wacky Influences". Fuse. Archived from the original on 4 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- Cooper, Leonie (23 March 2015). "Muse unveil new single 'Dead Inside' – listen". NME. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- "Muse – Dead Inside [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 23 March 2015. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- "Muse: Stream New Single 'Mercy' Taken From Seventh Studio Album 'Drones'". Inveterate. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "Muse – Reapers [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 29 May 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- "Muse – The Handler [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- "Muse – JFK + Defector [Official Lyric Video]". YouTube. 3 June 2015. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- Empire, Kitty (7 June 2015). "Muse: Drones review – an Orwellian breakup album". The Observer. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- Britton, Luke Morgan (11 March 2015). "Muse announce new album 'Drones' for June and confirm live dates beginning Sunday". NME. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Britton, Luke Morgan (4 November 2015). "Muse perform amid dystopian warfare in new 'Revolt' video – watch". NME. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- "RECORD STORE DAY 2016 > Muse - "Reapers"". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- "Muse announce psycho tour". Gigwise.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- "muse confirms us dates for drones tour". 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- "Muse bring heavy set to download". Gigwise.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- "Muse reveal drones tour". Gigwise.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- "Drones by Muse reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- "Reviews for Drones by Muse". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- McCormick, Neil (6 June 2015). "Muse, Drones, review: 'more than a little Spinal Tap'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Anderson, Kyle (8 June 2015). "Drones by Muse: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Mumford, Gwilym (4 June 2015). "Muse: Drones review – the band's most focused work in a decade". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Roberts, Randall (9 June 2015). "Concept album by Muse just drones on". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Beaumont, Mark (27 May 2015). "Muse – 'Drones'". NME. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- Cohen, Ian (9 June 2015). "Muse: Drones". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Perry, Andrew (July 2015). "High Voltage". Q (348): 110.
- Empire, Kitty (7 June 2015). "Muse: Drones review – an Orwellian breakup album". The Observer. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Keens, Oliver (5 June 2015). "Muse – 'Drones' album review". Time Out. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- "50 Best Albums of 2015". rollingstone.com. December 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- McCormick, Neil (6 June 2015). "Muse, Drones, review: 'more than a little Spinal Tap'". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- "Muse - Drones, album review: 'the band at their monumental best'". Evening Standard. 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Sexton, Paul (15 June 2015). "Muse's 'Drones' Opens at No. 1 in U.K." billboard.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- Moss, Liv (17 June 2015). "Muse's Drones heading for second week at Number 1". officialcharts.com. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- Johnes, Alan (22 June 2015). "Official Charts Analysis: Muse's Drones hover at No.1 for second week – Music Week: Home Stream". Music Week. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Muse Messageboard - View Single Post - Chart history stats for Muse". Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- "Muse Messageboard - View Single Post - Chart history stats for Muse". Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- Caulfield, Keith (11 June 2015). "Muse Aiming for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- Caulfield, Keith (17 June 2015). "Muse Earns Its First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- "Muse: Drones (CD/DVD)(Limited Edition)". Amazon. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Australiancharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Austriancharts.at – Muse – Drones" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- "Ultratop.be – Muse – Drones" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Ultratop.be – Muse – Drones" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Muse Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- "Danishcharts.dk – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Muse – Drones" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Muse: Drones" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- "Lescharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Muse – Drones" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart – Week: 24/2015". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
- "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 24. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 24, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- "Italiancharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- June 2015/ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 22 June 2015" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- "Los Más Vendidos 2015 - Mejor posición" (in Spanish). AMPROFON. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- "Charts.nz – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- "Portuguesecharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "2015.06.07~2015.06.13" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2015.06.07~2015.06.13" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- "Spanishcharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- "Swisscharts.com – Muse – Drones". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- "Muse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- "Muse Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2015". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- "Jahreshitparade Alben 2015" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2015 - Album" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- "Rapports Annuels 2015 - Album" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- "Album Top-100 2015" (in Danish). Hitlisten.NU. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "Top Albums 2015" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 30 December 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "Összesített album- és válogatáslemez-lista - eladási darabszám alapján - 2015" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- "Classifica annuale 2015 (dal 29.12.2014 al 31.12.2015) – Album & Compilation" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- "Hot Albums Year End" Archived 5 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- "The Official NZ Music Charts - End of Year Charts 2015".
- "Top 100 Albums Annual 2015". El portal de Música. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2015".
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2015". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2016 Albums" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- "Rapports Annuels 2016 Albums" (in French). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- "Jaaroverzichten - Album 2016" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- "Top Albums 2016" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- "Austrian album certifications – Muse – Drones" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- "Canadian album certifications – Muse – Drones". Music Canada.
- "Danish album certifications – Muse – Drones". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- "French album certifications – Muse – Drones" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- "Italian album certifications – Muse – Drones" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 12 November 2021. Type Muse in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Drones in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
- "Dutch album certifications – Muse – Drones" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Drones in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2015 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- "Russian album certifications – Muse – Drones" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF).
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Muse; 'Drones')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- "British album certifications – Muse – Drones". British Phonographic Industry.
- "ANUARIO SGAE 2016". Anuariossgae.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- "Drones (CD) | Muse". Archived from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- "Drones CD von Muse bei weltbild.at bestellen". Weltbild.at. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Muse : Drones – Levykauppa Äx". Levykauppax.fi. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Drones: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon Germany. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Drones by Muse". iTunes (IE). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- "bol.com | Drones, Muse | Muziek". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- "Drones (Deluxe Edition)". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- "Drones – MUSE – CD kaufen" (in German). Exlibris.ch. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Découvrez Drones – Édition limitÃe CD+ DVD : Muse : Amazon.fr : Musique". Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Nowy album Muse "Drones" Premiera w czerwcu" (in Polish). Warner Music Poland. 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- Muse (Artist). "Drones [CD + DVD]: Muse: Amazon.ca: Music". Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- Muse (Artista). "Drones : Muse: Amazon.it: Musica". Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Drones : MUSE: Amazon.es: Música". Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- Payne, Chris (11 March 2015). "Muse Reveals Release Date, Art & Track List for New 'Drones' Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- "Amazon.co.jp: ミューズ : ドローンズ(CD+DVDスペシャル・エディション) - 音楽". Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- "Drones (2LP) – Vinyl LP – Muse – Musikk". Cdon.no. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- "Drones (2LP) – Vinyl LP – Muse – Musik". Cdon.se. 19 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.