2003–2005: Absolution

Absolution (produced by Rich Costey) was released in 2003 and debuted at number one in the UK.^[27] The album yielded their first top ten hit with "Time Is Running Out" and later three top-twenty hits: "Hysteria", "Sing For Absolution" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes". Muse subsequently undertook their first international tour. It continued for about a year and saw Muse visiting Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and France. Meanwhile, the band released six singles (one being for charity) ("Time Is Running Out", "Hysteria", "Sing for Absolution", "Stockholm Syndrome", "Butterflies and Hurricanes" and "Apocalypse Please"). The US leg of the 2004 tour began ominously as Bellamy injured himself on stage during the opening show in Atlanta.^[28] The tour resumed after several stitches and a couple of days.

The band also played at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2004. After the festival, the band described the concert as "the best gig of our lives".^[29][30] However, drummer Dominic Howard's father, William Howard, who was at the festival to watch the band, died from a heart attack very shortly after the performance. "It was the biggest feeling of achievement we've ever had after coming offstage", Bellamy said. "It was almost surreal that an hour later his dad died. It was almost not believable. We spent about a week sort of just with Howard trying to support him. I think he was happy that at least his dad got to see him at probably what was the finest moment so far of the band's life".^[13] The single Butterflies & Hurricanes was dedicated to Howard's dad.^{[citation needed]} Muse then continued their tour. They won two MTV Europe awards, including "Best Alternative Act" and a Q Award for "Best Live Act".^[31][32] Muse also received an award for "Best Live Act" at the 2005 BRIT Awards.^[32] Muse lost out twice to The Libertines for the NME award Best British Band, in 2004 and 2005. In July 2005, Muse participated in the Live 8 concert in Paris.^[33]

2003 saw the band sue Nestlé, who used their cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" on an advert for Nescafé without the band's permission. They donated the compensation money to Oxfam.The main reason behind the legal action was the bassist, Christopher Wolstenholme, who at the time had his third child, and was against the company that had a dubious reputation when it came to the promotion of powdered milk to new mothers in the third world.^[34]

An unofficial and unauthorised DVD biography containing no Muse music called Manic Depression was released in April 2005; the band was not involved with the project and did not endorse the release.^[35] Another DVD, this time official, was released by the band on 12 December 2005, called Absolution Tour. The official release contained re-edited and re-mastered highlights from the Glastonbury Festival 2004 and previously unseen footage from London Earls Court, Wembley Arena, and the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Two songs, "Endlessly" and "Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist", are hidden tracks on the DVD taken from Wembley Arena. The only song from Absolution not to appear on the live DVD is "Falling Away With You", which has never been performed live to date.^[36] Absolution eventually went Gold in the US.^[37]