The song became the band's highest-charting single in the UK when it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, until it was surpassed by "Time Is Running Out", which peaked at number 8 in 2003. Today, "Plug In Baby" is considered one of Muse's most notable songs, and has been featured on the live albums Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002) and HAARP (2008).

"Plug In Baby" is written in the key of D major (although the song does not begin or end on the tonic chord of the key). It's mainly guitar and bass-driven, and moves at a tempo of 136 bpm. The guitar riff is based on the harmonic minor scale.

The beginning of the riff shows similarities to the from Bach's "".

One of the B-sides to the single, "Execution Commentary", was described by Bellamy as the "worst song I've ever written".

The 1997 studio demo of the song lacked the main riff of the song, although there were numerous similarities in the lyrics and structure. "Plug In Baby" was to be re-recorded under the wishes of Maverick to coincide with the US tour promoting the Origin of Symmetry album. As Maverick wished Matt to tone down the falsetto on the song, Muse left the label and "Plug In Baby", as well as the rest of the album, remained unreleased in the US until 2005.

The song is often praised for its opening guitar riff which Total Guitar magazine readers voted as the number 1 ultimate guitar riff of the 2000s and the 13th best of all-time in 2004. In 2011, Spinner.com named "Plug In Baby" the 46th greatest guitar riff of all time, citing its "play on Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565'."

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