Placebo

Placebo, an alternative rock band from London, England, was formed in 1994 by Brian Molko (vocals, guitar) and Stefan Olsdal (bass), who were initially joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg until 1996. He was replaced by Steve Hewitt, who remained with the band until 2007, after which Steve Forrest took over the role until 2015. Placebo draws inspiration from glam rock and punk and released its self-titled debut album in 1996, which reached No. 5 in the UK thanks to the success of early hit singles such as “Teenage Angst” (No. 30), “Nancy Boy” (No. 4) and “Bruise Pristine” (No. 14). With their next album, *Without You I’m Nothing* (No. 7), Placebo achieved major international success. Featuring numerous hits, including “Pure Morning” (No. 4), “You Don’t Care About Us” (No. 5) and “Every You Every Me” (No. 11), they convinced David Bowie to record a duet version of “Without You I’m Nothing”. Black Market Music followed in 2000 and peaked at No. 6, while Sleeping with Ghosts reached No. 11 in 2003. However, it was the band’s second consecutive No. 1 in France, which was followed by two more: first, Meds in 2006, which also reached No. 7 in the UK and marked Placebo’s first entry into the U.S. charts at a modest No. 180. Then came Battle for the Sun in 2009, which peaked at No. 8 in the UK and cemented their breakthrough across the Atlantic (No. 51). After a relatively unproductive 2010s, with only one studio album, Loud Like Love (No. 13 in the UK), Placebo returned in 2022 with Never Let Me Go, which became their biggest commercial success (No. 1 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland; No. 2 in France; and No. 3 in the UK). In 2023, the live album Collapse Into Never followed, then in 2025 the DVD/Blu-ray This Search for Meaning, consisting of archival footage, interviews, concert clips, and studio sessions. Included as a bonus is the double CD This Is What You Wanted: Live in Mexico City, recorded in 2023. In 2026, the duo returned with Placebo RE:CREATED, a re-recording of their debut album, released thirty years earlier.