Alternative rock band from London, England, Placebo was formed in 1994 by Brian Molko (vocals, guitar) and Stefan Olsdal (bass), who were initially accompanied by drummer Robert Schultzberg until 1996. Schultzberg was replaced by Steve Hewitt until 2007, when he was succeeded by Steve Forrest until 2015. Placebo drew their inspiration from glam rock and punk, and released their homonymous debut album in 1996, which reached No. 5 in the U.K. thanks to the success of first 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. His many hits, including "Pure Morning" (No. 4), "You Don't Care about Us" (No. 5) and "Every You Every Me" (No. 11), convinced David Bowie to record a new duet version of "Without You I'm Nothing". Black Market Music followed at No. 6 in 2000, while Sleeping with Ghosts reached No. 11 in 2003. However, this was the band's second consecutive No. 1 in France, and two more followed: Meds in 2006, which also reached No. 7 in the UK and gave Placebo its first foray into the American charts at a modest 180th place. Then Battle for the Sun in 2009, which reached #8 in the UK and confirmed Placebo's breakthrough on the other side of the Atlantic (#51). After a less prolific 2010, with only Loud Like Love as a new studio album (#13 in the U.K.), Placebo returned in 2022 with Never Let Me Go, their most commercially successful album to date (#1 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, #2 in France and #3 in the U.K.). 2023 saw the release of the live album Collapse Into Never, followed in 2025 by the DVD/Blu-ray This Search for Meaning, featuring archive footage, interviews, concert excerpts and studio sessions. Bonus material includes the double CD This Is What You Wanted: Live in Mexico City, recorded in 2023.
