Members
Brian Molkobass guitar, guitar, keyboard, lead vocals, original · 1994current
Stefan Olsdalbackground vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboard, original · 1994current- Robert Schultzbergdidgeridoo, drums (drum set), percussion · 1994–1996
Steve Hewittdrums (drum set), percussion · 1994–1994- Steve Hewittpercussion · 1995–1995
- Steve Hewittdrums (drum set), percussion · 1996–2007
- Steve Forrestbackground vocals, drums (drum set), percussion · 2008–2015
Placebo is a UK alternative rock band that has captivated audiences since their formation in 1994.
Their debut album, "Placebo," was released in 1996 and marked the beginning of their rise in the music industry.
The band's second album, "Without You I’m Nothing," released in 1998, solidified their status in the alternative rock genre.
Biography
Formation
Placebo, a British alternative rock band, was formed in 1994 in London. The original lineup consisted of Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal, who have remained with the band since its inception. Initially, the group included drummer Steve Hewitt and Robert Schultzberg, who played drums and didgeridoo. However, Schultzberg left the band in 1996, and Hewitt continued as the drummer until 2007.
Key Releases
The band gained prominence with their self-titled debut album, "Placebo," released in 1996, followed by the critically acclaimed "Without You I’m Nothing" in 1998. Their sound evolved through the years, incorporating elements of indie rock and electronic rock, with notable albums such as "Black Market Music" (2003), "Sleeping With Ghosts" (2003), and "Meds" (2006). After a brief hiatus, Placebo returned with "Battle for the Sun" in 2009 and continued to release music, including their latest album, "Never Let Me Go," in 2022.
Lineup Changes and Legacy
Over the years, Placebo has seen changes in its lineup, with Steve Hewitt departing in 2007 and being replaced by Steve Forrest, who remained until 2015. Despite these changes, Molko and Olsdal have maintained the band's distinctive sound and artistic vision. Placebo is known for their theatrical performances and has been influential in the alternative rock scene, drawing inspiration from artists like Syd Barrett. Their music often explores themes of love, addiction, and identity, resonating with a diverse audience worldwide.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
This Search For Meaning2025
- 1.Title Sequence
- 2.Surrounded by Spies
- 3.Identity
- 4.Beautiful James
- 5.David Bowie
- 6.Happy Birthday in the Sky
- 7.The Search
- 8.Sad White Reggae
- 9.The Struggle
- 10.Went Missing
- 11.The Substance
- 12.Try Better Next Time
- 13.The Meaning
- 14.Fix Yourself
- 15.Title Sequence
- 16.Surrounded by Spies
- 17.Identity
- 18.Beautiful James
- 19.David Bowie
- 20.Happy Birthday in the Sky
- 21.The Search
- 22.Sad White Reggae
- 23.The Struggle
- 24.Went Missing
- 25.The Substance
- 26.Try Better Next Time
- 27.The Meaning
- 28.Fix Yourself
- 29.Forever Chemicals5:22
- 30.Beautiful James4:05
- 31.Scene of the Crime3:29
- 32.Hugz4:01
- 33.Happy Birthday in the Sky5:00
- 34.Bionic5:51
- 35.Twin Demons4:02
- 36.Surrounded by Spies5:04
- 37.Chemtrails4:33
- 38.Sad White Reggae3:37
- 39.Try Better Next Time3:31
- 40.For What It’s Worth3:03
- 41.Slave to the Wage4:21
- 42.Song to Say Goodbye4:06
- 43.Come Undone4:14
- 44.The Bitter End3:16
- 45.Infra‐Red5:18
- 46.Too Many Friends3:55
- 47.Went Missing5:04
- 48.Shout5:07
- 49.Fix Yourself7:18
- 50.Running Up That Hill11:01
- 51.Forever Chemicals5:09
- 52.Beautiful James4:08
- 53.Hugz3:51
- 54.Happy Birthday in the Sky5:09
- 55.The Prodigal4:46
- 56.Surrounded by Spies5:14
- 57.Try Better Next Time3:07
- 58.Sad White Reggae3:25
- 59.Twin Demons3:58
- 60.Chemtrails4:31
- 61.This Is What You Wanted4:11
- 62.Went Missing5:05
- 63.Fix Yourself5:01
- 64.Shout5:04
Never Let Me Go2022
- 1.Forever Chemicals5:09
- 2.Beautiful James4:08
- 3.Hugz3:51
- 4.Happy Birthday in the Sky5:09
- 5.The Prodigal4:46
- 6.Surrounded by Spies5:14
- 7.Try Better Next Time3:07
- 8.Sad White Reggae3:25
- 9.Twin Demons3:58
- 10.Chemtrails4:31
- 11.This Is What You Wanted4:11
- 12.Went Missing5:05
- 13.Fix Yourself5:01
Meds: B-Sides2016
- 1.Because I Want You (demo)4:07
- 2.Meds (FM4 live session 2006)3:25
- 3.Space Monkey (Timo Maas remix)6:29
- 4.UNEEDMEMORETHANINEEDU3:31
- 5.Infra-Red (Call the Ambulance remix)7:18
- 6.Because I Want You (Ladytron remix)3:46
- 7.Song to Say Goodbye (Rain & Tears remix)11:04
- 8.Infra-Red (Hotel Persona remix)4:00
- 9.Because I Want You (Russell Lissack remix)4:29
- 10.Infra-Red (The Waltmann remix)6:55
- 11.Meds (live at Nyon Paleo Festival 2006)3:14
- 12.Infra-Red (live at the Newcastle Academy 2006)3:42
- 13.36 Degrees (live at Wembley Arena, London 2004)5:06
Sleeping With Ghosts: B-Sides2016
- 1.Jackie2:48
- 2.Soulmates3:08
- 3.English Summer Rain (Freelance Hellraiser mix)3:40
- 4.Protège‐moi3:14
- 5.Drink You Pretty3:53
- 6.The Bitter End (Junior Sanchez mix)4:42
- 7.Daddy Cool3:21
- 8.English Summer Rain (Ecstasy of St. Theresa remix)4:34
- 9.Where Is My Mind? (XFM live version)3:44
- 10.Plasticine (Lounge version)4:06
- 11.Evalia4:20
- 12.This Picture (acoustic version live at RTL2 France)4:14
- 13.I’ll Be Yours (version 4 A.M.)4:08
A Place for Us to Dream2016
- 1.Pure Morning (radio edit)3:58
- 2.Jesus’ Son (radio edit)3:20
- 3.Come Home5:10
- 4.Every You, Every Me (single version)3:35
- 5.Too Many Friends3:34
- 6.Nancy Boy (radio edit)3:20
- 7.36 Degrees (version 2016)4:53
- 8.Taste in Men (radio edit)4:00
- 9.The Bitter End3:12
- 10.Without You I’m Nothing (single version)4:11
- 11.English Summer Rain (single version)3:11
- 12.Breathe Underwater (Slow) (single version)5:28
- 13.Soulmates3:07
- 14.Meds (single version)2:55
- 15.Bright Lights (single version)3:32
- 16.Song to Say Goodbye (radio edit)3:53
- 17.Infra‐Red3:15
- 18.Running Up That Hill5:11
- 19.B3 (radio edit)3:53
- 20.For What It’s Worth2:51
- 21.Teenage Angst2:41
- 22.You Don’t Care About Us (radio edit)3:52
- 23.Ashtray Heart3:39
- 24.Broken Promise4:14
- 25.Slave to the Wage (radio edit)3:47
- 26.Bruise Pristine (radio edit)3:00
- 27.This Picture3:34
- 28.Protège moi3:16
- 29.Because I Want You (Redux)4:19
- 30.Black‐Eyed3:47
- 31.Lazarus3:24
- 32.I Know (version 2008)5:04
- 33.A Million Little Pieces (radio edit)3:45
- 34.Special Needs (edit)3:30
- 35.Special K3:49
- 36.Loud Like Love4:27
Placebo: B-Sides2015
- 1.Drowning by Numbers2:58
- 2.Oxygen Thief3:38
- 3.Dark Globe2:14
- 4.Hare Krishna4:28
- 5.Been Smoking Too Long2:18
- 6.Hug Bubble3:03
- 7.Teenage Angst (Amsterdam VPRO session)2:46
- 8.Flesh Mechanic (demo)4:30
- 9.Bigmouth Strikes Again3:55
- 10.Hug Bubble (Brad Wood mix)6:18
- 11.Nancy Boy (Sex mix)3:32
- 12.Eyesight to the Blind3:00
- 13.Swallow (Designer & U‐Sheen mix)5:59
- 14.Miss Moneypenny2:50
- 15.Then the Clouds Will Open for Me4:22
- 16.Bruise Pristine (One Inch Punch mix)4:38
- 17.Waiting for the Son of Man4:11
Without You I’m Nothing: B‐Sides2015
- 1.Pure Morning (Les Rythmes Digitales remix)5:40
- 2.Every You Every Me (Jimmy Cauty’s Infected By the Scourge of the Earth mix)3:57
- 3.Needledick1:13
- 4.Ion4:07
- 5.Without You I’m Nothing (UNKLE remix)5:08
- 6.The Innocence of Sleep3:45
- 7.Leeloo5:19
- 8.Without You I’m Nothing (Brothers in Rhythm club mix)10:51
- 9.Mars Landing Party1:45
- 10.Aardvark3:00
Black Market Music: B‐Sides2015
- 1.Taste in Men (Alpinestars Kamikaze remix)4:38
- 2.Little Mo3:03
- 3.Leni4:40
- 4.Special K (Timo Maas remix)7:32
- 5.Bubblegun5:13
- 6.Passive Aggressive (Brothers in Rhythm remix)9:07
- 7.Slave to the Wage (I Can’t Believe It’s a remix)3:31
- 8.Dub Psychosis3:39
- 9.Black‐Eyed (Le Vibrator remix)7:12
- 10.Theme From Funky Reverend2:54
- 11.Taste in Men (Adrian Sherwood Go Go dub mix)4:19
Loud Like Love2013
- 1.Loud Like Love4:51
- 2.Scene of the Crime3:28
- 3.Too Many Friends3:35
- 4.Hold On to Me4:55
- 5.Rob the Bank3:39
- 6.A Million Little Pieces4:41
- 7.Exit Wounds5:48
- 8.Purify3:46
- 9.Begin the End6:01
- 10.Bosco6:41
- 11.Pity Party (of One)4:19
B Sides 1996-20062011
- 1.Dark Globe2:16
- 2.Hare Krishna4:26
- 3.Been Smoking Too Long2:17
- 4.Hug Bubble3:03
- 5.Flesh Mechanic (demo)4:30
- 6.HK Farewell7:32
- 7.Slackerbitch3:25
- 8.Eyesight to the Blind2:59
- 9.Miss Moneypenny2:50
- 10.Waiting for the Son of Man4:10
- 11.Then the Clouds Will Open for Me4:20
- 12.Mars Landing Party1:45
- 13.Leeloo5:20
- 14.Needledick1:14
- 15.Innocence of Sleep3:46
- 16.Ion4:08
- 17.Aardvark2:58
- 18.Theme From Funky Reverend2:53
- 19.Leni4:38
- 20.Bubblegun5:12
- 21.Dub Psychosis3:38
- 22.Little Mo3:00
- 23.Evalia4:19
- 24.Drink You Pretty3:54
- 25.Soulmates3:07
- 26.Detox Five2:50
- 27.Uneedmemorethanineedyou3:30
- 28.Lazarus3:26
We Come in Pieces2011
- 1.Nancy Boy
- 2.Ashtray Heart
- 3.Battle for the Sun
- 4.Soulmates
- 5.Kitty Litter
- 6.Every You Every Me
- 7.Special Needs
- 8.Breathe Underwater
- 9.The Never‐Ending Why
- 10.Bright Lights
- 11.Meds
- 12.Teenage Angst
- 13.All Apologies
- 14.For What It’s Worth
- 15.Song to Say Goodbye
- 16.The Bitter End
- 17.Trigger Happy Hands
- 18.Post Blue
- 19.Infra‐Red
- 20.Taste in Men
Battle for the Sun2009
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Hut Recordings2009
Tracklist not collected yet.
B‐Sides & Live at La Cigale2009
Tracklist not collected yet.
iTunes Festival: London 20092009
- 1.Kitty Litter3:52
- 2.Ashtray Heart3:40
- 3.Battle for the Sun5:47
- 4.For What It’s Worth3:01
- 5.Soulmates3:42
- 6.Speak in Tongues4:17
- 7.Follow the Cops Back Home5:07
- 8.Every You Every Me4:20
- 9.Special Needs4:33
- 10.The Never‐Ending Why3:40
- 11.Devil in the Details4:24
- 12.Happy You’re Gone4:13
- 13.Meds3:35
- 14.Come Undone4:35
- 15.Special K3:45
- 16.Song to Say Goodbye4:03
- 17.Infra‐Red3:42
- 18.The Bitter End3:22
- 19.Taste in Men5:47
Covers2007
Tracklist not collected yet.
Meds2006
Tracklist not collected yet.
Live at La Cigale2006
Tracklist not collected yet.
Once More With Feeling: Singles 1996–20042004
Tracklist not collected yet.
Sleeping With Ghosts2003
Tracklist not collected yet.
Soulmates Never Die: Live in Paris 20032003
Tracklist not collected yet.
Black Market Music2000
Tracklist not collected yet.
Without You I’m Nothing1998
Tracklist not collected yet.
Placebo1996
Tracklist not collected yet.
Black Market Music / Placebo
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Astralwerks
- Record label
- EMI
- Record label
- Virgin Records
- Record label
- Caroline Records
- Record label
- Hut Records
Influenced by
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: placeo, プラシーボ
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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