Placebo are a British alternative rock band, formed in London in 1994 by vocalist–guitarist Brian Molko and bassist–guitarist Stefan Olsdal. Drummer Robert Schultzberg joined in late 1994, but left in 1996 shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album due to conflicts with Molko, and was replaced the same year by Steve Hewitt. Molko was born in Belgium and Olsdal and Schultzberg in Sweden; remaining members Molko and Olsdal both grew up in Luxembourg before separately relocating to London and are both British citizens.
Brian Molko is a Belgian-born Scottish-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his distinctive nasal, high-pitched vocals, previously feminine/androgynous appearance, aggressive guitar style, and unique tunings.
Placebo is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was released on 17 June 1996 by record label Virgin. It is the only album recorded with drummer Robert Schultzberg before his departure from the group.
Bo Stefan Alexander Olsdal is a Swedish-Luxembourgish bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo, he is part of the electronic band Digital 21 + Stefan Olsdal and launched the electronic/dance remix at Hotel Persona.
Silent Alarm Remixed is the remix album to Silent Alarm, the debut album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 29 August 2005 in the British Isles on Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, and on 13 September 2005 in the United States through Vice Records to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The record peaked at number 54 on the UK Albums Chart. In the US, it achieved a peak of number four on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums.
Meds is the fifth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded from late 2005 to early 2006 and released on 13 March 2006 by record label Virgin in most countries, although it was released three days earlier in Australia and New Zealand. Illegal copies had previously been available on the Internet since 17 January 2006.
"Pure Morning" is the first single from British alternative rock band Placebo's second album, Without You I'm Nothing (1998). The single was successful in the United States, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, and it also reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. Worldwide, the song reached the top 50 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and New Zealand. In October 2017, the song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry.
"Infra-Red" is a song by English alternative rock band Placebo, released on 19 June 2006 as the third single from their fifth studio album Meds.
"Because I Want You" is a song by English alternative rock band Placebo, released as the first UK single from their 2006 album Meds – in territories outside the UK, the single was substituted by "Song to Say Goodbye".
"Con te partirò" is an Italian song written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics). It was first performed by Andrea Bocelli at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival and recorded on his album of the same year, Bocelli. The single was first released as an A-side single with "Vivere" in 1995, topping the charts, first in France, where it became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, and then in Belgium, breaking the all-time record sales there.
Without You I'm Nothing is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. Recorded in mid-to-late 1998, it was released on 12 October 1998 by record labels Hut and Virgin Records.
"Nancy Boy" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on 20 January 1997, as the fourth single from their debut self-titled album, released on Hut Records. As with their first single "Come Home", the single edit is a re-recorded version, noticeably different from the album version. "Nancy Boy" contains themes of drugs, sex, gender confusion and bisexuality. "Nancy Boy" became their breakthrough single, peaking at number four in the UK Singles Chart a month after the single's release. While Placebo originally charted at number forty upon its release, after the release of "Nancy Boy" the album re-entered the UK Albums Chart at number five in February, staying on chart for thirteen weeks.
"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single along with "Staying Fat" in May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records, it was re-released as a regular single in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 25 April 2005. It was their first single to chart on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks where it came in at number 34, and is often credited as their breakthrough single in North America. It was also featured in the song "Bloc Party" on the Fort Minor Mixtape: We Major. It was ranked No. 31 in NME's top 100 tracks of the decade, and was number 54 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of all time. It peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2011, NME placed it at number 20 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". The song was featured in the 2018/19 video game Life Is Strange 2.
"36 Degrees" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the second single from their eponymous debut album. It reached number 80 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Every You Every Me" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, on 25 January 1999. It was released as a 2-CD set and on cassette, but promotional copies on 12-inch vinyl exist. The single managed to chart at number 46 in Australia, number 99 in Germany, and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. There are two versions of the video, both filmed live at London's Brixton Academy; one includes clips from the film Cruel Intentions. An alternative video taking place at a casino was filmed in November 1998 but would not be released until 18 years later as part of the promotion for A Place for Us to Dream.
"Special K" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on 19 March 2001 on CD and 12" vinyl, taken from their third album, Black Market Music. The title is slang for Ketamine, and the song itself is supposed to explore "the link between drugs and love," and "Special K" is uppers and the rush of falling in love."
Battle for the Sun is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded in Canada in 2008 and released on 8 June 2009 by record label PIAS. It is their first album with new drummer Steve Forrest, following the departure of Steve Hewitt in 2007.
Loud Like Love is the seventh studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, recorded between 2012 and 2013 and released on 16 September 2013.
MTV Unplugged is a live album by the English alternative rock band Placebo. It was released on 27 November 2015, in the formats of CD, DVD, Blu-ray, double vinyl, limited edition double vinyl picture disc, digital download and limited edition super deluxe box set. Recorded on 19 August 2015 at The London Studios, it is part of the MTV Unplugged series.
Life's What You Make It is an EP by the English alternative rock band Placebo, released on 7 October 2016. It includes three cover songs, as well as the 2016 single "Jesus' Son" and two live recordings of "Twenty Years".
