Thirty Seconds To Mars

Few rock bands have built a following as large as Thirty Seconds to Mars from such a clear starting point. The American group was formed in Los Angeles in 1998 around brothers Jared and Shannon Leto, who had been playing music together since childhood. Its line-up has changed many times, most notably with Tomo Miličević, yet the band has always leaned towards ambitious rock that fuses a wide range of genres, philosophical lyrics and spiritual themes.

The 2002 debut, produced by Bob Ezrin, drew positive reviews but only limited commercial success. Worldwide fame arrived with A Beautiful Lie in 2005, which earned multiple certifications across the world. This Is War in 2009 showed a sharp shift towards experimental and eclectic sounds, and its making was overshadowed by a legal dispute with EMI, later the subject of the documentary Artifact. After moving to Universal Music, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013) brought critical and commercial success, while America (2018) and It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day (2023) divided critics. By September 2014 the band had sold over 15 million albums.