Thirty Seconds to Mars

Thirty Seconds to Mars blended alternative rock, electronic elements and the angst-ridden vocals of frontman/Oscar-winning movie star Jared Leto to emerge as a prominent voice in America's rising emo sect.

Leto and his drummer brother Shannon formed Thirty Seconds to Mars in 1998, soon after Jared first rose to notoriety in television and feature films. Leto refused to exploit his industry connections to secure label support or to play venues that leveraged his Hollywood credentials for promotion, however, and Thirty Seconds to Mars did not release its self-titled debut album until the spring of 2002, enjoying only moderate success.

Thirty Seconds to Mars' sophomore effort A Beautiful Lie propelled the act into the mainstream, boosted by the title track and "The Kill (Bury Me)," shattered the record for most weeks spent on Billboard's Modern Rock charts. It set up an even more successful third record, 2009's This Is War, alongside a relentless touring schedule that saw the band set the Guinness World Record for playing the most shows in a single year. Thirty Seconds to Mars' fifth album, America, hit number two on the Billboard charts.