Thirty Seconds to Mars

Band

Photo: JASON ANFINSEN · CC BY-SA 2.0
Active 1998-present
Origin Los Angeles, California
Albums 6
Tracks 68
Most frequent collaborator Steve Lillywhite · 24 tracks
Genres Alternative RockPost-HardcoreProgressive Rock
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 68 of 68 tracks

Does Thirty Seconds to Mars write their own songs?

Yes, almost entirely, and almost entirely through one person. Jared Leto holds the lyricist and composer credit on nearly every Thirty Seconds to Mars track, from 'The Kill' to 'Walk on Water.' His brother Shannon and the other members perform but rarely take writing credits, which puts the band's authorship near the top of the scale.

By the Numbers

6
Studio Albums
68
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
15M+
Records Sold
28
Years Active
45
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 68 / 68 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 68 tracks: how many Thirty Seconds to Mars wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Thirty Seconds to Mars has a writing credit100%
78%
22%
Sole author53tracks78%
Co-written15tracks22%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Thirty Seconds to Mars's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 68 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 68 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Jared Leto 1998-present
96%
96%
51%
100%
Shannon Leto 1998-present
24%
24%
16%
100%
Tomo Miličević Former 2003-2018
3%
3%
0%
50%
Matt Wachter Former 1999-2007
3%
3%
0%
31%
Solon Bixler Former 1999-2003
0%
0%
0%
16%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Thirty Seconds to Mars's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2002Thirty Seconds to Mars
2005A Beautiful Lie
2009This Is War
2013Love Lust Faith + Dreams
2018America
2023It's the End of the World But It's a Beautiful Day
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2000s
Thirty Seconds to Mars, A Beautiful Lie +1 more
100%
2010s
Love Lust Faith + Dreams, America
100%
2020s
It's the End of the World But It's a Beautiful Day

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Thirty Seconds to Mars sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Thirty Seconds to Mars
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Michael Bublé15%
Britney Spears32%
Jennifer Lopez46%
Mario57%
Omarion67%
Counting Crows83%
The White Stripes92%
100%Thirty Seconds to Mars
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Capricorn (A Brand New Name)
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
From Yesterday
A Beautiful Lie
Written by Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Miličević, Matt Wachter
Wrote it
The Kill
A Beautiful Lie
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Attack
A Beautiful Lie
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
A Beautiful Lie
A Beautiful Lie
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Kings and Queens
This Is War
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
This Is War
This Is War
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Closer to the Edge
This Is War
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Up in the Air
Love Lust Faith + Dreams
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
City of Angels
Love Lust Faith + Dreams
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Do or Die
Love Lust Faith + Dreams
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Walk on Water
America
Written by Jared Leto
Wrote it
Dangerous Night
America
Written by Jared Leto, Stevie Aiello
Co-wrote
Rescue Me
America
Written by Jared Leto, Graham Muron
Co-wrote
Stuck
It's the End of the World But It's a Beautiful Day
Written by Jared Leto, Ammar Malik, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, John Ryan
Co-wrote
Seasons
It's the End of the World But It's a Beautiful Day
Written by Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Johnny Goldstein, Connor McDonough, Riley McDonough
Co-wrote

Discography 6 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Thirty Seconds to Mars68 tracks
24Steve Lillywhite, 24 tracks F12Flood, 12 tracks BE11Bob Ezrin, 11 tracks BV11Brian Virtue, 11 tracks 10Josh Abraham, 10 tracks ON5Oscar Neidhardt, 5 tracks SA3Stevie Aiello, 3 tracks JS2Jamie Schefman, 2 tracks AM2Ammar Malik, 2 tracks JB2Jon Bellion, 2 tracks TM2The Monsters & Strangerz, 2 tracks MJ1Maynard James Keenan, 1 track on Tool's page Z1Zedd, 1 track GM1Graham Muron, 1 track K1KillaGraham, 1 track RM1Rakim Mayers, 1 track DO1Daniel Omelio, 1 track R1Robopop, 1 track AR1A$AP Rocky, 1 track AN1Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, 1 track H1Halsey, 1 track JT1Jim Taihuttu, 1 track NR1Nils Rondhuis, 1 track TV1Thom Van Der Bruggen, 1 track YC1Yellow Claw, 1 track TE1Tommy English, 1 track JK1Jacob Kasher Hindlin, 1 track JR1John Ryan, 1 track MB1Marco Borrero, 1 track TR1Tim Randolph, 1 track DR1Dan Reynolds, 1 track on Imagine Dragons's page M1Mag, 1 track JG1Johnny Goldstein, 1 track CM1Connor McDonough, 1 track RM1Riley McDonough, 1 track JW1Jackson Wise, 1 track OD1Ori Dulitzki, 1 track NL1Natalia Lalwani, 1 track EV1Eugene Veltman, 1 track SM1Steve McCutcheon, 1 track JM1Johnny McDaid, 1 track on Snow Patrol's page ES1Ed Sheeran, 1 track JP1J. P. Clark, 1 track DG1Dave Gibson, 1 track O1Oak, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. F Flood · BE Bob Ezrin · BV Brian Virtue · ON Oscar Neidhardt

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Jared Leto holds both lyricist and composer credit on every track across all six studio albums. The rest of the band (Shannon Leto on drums, Tomo Miličević on guitar) are performers without significant songwriting credit. This makes 30STM one of the rare major-label rock acts where creative authorship is concentrated entirely in the frontman.

Quick Facts

  • LineupJared Leto (vocals), Shannon Leto (drums)
  • FanbaseKnown as the Echelon
  • SalesOver 15 million albums worldwide
  • Guinness recordMost live shows in a single album cycle (300)
  • AuthorshipJared Leto writes every lyric and note

Creative Fingerprint

A band that is really one writer: Jared Leto holds the lyricist and composer credit on nearly every track, while the rest of the group performs rather than writes.

The Story

Thirty Seconds to Mars is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998. Led by actor and musician Jared Leto alongside his brother Shannon Leto, the band is known for its cinematic, anthemic sound and elaborate live performances. Jared Leto is the primary creative force behind the band, writing virtually all lyrics and music, and serving as a producer on several albums. The band's self-written catalog places them firmly in the 'complete artist' tier despite their large mainstream following.

Awards & Recognition

Over 15 million albums sold worldwide
Guinness World Record for the most live shows during a single album cycle (300 shows on the Into the Wild Tour)
Multiple MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards
Named to Kerrang!'s list of the best artists of the 2000s

Frequently Asked Questions Thirty Seconds to Mars

Does Thirty Seconds to Mars write their own songs?
Yes, almost entirely, and almost entirely through one person. Jared Leto holds the lyricist and composer credit on nearly every Thirty Seconds to Mars track, from 'The Kill' to 'Walk on Water.' His brother Shannon and the other members perform but rarely take writing credits, which puts the band's authorship near the top of the scale.
Who writes Thirty Seconds to Mars songs?
Jared Leto. He is the band's primary creative force, writing the lyrics and music and co-producing several albums. The group is one of the rare major rock acts where authorship sits almost entirely with the frontman.
Did Jared Leto write 'The Kill'?
Yes. 'The Kill' (A Beautiful Lie, 2005) is credited to Jared Leto and was one of the songs that broke the band into the mainstream.
How many albums has Thirty Seconds to Mars released?
Six studio albums, from their 2002 self-titled debut to It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day (2023).
Who is in Thirty Seconds to Mars?
The core is the Leto brothers: Jared Leto on vocals and guitar and Shannon Leto on drums. Guitarist Tomo Miličević was a long-time member before leaving in 2018.
What is the Echelon?
The Echelon is the name of Thirty Seconds to Mars's devoted fanbase, known for its size and for organizing philanthropic projects around the band.
How many records has Thirty Seconds to Mars sold?
The band had sold over 15 million albums worldwide as of 2014.
What is Thirty Seconds to Mars's Guinness World Record?
The band holds the Guinness World Record for the most live shows performed during a single album cycle, with 300 shows on the Into the Wild Tour.
Is Jared Leto an actor?
Yes. Jared Leto is also a film actor, and Thirty Seconds to Mars is his long-running music project with his brother Shannon.
Why is Thirty Seconds to Mars rated so high on authorship?
Because the person who fronts the band also writes it. With Jared Leto credited on essentially every lyric and note, the group's self-authorship rate sits near 100%, unlike acts that perform songs written by outside teams.

Sources

Wikipedia: 30 Seconds to Mars Wikipedia: 30 Seconds to Mars (album) Wikipedia: A Beautiful Lie Wikipedia: This Is War (album) Wikipedia: Love Lust Faith + Dreams Wikipedia: America (30 Seconds to Mars album) Wikipedia: It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day Wikipedia: Thirty Seconds to Mars