The Rasmus

The Rasmus is a Finnish rock group, from Helsinki. The group made their debut in 1994, when its members were just 16 years old. At the time, they consisted of Lauri Ylönen (vocals), Pauli Rantasalmi (guitar), Eero Heinonen (bass) and Janne Heiskanen (drums), who left the group in 1998. He was replaced by Aki Hakala (drums). In 1996, they released their debut album Peep, followed the next year by Playboy. The Rasmus's music leans more towards funk. In 1998, the album Hell of a Tester appeared, and funk gave way to melodic rock. Their best-of, Hell of a Collection, was released the following year.

Even before establishing themselves in Finland, the group was called Antalla. Before the release of their fourth album in 2001 (Into), the group was called Rasmus, but they changed their name to avoid being confused with a Swedish DJ. In 2003, they found success with their album Dead Letters and their signature song In the Shadows, which brought them worldwide recognition, notably in France thanks to the programme On n'est pas couché.

The Rasmus is one of the most successful Finnish groups, with more than 1.5 million albums sold worldwide [When?], certified eight times gold and five times platinum. They have 12 albums, the latest released in 2025. The group's best-known songs are In the Shadows, F-F-F-Falling, Shot, First Day Of My Life, Guilty and Livin' In a World Without You.