30 Seconds to Mars Back on Top of Alternative Scene

30 Seconds to Mars' Jared Leto is pretty excited to be back at number one. Nearly three years after headbanging single 'From Yesterday' topped the Alternative Songs chart, 'Kings and Queens' hit number one on the same chart for the week of Jan. 30.

The stirring first single from new album 'This Is War' took the pole position after a 15-week climb and knocked Muse's 'Uprising' out of the top spot after the song enjoyed a 15-week run at the top spot.

"Muse finally agreed to step down and give us a little bit of time at the top," Leto laughs.

The song's success caps off a triumphant run for the alt-rock band since the December release of 'War' on Virgin/EMI. After performing 'Kings' on 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien,' the song's music video was named the iTunes Free Video of the Week. 'War' scored a debut at 19 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charting album yet.

30 Seconds to Mars have also been active in raising funds for emergency relief efforts in Haiti. Leto, who spent a year in the country as a child, participated in Larry King's 'Haiti: How You Can Help' telethon on Jan. 18. The band will also be auctioning off backstage passes and tickets through eBay, with all proceeds being donated to the American Red Cross.

The band will kick off a five-week tour of Europe on Feb. 19 before returning for a U.S. tour in the spring. Leto is looking forward to playing new tracks like 'Kings,' which uses recorded vocals from fans around the world, for larger audiences on the road.

"The shows have been incredible," Leto says. "It's now like the audience is actually in the band, and that participation is pretty amazing to see."