Formed in 2001 in Chicago and consisting of vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist/lead songwriter Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Throman, and drummer Andy Hurley; Fall Out Boy is one of the most iconic and important bands of the 2000’s emo subculture. They are known for their poetic lyrics written by Pete Wentz, overly long song titles, and influence in the pop punk sphere.
The band were underground darlings following the release of their 2003 debut album Take this to your grave which showed off their fresh new take on the pop punk sound of the time. They ended up achieving mainstream success with their 2005 album From under the cork tree and its lead single Sugar we’re goin down, which ended up peaking in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and winning them a VMA. The band continued their success with follow up single Dance, Dance which cemented their place in popular music along with other emo bands at the time like My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the disco.
The band continued their success with their 2007 album Infinity on high that had singles including Thnks fr th mmrs and This ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race. This album was a massive success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 200. In late 2008, the band released the album Folie a Duxe, which had the band experiment with their sound, and while not as successful, has become a fan favorite.
The band took a hiatus in 2009 but returned in 2013 with the album Save Rock and Roll that shifted into a more modern sound as shown in the lead off single My songs know what you did in the dark. The band kept their momentum going with the release of their albums American Beauty/American Psycho and its lead single Centuries in 2015 and Mania in 2018. After a over five year break from music, they returned with the album So much (for) Stardust which was a return to their pre hiatus sound with a new twist.
As a band, Fall Out Boy deserves all the love and respect they have gotten and I’m counting down the days until my favorite band gets the comeback they deserve.
