← All Bands
Pop Punk · Emo · Chicago

Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy turned Chicago pop-punk into arena-sized rock without losing the wit, urgency and emotional overload that made them matter. From Sugar, We’re Goin Down and Dance, Dance to Thnks fr th Mmrs, Centuries and Love From the Other Side, they became one of the defining bands of modern emo and pop rock.

Play RockHeardle Best Songs → FAQs →
Formed
2001
Origin
Wilmette, IL
Albums
8
Breakout Song
Sugar, We’re Goin Down
Latest Album
So Much (for) Stardust
Background

About Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy formed in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette in 2001, when bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman and vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump began building a band out of the city’s hardcore and pop-punk scenes. Andy Hurley joined on drums before their breakthrough years, completing the line-up that would become one of the most recognisable in 2000s rock.

Their early sound was fast, emotional and wordy, with Wentz’s dense, sarcastic lyrics pushed through Stump’s unusually soulful voice. Take This to Your Grave became a cult pop-punk landmark, but From Under the Cork Tree was the explosion. Sugar, We’re Goin Down and Dance, Dance made Fall Out Boy MTV-era stars and helped bring emo-pop into the mainstream.

Instead of staying in one lane, the band kept expanding. Infinity on High added bigger production, R&B touches and massive hooks, while Folie à Deux pushed the writing into stranger, more theatrical territory. After a hiatus from 2009 to 2013, Fall Out Boy returned with Save Rock and Roll and became a full arena band, with songs like My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark and Centuries reaching a new generation.

The later years have been defined by experimentation, nostalgia and a surprising amount of resilience. MANIA leaned into pop and electronics, while So Much (for) Stardust reunited the band with producer Neal Avron and reconnected with the lush, emotional drama of their classic era. Fall Out Boy remain one of the rare 2000s pop-punk bands who successfully crossed from scene favourites to long-term festival and arena headliners.

Ranked

Top 10 Fall Out Boy Songs

Ranked by songwriting craft, cultural impact, live legacy, fan importance and how well each song represents a key Fall Out Boy era.

01
Sugar, We’re Goin Down
From Under the Cork Tree
The breakthrough song and still the clearest single-song definition of Fall Out Boy. Sugar, We’re Goin Down has cryptic lyrics, an instantly recognisable chorus and the rough pop-punk energy that made the band feel both scene specific and radio-ready. It changed the scale of their career.
2005
02
Dance, Dance
From Under the Cork Tree
Built around Pete Wentz’s bass line and Patrick Stump’s elastic vocal phrasing, Dance, Dance proved that Fall Out Boy could write a second huge hit without softening the band’s personality. It remains one of their most immediate live songs.
2005
03
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Infinity on High
One of the band’s slickest and most durable singles. Thnks fr th Mmrs has a huge chorus, sharp strings, bitter humour and the kind of title only Fall Out Boy could make mainstream. It captures the bigger, glossier Infinity on High era perfectly.
2007
04
This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
Infinity on High
A self-aware shot at fame, scene politics and the music industry, delivered as one of the band’s strangest big hits. The verses are jagged, the chorus is enormous and Stump’s vocal run turns the song into a showcase for how unusual he was compared with most pop-punk singers.
2007
05
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
Take This to Your Grave
The early fan favourite that still represents the Take This to Your Grave era better than anything else. It has the heartbreak, the urgency and the melodic confidence that made Fall Out Boy sound ready for something much bigger.
2003
06
I Don’t Care
Folie à Deux
A swaggering, cynical anthem from one of the band’s most divisive and later beloved albums. I Don’t Care is sharper and nastier than the biggest Cork Tree singles, showing Fall Out Boy leaning into fame fatigue and theatrical bitterness.
2008
07
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Save Rock and Roll
The comeback single that reintroduced Fall Out Boy as an arena band. It is bigger, heavier and more chant-driven than their 2000s work, built for sports arenas and festival crowds. It announced that the hiatus had not ended their relevance.
2013
08
Centuries
American Beauty/American Psycho
One of Fall Out Boy’s biggest post-hiatus songs and a true stadium-era anthem. Centuries is not subtle, but that is the point: it turns the band’s comeback confidence into a giant chorus designed for maximum impact.
2014
09
Love From the Other Side
So Much (for) Stardust
The song that made many longtime fans feel the classic emotional drama had returned. Love From the Other Side has strings, big guitars, a sweeping chorus and the sense of maximalist heartbreak that defined the band’s best mid-2000s material.
2023
10
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
Folie à Deux
A deep fan favourite and one of the strongest openings in the Fall Out Boy catalogue. Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes captures the emotional, theatrical and slightly chaotic brilliance of Folie à Deux, an album that has only grown in reputation over time.
2008

For the full ranking see the best Fall Out Boy songs guide.

Discography

Fall Out Boy Albums: Where to Start

Key albums with honest notes on who each one is for.

2003
Take This to Your Grave
Start here if: you want the raw pop-punk roots
The essential early-scene album. Grand Theft Autumn, Saturday and Dead on Arrival show the band before the mainstream explosion: fast, emotional and packed with hooks.
2005
From Under the Cork Tree
⭐ Best starting point overall
The album that made Fall Out Boy stars. Sugar, We’re Goin Down, Dance, Dance and A Little Less Sixteen Candles... define their breakthrough era and remain essential.
2007
Infinity on High
⭐ Best starting point: bigger pop-rock era
Glossier, stranger and more ambitious than Cork Tree. Thnks fr th Mmrs, This Ain’t a Scene and The Take Over, the Breaks Over show the band growing without losing their wit.
2008
Folie à Deux
⭐ Best starting point: fan-favourite deep era
Initially divisive, now widely loved by fans. Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes, I Don’t Care and What a Catch, Donnie show the band at their most theatrical and emotionally rich.
2013
Save Rock and Roll
Start here if: you want the comeback era
The post-hiatus relaunch. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark and The Phoenix reintroduced the band with a bigger, more arena-ready sound.
2015
American Beauty/American Psycho
Start here if: you want the stadium anthem era
Built around huge hooks and maximum impact, this album contains Centuries, Uma Thurman and Irresistible. It is one of the clearest examples of modern arena Fall Out Boy.
2018
MANIA
Start here if: you want the pop-experimental side
The most divisive modern Fall Out Boy album. It leans into electronics, pop production and odd choices, with The Last of the Real Ones and Hold Me Tight or Don’t among the strongest tracks.
2023
So Much (for) Stardust
⭐ Best starting point: modern classic-era return
The strongest recent album and a clear reconnect with the band’s dramatic mid-2000s spirit. Love From the Other Side, Hold Me Like a Grudge and the title track make it essential for modern fans.
History

Fall Out Boy: Key Moments

2001
Formation near Chicago
Fall Out Boy form in Wilmette, Illinois, with roots in the Chicago hardcore and pop-punk scenes.
2003
Take This to Your Grave builds the fanbase
The debut album becomes a key release in 2000s pop-punk, powered by Grand Theft Autumn and Saturday.
2005
From Under the Cork Tree breaks through
Sugar, We’re Goin Down and Dance, Dance turn the band into mainstream stars and help define emo-pop’s commercial peak.
2007
Infinity on High expands the sound
The band adds bigger production, pop ambition and genre touches while scoring more major hits with Thnks fr th Mmrs and This Ain’t a Scene.
2008
Folie à Deux divides, then grows in reputation
Folie à Deux receives a mixed reaction at the time but later becomes one of the band’s most beloved records among fans.
2009
Hiatus begins
Fall Out Boy go on hiatus after years of intense touring and public pressure, allowing members to pursue other projects.
2013
Save Rock and Roll comeback
The band returns with Save Rock and Roll and My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark, moving into a bigger arena-rock phase.
2015
Centuries becomes a stadium anthem
American Beauty/American Psycho gives the band one of its biggest modern hits with Centuries.
2018
MANIA reaches number one
MANIA pushes Fall Out Boy further into electronic and pop territory while continuing their commercial run.
2023
So Much (for) Stardust reconnects with classic drama
The band releases So Much (for) Stardust, working again with producer Neal Avron and earning strong reactions from longtime fans.
2025
Joe Trohman steps away from touring
Joe Trohman steps away from touring for hand surgery, with the band continuing live dates while he recovers.
Test Yourself

Fall Out Boy Trivia Quiz

Five questions — how many can you get right?

Where to Start

Best Fall Out Boy Songs by Listening Mood

Not sure where to begin? Use this as your entry point.

First song ever
Sugar, We’re Goin Down
Best live bounce
Dance, Dance
Biggest 2007 hook
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Early fan favourite
Grand Theft Autumn
Theatrical deep cut
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
Comeback anthem
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Stadium energy
Centuries
Modern classic
Love From the Other Side
Questions

Fall Out Boy FAQs

When did Fall Out Boy form?
Fall Out Boy formed in 2001 in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb near Chicago. The band came out of the local hardcore and pop-punk scenes before becoming one of the biggest emo-pop bands of the 2000s.
Who are the current members of Fall Out Boy?
Fall Out Boy’s core line-up is Patrick Stump on vocals and guitar, Pete Wentz on bass and lyrics, Joe Trohman on guitar and Andy Hurley on drums.
What is Fall Out Boy’s most famous song?
Sugar, We’re Goin Down is often seen as Fall Out Boy’s signature breakthrough song. Dance, Dance, Thnks fr th Mmrs, Centuries and My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark are also among their best-known tracks.
What is the best Fall Out Boy album to start with?
From Under the Cork Tree is the best starting point because it contains the breakthrough hits and defines the classic 2005 Fall Out Boy sound. Infinity on High and Folie à Deux are the best next steps.
What genre is Fall Out Boy?
Fall Out Boy are usually described as pop punk, emo, pop rock and alternative rock. Their sound has also moved through soul, R&B, electronic pop and arena rock influences.
What is Fall Out Boy’s latest album?
Fall Out Boy’s latest studio album is So Much (for) Stardust, released in 2023. It marked a return to a more dramatic, band-focused sound after the electronic-pop direction of MANIA.
Can I play a Fall Out Boy guessing game online?
Yes — RockHeardle includes rock and alternative tracks. Guess the song from a short audio clip, free to play.