Fall Out Boy (FOB) takes their name from the television show The Simpsons. In a similar fashion, many of the titles of Fall Out Boy songs reference pop culture. They've been one of the first bands to widely use websites, social networking and other Internet technologies to spread information about their music and connect with fans. The release of their fifth studio album was preceded by a viral marketing campaign spread across several websites.



Fall Out Boy's signature sound is an eclectic mix of styles. Wentz writes the majority of the lyrics for the songs while Stump handles the arrangement of the music. Stump has been tapped to help produce records and singles for many other bands and artists such as T.I, Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, The Hush Sound, Lupe Fiasco The Roots.

Fall Out Boy members use personal blogs, You Tube and the social networking site FriendsorEnemies.com to stay connected with fans. Fall Out Boy pictures and videos are frequently posted to these sites keeping fans involved in the band and the music.

The band was started by bassist Pete Wentz and guitarist Joe Trohman in 2001 when both were just teenagers in Chicago. Patrick Stump, who originally auditioned to be the drummer, became the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. They were joined by a drummer and additional guitar player and the mini-LP "Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend" was released in 2003.

After the LP, two of the members left the band. Drummer Andrew Hurley joined Wentz, Trohman and Stump to create the current line-up. The band relied heavily on their punk rock roots, but combined the sound with pop and emo influences. Their first full length record "Take This to Your Grave" was released in May 2003.

Their first major label release was in 2005 with "From Under the Cork Tree." The single "Sugar, We're Goin Down" shot up to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Fall Out Boy video for the song was honored with a 2005 MTV Video Music Award, which increased sales of the album. Fall Out Boy was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2006 Grammys.

"Infinity on High" was their major label follow up and was released in 2007. The album sold 260,000 copies in its first week and reached number one on the Billboard 200. The single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" reached number two in the U.S. and the U.K. The musical style is this album distanced the band from their punk roots with its heavily pop influenced sound. Although some long time fans rejected the new direction the band was taking, the album had widespread appeal. "Thanks Fr the Mmrs", "Carpel Tunnel of Love", "Take Over the Breaks Lawyer" and "I'm Like a Lawyer" were all major hits due to the accompanying Fall Out Boy Videos.