Since their formation in 2001, Fall Out Boy have tackled everything from post-hardcore to radio-friendly, R&B-influenced pop and all points in-between. Across their seven album discography, the Chicago four-piece proved that a) you can take punk mainstream without losing your spirit and, later, b) that not all reunions are terrible.
Almost every FOB record has been divisive in some way, as the group love to challenge their fanbase, but all have their merits, in their own unique and distinctly Fall Out Boy way.
7. American Beauty/American Psycho (2015)
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The difficult second album (again). After returning from their four year hiatus with the bold statement of Save Rock And Roll, Fall Out Boy attempted to serve up more of the same with American Beauty/American Psycho, and fell short.
Yes, it might feature two of the most upbeat, over-the-top Fall Out Boy songs ever released (in Centuries and Immortals) but it wasn’t until they shared the feature-heavy remix album Make America Psycho Again that the band really found themselves exploring new territory once more.
American Beauty/American Psycho is Fall Out Boy at their most fun and accessible but it sees the band struggling to work out how to maintain their status as a touring legacy band, while still offering something new to the conversation.
6. Folie à Deux (2008)
Nowadays, nobody would blink an eye at an album taking influence from rock, dance, soul and hip-hop, but when it was released at the peak of pop-punk, Folie à Deux was so divisive, it essentially caused the band to break up for a while.
Since the reunion, fans have started giving the black sheep of the Fall Out Boy discography the respect it deserves for being so forward-thinking - the meta What A Catch, Donnie, the jaunty piano-driven 20 Dollar Nose Bleed (with guest vocals from Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie) - but ultimately Folie à Deux spends too much time consciously trying to escape FOB’s history.
5. Take This To Your Grave (2003)
Fall Out Boy’s debut doesn’t sound like any other record the band have released but it perfectly laid the foundations for what the group would become. Released just two years after they started making music together, Take This To Your Grave is incredibly tight, and the chemistry between Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley is present in every track.
From their love of wordy song titles to lyrically-dense songs that sing of not fitting in, to the sense of urgency and positivity that they want to inspire in others, Take This To Your Grave is the sound of Fall Out Boy discovering themselves.
4. Infinity On High (2007)
After the surprise multi-platinum success of From Under The Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy decided to play up to their new celebrity status on Infinity On High. With no fear about sticking to their roots, Infinity On High starts with a sample from Jay-Z and only gets more flamboyant as the record progresses.
This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race and Thnks Fr The Mmrs (with its classic video featuring Kim Kardashian and a crew of none-too-impressed monkeys) became sassy breakout anthems that forced the whole genre to evolve while the likes of Golden saw the band show off their impressive musical chops. In summary, Infinity On High is where Fall Out Boy became more than just another pop-punk band.
3. From Under The Cork Tree (2005)
After finding their feet on Take This To Your Grave, Fall Out Boy really hit their stride with From Under The Cork Tree. More considered, more ambitious and more willing to take risks, the band’s second album features the still-massive hit singles Dance, Dance and Sugar, We’re Goin Down while tracks like Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued saw the band set melodrama alongside raw vulnerability.
Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year is a playful nod to those that doubted their major label debut but there’s not a moment on From Under The Cork Tree that isn’t fuelled by confidence. It’s a real coming of age record for the band.
2. Mania (2018)
Fall Out Boy have always been a band that’s pushed boundaries, and Mania sees them push them further than ever before. Their most bonkers, experimental and wild album so far, the group considered their seventh record a “hard reset”. Taking influences from electro-pop and EDM without losing the aggression or angst of their earlier work, Mania is a polished pop rock album that hits hard.
The glitching Young & Menace flirts between madness and genius while the twinkling The Last Of The Real Ones and the swaying Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) sees the band embrace the future without losing their identity. What comes next is anyone’s guess.
1. Save Rock And Roll (2013)
The music video for lead single My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) sees old Fall Out Boy albums getting torched, and that’s essentially what the band set out to do with their comeback record. Featuring high-profile features (Elton John, Courtney Love) and a more deliberate sense of experimentation, Fall Out Boy came back from their hiatus a very different beast indeed.
There’s nothing nostalgic about the record and the title sees the band’s collective tongues firmly in their cheeks as they challenge the idea of what a rock band could be in 2013. To this day, it remains the benchmark for a reunion album and is the most cohesive, yet surprising record Fall Out Boy have ever released.
