Fall Out Boy began in 2001, which is a fact that’s hard to believe not only for many millennial fans but also for frontman Patrick Stump. In fact, Stump shared a heartfelt reflection about the band turning a quarter-century old on social media this past Friday (Oct. 9), and in the process, he revealed when he thinks Fall Out Boy “really started.”
Patrick Stump’s Reflection on Fall Out Boy’s 25th Anniversary
Stump posted his thoughts on Fall Out Boy’s official Instagram, Facebook and X accounts, beginning: “When you’re young, particular ages tend to come with certain milestones.”
He continued [broken into paragraphs for easier reading]:
15: You can get your learner’s permit. 18: You can buy cigarettes if you want. 21: You can break edge without breaking the law (Andy [Hurley, drums] is still edge!). 25, I’d always heard was the age at which you could rent a car. There was a time when I literally couldn’t imagine a life past the age of 21 let alone filling out paperwork at the Hertz counter. 25 just seemed so big and far away…like a distant body in deep space so remote that scientists only speculated about its existence based on the way objects around it moved. That’s certainly how I felt floating out in the zero gravity that is age 17.
That was the year Fall Out Boy started. Now somehow the band is itself car renting age. How?! How am I 42? How is my band 25? And even harder to believe is the fact that anyone still wants to listen to our silly little band 25 years on. Maybe the surreality of it all is part of those milestones. It feels simultaneously so recent and yet so intangibly distant thinking of the origins of the band.
He then revealed that he thinks the group “really started” with a particular lineup change:
I say this in no way to disparage the contributions of the great people we had in early incarnations of Fall Out Boy (Especially Ben [Rose, drums] and Mike [Pareskuwicz, drums]; Hope you guys are doing well) but I always felt like the band really started when Andy [Hurley] finally agreed to join a little band over a year into it. So maybe depending on who you ask the “Ted’s Pants,” band gets to celebrate the car-rental age again some time in the middle of 2028.
For context, Stump’s mention of “Ted’s Pants” refers to the viral parody video of Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance” (from 2005’s From Under the Cork Tree). Also, his reference to 2028 applies to the fact that Hurley replaced Pareskuwicz in 2003.
Finally, Stump commented on the current state of Fall Out Boy while looking toward the future:
But until then, I’ll remain shocked that the four of us continue to enjoy working together, continue to be the same four guys this whole time (the so-called “Hiatus,” doesn’t count, we were very much still a band then no matter how exciting it is to imagine otherwise). Yet here we are. And if the world gives me another 25 years and perhaps another 25 after that, hopefully I will have spent as much of it as possible in the band from that one joke in the It’s Sunny/Abbott Elementary crossover. I couldn’t imagine a life past 21; Let’s see what milestones await the band beyond the cold orbit of social security collection eligibility age.
You can see Patrick Stump’s entire post below:
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What Did Fans Say in the Comments?
Unsurprisingly, Fall Out Boy fans happily congratulated Stump on the milestone while sharing their memories of the group.
For instance, someone on X wrote: “Can’t believe y’all hit 25 just 15 days before me, I was born to be in the world with fall out boy and I will always treasure it. Long live the car crash hearts.”
Likewise, one Facebook user commented: “I still remember hearing you for the first time in ‘03. My ex introduced me. And your music has gotten me through so many season. So thank you. Please know what your music means to this 40 year old graying, elder emo is beyond explanation”
Plus, a fan on Instagram replied: “Who’s cutting onions in here. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve brought into my life. Happy anniversary and all my love.”
Amusingly – or maybe not – multiple people initially assumed Stump was sharing news about Fall Out Boy calling it quits!
For example, one Facebook fan commented: “My heartbeat THUMPING thinking this was a band break up announcement.” Dozens of similar reactions can be found across Fall Out Boy’s three main social media accounts.
Luckily, that isn’t what happened.
What are some of your favorite Fall Out Boy memories? Do you have a favorite song or album? Let us know!
Also, be sure to check out our list of the best pop-punk album of each year of the 2000s below!
The Best Pop-Punk Album of Each Year of the 2000s
Pop-punk was never more mainstream than in the 2000s, so let’s go year by year in search of the best albums.
Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin