Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist-rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley.

With Pete Wentz as the band's primary lyricist and Patrick Stump as the primary composer, Fall Out Boy reached mainstream success with its major label debut, From Under the Cork Tree. Released in 2005, the album won several awards and has achieved double platinum status after selling more than 2.5 million albums in the United States alone. To support the album, the band headlined tours around the world in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007 the band released Infinity on High to major chart success, reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 and selling 260,000 copies its first week. The lead single, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", reached #1 on the Pop 100 and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. To promote the album, the band performed at the Live Earth concerts and headlined the Honda Civic Tour through mid 2007.

On February 2, 2010, the band reportedly broke up although no official press statement was released. On both February 4, 2010 and February 6, 2010, the band's current status was made more clear and the indefinate hiatus was re-confirmed.

On February 1, 2010, bassist Pete Wentz said on Twitter, "Don't you get it? A hiatus is forever until you get lonely or old. I don't plan on either." "I can't imagine playing in FOB again." "Something would have to change in my head or my heart ... not my wallet."

On February 2, 2010, Spin Magazine released an interview they had with lead singer Patrick Stump, who replied to Pete Wentz's tweets by saying, "I'm not in Fall Out Boy right now. But one way or another, the band will always be around...Whether we play again or not, I don't know. If we do, it will be for the right reasons. If we don't, it will also be for the right reasons." Stump also told Spin.com that he was focusing on his upcoming solo career.

Later that day, drummer Andy Hurley simply tweeted, "I quit too." as guitarist Joe Trohman tweeted in reply, "fine, i quit too."

Wentz took to his blog to sum it all up saying, "I dont know the future of Fall Out Boy. It's embarrassing to say one thing and then have the future dictate another. As far as I know, Fall Out Boy is on break. (no one wants to say the “h” word). As much as I don't have a solo project, I also can't predict that I'd ever play in Fall Out Boy again, not due to personal relationships as much as a band we grew apart. In this statement I'd like to include there is the possibility that Fall Out Boy will play again with out me or I will be a part of it when everyone is on the same page. It is no ones fault and there is no animosity about the decision. I felt as fans you deserve to know. There is no singular reason for this. The side projects or bands are supported by all members of the band. I am the single biggest fan of fob and if this is our legacy than so be it. I am proud of it."

On February 4, 2010, Wentz tweeted that the band is "in the same place it ever was" and that "there is a chance it'll work out, or not." Then later, he tweeted again, saying, "Ok no more fob jokes. We're in the exact position we were when we decided to take a break".

On February 6, 2010, E! Online reported that Wentz had told them "We're just on a break," and that he is more focused on being a father right now than he is on Fall Out Boy. Pete lastly added, "...I think I'll be OK. It's too soon to say that we'll be back. We just got burned out."

Pete Wentz has also revealed that he has e-mailed lead singer Patrick Stump and that they are still on good terms with each other. Additionally, Wentz stated that he believes the whole event has been "blown out of proportion".

After the announcement of the band's break, several Fall Out Boy members moved on to new musical endeavors. Joseph Trohman and Andy Hurley teamed up with Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano from Anthrax and David Karon to form the heavy metal band The Damned Things. Hurley also plays in the hardcore band Burning Empires, featuring Matt Mixon of 7 Angels 7 Plagues, and Stuart Ross, Ryan Morgan, and Kyle Johnson of Misery Signals. Hurley will also temporarily act as a live fill in for Dennis Merrick during Earth Crisis' 2010 "The Wrath of Sanity" tours, and continue working on his record label, Fuck City.

Patrick Stump began producing his debut solo album in January 2010. The album features no guest musicians as Stump plays all of the instruments himself. He considers the album a "big, convoluted way to get me to play drums again, because I really just miss playing drums." The album is expected to be released mid-2010.

Pete Wentz continues his family life with his wife, Ashlee Simpson, and son, Bronx. He also continues work on his clothing label, film production company and two bars in Chicago and Barcelona. More recently, Wentz acts as spokesperson of UNICEF's Tap Project, a fundraising project that helps bring clean drinking water to people worldwide. Wentz has also expressed his interest in working on new music projects, though he hopes to move outside the limitations of the common 4/4 time signature of pop music.

While widely considered to be a pop punk band, Fall Out Boy has been described as emo and cites emo group The Get Up Kids as an influence. When interviewed for a retrospective article in Alternative Press at the time The Get Up Kids disbanded in 2005, Pete Wentz stated that "Fall Out Boy would not be a band if it were not for The Get Up Kids." Early in the band's career, when Jared Logan was producing their debut album, he asked bassist Pete Wentz what sound the band desired for recording. Wentz responded by "handing over the first two New Found Glory records".

A central part of Fall Out Boy's sound is rooted in the band's lyrics, mainly penned by bassist Pete Wentz, who commonly uses irony and other literary devices to narrate personal experience and stories. Their albums Take This To Your Grave and From Under The Cork Tree are both said to have pop punk as well as punk rock sounds and influences, and Infinity on High features a wide range of styles and instrumentation, including orchestral and choral arrangements ("Thnks fr th Mmrs" and "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave") and a slower piano ballad ("Golden"). On Folie à Deux, Fall Out Boy continues to evolve their sound, increasing the use of piano ("What a Catch, Donnie", "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet", and "20 Dollar Nose Bleed"), synthesizers, and guest artists. The band also shows a number of influences, with the opening track borrowing a chord sequence from The Who song "Baba O'Riley" and "What a Catch, Donnie" referencing Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in both sound and lyrics.

The band has worked with many producers and artists, including The Neptunes, Timbaland, Lil' Wayne and Kanye West, who Patrick Stump described as "the Prince of his generation." Following the news that Fall Out Boy would be taking a break, Rock Sound revealed that Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley have teamed up with members of Every Time I Die and Anthrax to create a metal supergroup called The Damned Things.