4 Facts About Fall Out Boy’s ‘Infinity on High’

After the success of From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy spent three months in the studio recording their follow-up and experimenting with sounds outside of their realm of pop punk. Their third album, Infinity on High, was released through Island Records in 2007. Tracks like  “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” and “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” became some of the band’s biggest hits, and it’s hard to imagine that happening without what was going on behind the scenes.

The Title

The title, Infinity on High, was taken from a letter written by painter Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo in 1888. The original Dutch has been translated into English as, “Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.” Fall Out Boy never fully explained why they chose it, with bassist Pete Wentz saying, “As for what that means in relation to the record, we’ll just let it unfold when people hear it.”

Writing Process


Fall Out Boy approached songwriting individually rather than as a band. Wentz wrote most of the album’s lyrics—many of which dealt with their newfound fame—and frontman Patrick Stump composed the music. After Stump came up with a melody and general rhythm, guitarist Joe Trohman wrote his parts and filled in the “empty spaces.” The band felt this approach helped create a fuller sound.

Fall Out Boy’s First No. 1 Album

Infinity on High was Fall Out Boy’s first album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, although it was their second to make the top 10. It debuted at the top of the chart, with 260,000 copies sold in the first week, and also went to No. 1 in the UK. Four of the album’s five singles also charted, the most successful of which was “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race,” which peaked at No. 2.

Guest Stars

Infinity on High features a few guest stars, most notably rapper Jay-Z in a spoken-word section on opening track “Thriller.” At the time, Jay-Z was also the president and CEO of Def Jam, the parent label of Island. The band also worked with hip-hop producer Babyface, who co-wrote some songs and also played mandolin and organ. Other collaborators include Butch Walker, as well as Ryan Ross of Panic! At The Disco, who played guitar on “The Take Over, The Breaks Over,” and Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, who contributed vocals.

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