It’s hard to believe, but Fall Out Boy’s sophomore album, From Under the Cork Tree, turns 20 years old this weekend. Culturally and commercially, the record was a total smash for the band, who spent years grinding it out in Chicago’s DIY underground. Not only did the album’s long, tongue-in-cheek titles and dense, verbose lyrics become a huge part of their identity, but they were emotionally resonant and complex, delivering blasts of irony, angst, and clever wordplay to thousands of distraught young people. With the 20th anniversary on our minds, we asked our readers to name the best songs on Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree. Find the top fan picks ranked below.
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5. “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)”
“7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” is profoundly personal and packed with emotion, as its meaning references Pete Wentz’s debilitating mental state (particularly a suicide attempt that he survived in 2005, when he overdosed on Ativan). Thus, the track is a sobering reflection on that low moment and the aftermath, taking us through depression, dissociation, and, ultimately, the desire for escape. Fall Out Boy have never shied away from sharing their rawest, darkest thoughts, which makes “7 Minutes…” such a Cork Tree standout in the eyes of our readers.
4. “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year”
The “sophomore slump” is all too real, but Fall Out Boy buried those expectations after breaking out with Take This To Your Grave. Refining their sound and songwriting, “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year” dives into fame, authenticity, and the pressure to live up to their previous work while serving as a cheeky nod to their own come-up. As ever, they’re sharp and bitterly self-aware, exploring the hardship of staying true to themselves without getting lost in their newfound celebrity. It’s no wonder that this song remains a reader’s favorite, even two decades after its release.
3. “I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me”
Try telling us that “I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me” isn’t an epic title in its own right. Beyond that, it’s easily one of Cork Tree’s most vicious tracks, loaded with sarcasm, spite, and betrayal in the band’s own ruthlessly poetic style. Wentz is a master at turning drama into art, mining his own personal relationships for the sake of an enduring song. And that opening line? Just classic FOB.
2. “Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)”
You can’t be surprised by this pick, right? Another of Fall Out Boy’s biblically long song titles, “Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)” is a vulnerably resonant, albeit extremely self-critical, blast from Cork Tree. Wentz even recorded the spoken-word section at the end in the bathroom because he was too shy to record in the vocal booth with everyone watching. “He wanted to be in the dark and didn’t want anybody to see him, so I just threw a [mic] in, and he crouched in the toilet,” producer Neal Avron told Kerrang! in 2019. Complete with a life-affirming breakdown, “Get Busy Living…” definitely remains a high point of Cork Tree.
1. “XO”
The closing song from Cork Tree, “XO” was overwhelmingly voted the album’s best song, and for good reason. It’s a spiteful breakup track that contains so many of the hallmarks that readers love about Fall Out Boy — emotional complexity, biting wit, and a killer chorus, to name a few. It’s also filled with endlessly quotable lines that still ring out to this day.