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''Infinity on High'' is the third studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
, released on February 6, 2007, by
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
. Recorded from July to October 2006 at Pass Studios in Los Angeles, California, its music was composed by lead singer and guitarist
Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy ...
and the lyrics were penned by bassist
Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician who is the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before the band's formation in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lead si ...
. The album features collaborations with new producers and guest artists, such as
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
, and sees the band experimenting with genres including R&B,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, and
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
. Fall Out Boy also utilized instruments such as
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (anatomy) * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * Horns (novel), ''Horns'' (novel), a dar ...
, violins, and pianos, which had not been used on previous releases. As reported by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', the band " riftedfurther from its
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes", a slight departure from the group's previous sound. Critics felt that its lyrics served as a response to the band's rise to fame. Fall Out Boy embarked on several tours to promote the album, including the Friends or Enemies Tour, the
Honda Civic Tour The Honda Civic Tour is an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company. 2001 First half *Headliner: Blink-182 *Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar Second half *Headliner: Everclear *Supporting: Ameri ...
, and the
Young Wild Things Tour The Young Wild Things Tour was a four-band fall 2007 arena concert tour by Fall Out Boy with supporting acts Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's, Cute Is What We Aim For, and Doug (from November 9 on). This is Fall Out Boy's biggest tour to date, g ...
. ''Infinity on High'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling over 260,000 copies in its first week of sales and becoming the band's first number-one album. It also reached number one in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and peaked within the top-five of countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Five songs were released as singles, four of which charted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100; the second single, " This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", peaked at number two. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising Stump's vocals and the band's new musical direction, and has sold over two million copies worldwide and over 1.4 million in the United States alone.


Background

After taking a two-month break following the band's Black Clouds and Underdogs tour in promotion of their 2005 album ''
From Under the Cork Tree ''From Under the Cork Tree'' is the second studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy, released on May 3, 2005, by Island Records as the band's major label debut. The music was composed by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist P ...
'', Fall Out Boy returned to the studio to begin work on their follow-up effort. The band began writing songs for the new album while touring, and intended to quickly make a new album in order to keep momentum in the wake of their breakthrough success. Vocalist
Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy ...
stated that he wished to begin working on the record earlier, but the group's management urged the members to take time off to recuperate from their constant touring schedule. The band's label,
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
, underwent changes while the group prepared to record, which postponed the studio schedule for three weeks. Bassist/lyricist
Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician who is the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before the band's formation in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lead si ...
asserted that "We're definitely writing all the time, so we're not going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the stone. That's part of what's been wrong with the rock industry: they keep fans waiting far too long, and bands go away and disappear off the face of the planet. That's not the way it's going to be for Fall Out Boy." During this time off, Fall Out Boy contributed a cover of the song "What's This?" for the 2006 rerelease of ''
The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (formerly known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop motion Animation, animated Gothic film, gothic musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick in his f ...
'' soundtrack, as well as a remix of their song "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" for the '' Snakes on a Plane'' soundtrack. Wentz also purchased a house in Los Angeles, where he spent much time writing lyrics to new songs.


Recording and production

While writing the album, Fall Out Boy began searching for potential producers. The band sought out R&B singer/producer
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
, as they admired his work on the soundtrack to the 2001 film version of ''Josie and the Pussycats''. Babyface saw one of the interviews in which the band discussed its desire to work with him and contacted the group. Babyface produced two of the songs, " I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" and "
Thnks fr th Mmrs "Thnks fr th Mmrs" (a disemvoweling of "Thanks for the Memories") is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy. The song debuted on radio on March 20, 2007, and was released on March 27 as the third single from their third studio album, ''Infin ...
".
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
, who also produced the band's previous album, handled production for eleven of ''Infinity on Highs fourteen tracks. Before recording, the band began with six weeks of pre-production, which was encouraged by Avron. This period included both rehearsals and writing, as well as working out all the sounds and arrangements. It began in Chicago before the group relocated to the Swing House studios in Los Angeles. Additionally, some rough recordings of songs were created to be used in the studio as a future reference. ''Infinity on High'' was recorded from July to October 2006 at the Pass Studios in Los Angeles. Much of the writing process was done individually by the band members. Generally, Wentz would write his lyrics first and send them to Stump, who would create a melody by playing guitar along to the words to "find a groove". Stump's goal with his songs was to create his music while changing Wentz's original lyrics as little as possible. After a melody was written, Stump would create a general rhythm for the song. Although Fall Out Boy has no specific rhythm or lead guitar roles, Stump viewed himself as more of a rhythm guitarist on the album due to his experience as a drummer in previous bands. Guitarist
Joe Trohman Joseph Mark Trohman (born September 1, 1984) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the American rock band Fall Out Boy,Joe Bosso.The Fall Guy. ''Guitar World''. January 2009. 47–50. as well as t ...
often wrote his guitar parts after hearing Stump's work, filling in the "empty spaces" in the songs with "tons of guitars and
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
-type atmospheric parts". The group felt that this writing process helped create a more full sound. Upon listening to the finished tracks, the members selected guest appearances they felt would work with the songs. The group "aim dfor the stars" on its choices of collaborators, with Wentz stating, "I want to bring in people who no one would expect...This year it's like, we made some new friends, like
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
. Or let's get
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
on there." Wentz commented on working with Jay-Z, saying "It was insane. We called him up and thought we were gonna talk to his assistant. Then he answers the phone, like, 'Yo, this is Hov,' and we were like, 'Um ...' It just happened like that. And it was pretty crazy." Jay-Z recorded his introduction to the album's opening song "
Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
" while on tour in Australia and sent it to the band, who later put the vocal on the album. At a fashion show in Los Angeles, Wentz met rapper
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, who invited Wentz and Stump to his home to share new music. West then agreed to create a remix of " This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" three weeks before the scheduled release of the album. The band was unable to include the remix on the album due to time constraints, but a remix of West's version featuring
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
,
Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...
,
Travis McCoy Travis Lazarus "Travie" McCoy (born August 5, 1981) is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rap rock band Gym Class Heroes, which he formed in 1997 with then-fellow teenager Matt McGinley, afte ...
,
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, or the Ice Man, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and ...
and
Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson
was released in July 2007. During the recording of the album, the band members pursued other various activities. Stump, who co-produced "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" from ''Infinity on High'', was also working on fellow Fueled By Ramen act
The Hush Sound The Hush Sound is an American indie pop band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Initially named "The Hush," the band changed its name to "The Hush Sound" due to the discovery of a rapper with the same name. The band consists of Bob Morris ...
's album '' Like Vines''. Wentz was conceiving a
social networking website A social networking service (SNS), or social networking site, is a type of online social media platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests ...
called FriendsOrEnemies.com as well as designing for his clothing line, Clandestine Industries. Wentz was often interviewed about the album at Clandestine fashion shows.


Composition


Music

The album marked a departure in Fall Out Boy's sound in which the band implemented a diverse array of musical styles. As reported by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Fall Out Boy "drifts further from its hardcore punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes," a slight departure from the group's previous more
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
sound. ''Infinity on High'' has been compared to the work of
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
bands such as
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
, with Ann Powers of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' commenting, "Whatever snot and feedback courses through these songs, sweetness always triumphs, carried forth by bubblegum bass lines, snappy drums and tunes as comforting as lullabies." Stump explained that the album contains a variety of different moods: "It’s one of those things where you get older as a band and you do your own thing...The older Fall Out Boy elements, from the early records, are definitely there, and this album is an extension of that." The album opens with the song ''Thriller'', which was named after the 1982
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
album ''
Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
,'' and which itself led with a spoken introduction from
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
, who owned the record label that produced the album,
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...
. Pete Wentz told the music television channel ''
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
'' that the band called Jay Z on the phone to get his introduction for the song. In an interview with Fall Out Boy, drummer
Andy Hurley Andrew John Hurley (born May 31, 1980) is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Prior to Fall Out Boy, Hurley played in several hardcore punk bands. He joined Fall Out Boy as the full-time drummer in 2003 and ...
stated that the opening parts in "Thriller" were copied from "Islands to Burn" by
Racetraitor Racetraitor is an American hardcore punk and metal band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band attracted controversy in the late 1990s, before any releases, as a result of their radical take on racial politics, which focused on ideas like ...
, a band he once drummed for. The song was created as an reflection on the band's previous two years. Some lyrics reflect on previous mediocre album reviews the band received. The lyrics also call out the rise of the band's popularity, "But by fall we were a cover story". In context the song's opening lines are, "Last summer we took threes across the board, but by fall we were a cover story now in stores. Make us poster boys for your scene, but we are not making an acceptance speech." The song also features the lyric "Fix me in 45" which refers to the way
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
were released on
vinyl records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...
. Some reviewers complained that the album did not have a hardcore edge, but the song "Thriller" was an exception. ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' said the song features "a crunching, emo-fied knockoff of the riff from
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
’s "
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
"", while Jack Phinney of the ''Northern Valley Suburbanite'' reviewed the album and called the song "spectacular". ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...
'' opined in February 2023 that the song was dominated by the soaring vocals of
Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy ...
and his pop arrangement, and described it as the tenth heaviest song in the Fall Out Boy body of work. Writing in August 2023, Tamzin Kraftman wrote that the song's "chugging pulse", played by Fall Out Boy guitarist
Joe Trohman Joseph Mark Trohman (born September 1, 1984) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the American rock band Fall Out Boy,Joe Bosso.The Fall Guy. ''Guitar World''. January 2009. 47–50. as well as t ...
, "electrifies the track". In February 2013, the band led a concert at
Webster Hall Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located at 125 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth avenues, near Astor Place, in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City. It is one of New York City's most historically significant ...
with the track; ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
s Andy Greene opined that, upon launching into the song, the audience's "squeals were deafening". Stump called " This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" the " funkiest thing we’ve ever done", and attributes the change in musical style to his love of
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...
, which he acquired by listening to oldies stations as a child. Wentz describes the song "a bit of '70s funk mixed with
he band’s 2003 album He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
''
Take This to Your Grave ''Take This to Your Grave'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on May 6, 2003, by Fueled by Ramen. When the band was signed to Island Records, the label employed an unusual strategy that allowed them to sign wi ...
'' with tight verses and big, fat choruses". The song closing sing-along was influenced by
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
's "
Señorita Señorita or Senorita may refer to: Biology * Señorita banana, a banana cultivar from the Philippines * '' Oxyjulis'' (Spanish common name: ), a species of fish Film * ''Senorita'' (film), a 1927 American silent film * ''Señorita'', a 2011 fi ...
". Cory Apar of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
compared the
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
-produced track " I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" to
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
. Wentz characterized Stump's vocal performance on the song as "straight-up
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
", continuing to say "If there wasn't a rock band playing, it'd be straight R&B, and he'd go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known as R. Kelly, is an American former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames suc ...
." "
The Carpal Tunnel of Love "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy from their 2007 album ''Infinity on High'', released as the album’s lead single on December 12, 2006. It is the tenth track on the album. Background In mid-November 2006, ...
" has been referred to as "a prime slab of what the boys have become famous for: highly caffeinated pop-punk mixed with a little white-boy soul and some hard-core yelping." The song features Stump singing in a
falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...
in the chorus over Trohman's "crunchy" guitars, as well as a breakdown in which Wentz employs
death growl The death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other Extreme metal, extreme Heavy metal genres, subgenres of heavy metal music. Sometimes death gro ...
-style vocals. The band also used instruments that did not appear on previous albums, such as
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (anatomy) * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * Horns (novel), ''Horns'' (novel), a dar ...
and violins. The members became more open to experimentation, but attempted to not over-produce the album; Stump stated that he "had to resist the temptation to use a lot of strings." "Golden" consists exclusively of vocals, piano and organ, and Stump dubbed the song "much softer than anything we’ve ever done". The group utilizes a full horn section on "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers", a track which has been likened to
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
. Violins are used on both "Thnks fr th Mmrs", in addition to an
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
strummed
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
-style, and "The (After) Life of the Party", which also features
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
-influenced sounds. Commenting on the instruments used on "Thnks fr th Mmrs", Stump stated "I never thought I'd get a
euphonium The euphonium ( ; ; ) is a tenor- and baritone-voiced valved brass instrument. The euphonium is a member of the large family of valved bugles, along with the tuba and flugelhorn, characterised by a wide conical bore. Most instruments have thr ...
onto a Fall Out Boy record". "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" features a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
choir, while "Thriller" contains a spoken-word intro from Jay-Z. Barry Nicolson of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' referred to the song as a "towering,
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
-esque slice of thunderous rhythm and radio-friendly melody." Critics have described the album as being a
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
, and
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
album.


Lyrics

While writing the album, Wentz drew lyrical inspiration from rapper
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
, whom he called "the best lyricist of
006 Alec Trevelyan is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye,'' portrayed by actor Sean Bean. Bean's likeness was also used as the model for Alec Trevelyan in the 1997 video game '' GoldenEye 007' ...
" Speaking of ''Infinity on Highs lyrical themes, Wentz stated, "On the last record, the lyrics were about 'This is where we're going to be a year from now, and this is what you're going to be saying about us.' But this time, we realized that a lot of bands should spend less time running their mouths and more time writing their songs." In 2013, Wentz reflected, "on a record like ''Infinity on High'', I feel like I tried really hard to explain my perspective – and when I look back on it in hindsight I think it’s an extremely unrelatable record. Critics felt that much of the lyrics address the band's rise to fame and the pressure of maintaining a loyal fanbase. Sasha Frere-Jones of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' commented that "The only top-ten acts that talk about fame as much as Fall Out Boy does are rappers, although their take on selling records is less conflicted." Cory Apar of Allmusic opined that "Wentz' lyrics are oftentimes resentful, full of fame-induced angst, and really emphasize his need to drive home his position that stardom has not changed the band." "Thriller" serves as an autobiographical recap of the two years following ''From Under the Cork Trees release, referencing the band's mediocre CD reviews and breakout success, as well as thanking their "diehard" fans. The song discusses the band's
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...
Grammy loss, and Wentz calls it the "most
narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism, named after the Greek mythological figure ''Narcissus'', has evolv ...
song on the album". The line "Fix me in forty-five" is a reference to the length of a therapy session. On "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", Wentz uses wartime-inspired metaphors to discuss their newfound popularity; he called the song "kind of a tongue-in-cheek look at the way we are so addicted and obsessed with new arts, cultures and loves – to the point where it just becomes oversaturated." "I'm Like a Lawyer..." has been described as "about as close to a love song as you'll get from this band, a rare moment of tenderness among songs about blog entries, guest lists, and therapy sessions." In a tribute to the politicized Chicago
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
scene, Wentz describes the story of a rigged court case of African-American civil rights activist Fred Hampton Jr. in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave". The song has been described as a "very well-written track, a welcome respite from the one-liners which permeate the majority of the record."


Packaging and title

The album's title is taken from a letter written by
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
to his brother
Theo Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root ''Theo-'' derive from the Ancient Greek word (), which means God, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, Theophano and The ...
in 1888, in which he describes his renewed health and the positive effect it has had on his painting. Originally written in
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
, Van Gogh's phrasing has been translated as "Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all". Speaking of the title shortly after its announcement in November 2006, Wentz stated "As for what that means in relation to the record, we'll just let it unfold when people hear it." While Wentz declined to reveal the relationship between the title and the album's songs, MTV reporter James Montgomery opined that "It's not difficult to see it as a statement about the band rising above detractors and finding strength within themselves." The photography for the album was done by Pamela Littky, and the sets on the album artwork were designed by Todd Fjelsted. Chuck Anderson of NoPattern designed the artwork for the album. A winged sheep named Franklyn is depicted on the cover of the album in a bedroom with the moon and stars in the background, while the inside of the CD booklet features "
tarot card Tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a set of playing cards used in tarot games and in fortune-telling or divination. From at least the mid-15th century, the tarot was used to play trick-taking ca ...
" designs with photos of each of the band members.


Promotion

Promotion for the album began in November 2006 with the band performing " This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" for the first time at the
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
on November 21. The song was shipped to radio the same night as the performance. In the week following the performance, the single was the top added track at Pop and Alternative radio. While the song was the first song revealed from the album, it would not receive an official single release until January 2007. "
The Carpal Tunnel of Love "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy from their 2007 album ''Infinity on High'', released as the album’s lead single on December 12, 2006. It is the tenth track on the album. Background In mid-November 2006, ...
" was released as a digital single in December 2006. It was a minor hit in the United States, peaking at 81 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The band then began the Friends or Enemies Tour in January 2007 to build interest in the album. The tour consisted of intimate club shows in fifteen cities throughout the United States, with
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass), Chad Gilbert (guitar, backing vocals), ...
,
The Early November The Early November is an American rock band from New Jersey. The group formed in 2001 and signed with Drive-Thru Records in 2002. , they have released two EPs '' For All of This'' (2002) and '' The Acoustic EP'' (2002) and seven full-length a ...
, Permanent Me and Lifetime. Two weeks before ''Infinity on High'' was released, the album was leaked online, which led to rumors on the band's message boards that the album would be released a week early. Although these rumors were incorrect, Fall Out Boy responded to the leak by including an exclusive live EP, '' Leaked in London'', recorded in London's
Hammersmith Palais The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, in its last years simply named Hammersmith Palais, was a dance hall and entertainment venue in Hammersmith, London, England that operated from 1919 until 2007. It was the first ''palais de danse'' to be built ...
at their sold-out show on January 29, 2007, with each purchase to encourage fans to buy the album. The EP could be downloaded from the band's website between Tuesday, February 6, 2007 and Tuesday, February 13, 2007 using CDPass software along with inserting a physical copy of ''Infinity on High'' into the CD-ROM drive of one's computer. ''Infinity on High'' was the final release from
Rabid Neurosis __NOTOC__ Rabid Neurosis (RNS) was an MP3 warez release organization which was founded in 1996, following in the footsteps of Compress 'Da Audio (CDA), the first MP3 piracy group. In 1999, the group claimed to have released over 6,000 titles a ye ...
, a
warez Warez refers to pirated software and other copyrighted digital media—such as video games, movies, music, and e-books—illegally distributed online, often after bypassing digital rights management (DRM). The term, derived from “software wa ...
organization responsible for leaking 20,000 albums before their release. On February 6, 2007, the day of the album's release, Fall Out Boy played three free shows, each in a different city in the United States. The day started with a morning performance in
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
in New York City, followed by a gig in the band's hometown of Chicago, and then a late-night show in Los Angeles. In March 2008, Fall Out Boy attempted to enter ''
The Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
'' for being the only band to perform in all seven continents in nine months, planning to perform in
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
for an audience of scientists while working with
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
to raise awareness about global warming. However, the group was unable to make the flight from
Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (, historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although officially renamed as ...
, Chile to Antarctica due to poor weather. Instead, Wentz and Stump went on to break the world record for the most interviews conducted by a duo in a 24-hour period, setting the mark at seventy-four. To promote the album after its release, Fall Out Boy embarked on an extensive tour schedule, with concerts across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and Asia. It began with the 2007
Honda Civic Tour The Honda Civic Tour is an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company. 2001 First half *Headliner: Blink-182 *Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar Second half *Headliner: Everclear *Supporting: Ameri ...
with
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, or the Ice Man, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and ...
, +44, The Academy Is..., and
Cobra Starship Cobra Starship is an American dance-rock band from New York City, New York, formed in 2005 by Gabe Saporta. He recorded the first album as a solo project, ''While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets''. Saporta later enlisted guitarist Ryland Bl ...
. The tour was originally planned to begin on April 18, 2007 but the band decided to postpone the date until May 11, citing health issues and exhaustion. Wentz stated "It's a health issue, but not a health issue that anyone needs to worry about. It's not life-threatening, it's more about being overworked and worn down." In honor of the tour, the group designed a custom
Honda Civic Hybrid The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Accord in Honda's global passenger car line-up. The first-generation Civic was introduced in July 1972 as a two-do ...
which was given away to a fan in a contest. Wentz described the tour as "our biggest show ever", with Stump adding that "We've been working really hard to make this show look and sound the best it's ever been for Fall Out Boy." For a
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
-inspired fan contest, Wentz's brother created prints of images based on the record, created with ink mixed with the band members' blood. The band gave away prints to winners at every stop on the Honda Civic Tour. Wentz hoped that the contest would serve to " hedsome light on the much-needed support for blood drives." A live concert CD and DVD recorded at a show in Phoenix was later released in 2008, entitled ''
Live in Phoenix ''Live in Phoenix'' is the first live album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on April 1, 2008 in the United States by Island Records, available as a CD/DVD set or CD and DVD separately. The CD is a live recording of the band's ...
''. The band also headlined the
Young Wild Things Tour The Young Wild Things Tour was a four-band fall 2007 arena concert tour by Fall Out Boy with supporting acts Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's, Cute Is What We Aim For, and Doug (from November 9 on). This is Fall Out Boy's biggest tour to date, g ...
, an international arena tour featuring
Gym Class Heroes Gym Class Heroes was an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including h ...
,
Plain White T's The Plain White T's are an American pop rock band from Lombard, Illinois, formed in 1997 by high school friends Tom Higgenson, Dave Tirio, and Ken Fletcher, and joined a short time later by Steve Mast. The group had a mostly underground followin ...
and
Cute Is What We Aim For Cute Is What We Aim For was an American pop-punk band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 2005, they have released two albums: ''The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch'' (2006) and ''Rotation (Cute Is What We Aim For album), Rotation'' (2008). ...
. Of the thirty one dates, twenty nine were in the US with two in Canada. The tour was inspired by
Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Send ...
's 1963 children's book ''
Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several ti ...
'', and included sets designed by artist Rob Dobi containing images from the book. Commenting on the decision to incorporate elements from the book, Wentz explained "''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a great narrative. It encapsulates pretty much every FOB song ever written: You know, tantrums and monster islands and all."


Singles

Four songs were released as singles from the album's fourteen tracks, of which three charted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and all reaching international charts. ''Infinity on High'' was spurred on by the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
" This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", which became the highest-charting song for band and their first to chart worldwide. Wentz commented on the band's decision to pick "This Ain't a Scene..." as the first single, saying "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message." It was sent to radio weeks before its digital release in January 2007; upon digital release the track debuted and peaked at number two on the Hot 100 where it stayed at that position for two consecutive weeks, spending nine weeks in the top ten. The single sold 162,000 digital downloads in its opening week,Beyonce Slips By Fall Out Boy To Remain Atop Hot 100
''Billboard''. Retrieved July 13, 2011
breaking various music industry records and becoming the highest debut of 2007. With this total it was the largest opening-week tally for a group since
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
began tracking digital sales in 2003 and set a new record for the highest bow for a band since radio only titles joined the chart in 1998. It also reached number one on the defunct-
Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles ...
, number one on ''Billboard'' Digital Songs and came at number eight on Alternative Songs. Internationally, "This Ain't a Scene..." debuted and peaked inside the top ten of many charts. It reached number one in New Zealand, number two in the UK, number four and Platinum status in Australia, number four on the Canadian Hot 100 and in Ireland, and placed at number nine on the
European Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...
. "
Thnks fr th Mmrs "Thnks fr th Mmrs" (a disemvoweling of "Thanks for the Memories") is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy. The song debuted on radio on March 20, 2007, and was released on March 27 as the third single from their third studio album, ''Infin ...
" was released as the second single in the US in March 2007. It peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100 with twenty-eight chart weeks before it was retired. It came at number five on Digital Songs, but performed weaker on the Radio Songs chart at number forty. It reached the two-million sales mark week ending December 27, 2009 in the US. Its highest charting was in Australia where it peaked at number three on the Australian
ARIA In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
chart and achieved Platinum status in the region. In New Zealand, the UK, Canada and Ireland "Thnks fr th Mmrs" reached the top twenty."Fall Out Boy – Thnks Fr Th Mmrs global chart positions and trajectories"
. aCharts.us. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
" "The Take Over, the Breaks Over"" was released in August 2007 in the US as the third single and failed to chart on the Hot 100, although it did reach number 48 on the UK Singles Chart, with its highest position at number seventeen in Australia, becoming the third consecutive top twenty hit from ''Infinity on High'' in that region. The fourth and last single, " I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" managed to reach number 68 in the US and made the top 30 in Australia. "
The Carpal Tunnel of Love "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy from their 2007 album ''Infinity on High'', released as the album’s lead single on December 12, 2006. It is the tenth track on the album. Background In mid-November 2006, ...
" was not an official single but it was released online by the band before ''Infinitys release and was later given as an exclusive download to iTunes; it managed to reach number eighty-one on the Hot 100.


Critical reception

Critical response for ''Infinity on High'' was generally positive, with many praising Stump's vocals and the album's new musical direction. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a
normalized Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...
score of 75, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".
Jody Rosen Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''. Career Journalism Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' commended the band's "new sense of swing" on its R&B-influenced songs and noted that Stump "has evolved into a superb frontman." Dave de Silva of Sputnikmusic agreed about Stump's new vocal style, saying that "his tone is smoother and more well-rounded, he’s cut out the borderline screechy high-end which made parts of the previous album unlistenable and, though occasionally still nasally, his tones are far more varied and adaptable to different styles" as well as calling Wentz' lyrics "as sharp as ever". Andrew Blackie of
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
called the album "wildly exciting and experimental" and felt it greatly improved upon ''From Under the Cork Tree''. Aaron Burgess of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' enjoyed the disc's new pop direction and felt that the songs that were more typical of Fall Out Boy's original sound, such as "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" undermined the album's potential. Sven Philipp of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' called ''Infinity on High'' a "shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record" and referred to Stump as the album's "true surprise". The album was ranked No. 38 on '' Qs 50 Best Albums of 2007. However, some critics felt that the album was overly ambitious and that the band's musical departure may alienate listeners. Chad Grischow of
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
felt that the album's dramatic hooks seem "bloated" at times: "The band does a great of focusing on what they do best, but the album does drown itself a bit with all the overwhelming enormity of it all." Scott Shetler of ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non- objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant ...
'' disliked the "melodramatic" undertones of "I've Got All This Ringing in My Ears and None on My Fingers" and "Golden", writing "they don't handle that style quite as well as
Panic! at the Disco Panic! at the Disco was an American pop rock band formed in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2004 by high school friends Ryan Ross (guitar) and Spencer Smith (musician), Spencer Smith (drums), who recruited classmates Brendon Urie (vocals and ...
". Cory Apar of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
opined that the album's pop direction contradicts the band's lyrical claims of wishing to stick to their roots. He called the album's various styles "hit and miss", yet commented that "Once ''Infinity on High'' sinks in, it's indeed a fun record. But for a band that was once so self-assured and able to utilize its talents so compellingly, the album is regrettably haphazard." Caroline Sullivan of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' believed that the album was overly sullen, but noted that "They may not be happy, but they haven't forgotten to be catchy." Barry Nicholson of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' found the number of guest producers to be unnecessary and disliked some of the songs, but admired the album's "infectious" nature.


Commercial performance

''Infinity on High'' was a major commercial success, debuting at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first week sales of 260,000 copies in the United States, according to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
. As of February 2013, ''Infinity'' has sold 1.4 million copies in the US. It was the band's first US number one album and second consecutive top ten effort, as its previous release, ''From Under the Cork Tree'', peaked at number nine. The album spent its first six weeks in the top ten, out of a total of fifty two chart weeks. ''Infinity on High'' also opened at number one on ''Billboards Rock Albums, Tastemaker Albums, and Digital Albums charts, with over 27,000 digital sales making up the total first week tally. In its second week, it fell to number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 119,000 copies with a 54% decline during a post-
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
week. The album rose to number three in its third week with 79,000 units sold. In its fourth week, the disc slipped to number four and sold 67,000 copies. ''Infinity on High''s sales again fell in its fifth week, moving 58,000 copies and descending to number eight on the chart. In its sixth and last week in the top ten it fell to number nine and sold 43,000 copies. In April 2007, the album was certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), denoting the shipment of one million copies. It finished the year at number twenty-one on
IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
's list of the "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums of 2007". ''Infinity on High'' has shipped over two million copies worldwide. The album also charted inside the top five worldwide, making it the band's most successful and breakthrough album internationally. ''Infinity on High'' charted all over Europe, debuting at number eight on ''Billboards European Albums chart. In Australia, it debuted at its peak of number four on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. It remained on the Australian chart for a total of fifty weeks, spending its first seven weeks in the top ten. In its 31st chart week it broke into the top ten again where it remained for another six weeks in a row, accumulating a total of thirteen weeks in the top ten. The CD was certified Double Platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of 140,000 copies. ''Infinity on High'' debuted at number one in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, and remained at the top position for six consecutive weeks, logging a total of thirty-seven chart weeks, making it the fifth longest chart sitter on the New Zealand charts in 2007. After marking its first twelve weeks in the top ten, it went on to spend a combined total of twenty-six weeks inside the top twenty and received a Platinum accreditation from the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ) for 15,000 shipments. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number three with 64,054 first week sales and made nine weeks in the top twenty, being certified Platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) for 300,000 units shipped. It went on to sell 446,807 in the UK to date January 2015. The album debuted at number two in Canada with 21,000 first week sales. ''Infinity'' was certified Platinum by
Music Canada Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...
for shipments of 100,000 units. In Ireland, the record peaked at number six according to the
Irish Recorded Music Association The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) is a non-profit association set up in 1999 to promote certain interests of the music industry in Ireland. It is particularly active in addressing copyright issues, and it compiles the official music ...
with fourteen weeks within the top twenty, and also went Platinum there. After entering the
French albums chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in 1 ...
at number 64, ''Infinity on High'' reached its peak of number 17 and held on for 64 weeks in the top 150.


Track listing


Original release


Australian/New Zealand tour edition bonus DVD


Deluxe edition


Personnel

Fall Out Boy *
Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Rock music, rock band Fall Out Boy ...
– lead vocals,
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...
, piano *
Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician who is the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before the band's formation in 2001, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lead si ...
– bass guitar, backing vocals,
unclean vocals Vocalists are capable of producing a variety of extended technique sounds. These alternative singing techniques have been used extensively in the 20th century, especially in art song and opera. Particularly famous examples of extended vocal techniq ...
on "The Carpal Tunnel of Love", additional vocals on "Bang the Doldrums" *
Joe Trohman Joseph Mark Trohman (born September 1, 1984) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the American rock band Fall Out Boy,Joe Bosso.The Fall Guy. ''Guitar World''. January 2009. 47–50. as well as t ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals *
Andy Hurley Andrew John Hurley (born May 31, 1980) is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Prior to Fall Out Boy, Hurley played in several hardcore punk bands. He joined Fall Out Boy as the full-time drummer in 2003 and ...
– drums,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
Guest artists *
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
– Intro and outro in "Thriller" *
Ryan Ross George Ryan Ross III (born August 30, 1986) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as the former lead guitarist, backing and lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of the American rock band Panic! at the Disco b ...
guitar solo A guitar solo is a melody, melodic passage, instrumental section (music), section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, classical, electric guitar, electric, or acoustic guitar. In 20th and ...
in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" *
Chad Gilbert Chad Everett Gilbert (born March 9, 1981) is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band New Found Glory, for whom he plays lead guitar, sings backing vocals, and composes music. He was als ...
guitar solo A guitar solo is a melody, melodic passage, instrumental section (music), section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, classical, electric guitar, electric, or acoustic guitar. In 20th and ...
in "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" *
Butch Walker Bradley Glenn "Butch" Walker (born November 14, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was lead guitarist for the glam metal band, SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s. From 1997 to 2001, he became th ...
– guest vocalist in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave"; crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" *
Sofia Toufa Sofia Toufa (born August 13, 1983), known by her stage name SOFI is a German-Greek singer and rapper. Background Toufa started her musical career at the age of 13 through her group Danacee, signed to Def Jam Germany. The band has supported acts ...
– crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" * Lindsey Blaufarb – crowd vocals on "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", "Hum Hallelujah", and "Bang the Doldrums" *
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
on "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and
B3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
on "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)". *
Los Angeles Master Chorale The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional Choir, chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one of the resident companies of both The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one ...
– crowd vocals in "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" * Ken Wiley –
French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...
* Nick Lane –
bass trombone The bass trombone (, ) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to facilitate low register playing, and u ...
* Darrell Leonard –
euphonium The euphonium ( ; ; ) is a tenor- and baritone-voiced valved brass instrument. The euphonium is a member of the large family of valved bugles, along with the tuba and flugelhorn, characterised by a wide conical bore. Most instruments have thr ...
* Guy Bettison –
pan flute A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
Design * Nate Newell and Liz Roth – styling * Louis Marino – art direction * Chuck Anderson – illustration and design * Pamela Litty – photography Production *
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
producer, mixing *
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
– producer on tracks: 4 and 7 *
Butch Walker Bradley Glenn "Butch" Walker (born November 14, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was lead guitarist for the glam metal band, SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s. From 1997 to 2001, he became th ...
, Patrick Stump – producers on "Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?" * Erich Talaba –
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
* Zeph Sowers, Scott Riebling – assistant recording *
Tom Lord-Alge Tom Lord-Alge (born January 17, 1962) is an American music engineer and mixer. He began his career at Unique Recording in New York. Subsequently, he was the resident mixer at what used to be known as "South Beach Studios", located on the ground ...
– mixing on tracks: 4 and 7 * George Gumbs – mixing assistant *
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Early life ...
mastering at
Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References


External links


''Infinity on High''
at
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
Official Fall Out Boy website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Infinity On High Fall Out Boy albums 2007 albums Albums produced by Butch Walker Albums produced by Neal Avron Albums produced by Babyface (musician) Island Records albums