3 of Pete Wentz’s Most Iconic Fall Out Boy Bass Lines to Celebrate His Birthday

Last Thursday, June 5, was Pete Wentz’s birthday. You might know him as the famed Fall Out Boy bassist and primary lyricist of the pop punk band for many years. Love him or hate him, he’s had some iconic bass lines in his time. To celebrate his birthday, here are just three of the most recognizable bass compositions!

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“Where Did The Party Go”

“Where Did The Party Go” appeared on Fall Out Boy’s 2013 album Save Rock And Roll, and starts out with a rhythmic bass line from Pete Wentz. The bass line remains as the backbone of this song, propping it up as it transitions into Patrick Stump’s vocals.

According to an interview with Rolling Stone, this was the first song written for Save Rock And Roll. It came about after Stump posted a vulnerable blog post about his experience being a solo artist while Fall Out Boy was on hiatus after the 2008 album Folie A Deux. The band reunited and began working on new music.

“Reinventing The Wheel To Run Myself Over”

Appearing on their 2003 debut Take This To Your Grave, “Reinventing The Wheel To Run Myself Over” is a great example of Fall Out Boy’s early penchant for titles that sound like inside jokes. Pete Wentz usually comes up with the titles, as Patrick Stump once explained in an early interview from around 2003. However, this time, Stump was responsible. It also features a great bass line after the initial explosion of guitars.

The song opens with a short burst of sound, then Wentz comes in with the solid bass. This is a more understated rhythm, but no less important. It’s slightly muddy, as emo bass tends to be. But it also bolsters the quieter moments and scaffolds the energy of this shorter song.

“Dance, Dance”

This is the song that got a lot of people into Fall Out Boy and catapulted the young band to unexpected stardom. “Dance, Dance” appeared on the 2005 album From Under The Cork Tree, accompanied by a fantastic music video that ushered in the band’s more cinematic days.

Whether you’re a diehard Fall Out Boy fan or not, you’ve probably heard this iconic bass line more than once. The song opens with steady drums from Andy Hurley, then transitions seamlessly into Wentz’s recognizable bass, loud and solid. Sometimes, bass can get lost in a rock song if it’s not front and center. On “Dance, Dance”, Pete Wentz takes every opportunity to make sure people hear him.

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