Recommended Tracks (Disc 2): “Sugar, We’re Going Down (Acoustic),” “Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner (Acoustic)”
Artists You Might Like: Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, New Found Glory
In the past 20 years, Fall Out Boy‘s sophomore album From Under The Cork Tree has received five RIAA Platinum certifications, in addition to the 9x Platinum hit “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” and Platinum status for the single “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’” — just to name a few accomplishments.
Landing their first major record deal off the high of their debut album, Take This To Your Grave (2003), From Under The Cork Tree continued to put the boys from Chicago on the map. We wouldn’t have the musical legends we have today if it weren’t for Fall Out Boy’s fiery emotion, staple lengthy song titles, and original, authentic pop-punk sound.
From Under The Cork Tree (20th Anniversary Deluxe) features remastered versions of the songs on the original album, with the addition of 13 tracks consisting of live recordings, acoustic performances, and a handful of remixed and alternate versions.
When the anniversary edition was announced, the band shared:
“After 20 years, we’re climbing out From Under The Cork Tree again […] This record changed our lives forever. it’s wild to still be singing these songs together 20 years later & even better that you’re still singing them back.”
The first half of the album (Disc 1) features remastered versions of the original track order, with differences that a more musically trained ear could likely spot. For your average listener, this first half is practically identical to the 2005 original, just as lovely and nostalgic as ever. However, the second half is really what the deluxe edition is all about.
Disc 2 includes the highly anticipated official release of “Start Today,” a spot-on cover of Gorilla Biscuits’ 1989 song that was removed from streaming platforms a few years ago. It originally appeared on the 2005 compilation album for Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland (making this a new… older song!), alongside songs by My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, and Senses Fail.
Another interesting addition to this 20th anniversary version is the addition of tracks “Snitches And Talkers Get Stitches And Walkers,” “The Music Or The Misery,” and the demo of “My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon,” all of which were on the 2006 limited edition EP, From Under The Cork Tree (Black Clouds and Underdogs).
Interesting fact, according to Alternative Press, Stump revealed that he actually would have originally replaced “I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)” with High Fidelity reference “The Music Or The Misery,” and 20 years later, the two tracks once again lie in the same project.
The highlights of the second half are certainly the live and acoustic versions. Disc 2 includes standout Live on BBC Radio versions of “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” “Where’s Your Boy,” “Of All The Gin Joints In All The World,” and “Dance, Dance,” and acoustic versions of “Sugar, We’re Going Down” and “Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner.”
The acoustic versions are even more impactful than the alternates, giving the stripped-back side of Fall Out Boy a moment to shine. While the voice of frontman Patrick Stump is as strong as ever in each track (save for the one instrumental), the stripped-down songs spotlight his timeless, soulful voice that fans know and love. Hopefully, the next anniversary version of a FOB album includes even more acoustic tracks like these.
Disc 2 also holds the 2025 version’s new remixes, featuring Tommie Sunshine Fire N Brimstone, RJDZ, and The Lindbergh Palace versions of “Dance, Dance,” and Patrick Stump’s own remix of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.” While it was interesting to hear a new take on classic songs, some things are better left as is… They are certified platinum for a reason!
This year has been a glorious one for emo music anniversaries — Panic! At The Disco came back and celebrated 20 years of their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out at When We Were Young, My Chemical Romance reunited for the anniversary of The Black Parade on their Long Live tour, and now the 20th anniversary edition of Fall Out Boy’s iconic second album. Perhaps the second-best thing to being around in 2005 is to understand and celebrate the legacy of genre-defining albums as they age like fine wine.
I have had the opportunity to not only grow up on Fall Out Boy, but grow alongside their music. Giving From Under The Cork Tree a few thorough listens in the great 2025 made me emotional. While I am admittedly a post-hiatus fan (I primarily listened to FOB from Save Rock and Roll onwards), listening to their earlier work feels like discovering a prequel to my favorite movie. There is something about Fall Out Boy that is a part of my soul, and hearing new bits and pieces of such a timeless album feels like unlocking pieces of myself.
One of my favorite things about the release of this deluxe edition is the online commentary: comments from people who saw Fall Out Boy at small basement shows, or heard the songs from this album before they were released. Fall Out Boy is a band that voiced a generation — a couple of generations, at that — and it’s incredible to sit there alongside those who discovered them in 2005, 2015, or even 2025, and enjoy brand new remixes and alternate versions like we are the same.
If From Under The Cork Tree (20th Anniversary Deluxe) does anything, it will certainly awaken the emo that’s been in the hearts of so many music listeners in the past 20 years. Overall, I wish it included even more demo versions of songs, alternate versions that were more drastic. However, to celebrate this amazing album in any capacity is a real treat. If this is just an excuse to sit down with the album in one big compilation of B-sides and unreleased treasures, then I would say that is good enough for me!
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