History of Twenty One Pilots in Timeline
Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo formed in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. Originally a band, it now consists of Tyler Joseph (lead vocalist) and Josh Dun (drummer). The duo gained widespread recognition for their singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens" between 2015 and 2016. They won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Stressed Out" at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
1947: Publication of "All My Sons"
In 1947, Arthur Miller's play "All My Sons" was published. The play's moral dilemma inspired the band's name and philosophy, highlighting the weight of decisions and their consequences.
2007: Solo EP Release
In 2007, Tyler Joseph released a solo EP, No Phun Intended, in his parents' basement.
December 29, 2009: Debut Album Release and Touring
On December 29, 2009, Twenty One Pilots released their debut album, Twenty One Pilots, and began touring Ohio.
2009: First Album Release
In 2009, Twenty One Pilots independently released their first album, Twenty One Pilots.
2009: Band formed
In 2009, Twenty One Pilots was formed in Columbus, Ohio by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih.
2009: Band House and First Album Conceptualization
In 2009, the group moved into a house where their first album was conceptualized and recorded in the basement.
2010: SoundCloud Tracks
In 2010, Twenty One Pilots posted two tracks to their SoundCloud account: a cover of "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri and "Time to Say Goodbye", an original song.
May 8, 2011: Chris Salih Leaves the Band
On May 8, 2011, Chris Salih left Twenty One Pilots to focus on work.
July 8, 2011: Regional at Best Self-Release
On July 8, 2011, Twenty One Pilots self-released their second album, Regional at Best.
November 2011: Sold-Out Concert and Label Attention
In November 2011, Twenty One Pilots played a sold-out concert at Columbus' Newport Music Hall, which caught the attention of several record labels.
2011: Lineup Changes
In 2011, Nick Thomas and Chris Salih both left Twenty One Pilots.
2011: Second Album Release
In 2011, Twenty One Pilots independently released their second album, Regional at Best.
2011: Church and Video Appearances
In 2011, Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun, and Chris Salih participated in the musical efforts of the Columbus church Five14 and Joseph appeared in a three-part video called "The (Moderately Inspiring Tale of the) Longboard Rodeo Tango".
April 2012: Signing with Fueled by Ramen
In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots announced their signing to Atlantic Records subsidiary Fueled by Ramen.
July 17, 2012: Fueled by Ramen EP Release
On July 17, 2012, Twenty One Pilots released their debut Fueled by Ramen recording, an EP entitled Three Songs.
November 12, 2012: Holding On to You Music Video Release
On November 12, 2012, the official music video for "Holding On to You" was released on YouTube.
2012: Signed by Fueled by Ramen
In 2012, Twenty One Pilots was signed by record label Fueled by Ramen.
January 8, 2013: Vessel Album Release and Chart Performance
On January 8, 2013, Twenty One Pilots' third album, Vessel, was released and reached No. 21 on the Billboard 200.
April 17, 2013: Lovely Re-release
On April 17, 2013, "Lovely" was re-recorded and released as a single in Japan.
April 19, 2013: Car Radio Music Video Release
On April 19, 2013, Twenty One Pilots released the music video for "Car Radio".
August 8, 2013: Late Night Debut
On August 8, 2013, Twenty One Pilots performed "House of Gold" on Conan in their late night debut.
2013: Vessel Release
In 2013, Twenty One Pilots released their label debut album Vessel which became the second album in history to have every track receive at least a gold certification.
March 17, 2014: MTVU Woodie Awards Performance
On March 17, 2014, Twenty One Pilots performed a set at the MTVU Woodie Awards during SXSW.
September 2014: Quiet Is Violent World Tour Begins
In September 2014, Twenty One Pilots' first headlining tour, the Quiet Is Violent World Tour, began.
December 31, 2014: Ode to Sleep Music Video Release
On December 31, 2014, Twenty One Pilots released a music video for "Ode to Sleep", depicting the band's growth over three years.
March 16, 2015: Blurryface Album Announcement
On March 16, 2015, Twenty One Pilots announced that their new album, Blurryface, would be released on May 19.
April 5, 2015: Tear in My Heart Single Release
On April 5, 2015, Twenty One Pilots released the second single from Blurryface, "Tear in My Heart", along with its music video.
May 11, 2015: Blurryface Tour Begins
On May 11, 2015, Twenty One Pilots began the Blurryface Tour in Glasgow, Scotland.
May 17, 2015: Blurryface Album Release
On May 17, 2015, Twenty One Pilots released their album Blurryface, which sold 134,000 copies in the first week in the U.S.
September 8, 2015: U.S. Leg of Blurryface Tour Begins
On September 8, 2015, the U.S. leg of the Blurryface Tour began, featuring Echosmith and Finish Ticket as openers.
September 14, 2015: Late Night with Seth Meyers Performance
On September 14, 2015, Twenty One Pilots performed "Stressed Out" on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
2015: Commercial Success
Between 2015 and 2016, Twenty One Pilots achieved commercial success with the singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens".
2015: Blurryface Breakthrough
In 2015, Twenty One Pilots achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album, Blurryface, which produced the hit singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride". The album became the first on which every track received at least a gold certification from the RIAA.
February 2016: London Show Announcement
In February 2016, Twenty One Pilots announced a London show and later a run of UK dates.
May 22, 2016: Billboard Music Awards
On May 22, 2016, Twenty One Pilots won "Top Rock Album" for Blurryface and "Top Rock Artist" at the Billboard Music Awards.
May 31, 2016: Emotional Roadshow World Tour Start
On May 31, 2016, Twenty One Pilots started the Emotional Roadshow World Tour in Cincinnati.
June 16, 2016: Heathens Release
On June 16, 2016, Twenty One Pilots released the song "Heathens" as the first single from the Suicide Squad soundtrack.
June 21, 2016: Heathens Music Video Release
On June 21, 2016, Twenty One Pilots released a music video for the song "Heathens".
September 2016: Cancer Cover Contribution
In September 2016, Twenty One Pilots contributed a cover of "Cancer" by My Chemical Romance to the tribute album Rock Sound Presents: The Black Parade.
October 8, 2016: Saturday Night Live Appearance
On October 8, 2016, Twenty One Pilots featured as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing orchestra-accompanied versions of "Heathens" and "Ride".
November 2016: Clique artwork decorates Wood Green tube station
In November 2016, the Wood Green tube station in London was decorated with Clique-related artwork, spanning over 100 advertising panels, during the Emotional Roadshow World Tour.
November 25, 2016: Blurryface Live Album Release
On November 25, 2016, Twenty One Pilots released a limited-edition live vinyl album documenting two performances at Fox Oakland Theatre, on the duo's 2015 Blurryface Tour under the name Blurryface Live.
2016: Commercial Success
Between 2015 and 2016, Twenty One Pilots achieved commercial success with the singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens".
February 12, 2017: Grammy Award Win for "Stressed Out"
On February 12, 2017, Twenty One Pilots won a Grammy Award in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category for "Stressed Out", fulfilling an old promise by accepting the award in their underwear.
March 27, 2017: Tour De Columbus Tickets On-Sale
On March 27, 2017, Twenty One Pilots began selling tickets for Tour De Columbus, a five-date hometown tour scheduled for June 2017, revisiting small venues from their early days.
June 2017: "Artopia" exhibition at Nationwide Arena
In June 2017, as part of the "Tour De Columbus" run of shows, a public art exhibition titled "Artopia" showcasing Clique-related artwork, was held at the Nationwide Arena, concluding the Emotional Roadshow World Tour.
July 2017: "Going Dark" Social Media Posts
In July 2017, Twenty One Pilots' last activity before their year-long hiatus came in the form of posts on social media depicting an eye closing over lyrics from several of their songs.
March 2018: "Hometown" Receives Gold Certification
In March 2018, the song "Hometown" received a gold certification from the RIAA, making 'Blurryface' the first full-length album to have every track achieve at least gold certification.
April 2018: Cryptic Message Reveals dmaorg.info
In April 2018, fans uncovered a cryptic message on Twenty One Pilots' web store leading to dmaorg.info, hinting at the band's return through images and letters from a character named "Clancy".
July 11, 2018: Release of "Jumpsuit" and "Nico and the Niners"
On July 11, 2018, Twenty One Pilots released two new songs, "Jumpsuit" and "Nico and the Niners", along with the music video for "Jumpsuit".
July 2018: Return From Hiatus
In July 2018, Twenty One Pilots ended their year-long hiatus, updating their logo and branding, and released a video to all social media platforms. Tyler Joseph also spoke about the band's hiatus and creating the new album.
July 26, 2018: "Nico and the Niners" Music Video Release
On July 26, 2018, Twenty One Pilots released the music video for their song "Nico and the Niners".
August 8, 2018: "Levitate" Release
On August 8, 2018, Twenty One Pilots released "Levitate" as the third single from their upcoming album, along with a music video.
August 20, 2018: "My Blood" Snippet at MTV VMAs
On August 20, 2018, Twenty One Pilots played a ten-second snippet of their song "My Blood" at the end of a commercial promoting their upcoming album at the MTV VMAs.
August 27, 2018: "My Blood" Streaming Release
On August 27, 2018, Twenty One Pilots made "My Blood" available on streaming services as the fourth official single from their album.
September 12, 2018: A Complete Diversion Show in London
On September 12, 2018, Twenty One Pilots played their first live show in over a year, titled A Complete Diversion, at O2 Brixton Academy in London, to promote their new album Trench and the upcoming Bandito Tour.
October 5, 2018: Trench Album Release
On October 5, 2018, Twenty One Pilots released their fifth album, Trench, along with the music video for their single "My Blood".
2018: Trench Album Release
In 2018, Twenty One Pilots released their album, Trench.
January 22, 2019: "Chlorine" Music Video Release
On January 22, 2019, Twenty One Pilots unveiled the music video for "Chlorine", directed by Mark Eshleman, upon the song's release as a single, introducing the character "Ned".
March 4, 2019: Confirmation of New Album
On March 4, 2019, Twenty One Pilots confirmed they were working on their next studio album, hinting at a new character playing a significant role in the narrative.
June 19, 2019: "Chlorine (19.4326° N, 99.1332° W)" Release
On June 19, 2019, Twenty One Pilots released a re-imagined version of "Chlorine", titled "Chlorine (19.4326° N, 99.1332° W)", as the first song from the Location Sessions EP.
July 16, 2019: "The Hype" Sent to US Alternative Radio
On July 16, 2019, Twenty One Pilots' song "The Hype" was sent to US alternative radio as the sixth and final single from the album Trench.
April 9, 2020: "Level of Concern" Release
On April 9, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released the song "Level of Concern", referencing COVID-19 pandemic-induced anxiety, with proceeds benefiting live music crews.
November 2020: Working on new album remotely
In November 2020, Dun revealed that the duo were still working “remotely” on their next album, with both members being in different locations due to the lockdown.
December 8, 2020: "Christmas Saves the Year" Release
On December 8, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas single, "Christmas Saves the Year", following a Twitch stream by Tyler Joseph.
April 6, 2021: Scaled and Icy Album Tease
On April 6, 2021, Twenty One Pilots teased their Scaled and Icy Album, with an announcement coming soon.
April 30, 2021: "Choker" Single Release
On April 30, 2021, Twenty One Pilots released the second single from the album 'Scaled and Icy', called "Choker".
May 18, 2021: "Saturday" Single Release
On May 18, 2021, Twenty One Pilots released the third single from the album 'Scaled and Icy', called "Saturday".
May 21, 2021: Scaled and Icy Album Release
On May 21, 2021, Twenty One Pilots released their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy, an anagram for "Clancy is dead", with the album's name reflecting a "scaled back and isolated" theme.
June 16, 2021: Takeover Tour Announcement
On June 16, 2021, Twenty One Pilots announced the Takeover Tour, featuring week-long residencies in various cities with performances at both small clubs and large venues.
July 23, 2021: Takeover Tour Openers Announced
On July 23, 2021, Half Alive and Arrested Youth were announced as the openers for the U.S. leg of Twenty One Pilots' Takeover Tour.
September 17, 2021: Virtual Concert in Roblox
On September 17, 2021, Twenty One Pilots held a virtual concert for the online video game Roblox.
November 19, 2021: Scaled and Icy (Livestream Version) Release
On November 19, 2021, Twenty One Pilots released Scaled and Icy (Livestream Version), featuring songs from the livestream concert, including "Level of Concern".
November 24, 2021: "The Outside" Release
On November 24, 2021 Twenty One Pilots released "The Outside" as the album's fourth and final single.
December 8, 2021: "Christmas Saves the Year" Music Video Release
On December 8, 2021 Twenty One Pilots released a music video for "Christmas Saves the Year".
2021: Scaled and Icy Album Release
In 2021, Twenty One Pilots released their album, Scaled and Icy.
March 18, 2022: "The Outside" Music Video Release
On March 18, 2022 Twenty One Pilots released the music video for "The Outside".
May 9, 2022: Peter McPoland announced as opener
On May 9, 2022, Peter McPoland was announced as the opener for the tour.
May 19, 2022: Livestream Concert Extended Cut Released in Theaters
On May 19, 2022, Twenty One Pilots released an extended cut of their livestream concert with behind-the-scenes footage in over 1,000 theaters worldwide.
June 9, 2022: MTV Unplugged Performance
On June 9, 2022, Twenty One Pilots performed new versions of several songs on MTV Unplugged.
July 22, 2022: "Heathens"/Stranger Things Mashup
On July 22, 2022, Twenty One Pilots released a live performance video with Netflix's Stranger Things, mashing up the show's theme song and "Heathens".
January 8, 2023: Vessel Tenth Anniversary Re-Release Announced
On January 8, 2023, Vessel was re-released as a limited edition vinyl boxset, accompanied by a YouTube stream celebrating the tenth anniversary of its release; the livestream was a partnership and fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
February 15, 2024: Album Art Updated, Red Tape Appearance
On February 15, 2024, the cover art of several Twenty One Pilots albums was updated on streaming platforms to include partial red tape, hinting at a forthcoming album.
May 2024: "An Evening with Twenty One Pilots" Concerts
In May 2024, Twenty One Pilots held five small-scale concerts, collectively titled "An Evening with Twenty One Pilots", prior to the album's release.
August 9, 2024: Balu Brigada Announced as Clancy World Tour Opener
On August 9, 2024, it was announced that New Zealand alt-pop band Balu Brigada would be the opening act for the US leg of the Twenty One Pilots' Clancy World Tour.
September 12, 2024: Twenty One Pilots to Feature on Arcane Soundtrack
On September 12, 2024, it was confirmed that Twenty One Pilots would feature on the soundtrack for season 2 of the Netflix series Arcane, with the song "The Line".
December 12, 2024: The Line performance at The Game Awards
On December 12, 2024, the band performed "The Line" at The Game Awards 2024, alongside an orchestra.
2024: Clancy Album Release
In 2024, Twenty One Pilots released their album, Clancy.
