We believe that every subject in the world is interesting once you look closely enough — and Twenty One Pilots is a perfect example. Our Kaleeg team put together 21 fun facts that prove just how remarkable this subject really is.
All four members, past and present, of Twenty One Pilots, are from Columbus, Ohio. Friends from the beginning created the unique sound that has drawn so many fans to them and blazing rise to the tops of the charts.
They were started in 2009 by Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih. The trio garnered notice from the public from the start, but changes in their lineup brought about a new invigorating product that the public and record companies were hungry for.
Thomas and Salih left the group in 2011 as they didn’t have time to commit to the band. They were replaced by drummer Josh Dun later that year.
They started as a self-releasing band of their songs but got the attention of about a dozen top record labels during a sold-out performance at the Columbus’ Newport Music Hall in November 2011.
They’re signed by Fueled by Ramen, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records since 2012.
Twenty One Pilots didn’t have a major hit until their fourth album, Blurryface, in May 2015. Their first single from the album is called “Fairly Local.”
They’re the first alternative group to have two top ten singles run concurrently in the US in 2015, ‘Stressed Out’ and ‘Ride’ from the album Blurryface from the same year.
They performed the song “Heathens” for the 2016 blockbuster anti-superhero flick, Suicide Squad.
Their band name comes from the play, All My Sons by Arthur Miller. The play focuses on a man who is responsible for the deaths of 21 pilots whose planes had faulty parts he’d sold.
In 2011, drummer Josh Dun signed on with Twenty One Pilots after being the live drummer for the band “House of Heroes.”
Their second album, Regional At Best, was released as a free CD at the New Albany High School in Columbus, Ohio, in 2011.
The band once gave away two free unreleased songs in 2011 via their website’s newsletter. The songs are “House of Gold” and “Two.”
The band actually worked with Greg Wells, the producer of such superstar artists like Katy Perry and Adele, on their first full-length album with Fueled by Ramen, “Vessel.” That album was released on January 8, 2013, reaching an ironic 21 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Twenty One Pilots is one of only three musical acts to have two singles appear simultaneously in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.
Their fan base is known as the Skeleton Clique.
Josh Dun was born on June 18, 1988, in Columbus, Ohio. He’s got a brother named Jordan and two sisters, Ashley and Abigail. He’s a self-taught drummer too. Dun, like Tyler, is a devout Christian too.
They’ve been nominated by the American Music Awards, AP Music Awards, ARIA Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MuchMusic Video Awards, and Teen Choice Awards – to name a few.
Twenty One Pilots made their late-night debut on the Conan O’Brien Show on August 8, 2013.
Twenty One Pilots is listed in four categories, Rock, Alternative Hip Hop, Indie-pop, and Electro-pop.
The band’s Twitter profile is @twentyonepilots.
The red armbands they wear symbolize the character they made up called Blurryface, who is actually a representation of all of the things that people are insecure about.
Final Thoughts: Twenty One Pilots is genuinely full of surprises, and we’ve only scratched the surface here. We hope you walk away from this list knowing something new. Share your favorite fact with a friend, and check out more curated fact lists on Kaleeg when you’re ready for more.
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