Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo that was formed in Columbus, Ohio in 2009. Originally a band consisting of lead vocalist Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih, the group later became a duo consisting of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun after the departure of Thomas and Salih in 2011. Since then, the duo has made a name for themselves in the music industry with their unique sound that blends different genres, including alternative rock, hip hop, and electropop.
The duo independently released two albums, Twenty One Pilots (2009) and Regional at Best (2011), before being signed by the record label Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel, was released in 2013 and became a commercial success. The album was the second album in history on which every track received at least a gold certification, making Twenty One Pilots the first band in the history of music to have every song on two albums earn gold or platinum awards.
The duo achieved mainstream success with their fourth studio album, Blurryface (2015), which featured the hit singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride". The album became the first album on which every track received at least a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stressed Out" won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, cementing Twenty One Pilots' status as a major player in the music industry.
In addition to "Stressed Out" and "Ride", the duo has produced other hit singles such as "Heathens", which made them the first alternative artist in history to have two concurrent top five singles in the Billboard Hot 100. This achievement also made them the third rock act in history to have two singles simultaneously chart in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, joining the likes of legendary acts such as the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
To date, Twenty One Pilots have released six studio albums, with their latest being Scaled and Icy, which was released on May 21, 2021. The duo has also garnered ten No. 1 songs on the Alternative Songs chart, making them the artist with the fourth-most number-one songs on the chart, just below Linkin Park. With their unique sound and chart-topping success, Twenty One Pilots continue to be a dominant force in the music industry.
