While the band's previous work enjoyed a moderate underground following, the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix drew the attention of a more mainstream audience.

[2] The album credits Phoenix band members Thomas Mars on vocals, Deck D'Arcy on bass, and Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai on guitar.

Of the name, Phoenix, Thomas Mars says, "The album title is almost like a childish thing, like you're unleashing a child into the museum and he draws a mustache on the Mona Lisa or something ...

[12] During the production of the album, the band recorded video of the sessions, which they have released as mini documentaries of their journey to create Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Throughout the process, lead singer Thomas Mars, noted the use of Oblique Strategies flash cards to promote his creative thinking during the development of the album.

[13] Reviewer Andrew Winistorfer said of the album, "'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' opens with two monster singles, 'Lisztomania', a glittery anthem that manufactures a sense that you're in for greatness and an immense motion that gets more urgent as the song progresses, and '1901', a synth-washed heartfelt ode from frontman Thomas Mars about falling in love.

"[14] "Lisztomania" refers to the term 'Lisztomania', a word coined by the German romantic writer Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to Franz Liszt's virtuosic piano performances.