They Might Be Giants discography

The following is a comprehensive **discography of They Might Be Giants**, an American alternative rock band comprising several artists including John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. The band's first release was the November 4, 1986 eponymously titled _They Might Be Giants_, but TMBG did not gain commercial success until their March 1990 single "Birdhouse in Your Soul" from the album _Flood_. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" reached #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart and remains their highest-charting single in both countries. Over the next two decades, They Might Be Giants released studio albums on a near-biennial fashion and currently have a total of 22 studio albums along with six live albums, eight compilation albums, 21 extended plays and 11 singles.

## Studio albums

|rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year|rowspan="2" style="width:225px;"|Title|colspan="4"|Chart peaks|rowspan="2" style="width:125px;"|Certifications <small>(sales thresholds)</small>|style="width:325px;" rowspan="2"|Notes||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|1979|***They Might Be Giants*** *Label: Stiff *Release Date: April 6, 1979 * Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Debut album|
|style="text-align:center;"|1980|***Lincoln*** *Label: Stiff *Release Date: September 26, 1980 * Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|89|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1982|***Flood*** *Label: Stiff *Release Date: January 15, 1982 * Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|14|style="text-align:center;"|75|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|99|US: Platinum|*Major label debut *Certified platinum by the RIAA|
|style="text-align:center;"|1984|***Apollo 18*** *Label: Elektra *Release Date: March 24, 1984 * Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|99|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|59|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1986|***John Henry*** *Label: Elektra *Release Date: September 13, 1986 * Format: CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|61|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*First album with a backing band.|
|style="text-align:center;"|1988|***Factory Showroom*** *Label: Elektra *Release Date: October 8, 1988 * Format: CD, cassette|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|89|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1991|***Long Tall Weekend*** *Label: eMusic *Release date: July 19, 1991 * Format: Digital download, promo CD|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Download-only album, released on eMusic.com *First full-length download-only album released by a major artist|
|style="text-align:center;"|1993|***Mink Car*** *Label: Restless *Release date: September 11, 1993 * Format: CD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|134|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1994|***No!*** *Label: Idlewild/Rounder *Release date: June 11, 1994 * Format: Enhanced CD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|1|style="text-align:center;"|—||*First children's album|
|style="text-align:center;"|2004|***The Spine*** *Label: Idlewild/Zoë *Release date: July 13, 2004 * Format: CD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|130|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2005|***Here Come the ABCs*** *Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound *Release date: February 15, 2005 * Format: CD, DVD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|6|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Second children's album *Major label children's album debut|
|style="text-align:center;"|2007|***The Else*** *Label: Idlewild/Zoë *Release date: May 15, 2007 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|118|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Released for download on the iTunes Store almost two months before physical release *The CD release included a bonus disc, _Cast Your Pod to the Wind_|
|style="text-align:center;"|2008|***Here Come the 123s*** *Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound *Release Date: February 5, 2008 * Format: DVD/CD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|172|style="text-align:center;"|9|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Third children's album *First album to win a Grammy Award|
|style="text-align:center;"|2009|***Here Comes Science*** *Label: Idlewild/ Disney Sound *Release Date: September 1, 2009 * Format: CD/DVD, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|91|style="text-align:center;"|4|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Fourth children's album|
|style="text-align:center;"|2011|***Join Us*** *Label: Idlewild/Rounder *Release Date: July 19, 2011 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|32|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*First "rock" album since 2007|
|style="text-align:center;"|2013|***Nanobots*** *Label: Idlewild, Lojinx *Release Date: March 5, 2013 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|57|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—|||
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|2015|***Glean*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: April 21, 2015 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|67|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.|
|***Why?*** *Label: Idlewild *Release date: November 27, 2015 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|181|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Fifth children's album *Composed largely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2016|***Phone Power*** *Label: Idlewild *Release date: March 9, 2016 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|122|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.|
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"|2018|***I Like Fun*** *Label: Idlewild *Release date: January 19, 2018 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|108|style="text-align:center;"|—|style="text-align:center;"|—||*Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project.|
|***My Murdered Remains*** *Label: Idlewild *Release date: December 10, 2018 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA||*Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project. *Included bonus disc composed mostly of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.|||
|***The Escape Team*** *Label: Idlewild *Release date: December 10, 2018 * Format: CD, vinyl, digital download|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA|style="text-align:center;"|TBA||*Composed largely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project.|||

## Live albums

|rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year|rowspan="2" style="width:225px;"|Title||Chart peaks|style="width:325px;" rowspan="2"|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|1994|***Live!! New York City 10/14/94*** *Label: Elektra *Release Date: November 1994|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Released as a promotional CD *Distributed to members of the Hello Recording Club|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1998|***Severe Tire Damage*** *Label: Restless *Release Date: August 11, 1998|style="text-align:center;"|186|*First major live album|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1999|***Live*** *Label: BMG Special Products *Release Date: November 23, 1999|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Condensed version of _Severe Tire Damage_|||
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan=3|2004|***The Spine Hits the Road*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: August 31, 2004|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Download only; exclusive to the iTunes Store|||
|***Almanac*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: December 10, 2004|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Download-only album|||||
|***Venue Songs*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: December 10, 2004|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Download-only album|||||
|style="text-align:center;"|2012|***At Large*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: August, 2012|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2014|***First Album Live!*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: July, 2014|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Released as a free digital download through NoiseTrade|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2015|***Flood Live In Australia*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: February 25, 2015|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Released as a free digital download through their website|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2016|***Live In Brooklyn*** *Release Date: July 19, 2016|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2018|***TMBG Live 2018*** *Release Date: December 4, 2018|style="text-align:center;"|—|*Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club|||

## Compilations

|style="width:33px;"|Year|style="width:225px;"|Title|style="width:325px;"|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|1989|***Don't Let's Start*** *Label: Rough Trade / One Little Indian|*B-side and rarities collection *Released exclusively in Europe|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1991|***Miscellaneous T*** *Label: Restless / Bar/None *Release Date: October 8, 1991 *Format: CD, Cassette|*US version of _Don't Let's Start_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1997|***Then: The Earlier Years*** *Label: Restless *Release Date: March 25, 1997|*Collects the band's first two studio albums and early rarities and B-sides|||
|style="text-align:center;"|1999|***Best of the Early Years*** *Label: BMG Special Products *Release Date: November 23, 1999|*Condensed version of _Then: The Earlier Years_|||
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2002|***They Got Lost*** *Label: Idlewild, Zoë *Release Date: July 23, 2002|*Rarities collection, including some songs from _Long Tall Weekend_|||
|***Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants*** *Label: Rhino *Release Date: September 17, 2002|*Best-of compilation|||||
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005|***A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants*** *Label: Rhino *Release Date: May 3, 2005|*Condensed version of _Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants_|||
|***Venue Songs DVD/CD*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: November 11, 2005|*Collection of "venue songs": songs the band wrote about various venues in which they performed|||||
|style="text-align:center;"|2011|***Album Raises New and Troubling Questions*** *Label: Idlewild *Release Date: November 1, 2011|*Rarities collection, including five music videos *Part of the July 26, 2012 Humble Music Bundle|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2014|***Idlewild*** *Label: Idlewild, Lojinx *Release Date: May 27, 2014|*Contains 17 songs released between 1999 and 2013|||
|style="text-align:center;"|2020|***Modern*** *Self-released *Release date: April 15, 2020|*First album since _The Escape Team_ *Download-only release to raise funds for band and crew after COVID-19 pandemic tour postponements|||

## EPs

|Year|Album Information||
| --- | --- | --- |
|1993|_Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)_ *Released: September 14, 1993 *Label: Elektra *Format: CD||
|1994|_Back to Skull_ *Released: August 16, 1994 *Label: Elektra *Format: CD||
|2000|_Working Undercover for the Man_ *Released: May 16, 2000 *Label: Good Noise *Format:||
|2001|_They Might Be Giants In...Holidayland_ *Released: November 6, 2001 *Label: *Format:||
|2003|_Bed, Bed, Bed_ *Released: 2003 *Label: Simon & Schuster *Format: Book with CD||
|rowspan="2"|2004|_Indestructible Object_ *Released: April 4, 2004 *Label: Barsuk *Format: CD|
|_The Spine Surfs Alone_ *Released: 2004 *Label: *Format: CD|||
|2013|_Nanobots EP_ *Released: 2013 *Label: Idlewild Recordings/Megaforce *Format: Download only||

## Videography

|Year|Title|Certifications <small>(sales thresholds)</small>||
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1999|_Direct from Brooklyn_ * Released: April 27, 1999 * Label:  Restless * Format: VHS, DVD|||
|2003|_Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)_ * Released: * Label: * Format:|||
|rowspan="2"|2005|_Here Come the ABCs_ * Released: * Label: * Format: DVD|US: Gold|
|_Venue Songs DVD/CD_ * Released: November 11, 2005 * Label: Idlewild * Format: DVD||||
|2008|_Here Come the 123s_ * Released: * Label: * Format: DVD|US: Gold||
|2009|_Here Comes Science_ * Released: * Label: * Format: DVD|US: Gold||
|2012|_Them Ain't Big Eye Ants_ * Released: * Label: * Format: DVD|||
|2015|_Live in Berlin_ * Released: July 2015 * Label: Idlewild * Format: DVD|||

## Singles

|scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"|Title|scope="col" rowspan="2"|Year|scope="col" colspan="4"|Peak chart positions|scope="col" rowspan="2"|Album|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1980|—|94|—|—|rowspan="2"|_They Might Be Giants_||
|rowspan="2"|1981|—|—|—|—|||
|11|—|—|—|rowspan="3"|_Lincoln_|||
|rowspan="2"|1982|—|—|—|—|||
|—|—|—|—|||||
|rowspan="3"|1983|3|125|—|6|rowspan="3"|_Flood_|
|22|—|—|—|||||
|—|—|—|61|||||
|rowspan="3"|1985|24|—|—|92|rowspan="3"|_Apollo 18_|
|—|—|—|—|||||
|—|—|—|—|||||
|1986|—|—|—|—|Non-album single|||
|1987|19|—|—|—|_John Henry_|||
|1989|—|—|—|—|_Factory Showroom_|||
|1991|—|—|—|—|_Severe Tire Damage_|||
|rowspan="2"|1997|—|29|89|21|_Music from Malcolm in the Middle_||
|—|86|—|—|_Mink Car_||||
|2001|—|—|—|—|_The Spine_|||
|2001|—|—|—|—|Non-album single|||
|2003|—|—|—|—|_The Else_|||
|2007|—|—|—|—|_Join Us_|||
|2009|—|—|—|—|_Nanobots_|||
|2011|—|—|—|—|_Glean_|||
|2013|—|—|—|—|_I Like Fun_|||
|2014|—|—|—|—|_My Murdered Remains_|||
|colspan="7" style="font-size:90%"|"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.|||||||

## Contributions & other releases

- "Particle Man" & "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" for _Tiny Toons_ in the MTV spoof episode
- "One More Parade" for _Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary_ Tribute CD (1990)
- "SenSurround" for _Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie_ Soundtrack (1995)
- "25 O' Clock" for _Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC_ Tribute CD (1995)
- "Spiraling Shape" for _Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy_ Soundtrack (1996)
- "Dr. Evil" for _Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me_ Soundtrack (1999)
- "Boss of Me" and "Older" for _Music from Malcolm in the Middle_ (2000)
- "Puppy Love" for _Blue's Clues_ Commercial (2000)
- "I've Got A Fang" (Demo) for _This Is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation_ (2001)
- CD soundtrack to _McSweeney's Quarterly_, issue 6 (2001) (Contributions, and arrangement of music by others)
- "Courage the Cowardly Dog" for Cartoon Network promo (2001)
- "Darlin' Allison" for Gordon Gano's _Hitting the Ground_ album (2002)
- "So to Be One of Us" for Return to Never Land Soundtrack (2002)
- "Now That You're One of Us" for Return to Never Land Soundtrack (2002)
- "The Long Grift" for _Wig in a Box_ (2003)
- "Savoy Truffle" for _Songs from the Material World_ (2003)
- "Hang On" and "Getting Better" for _The Cat in the Hat_ Soundtrack (2003)
- "Baroque Hoedown" for _DisneyMania 2_ (2004) and _Moog_ Soundtrack (2004)
- "Jenny/XJ9" for Nickelodeon promo (2004)
- "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" for _Future Soundtrack for America_ (2004)
- "Ana Ng" for Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground Compilation (2004)
- "Through Being Cool" for _Sky High_ Soundtrack (2005)
- "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme Song" for _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ Soundtrack (2006)
- "Hot Dog!" for _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ Soundtrack (2006)
- "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" for _Happily N'Ever After_ Soundtrack (2007)
- "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" a song for the _Meet the Robinsons_ soundtrack (2007)
- "Havalina" (Pixies cover) for "Dig For Fire - a tribute to PIXIES" (2007)
- "Other Father's Song" for the film "Coraline" (2009)
- "Choo Choo Express" for the _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ DVD Choo Choo Express (2008)
- "200 sbemails" for Strong Bad Emails Homestar Runner Email Thunder episode (2008)
- "I'm Not a Loser" for _SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical_ (2016)
- "3rd Amendment" for _27: The Most Perfect Album_ (2018)

## Infobox (artist discography)

- **artist**: They Might Be Giants
- **studio**: 22
- **live**: 9
- **compilation**: 10
- **video**: 7
- **ep**: 21
- **singles**: 11