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
YearTitleChart peaks Certifications(sales thresholds)NotesUKUSUS KidsAUS 1979They Might Be Giants
Label: Stiff
Release Date: April 6, 1979
 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette — — — —Debut album 1980Lincoln
Label: Stiff
Release Date: September 26, 1980
 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette — 89 — — 1982Flood
Label: Stiff
Release Date: January 15, 1982
 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette1475—99 US: PlatinumMajor label debut
Certified platinum by the RIAA 1984Apollo 18
Label: Elektra
Release Date: March 24, 1984
 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette—99—59 1986John Henry
Label: Elektra
Release Date: September 13, 1986
 Format: CD, cassette—61— —First album with a backing band. 1988Factory Showroom
Label: Elektra
Release Date: October 8, 1988
 Format: CD, cassette—89— — 1991Long Tall Weekend
Label: eMusic
Release date: July 19, 1991
 Format: Digital download, promo CD——— —Download-only album, released on eMusic.com
First full-length download-only album released by a major artist 1993 Mink Car
Label: Restless
Release date: September 11, 1993
 Format: CD, digital download—134— — 1994No!
Label: Idlewild/Rounder
Release date: June 11, 1994
 Format: Enhanced CD, digital download——1 —First children's album 2004The Spine
Label: Idlewild/Zoë
Release date: July 13, 2004
 Format: CD, digital download—130— — 2005Here Come the ABCs
Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound
Release date: February 15, 2005
 Format: CD, DVD, digital download——6 — Second children's album
Major label children's album debut2007The Else
Label: Idlewild/Zoë
Release date: May 15, 2007
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—118— —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 Wind2008Here Come the 123s
Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound
Release Date: February 5, 2008
 Format: DVD/CD, digital download—1729 —Third children's album
First album to win a Grammy Award2009Here Comes Science
Label: Idlewild/ Disney Sound
Release Date: September 1, 2009
 Format: CD/DVD, digital download—914 —Fourth children's album2011Join Us
Label: Idlewild/Rounder
Release Date: July 19, 2011
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—32— —First "rock" album since 20072013Nanobots
Label: Idlewild, Lojinx
Release Date: March 5, 2013
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—57— —2015Glean
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: April 21, 2015
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—67— —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—181— —Fifth children's album
Composed largely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.2016Phone Power
Label: Idlewild
Release date: March 9, 2016
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—122——Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.2018I Like Fun
Label: Idlewild
Release date: January 19, 2018
 Format: CD, vinyl, digital download—108——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 downloadTBATBATBATBAComposed 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 downloadTBATBATBATBAComposed largely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project.

Live albums
YearTitleChart peaksNotes US 1994 Live!! New York City 10/14/94
Label: Elektra
Release Date: November 1994 —Released as a promotional CD
Distributed to members of the Hello Recording Club 1998Severe Tire Damage
Label: Restless
Release Date: August 11, 1998186First major live album 1999Live
Label: BMG Special Products
Release Date: November 23, 1999 —Condensed version of Severe Tire Damage2004 The Spine Hits the Road
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: August 31, 2004—Download only; exclusive to the iTunes StoreAlmanac
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: December 10, 2004—Download-only albumVenue Songs
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: December 10, 2004—Download-only album2012At Large
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: August, 2012 —Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club2014First Album Live!
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: July, 2014 —Released as a free digital download through NoiseTrade2015Flood Live In Australia
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: February 25, 2015 —Released as a free digital download through their website2016Live In Brooklyn
Release Date: July 19, 2016—Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club2018TMBG Live 2018
Release Date: December 4, 2018—Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club

Compilations
YearTitleNotes 1989Don't Let's Start
Label: Rough Trade / One Little IndianB-side and rarities collection
Released exclusively in Europe 1991Miscellaneous T
Label: Restless / Bar/None
Release Date: October 8, 1991
Format: CD, CassetteUS version of Don't Let's Start 1997Then: The Earlier Years
Label: Restless
Release Date: March 25, 1997Collects the band's first two studio albums and early rarities and B-sides 1999 Best of the Early Years
Label: BMG Special Products
Release Date: November 23, 1999Condensed version of Then: The Earlier Years 2002 They Got Lost
Label: Idlewild, Zoë
Release Date: July 23, 2002Rarities collection, including some songs from Long Tall WeekendDial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants
Label: Rhino
Release Date: September 17, 2002Best-of compilation2005 A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants
Label: Rhino
Release Date: May 3, 2005Condensed version of Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Venue Songs DVD/CD
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: November 11, 2005Collection of "venue songs": songs the band wrote about various venues in which they performed 2011 Album Raises New and Troubling Questions
Label: Idlewild
Release Date: November 1, 2011Rarities collection, including five music videos 
Part of the July 26, 2012 Humble Music Bundle   2014Idlewild
Label: Idlewild, Lojinx
Release Date: May 27, 2014Contains 17 songs released between 1999 and 2013 2020 Modern
Self-released
Release date: April 15, 2020First 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 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(sales thresholds) 1999 Direct from Brooklyn
 Released: April 27, 1999
 Label:  Restless
 Format: VHS, DVD  2003 Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)
 Released:  
 Label: 
 Format:   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
+ List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Album USAlt. AUSAustralian (ARIA Charts) peaks:
 Top 50 peaks: 
 Top 100 peaks between January 1990 and December 2010: 
 "Man, It's So Loud In Here": 
 "Don't Let's Start" and "Birdhouse In Your Soul":  NLD UK "Everything Right is Wrong Again" 1980 —  94  —  — They Might Be Giants "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" 1981 —  —  —  — "Ana Ng" 11  —  —  — Lincoln "They'll Need a Crane" 1982 —  —  —  — "Purple Toupee" —  —  —  — "Birdhouse in Your Soul" 1983 3  125  —  6 Flood "Twisting" 22  —  —  — "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" —  —  —  61 "The Statue Got Me High" 1985 24  —  —  92 Apollo 18 "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" —  —  —  — "I Palindrome I" —  —  —  — "O Tannenbaum" 1986 —  —  —  — Non-album single "Snail Shell" 1987 19  —  —  — John Henry "S-E-X-X-Y" 1989 —  —  —  — Factory Showroom "Doctor Worm" 1991 —  —  —  — Severe Tire Damage "The Days in the Lives of Beau (End Theme)" 1997 —  29  89  21 Music from Malcolm in the Middle "Man, It's So Loud in Here" —  86  —  — Mink Car "Experimental Film" 2001 —  —  —  — The Spine "T-Shirt" 2001 —  —  —  — Non-album single "I'm Impressed" 2003 —  —  —  — The Else "Can't Keep Johnny Down" 2007 —  —  —  — Join Us "You're on Fire" 2009 —  —  —  — Nanobots "Erase" 2011 —  —  —  — Glean "I Left My Body" 2013 —  —  —  — I Like Fun "The Communists Have The Music" 2014 —  —  —  — My Murdered Remains "—" 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)

References

Category:Discographies of American artists