They Might Be Giants discography

The following is a discography of They Might Be Giants (TMBG), 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 23 studio albums along with 11 live albums, 12 compilation albums, 15 extended plays and 30 singles.

They Might Be Giants discography
Studio albums	23
EPs	15
Live albums	11
Compilation albums	12
Singles	30
Video albums	7

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications

Year	Title	Chart peaks							Certifications (sales thresholds)	Notes
		US [1]	US Alt [2]	US Kids [3]	US Indie [4]	US Rock [5]	AUS [6][7]	UK [8]
1986	They Might Be Giants Release date: November 4, 1986 Label: Bar/None / Restless Format: Cassette, CD, LP	—	—	—	—	—	159	—		Debut album
1988	Lincoln Release date: September 25, 1988 Label: Bar/None / Restless Format: Cassette, CD, LP	89	—	—	—	—	116	—
1990	Flood Release date: January 15, 1990 Label: Elektra Format: Cassette, CD, LP	75	—	—	—	—	99	14	RIAA: Platinum[9] BPI: Gold[10]	Major label debut
1992	Apollo 18 Release date: March 24, 1992 Label: Elektra Format: Cassette, CD, LP	99	—	—	—	—	59	—
1994	John Henry Release date: September 13, 1994 Label: Elektra Format: Cassette, CD, LP	61	—	—	—	—	132	—		First album with a backing band.
1996	Factory Showroom Release date: October 8, 1996 Label: Elektra Format: Cassette, CD, LP	89	—	—	—	—	116	—
1999	Long Tall Weekend Release date: July 19, 1999 Label: eMusic Format: Digital download, promo CD, LP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Download-only album, released on eMusic.com First full-length download-only album released by a major artist
2001	Mink Car Release date: September 11, 2001 Label: Restless Format: CD, digital download, LP	134	—	—	—	—	102	—
2002	No! Release date: June 11, 2002 Label: Idlewild/Rounder Format: Enhanced CD, digital download	—	—	1	—	—	—	—		First children's album
2004	The Spine Release date: July 13, 2004 Label: Idlewild/Zoë Format: CD, digital download, LP	130	—	—	—	—	—	—
2005	Here Come the ABCs Release date: February 15, 2005 Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound Format: CD, digital download, DVD, LP	—	—	6	—	—	—	—		Second children's album Major label children's album debut
2007	The Else Release date: May 15, 2007 Label: Idlewild/Zoë Format: CD, digital download, LP	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 Wind
2008	Here Come the 123s Release date: February 5, 2008 Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound Format: Digital download, DVD/CD, LP	172	—	9	—	—	—	—		Third children's album First album to win a Grammy Award
2009	Here Comes Science Release date: September 1, 2009 Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound Format: CD/DVD, digital download	91	23	4	—	34	—	—		Fourth children's album
2011	Join Us Release date: July 19, 2011 Label: Idlewild/Rounder Format: CD, digital download, LP	32	8	—	8	8	—	—		First "rock" album since 2007
2013	Nanobots Release date: March 5, 2013 Label: Idlewild, Lojinx Format: CD, digital download, LP	57	13	—	10	19	—	—
2015	Glean Release date: April 21, 2015 Label: Idlewild Format: CD, digital download, LP	67	6	—	5	7	—	—		Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.
	Why? Release date: November 27, 2015 Label: Idlewild Format: CD,digital download, LP	181	12	—	6	15	—	—		Fifth children's album Composed largely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.
2016	Phone Power Release date: March 8, 2016 Label: Idlewild Format: CD, digital download, LP	122	8	—	11	14	—	—		Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2015 Dial-A-Song project.
2018	I Like Fun Release date: January 19, 2018 Label: Idlewild Format: CD, digital download, LP	108	8	—	3	17	—	—		Composed entirely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project.
	My Murdered Remains Release date: December 10, 2018 Label: Idlewild Format: CD, digital download, LP	—[A]	—	—	9	—	—	—		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 Release date: December 10, 2018 Label: Idlewild Format: CD, digital download, LP	—[B]	—	—	10	—	—	—		Composed largely of songs from the band's 2018 Dial-A-Song project.
2021	Book Release date: November 12, 2021 Label: Idlewild Format: 8-Track, CD, cassette, digital download, LP	88	7	—	14	10	—	—

Live albums

Year	Title	Chart peaks		Notes
		US [1]	AUS[7]
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
1998	Severe Tire Damage Label: Restless Release date: August 11, 1998	186	108	First major live album
1999	Live Label: BMG Special Products Release date: November 23, 1999	—	—	Condensed version of Severe Tire Damage
2004	The Spine Hits the Road Label: Idlewild Release date: August 31, 2004	—	—	Download only; exclusive to the iTunes Store
	Almanac Label: Idlewild Release date: December 10, 2004	—	—	Download-only album
	Venue Songs Label: Idlewild Release date: December 10, 2004	—	—	Download-only album
2012	At Large Label: Idlewild Release date: August 2012	—	—	Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club
2014	First Album Live! Label: Idlewild Release date: July 2014	—	—	Released as a free digital download through NoiseTrade
2015	Flood Live in Australia Label: Idlewild Release date: February 25, 2015	—	—	Released as a free digital download through their website[12]
2016	Live in Brooklyn Release date: July 19, 2016	—	—	Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club
2018	TMBG Live 2018 Release date: December 4, 2018	—	—	Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club
2024	Beast of Horns Release date: July 15, 2024	—	—	Distributed to members of the They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club

Compilation albums

Year	Title	Chart peaks		Notes
		US Current [11]	US Indie [4]
1989	Don't Let's Start Label: Rough Trade / One Little Indian	—	—	B-side and rarities collection Released exclusively in Europe
1991	Miscellaneous T Release date: October 8, 1991 Label: Restless / Bar/None Format: CD, Cassette	—	—	US version of Don't Let's Start
1997	Then: The Earlier Years Release date: March 25, 1997 Label: Restless	—	—	Collects the band's first two studio albums and early rarities and B-sides
1999	Best of the Early Years Release date: November 23, 1999 Label: BMG Special Products	—	—	Condensed version of Then: The Earlier Years
2002	They Got Lost Release date: July 23, 2002 Label: Idlewild, Zoë	—	—	Rarities collection, including some songs from Long Tall Weekend
	Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Release date: September 17, 2002 Label: Rhino	—	—	Best-of compilation
2005	A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants Release date: May 3, 2005 Label: Rhino	—	—	Condensed version of Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants
	Venue Songs DVD/CD Release date: November 11, 2005 Label: Idlewild	—	—	Collection of "venue songs": songs the band wrote about various venues in which they performed
2011	Album Raises New and Troubling Questions Release date: October 28, 2011 Label: Idlewild	—	—	Rarities collection, including five music videos Part of the July 26, 2012 Humble Music Bundle
2014	Idlewild Release date: May 27, 2014 Label: Idlewild, Lojinx	—	—	Contains 17 songs released between 1999 and 2013
2018	John Henry Demos Release date: December 2018 Label: Idlewild	91	12	Demos of almost every John Henry song, with the exception of Stomp Box.
2020	Modern Release date: April 15, 2020 Self-released	—	—	First album since The Escape Team Download-only release to raise funds for band and crew after COVID-19 pandemic tour postponements
2024	The Spine Surfs Alone: Rarities 1998-2005 Release date: November 19, 2024 Label: Idlewild	—	—	Rarities collection, including songs from the EPs The Spine Surfs Alone and Working Undercover for the Man, select songs from the live album Severe Tire Damage, and various other rarities

EPs

Year	Title	Chart peaks
		US Indie [4]
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: Digital download, limited CD release	—
2001	They Might Be Giants In...Holidayland Released: November 6, 2001 Label: Restless Format: CD	—
2003	Bed, Bed, Bed Released: 2003 Label: Simon & Schuster Format: Book with CD	—
2004	Indestructible Object Released: April 4, 2004 Label: Barsuk Format: CD	36
	The Spine Surfs Alone Released: 2004 Label: Idlewild Format: CD	—
2011	Other Thing Brass Band Released: 2011 Label: Idlewild Format: Vinyl, download	—
	Cave Fish/Tesla Released: September 2011 Label: Idlewild Format: Vinyl, download	—
2012	Four Covers Released: August 2012 Label: Idlewild Format: Vinyl	—
	Reptiles/Head in a Suitcase Released: August 2012 Label: Idlewild Format: Vinyl	—
2013	Nanobots EP Released: 2013 Label: Idlewild/Megaforce Format: Download only	—
	For Kids Released: 2013 Label: Idlewild/Megaforce Format: Download only	—
2016	Songs for Chop Released: June 2016 Label: Chop Shop Format: Download only	—
2021	Pamphlet EP Released: 2021 Label: Idlewild Format: Download	—

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released, certifications and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions				Certifications	Album
		US Alt. [13]	AUS [6]	NLD [14]	UK [15]
"Don't Let's Start"	1987	—	94	—	—		They Might Be Giants
"(She Was A) Hotel Detective"	1988	—	—	—	—
"Ana Ng"		11	154	—	—		Lincoln
"They'll Need a Crane"	1989	—	—	—	—
"Purple Toupee"		—	—	—	—
"Birdhouse in Your Soul"	1990	3	125	—	6	BPI: Silver[10]	Flood
"Twisting"		22	—	—	—
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"		—	—	—	61
"The Statue Got Me High"	1992	24	155	—	92		Apollo 18
"The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)"		—	—	—	—
"I Palindrome I"		—	—	—	—
"O Tannenbaum"	1993	—	—	—	—		Non-album single
"Snail Shell"	1994	19	—	—	—		John Henry
"S-E-X-X-Y"	1996	—	—	—	—		Factory Showroom
"Doctor Worm"	1998	—	—	—	—		Severe Tire Damage
"Boss of Me"	2001	—	29	89	21		Music from Malcolm in the Middle
"Man, It's So Loud in Here"		—	86	—	—		Mink Car
"Experimental Film"	2005	—	—	—	—		The Spine
"T-Shirt"	2005	—	—	—	—		Non-album single
"I'm Impressed"	2007	—	—	—	—		The Else
"Can't Keep Johnny Down"	2011	—	—	—	—		Join Us
"Never Knew Love"		—	—	—	—
"Cloisonné"		—	—	—	—
"Old Pine Box"		—	—	—	—
"You're on Fire"	2013	—	—	—	—		Nanobots
"Erase"	2015	—	—	—	—		Glean
"I Left My Body"	2017	—	—	—	—		I Like Fun
"The Communists Have the Music"	2018	—	—	—	—		My Murdered Remains
"I Lost Thursday"	2021	—	—	—	—		Book
"Super Cool"		—	—	—	—
"Who Are the Electors?"		—	—	—	—		Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Contributions and 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)
• "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" & "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)
• "Baroque Hoedown" for DisneyMania 2 (2004) and Moog Soundtrack (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" & "Hot Dog!" for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Soundtrack (2006) - RIAA: Platinum^[9]
• "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" for Happily N'Ever After Soundtrack (2007)
• "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" for the Meet the Robinsons soundtrack (2007)
• "Havalina" 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)
• "You Are Old, Father William" for Almost Alice (2010)
• "I'm Not a Loser" for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical (2016)
• "3rd Amendment" for 27: The Most Perfect Album (2018)^[16]
• "Pour Poor Me More Please" for Central Park (TV series) (2021)

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: March 10, 2003 Label: Cowboy Pictures, Plexifilm (USA) Format: DVD
2005	Here Come the ABCs Released: February 15, 2005 Label: Disney Sound/Idlewild Format: DVD	RIAA: Gold[9]
	Venue Songs DVD/CD Released: November 11, 2005 Label: Idlewild Format: DVD
2008	Here Come the 123s Released: February 5, 2008 Label: Disney Sound/Idlewild Format: DVD	RIAA: Gold[9]
2009	Here Comes Science Released: September 1, 2009 Label: Disney Sound/Idlewild Format: DVD	RIAA: Gold[9]
2012	Them Ain't Big Eye Ants Released: December 3, 2012 Label: Idlewild Format: DVD
2015	Live in Berlin[17] Released: July 2015 Label: Idlewild Format: DVD

Music videos

The band has released 25 main music videos for songs from their rock albums.^[18] All of their children's albums have also included video content or run alongside DVD releases. The band also has videos for each of the Dial-A-Song tracks from 2015 and 2018 on their main YouTube channel, ParticleMen.

Direct from Brooklyn

In 1999, They Might Be Giants released Direct from Brooklyn, a VHS compilation of their music videos from 1986 up to that point. It was reissued on DVD in 2003. The following music videos were included:

• "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" (1986)
• "Don't Let's Start" (1986)
• "(She Was a) Hotel Detective" (1986)
• "Ana Ng" (1988)
• "Purple Toupee" (1988)
• "They'll Need a Crane" (1988)
• "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (1990)
• "Istanbul" (animated) (1990)
• "The Statue Got Me High" (1992)
• "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" (1992)
• "Snail Shell" (1994)
• "Doctor Worm" (1998)

Other videos

• "Rabid Child" (unreleased, filmed in 1986)
• "Boss of Me" (2001)
• "Experimental Film" (animated) (2004)
• "Bastard Wants to Hit Me" (animated) (2004)
• "Here in Higglytown" (animated) (2004)
• "With The Dark" (animated) (2007)
• "The Shadow Government" (animated) (2007)
• "I'm Impressed" (animated) (2007)
• "The Mesopotamians" (animated) (2007)
• "Can't Keep Johnny Down" (2011)
• "Cloisonné" (2011)
• "In Fact" (2011)
• "You Probably Get That a Lot" (2011)
• "Spoiler Alert" (2011)
• "Marty Beller Mask" (2011)
• "When Will You Die" (2012)
• "Icky" (animated) (2013)
• "Nanobots" (animated) (2013)
• "Insect Hospital" (animated) (2013)
• "Black Ops" (2013)
• "You're on Fire" (2013)
• "Am I Awake?" (2014)

Notes

1. My Murdered Remains did not enter the Billboard 200 but peaked at number 68 on the Top Current Albums chart.^[11]
2. The Escape Team did not enter the Billboard 200 but peaked at number 71 on the Top Current Albums chart.^[11]