They Might Be Giants discography

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They Might Be Giants discography
Flansburgh (left) and Linnell (right)
Studio albums	18
Live albums	9
Compilation albums	10
Video albums	7
EPs	21
Singles	11

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 eighteen studio albums along with six live albums, eight compilation albums, twenty-one extended plays and eleven singles.

Studio albums

Year	Title	Chart peaks[1]				Certifications (sales thresholds)	Notes
		UK	US	US Kids	AUS [2]
1986	They Might Be Giants Label: Bar/None / Restless Release Date: November 4, 1986 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	—	—	—	—		Debut album
1988	Lincoln Label: Bar/None / Restless Release Date: September 25, 1988 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	—	89	—	—
1990	Flood Label: Elektra Release Date: January 5, 1990 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	14	75	—	99	US: Platinum[3]	Major label debut Certified platinum by the RIAA
1992	Apollo 18 Label: Elektra Release Date: March 24, 1992 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	—	99	—	59
1994	John Henry Label: Elektra Release Date: September 13, 1994 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	—	64	—	—		First album with a backing band.
1996	Factory Showroom Label: Elektra Release Date: October 8, 1996 Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette	—	89	—	—
1999	Long Tall Weekend Label: eMusic Release date: July 19, 1999 Format: Digital download, promo CD	—	—	—	—		Download-only album, released on eMusic.com First full-length download-only album released by a major artist
2001	Mink Car Label: Restless Release date: September 11, 2001 Format: CD	—	134	—	—
2002	No! Label: Idlewild/Rounder Release date: June 11, 2002 Format: Enhanced CD	—	—	1	—		First children's album
2004	The Spine Label: Idlewild/Zoë Release date: July 13, 2004 Format: CD	—	130	—	—
2005	Here Come the ABCs Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound Release date: February 15, 2005 Format: CD, DVD	—	—	6	—		Second children's album Major label children's album debut
2007	The 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 Wind
2008	Here Come the 123s Label: Idlewild/Disney Sound Release Date: February 5, 2008 Format: DVD/CD	—	172	9	—		Third children's album First album to win a Grammy Award
2009	Here Comes Science Label: Idlewild/ Disney Sound Release Date: September 1, 2009 Format: CD/DVD	—	91	4*	—		Fourth children's album
2011	Join Us Label: Idlewild/Rounder Release Date: July 19, 2011 Format: CD/Vinyl	—	32	—	—		First "rock" album since 2007
2013	Nanobots Label: Idlewild, Lojinx Release Date: March 5, 2013 Format: CD/Vinyl	—	57	—	—
2015	Glean Label: Idlewild Release Date: April 21, 2015 Format: CD/Vinyl	—	67	—	—
	Why? Label: Idlewild Release date: November 27, 2015 Format: CD, digital download	—	181	—	—		Fifth children's album
2016	Phone Power Label: Idlewild Release date: March 9, 2016 Format: CD, digital download	—	122	—	—

Live albums

Year	Title	Chart peaks[1]	Notes
		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
1998	Severe Tire Damage Label: Restless Release Date: August 11, 1998	186	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[4]

Compilations

Year	Title	Notes
1989	Don't Let's Start Label: Rough Trade / One Little Indian	B-side and rarities collection Released exclusively in Europe
1991	Miscellaneous T Label: Restless / Bar/None Release Date: October 8, 1991	US version of Don't Let's Start
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
1999	Best of the Early Years Label: BMG Special Products Release Date: November 23, 1999	Condensed version of Then: The Earlier Years
2002	They Got Lost Label: Idlewild, Zoë Release Date: July 23, 2002	Rarities collection, including some songs from Long Tall Weekend
2002	Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants Label: Rhino Release Date: September 17, 2002	Best-of compilation
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
2005	Venue Songs DVD/CD Label: Idlewild Release Date: November 11, 2005	Collection of "venue songs", songs the band wrote about the venues they performed in
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
2014	Idlewild Label: Idlewild, Lojinx Release Date: May 27, 2014	Contains 17 songs released between 1999 and 2013

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
2004	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:	US: Gold[3]
	Venue Songs DVD/CD Released: November 11, 2005 Label: Idlewild Format:
2008	Here Come the 123s Released: Label: Format:	US: Gold[3]
2009	Here Comes Science Released: Label: Format:	US: Gold[3]
2012	Them Ain't Big Eye Ants Released: Label: Format:

Singles

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

Title	Year	Peak chart positions				Album
		US Alt. [5]	AUS [2]	NLD [6]	UK [7]
"Don't Let's Start"	1987	—	94	—	—	They Might Be Giants
"(She Was A) Hotel Detective"	1988	—	—	—	—
"Ana Ng"		11	—	—	—	Lincoln
"They'll Need a Crane"	1989	—	—	—	—
"Purple Toupee"		—	—	—	—
"Birdhouse in Your Soul"	1990	3	125	—	6	Flood
"Twisting"		22	—	—	—
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"		—	—	—	61
"The Statue Got Me High"	1992	24	—	—	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
"You're on Fire"	2013	—	—	—	—	Nanobots
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Contributions & other releases

• "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" & "Particle Man" 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)
• "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)
• "I'm Not Coming In Anymore" for the Ed, Edd, & Eddy music video called "The Incredible Shrinking Day" (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)
• "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 Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD Choo Choo Express (2008)
• "200 sbemails" for Strong Bad Emails Homestar Runner Email Thunder episode (2008)
• "Courage the Cowardly Dog" for Cartoon Network promo

References

1. TMBG Album Chart History tmbw.net. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
2. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
   • Top 50 peaks: "Discography They Might Be Giants". australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
   • Top 100 peaks between January 1990 and December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
   • "Man, It's So Loud In Here": "arianet The ARIA Report! Week Commencing: 10th December 2001 Issue No: 615" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association Ltd. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
   • "Don't Let's Start" and "Birdhouse In Your Soul": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15". Imgur. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
3. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
4. http://www.theymightbegiants.com/news/a-free-present-for-you/ visited February 25, 2015
5. "They Might Be Giants – Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
6. "Discografie They Might Be Giants". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
7. "They Might Be Giants". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2013.