Editing They Might Be Giants

{{short description|American alternative rock band}}
{{About|the band|the band's first album|They Might Be Giants (album){{!}}''They Might Be Giants'' (album)|the 1971 film|They Might Be Giants (film){{!}}''They Might Be Giants'' (film)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = They Might Be Giants
| background        = group_or_band
| image             = They_Might_Be_Giants_Profile.jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = [[John Flansburgh]] (left) and [[John Linnell]] (right) in 2016
| alias             = {{flatlist|
*TMBG
*El Grupo De Rock and Roll
}}
| origin            = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City|New York]], U.S.
| genre             = {{flatlist|
*[[Alternative rock]]
*[[art rock]]
*[[power pop]]
*[[children's music]]
*[[geek rock]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Weisbard |first=Eric |date=December 2000 |title=Geek Love |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]] |pages=158–162}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Chaney |first=Keidra |date=January–February 2015 |title=The Evolution of Nerd Rock |url=http://uncannymagazine.com/article/evolution-nerd-rock/ |magazine=Uncanny |issue=2 |pages=129–133}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=November 16, 2012 |title=They Might Be Giants Q&A |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474135/they-might-be-giants-qa-in-the-studio-with-the-nerd-rock-kings |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Freed |first1=Nick |last2=Salgado |first2=Christina |date=March 14, 2014 |title=The Greatest Nerd Rock Records of All Time |url=https://consequence.net/2014/03/the-greatest-nerd-rock-records-of-all-time/full-post/ |access-date=February 25, 2021 |website=[[Consequence of Sound]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Polk |first=Leilani |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Comedy Issue: Laugh tracks by Frank Zappa, Ween, They Might Be Giants and more |url=https://www.cltampa.com/music/comedy-issue-laugh-tracks-by-frank-zappa-ween-they-might-be-giants-and-more-12276267 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |website=Creative Loafing Tampa Bay}}</ref>
}}
| discography       = [[They Might Be Giants discography]]
| years_active      = 1982–present
| label             = {{flatlist|
*[[Bar None Records|Bar/None]]
*[[Barsuk Records|Barsuk]]
*[[Restless Records|Restless]]
*[[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
*[[Zoë Records|Zoë]]
*[[Walt Disney Records|Disney Sound]]
*[[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]
*[[Rounder Records|Rounder]]
*[[Lojinx]]
*[[Megaforce Records|Megaforce]]
*Idlewild
}}
| website           = {{URL|theymightbegiants.com}}
| current_members   = {{Plainlist|
*[[John Flansburgh]]
*[[John Linnell]]
*[[Danny Weinkauf]]
*[[Dan Miller (guitarist)|Dan Miller]]
*[[Marty Beller]]
}}
| past_members      = {{Plainlist|
*Hal Cragin
*[[Brian Doherty (drummer)|Brian Doherty]]
*Jonathan Feinberg
*[[Dan Hickey]]
*[[Kurt Hoffman]]
*[[Graham Maby]]
*[[Tony Maimone]]
*[[Eric Schermerhorn]]
}}
}}

'''They Might Be Giants''', often abbreviated as '''TMBG''', is an<!--awards and nominations don't belong here--> American [[alternative rock]] and [[Children's music|children's band]] formed in 1982 by [[John Flansburgh]] and [[John Linnell]]. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a [[musical duo]], often accompanied by a [[drum machine]]. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a [[backing band]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Santo |first=Jim |title=Beat the Machine |newspaper=The Music Paper |date=November 1994}}</ref> The duo's current backing band consists of [[Marty Beller]], [[Dan Miller (guitarist)|Dan Miller]] and [[Danny Weinkauf]]. They have been credited as vital in the creation and growth of the prolific [[DIY music]] scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Spiegel |first=Amy Rose |date=2015-02-19 |title=They Might Be Giants at 33: Still Here, Still Weird |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/they-might-be-giants-at-33-were-still-here-were-weird-get-used-to-us-112121/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=2021-01-11}}</ref>

The group has been noted for its unique style of alternative music, typically using surreal, humorous lyrics, experimental styles and unconventional instruments. Over their career, they have found success on the [[Modern Rock Tracks|modern rock]] and [[Campus radio|college radio]] charts. They have also found success in [[children's music]] with several educational albums and in [[theme music]] for television programs and films.

TMBG have released 23 studio albums. ''[[Flood (They Might Be Giants album)|Flood]]'' has been [[Music recording certification|certified platinum]], while their children's music albums ''[[Here Come the ABCs]]'', ''[[Here Come the 123s]]'', and ''[[Here Comes Science]]'' have all been [[Music recording certification|certified gold]]. The duo has been nominated for four [[Grammy Awards]], winning two.<ref>{{cite web |title=ARTIST They Might Be Giants |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/they-might-be-giants/15932 |website=Recording Academy Grammy Awards |publisher=Recording Academy}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=BOOK Book/CD Set |url=https://tmbgshop.com/products/book |website=They Might Be Giants |access-date=3 April 2023 |quote=Our latest album and musical project BOOK has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Record Package. Congratulations to designer Paul Sahre and photographer Brian Karlsson for putting it all together with us. And wish us luck!}}</ref> Flansburgh and Linnell won for writing "[[Boss of Me]]", the theme to ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'' ([[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media|Best Film or Television Theme]]) and They Might Be Giants won for ''Here Come the 123s'' ([[Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album|Best Children's Album]]). Linnell and Flansburgh were also nominated for a [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre]] along with other composers of the show for ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)|SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2018 |title=2018 Tony Award Nominations: SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls Lead the Pack |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2018-tony-award-nominations-spongebob-squarepants-and-mean-girls-lead-the-pack |access-date=October 25, 2018 |website=Playbill.com}}</ref> In total, the group has sold over 4 million records.<ref name="facts">{{Cite web |title=TMBG Facts |url=http://tmbg.com/temp_site/facts.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602002900/http://www.tmbg.com/temp_site/facts.htm |archive-date=June 2, 2007 |access-date=May 31, 2007 |website=tmbg.com}}</ref>

==History==

===Earlier years (1981–1989)===
Johns Linnell and Flansburgh first met as teenagers growing up in [[Lincoln, Massachusetts]]. They began writing songs together while attending [[Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School]] but did not form a band at that time. The two attended separate colleges after high school and Linnell joined [[The Mundanes]], a [[New wave music|new wave]] group from [[Rhode Island]]. The two reunited in 1981 after moving to [[Brooklyn]] (to the same apartment building on the same day) to continue their career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiskopf, Myke |title=They Might Be Giants Early Years Handbook v3.0 |url=http://www.tmbg.org/band-info/early-years/ |access-date=February 26, 2006}}</ref>

At their first concert, They Might Be Giants were introduced as and performed under the name '''El Grupo De Rock and Roll''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "the Rock and Roll Band"), because the show was a [[Sandinista Revolution|Sandinista rally]] in Central Park and a majority of the audience members spoke Spanish.<ref name="NY1">{{Cite web |last=Mishkin |first=Budd |date=December 8, 2009 |title=One on 1: "They Might Be Giants" Span the Age Group Globe |url=http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/features/110059/-i-one-on-1---i---they-might-be-giants--span-the-age-group-globe |type=Interview |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130205339/http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/features/110059/-i-one-on-1---i---they-might-be-giants--span-the-age-group-globe |archive-date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=NY1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They had previously chosen a name that, according to John Flansburgh, was "so bad that John [Linnell] and I have made a vow that we will never tell anyone, even our children."<ref>{{cite book|last=Dolgins|first=Adam|url=https://archive.org/details/rocknamesfromabb00dolg/page/202/mode/2up/|title=Rock Names|year=1995|page=202|publisher=Carol Publishing Group|isbn=9780806516172 |access-date=October 2, 2023}}</ref> Soon discarding this name,<ref name="Brian Butterick p.152">Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) ''"We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It'', Damiani Books, p.152</ref> the band assumed [[They_Might_Be_Giants_(film)#Title_explanation|the name]] of the 1971 film ''[[They Might Be Giants (film)|They Might Be Giants]]'' (starring [[George C. Scott]] and [[Joanne Woodward]]), which is in turn taken from a ''[[Don Quixote]]'' passage about how Quixote mistook [[Tilting at windmills|windmills for evil giants]]. According to Dave Wilson, in his book ''Rock Formations'', the name They Might Be Giants had been used and subsequently discarded by a friend of the band who had a [[ventriloquism]] act.<ref name="RockFormations">{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Dave |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOpB23GGxAIC&q=ventriloquist+%22they+might+be+giants%22+friend&pg=RA1-PA24 |title=Rock formations: categorical answers ... - Google Books |year=2004 |isbn=9780974848358 |page=24 |publisher=Cidermill Books |access-date=July 17, 2011}}</ref> The name was then adopted by the band, who had been searching for a more suitable name.

A common misconception is that the name of the band is a reference to themselves and an allusion to future success. In an interview, John Flansburgh said that the words "they might be giants" are just a very outward-looking forward thing which they liked. He clarified this in the documentary movie ''[[Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)]]'' by explaining that the name refers to the outside world of possibilities that they saw as a fledgling band. In an earlier radio interview, John Linnell described the phrase as "something very paranoid sounding".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Mike |year=2000 |title=TMBG: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) |url=http://www.tmbg.org/band-info/faq/#q7 |access-date=February 26, 2006 |website=Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about They Might Be Giants}}</ref>

The duo began performing their own music in and around New York City at the East Village [[Pyramid Club (New York City)|Pyramid Club]]<ref>Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) ''"We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It'', Damiani Books, p.301</ref> – Flansburgh on [[guitar]], Linnell on [[accordion]] and [[saxophone]] and accompanied by a [[drum machine]] or prerecorded backing track on [[cassette tape|audio cassette]]. Their atypical instrumentation, along with their songs which featured unusual subject matter and clever wordplay, soon attracted a strong local following.<ref>Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) ''"We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It'', Damiani Books, p.212</ref> Their performances also featured absurdly comical stage props such as oversized [[fez (clothing)|fezzes]] and large cardboard cutout heads of newspaper editor [[William Allen White]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Allen White |url=http://www.tmbw.net/wiki/index.php/William_Allen_White |access-date=April 7, 2006 |website=This Might Be A Wiki}}</ref> Many of these props would later turn up in their first music videos. From 1984 to 1987, They Might Be Giants were the house band at the [[Pyramid Club (New York City)|Pyramid Club]]<ref name="Brian Butterick p.152"/> and Darinka, a [[Lower East Side]] [[performance art]] club<ref name="gigantic" /> run by Gary Ray. They played on the stage there one weekend a month and by the end of their three-year stint, their performances were selling out. On March 30, 1985, TMBG released their 7" [[flexi disc|flexi-disc]], dubbed "Wiggle Diskette" at Darinka. The disc included demos of the songs "Everything Right Is Wrong Again" and "You'll Miss Me".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leith |first=William |date=10 August 1985 |title=Singles |pages=19 |work=NME |url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbGeeiIUwAAQ_k3?format=jpg&name=large |access-date=11 Oct 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011220150/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbGeeiIUwAAQ_k3?format=jpg&name=large |archive-date=11 October 2023}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Dial-A-Song|Dial-a-Song}} Dial-A-Song (1985–2008)===
{{Redirect|Dial a Song|the compilation album|Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants}}
At one point, Linnell broke his wrist in a [[bicycle safety|biking accident]], and Flansburgh's apartment was [[burglary|burgled]], stopping them from performing for a time. During this hiatus, they began recording their songs onto an [[answering machine]] and then advertising the phone number in local newspapers such as ''[[The Village Voice]]'', using the [[moniker]] "Dial-A-Song".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodgers, Robert |date=March 9, 1998 |title=They Might Be Giants Anthology |url=http://www.lctn.com/education/hallshigh/tgrtime/dial.htm |access-date=April 7, 2006 |website=Dial-a-song}}</ref> They also released a demo cassette, which earned them a review in ''[[People (American magazine)|People]]'' magazine. Authored by Michael Small,<ref>{{Cite web |title=They Might Be Giants: Flood |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/they-might-be-giants-flood/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> the review caught the attention of [[Bar/None Records]], who signed them to a recording deal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chuss |first=Eric J. |title=TMBG New York City Where Everyone's Your Friend |url=http://www.tmbg.org/learning/nyc/ |access-date=January 14, 2007 |website=The Unofficial TMBG site}}</ref>

From the 1980s until 1998, Dial-A-Song consisted of an answering machine with a tape of the band playing various songs. The machine played one track at a time, ranging from demos and uncompleted work to mock advertisements the band had created. It was often difficult to access due to the popularity of the service and the dubious quality of the machines used. About this, one of Dial-A-Song's many slogans over the years was the tongue-in-cheek "Always Busy, Often Broken".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Silver |first=Curtis |title=New They Might Be Giants Album Raises New and Troubling Questions |url=https://www.wired.com/2011/11/new-they-might-be-giants-album-raises-new-and-troubling-questions/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The number, (718) 387–6962, was a local Brooklyn number and was charged accordingly, but the band advertised it with the line: "Free when you call from work".<ref>{{Cite web |title=They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants, Cd, 1987 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/435516-They-Might-Be-Giants-They-Might-Be-Giants |access-date=16 June 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1987 }}</ref>

At one point in 1988, the Dial-A-Song [[answering machine]] recorded a conversation between two people who had listened to Dial-A-Song, then questioned how they made money out of it. An excerpt from the conversation has been included as a [[hidden track]] on the EP for "[[(She Was A) Hotel Detective]]." In the late '90s, TMBG started switching to a digital unit to update the format for Dial-A-Song but, due to frequent crashes, the band returned to the original format.

In March 2000, TMBG started the website dialasong.com, which was more reliable than the original, phone-based version, as it used a [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] document to stream the songs.

In 2002, Dial-A-Song's answering machine broke down, and fans responded by sending new similar models. In the following year, Dial-A-Song resumed service with a new answering machine. By 2005, a computer system from TechTV was provided to maintain the system, but technical difficulties started bringing the system to an end.

In 2006, Dial-A-Song became increasingly difficult to maintain as a result of unreliable answering machines that had to be replaced. The stress placed upon the answering machine in addition to its age caused excessive wear, and the machine broke down soon after. In August, Dial-A-Song ceased production and because fans started taking advantage of the internet, it was replaced with a page promoting the They Might Be Giants [[podcast]]s.

John Linnell stated in an interview in early 2008 that Dial-A-Song had died of a technical crash and that the Internet had taken over where the machine left off. On November 15, 2008, the Dial-A-Song number was officially disconnected, though the number has at times been re-used in a similar style by other independent artists.

In 2015, Dial-A-Song was reactivated with a new [[toll-free number]]: (844) 387–6962.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://dialasong.com/about/ | title=TMBG Dial-A-Song }}</ref>

===''They Might Be Giants'' and ''Lincoln'' (1986–1989)===
The duo released their [[They Might Be Giants (album)|self-titled debut album]] in 1986, which became a college radio hit. The video for "[[Don't Let's Start]]", filmed in the [[New York State Pavilion]] built for the [[1964 New York World's Fair]] in [[Queens]], became a hit on [[MTV]] in 1987, earning them a wider following. In 1988, they released their second album, ''[[Lincoln (album)|Lincoln]]'', named after the duo's [[Lincoln, Massachusetts|hometown]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} It featured the song "[[Ana Ng]]" which reached No.&nbsp;11 on the US Modern Rock chart. Both albums were produced on 8-track tape at [[Dubway Studios]] in New York City.

===Move to Elektra (1989–1992)===
{{Listen|filename=Birdhouse In Your Soul Clip.ogg|title="Birdhouse In Your Soul"|description=Chorus of the charting single "Birdhouse In Your Soul".}}

In 1989, They Might Be Giants signed with [[Elektra Records]] and released their third album ''[[Flood (They Might Be Giants album)|Flood]]'' the following year. ''Flood'' earned them a platinum album, largely thanks to the success of "[[Birdhouse in Your Soul]]" which reached number three on the U.S. Modern Rock chart, as well as "[[Istanbul (Not Constantinople)]]", a cover of a song originally recorded by [[the Four Lads]].

In 1990, ''Throttle'' magazine interviewed They Might Be Giants and clarified the meaning of the song "Ana Ng": John Flansburgh said, "Ng is a Vietnamese name. The song is about someone who's thinking about a person on the exact opposite side of the world. John looked at a globe and figured out that if Ana Ng is in [[Vietnam]] and the person is on the other side of the world, then it must be written by someone in [[Peru]]".<ref>Derek Thomas, ''Throttle'', August 1990</ref>

Further interest in the band was generated when two cartoon music videos were created by [[Warner Bros. Animation]] for ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'': "[[Istanbul (Not Constantinople)]]" and "[[Particle Man]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crumpler, Forest |date=April 4, 2001 |title=They Might Be Giants: The best band you've never seen |url=http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/media/paper174/news/2001/04/04/Entertainment/They-Might.Be.Giants.The.Best.Band.Youve.Never.Seen-62643.shtml?norewrite200603220104&sourcedomain=www.centralfloridafuture.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927182615/http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/media/paper174/news/2001/04/04/Entertainment/They-Might.Be.Giants.The.Best.Band.Youve.Never.Seen-62643.shtml?norewrite200603220104&sourcedomain=www.centralfloridafuture.com |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=April 7, 2006 |website=Central Florida Future}}</ref> The videos reflected TMBG's high "kid appeal", resulting from their often absurd songs and pop melodies.

In 1991, Bar/None Records released the B-sides compilation ''[[Miscellaneous T]]''. Though consisting of previously released material (save for the "[[Purple Toupee]]" [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]], which were not available publicly), it gave new fans a chance to hear the Johns' earlier non-album work without having to hunt down the individual EPs.

In early 1992, They Might Be Giants released ''[[Apollo 18 (album)|Apollo 18]]''. The heavy space theme coincided with TMBG being named Musical Ambassadors for [[International Space Year]]. Singles from the album included "[[The Statue Got Me High]]", "[[I Palindrome I]]", and "[[The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)]]". ''Apollo 18'' was also notable for being one of the first albums to take advantage of the CD player's shuffle feature. The song "Fingertips" actually comprised 21 separate tracks — short snippets that not only acted together to make the song but that when played in random order would be interspersed between the album's full-length songs. Due to mastering errors, the U.K. and Australian versions of ''Apollo 18'' contained "Fingertips" as one track.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023|reason=This is a funny little anecdote, but we can't know if it's true or not}}

===Recruiting a band (1992–1998)===
Following ''Apollo 18'', for live shows, Flansburgh and Linnell (who themselves play the guitar and accordion or saxophone, respectively) decided to move away from recorded backing tracks and recruited a supporting band ([[Kurt Hoffman]] of [[The Ordinaires]] on reeds and keyboards, longtime [[Pere Ubu]] bassist [[Tony Maimone]], and drummer Jonathan Feinberg).

''[[John Henry (album)|John Henry]]'' was released in 1994. Influenced by their more conventional lineup, this album marked a departure from their previous releases with more of a guitar-heavy sound.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McManus, Sean |title=They Might Be Giants |url=http://www.sean.co.uk/a/musicjournalism/tmbg.shtm |access-date=February 26, 2006 |website=They Might Be Giants interview}}</ref> It was released to mixed reviews amongst fans and critics alike.

Their next album, ''[[Factory Showroom]]'', was released in 1996 to little fanfare. The band had quickly moved away from the feel of ''John Henry'', and ''Factory Showroom'' returns to the more diverse sounds of their earlier albums, despite the inclusion of two guitarists, the second being [[Eric Schermerhorn]] who provided several guitar solos.

They left Elektra after the duo refused to do a publicity show, amongst other exposure-related disputes.<ref name="gigantic">{{Cite AV media |title=Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns |date=2003 |type=DVD |people=Flansburgh, John and Linnell, John}}</ref>

In 1998, they released a mostly live album ''[[Severe Tire Damage (album)|Severe Tire Damage]]'' from which came the single "[[Doctor Worm]]," a studio recording.

Around this same time period, [[Danny Weinkauf]] (bass) and [[Dan Miller (guitarist)|Dan Miller]] (guitar) were recruited for their recording and touring band. Both had been members of the bands [[Lincoln (band)|Lincoln]] and Candy Butchers which were previous opening acts for TMBG. Weinkauf and Miller continue to work with the band to the present day.

===Beyond Elektra and move to Restless Records (1999–2003)===
For most of their career, TMBG has made innovative use of the Internet. As early as 1992, the band was sending news updates to their fans via Usenet newsgroups. In 1999, They Might Be Giants became the first major-label recording artist to release an entire album exclusively in [[mp3|MP3]] format. The album, ''[[Long Tall Weekend]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yahoo Media Relations |date=July 15, 1999 |title=eMusic.com & YAHOO! To host exclusive web-launch of "They Might be Giants" new MP3-only album July 19 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release341.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901184346/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release341.html |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> is sold through [[Emusic]].

Also, in 1999, the band contributed the song "Dr. Evil" to the motion picture ''[[Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]''. Over their career, the band has performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks, including ''[[The Oblongs]]'', the [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] miniseries ''Brave New World'' and ''Ed and His Dead Mother''. They also performed the theme music "[[Bob Mould#In popular culture|Dog on Fire]]", composed by [[Bob Mould]], for ''[[The Daily Show|The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2011 |title=They Might Be Giants |url=http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/09/30/they-might-be-giants |access-date=September 3, 2012 |website=NPR's On Point radio program |archive-date=January 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102053646/http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/09/30/they-might-be-giants |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dwight Garner |date=June 14, 2011 |title=After Metal Music's Deafening Roar, Hüsker Dü's Guitarist Pauses to Reflect |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/books/see-a-little-light-by-bob-mould-of-husker-du-review.html}}</ref>
They composed and performed the music for the [[TLC Network|TLC]] series ''Resident Life'', the theme song for the [[Disney Channel]] programs ''[[Higglytown Heroes]]'' and ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]'', and songs about the cartoons ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'' and ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV And Movie Themes |url=http://www.tmbw.net/wiki/index.php/TV_And_Movie_Themes |access-date=February 26, 2006 |website=This Might Be A Wiki}}</ref>

During this time, the band also worked on a project for [[McSweeney's]], a publishing company and literary journal. The band wrote a McSweeney's theme song and forty-four songs for an album that was meant to be listened to with the journal, with each track corresponding to a particular story or piece of artwork. Labeled ''They Might Be Giants vs. McSweeney's'', the disk appears in issue No.&nbsp;6 of ''[[Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern]]''.
{{Listen
| filename     = BossOfMe.ogg
| title        = "Boss of Me"
| description  = Sample of the band's Grammy Award–winning theme song to Malcolm in the Middle.
| format       = Ogg
}}

Contributing the single "[[Boss of Me]]" as the theme song to the hit television series ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'', as well as to the show's [[Music from Malcolm in the Middle|compilation CD]], brought a new audience to the band. Not only did the band contribute the theme, but songs from all of the Giants' previous albums were used on the show: for example, the infamous punching-the-kid-in-the-wheelchair scene from the first episode was done to the strains of "Pencil Rain" from ''Lincoln''. Another song to feature in the series was "Spiraling Shape". "Boss of Me" became the band's second top-40 hit in the UK which they performed on long-running UK television programme [[Top of the Pops]] and, in [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002]], won the duo a [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media|Grammy Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boss of Me by They Might Be Giants Songfacts |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1714 |access-date=April 3, 2006 |website=Songfacts}}</ref>

On September 11, 2001, they released the album ''[[Mink Car]]'' on [[Restless Records]]. It was their first full album release of new studio material since 1996 and their first since parting ways with Elektra. The making of that album, including a record signing event at a [[Manhattan]] [[Tower Records (music retailer)|Tower Records]], was included in a documentary directed by [[A. J. Schnack]] titled ''[[Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)]]''. The film was released on DVD in 2003.

In 2002, they released ''[[No!]]'', their first album "for the entire family". Using the [[enhanced CD]] format, it included an interactive animation for most of the songs. They followed it up in 2003 with their first book, an illustrated children's book with an included EP, ''[[Bed, Bed, Bed]]''.

===Podcasting, independent releases, and children's music (2004–2015)===
[[File:TMBG.jpg|thumb|left|275px|They Might Be Giants performing at Bar None, in [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn, NY]]]]

In 2004, the band created one of the first artist-owned online music stores, at which customers could purchase and download MP3 copies of their music, both new releases and many previously released albums. By creating their own store, the band could keep money that would otherwise go to record companies. With the redesign of the band's website in 2010, the store was reincarnated.

Also, in 2004, the band released its first new "adult" rock work since the release of ''[[No!]]'', the EP ''[[Indestructible Object]]''. This was followed by a new album, ''[[The Spine (album)|The Spine]]'', and an associated EP, ''[[The Spine Surfs Alone]]''. It was at this time that [[Dan Hickey]] was replaced by [[Marty Beller]], who had previously collaborated with TMBG. For the album's first single, "[[Experimental Film (song)|Experimental Film]]", TMBG teamed up with [[Homestar Runner]] creators [[The Brothers Chaps|Matt and Mike Chapman]] to create an animated music video.<ref name="HRWikiExperimental">{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2004 |title=Experimental Film |url=http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/Experimental_Film |access-date=July 16, 2009 |website=Homestar Runner Wiki}}</ref> The band's collaboration with the Brothers Chaps also included several Puppet Jam segments with puppet Homestar and the music for a Strong Bad email titled "Different Town". In 2008 they recorded a track for the 200th [[Strong Bad]] e-mail, where Linnell provided the voice of The Poopsmith.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Jeckell, Barry A. |date=April 16, 2004 |title=TMBG Complete 10th Studio Album |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000490229 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205234702/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000490229 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=February 26, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=They Might Be Giants |url=http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/They_Might_Be_Giants |access-date=July 16, 2009 |website=Homestar Runner Wiki}}</ref>

TMBG also contributed a track to the 2004 ''[[Future Soundtrack for America]]'' compilation, a project compiled by John Flansburgh with the help of [[Spike Jonze]] and [[Barsuk Records]]. The band contributed "[[Tippecanoe and Tyler Too]]", a political campaign song from the [[1840 United States presidential election|presidential election of 1840]]. The compilation was released by [[Barsuk]] and featured indie, alternative, and high-profile acts such as [[Death Cab for Cutie]], [[The Flaming Lips]], and [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]]. All proceeds went to progressive organizations such as Music for America and [[MoveOn.org]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Future Soundtrack for America |url=http://www.barsuk.com/shop/bark037 |access-date=July 17, 2011 |website=Barsuk.com}}</ref>

Flansburgh and Linnell made a guest appearance in "[[List of Home Movies episodes#Season 4: 2003–2004|Camp]]", the January 11, 2004, episode of the animated [[sitcom]] ''[[Home Movies (TV series)|Home Movies]]''. They voice both a pair of camp counselors and members of a strange hooded male bonding cult.<ref>{{Cite web |title=They Might Be Giants Guests on Home Movies |url=http://www.tv.com/episode/297453/summary.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629011412/http://www.tv.com/episode/297453/summary.html |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=February 18, 2007 |website=TV.com}}</ref> On May 10, 2004, they made a guest appearance on the final episode of ''[[Blue's Clues]]'' called "Bluestock" alongside [[Toni Braxton]], [[Macy Gray]], and [[India.Arie]]. They Might Be Giants were in a letter for Joe and Blue.

[[File:They Might Be Giants March 25th, 2005.jpg|thumb|right|275px|They Might Be Giants perform a free show at [[Amoeba Music]] in Hollywood, CA on March 25, 2005]]

Following the ''Spine on the Hiway Tour'' of 2004, the band announced that they would take an extended hiatus from touring to focus on other projects, such as a musical produced by Flansburgh and written by his wife, [[Robin Goldwasser|Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser]], titled ''[[People Are Wrong!]]''.

2005 saw the release of ''[[Here Come the ABCs]]'', TMBG's follow-up to the successful children's album ''No!''. The Disney Sound label released the CD and DVD separately on February 15, 2005. To promote the album, Flansburgh and Linnell along with drummer Marty Beller embarked on a short tour, performing for free at many [[Borders (retailer)|Borders]] locations.  In November 2005, ''[[Venue Songs]]'' was released as a two-disc CD/DVD set narrated by [[John Hodgman]]. It is a [[concept album]] based on all of the "venue songs" from their 2004 tour.

TMBG [[cover version|cover]]ed the [[Devo]] song "[[Through Being Cool (Devo song)|Through Being Cool]]" in the 2005 Disney film ''[[Sky High (2005 film)|Sky High]]''.  In 2008, they rerecorded the song "Take Out The Trash" (from ''[[The Else]]'') in [[Simlish]] for inclusion in ''[[The Sims 2 expansion packs#FreeTime|The Sims 2: Freetime]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 11, 2008 |title='The Sims 2: Free Time' Gets Simlish Soundtrack |url=https://worthplaying.com/article/2008/2/11/news/48686-the-sims-2-free-time-gets-simlish-soundtrack/ |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=WorthPlaying}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Boland |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ&dq=They+Might+Be+Giants+simlish&pg=PA71 |title=The Sims: Complete Guide |date=2010 |publisher=WTYW7 Books |isbn=978-0-557-84739-6 |location=Vancouver, BC |pages=70–71 |access-date=June 9, 2022 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

From 2005 to 2014, They Might Be Giants made [[podcast]]s on a monthly, sometimes bi-monthly, basis. Each edition included remixes of previous songs, rarities, covers, and new songs and skits recorded specifically for the podcast.

The band contributed 14 original songs for the 2006 [[Dunkin' Donuts]] ad campaign, "America Runs on Dunkin'",<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=May 29, 2008 |title=Rock's New Economy: Making Money When CDs Don't Sell |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20830491/rocks_new_economy_making_money_when_cds_dont_sell/2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519094601/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20830491/rocks_new_economy_making_money_when_cds_dont_sell/2 |archive-date=May 19, 2008 |access-date=February 13, 2020 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> including "Things I Like to Do", "Pleather", and "Fritalian".

The band has produced and performed three original songs for [[Playhouse Disney]] series: one for ''[[Higglytown Heroes]]'' and two for ''[[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]]''. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse features two original songs performed by group, including the opening theme song, in which a variant of a [[Mickey Mouse Club]] chant ("Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse!") is used to summon the Clubhouse, and "Hot Dog!", the song used at the end of the show.  The song references Mickey's first spoken words in the 1929 short ''[[The Karnival Kid]]''.

They also recorded a cover of the [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] song "[[There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow]]" for the film ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'' and wrote and performed the theme song for ''[[The Drinky Crow Show]]''. The band was recruited to provide original songs for the [[Henry Selick]]-directed [[Coraline (film)|film adaptation]] of [[Neil Gaiman]]'s children's book ''[[Coraline]]'' but were dropped because their music was not "creepy" enough.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 27, 2008 |title=They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh Shares Plans for a Slew of New Albums While Revisiting Old Favorites Quirky Duo Bigger Than Ever |url=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/112008/11272008/427729/index_html?page=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713152648/http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/112008/11272008/427729/index_html?page=2 |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |access-date=July 17, 2011 |website=Fredericksburg.com}}</ref> Only one song, titled "Other Father Song", was kept for the film with Linnell singing as the titular "Other Father".

Their twelfth album, ''[[The Else]]'', was released July 10, 2007, on Idlewild Recordings (and distributed by Zoë Records for the CD version), with an earlier digital release on May 15 at the [[iTunes Store]]. Advance copies were made available to stations by mid-June 2007.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 3, 2007 |title=They Might Be Giants Plot July for Next Disc |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1053191/they-might-be-giants-plot-july-for-next-disc |access-date=July 17, 2011 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>  The album was produced by [[Pat Dillett]] ([[David Byrne]]) and the [[Dust Brothers]] ([[Beck]], [[Beastie Boys]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mailing List Archive/2006-03-13 |url=http://www.tmbw.net/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List_Archive/2006-03-13 |access-date=March 31, 2006 |website=This Might Be A Wiki}}</ref> On February 12, 2009, They Might Be Giants performed the song "The Mesopotamians" from the album on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hulu- Late Night with Conan O'Brien |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/57707/late-night-with-conan-obrien-thu-feb-12-2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216104301/http://hulu.com/watch/57707/late-night-with-conan-obrien-thu-feb-12-2009 |archive-date=February 16, 2009 |access-date=February 14, 2009}}</ref>

In the rest of 2007, They Might Be Giants wrote a commissioned piece for Brooklyn-based robotic music outfit [[League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots]], performed for three dates at the event, and covered the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] "Havalina" for [[American Laundromat Records]] ''Dig For Fire - a tribute to PIXIES'' compilation.

[[File:TMBGLogo.jpg|thumb|left|They Might Be Giants' new logo]]The band's 13th album, ''[[Here Come the 123s]]'', a DVD/CD follow-up to 2005's critically acclaimed ''[[Here Come the ABCs]]'' children's project, was released on February 5, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Here Come the 123s |url=http://tmbw.net/wiki/Here_Come_The_123s |access-date=March 19, 2008 |website=This Might Be A Wiki}}</ref> On April 10, 2008, They Might Be Giants performed the song "Seven" from the album on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''. In 2009, the album won the [[Grammy Award]] for "Best Musical Album For Children" during the [[51st Annual Grammy Awards]].<ref name="51stgrammy">{{Cite web |title=The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners List |url=http://grammy.com/grammy_awards/51st_show/list.aspx#18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727170444/http://www2.grammy.com/Grammy_Awards/51st_show/list.aspx#18 |archive-date=July 27, 2010 |access-date=February 9, 2009}}</ref>

The band's fourteenth album, ''[[Here Comes Science]]'', a science-themed children's album.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Here Come The Super Cool Stuff Show |url=http://scss.podomatic.com |access-date=August 7, 2008 |website=The Super Cool Stuff Show}}</ref> This album introduced listeners to [[Outline of science#Natural sciences|natural]], [[Outline of science#Formal sciences|formal]], [[Outline of science#Social sciences|social]], and [[Outline of science#Applied sciences|applied]] [[science]]s.  It was released on September 1, 2009, and nominated for a [[53rd Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] on December 1, 2010.

On November 3, They Might Be Giants sent out a newsletter stating, "The Avatars of They", a set of sock puppets the Johns manipulate for shows, would have an album in 2012, suggesting another children's album. However, a new adult album titled ''[[Join Us]]'' was released on July 19, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Album, UK July Shows, US Tour Plans |url=http://www.theymightbegiants.com/news/new-album-uk-july-shows-us-tour-plans/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717043755/http://www.theymightbegiants.com/news/new-album-uk-july-shows-us-tour-plans/ |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=July 17, 2011 |publisher=They Might Be Giants}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Herrera, Monica |date=July 17, 2009 |title=They Might Be Giants To Release Third Kids Album In September, Rock Album In 2010 |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268044/they-might-be-giants-to-release-third-kids-album-in-september-rock-album-in |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=February 27, 2010}}</ref>

On October 3, 2011, [[Artix Entertainment]] announced that the band would be performing in-game for a special musical event to commemorate the 3rd birthday of their popular [[MMORPG]] [[AdventureQuest Worlds]]. They were featured in AdventureQuest World's special third birthday event as John and John.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2011 |title=AdventureQuest Worlds: They Might Be Giants Special Event |url=http://www.aq.com/events/tmbg/ |publisher=ArtixEntertainment}}</ref>

On March 5, 2013, the band released their sixteenth adult studio album, ''[[Nanobots (album)|Nanobots]]'', on their Idlewild Recordings label in the US and on British indie label [[Lojinx]] in [[Europe]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 12, 2012 |title=They Might Be Giants Seek Mother Figure on 'Call You Mom' – Song Premiere |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-seek-mother-figure-on-call-you-mom-song-premiere-20121212 |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214132628/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-seek-mother-figure-on-call-you-mom-song-premiere-20121212 |archive-date=December 14, 2012 |access-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=They Might Be Giants |url=http://www.lojinx.com/artists/they-might-be-giants |access-date=January 26, 2013 |website=Lojinx.com}}</ref>

The live album ''[[Flood Live in Australia]]'' was made available for free digital download by the band in 2015. Also in 2015, the band reactivated its Dial-A-Song service under the banner of Dial-A-Song-Direct, promising to release one new song every week for the entire year, beginning with the track "Erase" on January 5.  Several of these songs were planned to be collected on a new studio rock album entitled [[Glean (album)|''Glean'']] on April 21, 2015.

The band released their newest children's album, [[Why? (They Might Be Giants album)|''Why?'']], on November 27, 2015. It was their fifth children's album and the first children's album to be released under their own label, Idlewild Recordings.

In a video released on December 20, 2015, John Flansburgh announced that the band would be taking a temporary break following their 2016 U.S. tour.

===Dial-A-Song revival, ''Phone Power'', ''I Like Fun,'' and ''Book'' (2015–present)===
Dial-A-Song was revived in 2015, with a new phone number ((844) 387–6962), the website, and a radio network.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=January 4, 2015 |title=They Might Be Giants Resurrect Dial-A-Song in 2015 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-resurrect-dial-a-song-in-2015-20150104 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106184601/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-resurrect-dial-a-song-in-2015-20150104 |archive-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> In late 2017, the band announced via Twitter that Dial-A-Song would return again, in a modified format, starting in January 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 25, 2017 |title=Good News Dept.: They Might Be Giants' Will Be Relaunching Our Dial-A-Song Service for All of 2018! Melody, Fidelity, Quantity and All New! |url=https://twitter.com/tmbg/status/912299063147712512 |access-date=January 19, 2018 |publisher=[[Twitter]]}}</ref>

On March 8, 2016, the band released [[Phone Power (album)|''Phone Power'']], their nineteenth studio album and the third containing songs from the 2015 revival of their Dial-a-Song service. This was the first TMBG album to be sold as a "[[pay what you want]]" download, available ahead of the physical release on June 10.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2016 |title=They Might Be Giants' Phone Power |url=https://tmbgifc.com/phonepower.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310013218/https://tmbgifc.com/phonepower.php |archive-date=March 10, 2016 |access-date=October 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaligne |first=Craig |date=2016-06-05 |title=They Might Be Giants to release new album Phone Power on 10th June 2016 |url=https://louderthanwar.com/they-might-be-giants/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Louder Than War |language=en-GB}}</ref>
The band's twentieth album, ''[[I Like Fun]]'' was released on January 19, 2018.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Rolling Stone - They Might Be Giants Preview New LP With Jovial Power-Pop Song 'I Left My Body' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-preview-new-lp-with-jovial-power-pop-song-w509614 |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112160601/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/they-might-be-giants-preview-new-lp-with-jovial-power-pop-song-w509614 |archive-date=January 12, 2018 |access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> Their twenty-first and twenty-second studio albums, ''[[My Murdered Remains]]'' and ''[[The Escape Team]]'', were both released on December 10, 2018. ''My Murdered Remains'' contains songs from Dial-A-Song.<ref>{{Cite web |title=My Murdered Remains |url=https://www.theymightbegiants.com/my-murdered-remains |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=They Might Be Giants |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2016, They Might Be Giants were involved in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)|SpongeBob SquarePants musical]]; they contributed the song "I'm Not a Loser".<ref>{{Cite web |title=SpongeBob SquarePants - The New Musical |url=https://masterworksbroadway.com/music/spongebob-squarepants-new-musical/ |access-date=29 March 2020 |website=MasterWorksBroadway}}</ref>

In October 2019, the band recorded a new version of their song "Hot Dog" for the third season of the Disney Channel preschool series ''Mickey and the Roadster Racers'', re-titled as ''[[Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures]]'' for that season. It premiered on Disney Junior on October 14, 2019.

In July 2020, the band announced that they would be releasing an album titled ''[[Book (album)|Book]]'' in 2021. The album was released on November 12, 2021.

In August 2020, the band recorded a song for a [[CNN]] documentary about the [[United States electoral college|electoral college]] called "Who Are the Electors?".<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2020 |title=Watch: 'They Might Be Giants' rock out about the role electors play in US presidential elections |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/watch-they-might-be-giants-electors-music-video-lyrics/index.html |access-date=2020-08-21 |website=[[CNN.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=They Might Be Giants - Who Are the Electors? | date=August 15, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0a4PAvS0M8 |access-date=2023-04-19 |language=en}}</ref>

The band announced a 30th anniversary Flood tour for 2020; however, it was postponed, and dates were rescheduled several times due to the COVID pandemic. Shortly after resuming live tours again in June 2022, John Flansburgh was involved in a car accident while on his way home from the June 8 concert.  He suffered several broken ribs but had a positive prognosis from doctors.  Several tour dates were again postponed while he recovered; however, the tour has since resumed.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=June 9, 2022 |title=They Might Be Giants Postpone June Dates Following John Flansburgh's 'Rather Serious' Car Accident |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/they-might-be-giants-postpone-june-dates-john-flansburgh-car-accident-1235084552/ |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=June 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wang |first=Jessica |date=June 9, 2022 |title=They Might Be Giants member John Flansburgh injured in 'serious' car accident after show |url=https://ew.com/music/they-might-be-giants-john-flansburgh-injured-car-accident/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |accessdate=June 9, 2022}}</ref>

In November 2022, ''Book'' was nominated for a [[65th Annual Grammy Awards]] in the category of "Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package".<ref name=":0" />

On September 2, 2023, the band announced that their international Flood tour would be postponed until October 2024 due to health issues, however no private details were publicly addressed.

==Members==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Lead members'''
* [[John Flansburgh]]&nbsp;– vocals, guitar (1982–present), bass (1982–1992)
* [[John Linnell]]&nbsp;– vocals, accordion, keyboards, woodwinds (1982–present)
'''Current backing band'''
* [[Dan Miller (guitarist)|Dan Miller]]&nbsp;– guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1998–present)
* [[Danny Weinkauf]]&nbsp;– bass guitar, keyboards (1998–present)
* [[Marty Beller]]&nbsp;– drums, percussion (2004–present)
* Dan Levine&nbsp;– trombone, euphonium, tuba (2022–present)
* [[Stan Harrison]]&nbsp;– saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute (2022–present)
* [[Mark Pender]]&nbsp;– trumpet (2022–present)
'''Occasional backing band members'''
* Curt Ramm&nbsp;– trumpet, valve trombone, euphonium (full-time from 2018–2022)

{{col-2}}
'''Former backing band members'''
* Kurt Hoffman&nbsp;– keyboards, woodwinds (1992–1994)
* [[Tony Maimone]]&nbsp;– bass guitar (1992–1995)
* Jonathan Feinberg&nbsp;– drums (1992)
* [[Brian Doherty (drummer)|Brian Doherty]]&nbsp;– drums (1993–1997)
* [[Graham Maby]]&nbsp;– bass guitar (1995–1997)
* [[Eric Schermerhorn]]&nbsp;– guitar (1996)
* Dan Hickey&nbsp;– drums (1997–2004)
* Hal Cragin&nbsp;– bass guitar (1997–1998)
{{col-end}}

===Timeline===
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 id:a     value:lightpurple  legend:Accordion
 id:b     value:blue         legend:Bass
 id:d     value:orange       legend:Drums
 id:p     value:claret       legend:Percussion
 id:tu    value:yelloworange legend:Trumpet
 id:to    value:coral  legend:Trombone
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  bar:Maimone        text:"Tony Maimone"
  bar:Maby           text:"Graham Maby"
  bar:Cragin         text:"Hal Cragin"
  bar:Weinkauf       text:"Danny Weinkauf"
  bar:Feinberg       text:"Jonathan Feinberg"
  bar:Doherty        text:"Brian Doherty"
  bar:Hickey         text:"Dan Hickey"
  bar:Beller         text:"Marty Beller"
  bar:Ramm           text:"Curt Ramm"
  bar:Pender         text:"Mark Pender"
  bar:Levine         text:"Dan Levine"
  bar:Harrison       text:"Stan Harrison"

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}}

==Discography==
{{further|They Might Be Giants discography}}
Throughout their career, They Might Be Giants have released 23 [[studio album]]s, 10 [[compilation albums|compilation]]s, 10 [[live album]]s, 8 [[Extended play|EP]]s, and 11 [[Single (music)|singles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Discography |url=http://tmbw.net/wiki/Discography |access-date=June 15, 2010 |website=They Might Be Giants wiki}}</ref>

===Original albums===
* ''[[They Might Be Giants (album)|They Might Be Giants]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Lincoln (album)|Lincoln]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Flood (They Might Be Giants album)|Flood]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Apollo 18 (album)|Apollo 18]]'' (1992)
* ''[[John Henry (album)|John Henry]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Factory Showroom]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Long Tall Weekend]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Mink Car]]'' (2001)
* ''[[The Spine (album)|The Spine]]'' (2004)
* ''[[The Else]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Join Us]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Nanobots (album)|Nanobots]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Glean (album)|Glean]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Phone Power (album)|Phone Power]]'' (2016)
* ''[[I Like Fun]]'' (2018)
* ''[[My Murdered Remains]]'' (2018)
* ''[[The Escape Team]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Book (album)|Book]]'' (2021)

===Children's albums===
* ''[[No!]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Here Come the ABCs]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Here Come the 123s]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Here Comes Science]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Why? (They Might Be Giants album)|Why?]]'' (2015)

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Organization
!Nominee / work
!Award
!Result
|-
|[[44th Annual Grammy Awards|2002]]
|[[Grammy Awards]]
|"[[Boss of Me]]"
|[[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media|Best Song Written for Visual Media]]
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[33rd Annie Awards|2006]]
|[[Annie Awards]]
|"Bastard Wants to Hit Me"
|[[Annie Award for Best Animated Television Commercial|Best Animated Television Commercial]]
|{{Nom}}
|-
|[[51st Annual Grammy Awards|2009]]
| rowspan="2" |Grammy Awards
|''[[Here Come the 123s]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children|Best Musical Album for Children]]
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[53rd Annual Grammy Awards|2011]]
|''[[Here Comes Science]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
|2018
|[[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
| rowspan="2" |[[SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)|''SpongeBob SquarePants'']]
|Outstanding New Score{{efn|name=SharedWith|Shared with [[Yolanda Adams]], [[Steven Tyler]] & [[Joe Perry (musician)|Joe Perry]], [[Sara Bareilles]], [[Jonathan Coulton]], [[Alex Ebert]], [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Lady Antebellum]], [[Cyndi Lauper]] & [[Rob Hyman]], [[John Legend]], [[Brendon Urie]], [[Plain White T's]], [[T.I.]], Domani & [[Lil' C (record producer)|Lil'C]], [[David Bowie]] & [[Brian Eno]], [[Andy Paley]] & [[Tom Kenny]], [[Derek Drymon]], Mark Harrison, [[Stephen Hillenburg]] & Blaise Smith, [[Tom Kitt (musician)|Tom Kitt]].}}
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[72nd Tony Awards|2018]]
|[[Tony Awards]]
|[[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]{{efn|name=SharedWith}}
|{{Nom}}
|-
|[[65th Annual Grammy Awards|2023]]
|Grammy Awards
|[[Book (album)|''Book'']]
|[[Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package|Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package]]
|{{Nom}}
|}

==See also==
* [[List of songwriter collaborations#Duos|List of songwriter duos]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q420880|commons=category:They Might Be Giants|n=no|b=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|mw=no|m=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{URL|https://dialasong.com/|TMBG Dial-a-Song}}
* [[TMBW:|This Might Be A Wiki]]&nbsp;– a wiki about TMBG
* ''[[This American Life]]''&nbsp;– Episode 90: ''Telephone'' in Act Two: ''[https://www.thisamericanlife.org/90/telephone#play%20When%20The%20Telephone%20Is%20Your%20Medium When The Telephone Is Your Medium]'' by contributing editor [[Sarah Vowell]].  A story and interview that includes the Dial-a-Song line and the role the line had on TMBG music.
* {{TED speakers}}

{{tmbg|state=expanded}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children}}
{{Homestar Runner}}

{{Authority control}}

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