​​During their decades-long career, They Might Be Giants have combined an outsider perspective, catchy melodies, and clever wordplay in endlessly imaginative ways. Musically, John Flansburgh and John Linnell borrow from everywhere, referencing everything from the British Invasion to Tin Pan Alley while alluding to pulp fiction and President Polk. They enhanced this eclecticism with their arcane sensibilities; the vaguely avant-garde aesthetic of their 1986 self-titled debut reflected their time in New York's post-punk underground. With cult favorites like 1988's Lincoln, They Might Be Giants built a huge college following, and successes like 1990's major-label debut Flood (which was eventually certified platinum) made them one of the most popular alternative bands before grunge. Later in the decade, the band embraced a fuller, more rock-oriented sound on albums such as 1994's John Henry, but their creativity extended to their early embrace of the internet as a means of connecting with and distributing music to their fans. The 2000s and 2010s found them thriving, with well-received forays into soundtracks and children's music -- 2008's Here Come the 123's won a Grammy, while 2009's Here Comes Science was nominated for one -- as well as acclaimed albums for their adult fans that included 2011's Join Us, 2015's Glean, and 2021's Book.

~ Heather Phares & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi