Album · They Might Be Giants
Lincoln by They Might Be Giants
Lincoln is an album by They Might Be Giants, released in 1988. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 47 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Ana Ng”, on 39 lists with a best position of #53.
Lincoln, They Might Be Giants' second album, came out on Bar/None in 1988, named after the Massachusetts town where John Flansburgh and John Linnell grew up. Back then the band was still just the two Johns, often playing with a drum machine or a tape machine for backing, and this record has that homemade, anything-goes spirit.
It's a jittery, joyous grab bag of pop, clattering rhythms and lyrics bent at odd, satirical angles. "Ana Ng" leads the pack, a frantic, hook-stuffed rush, while "Purple Toupee" and "They'll Need a Crane" were the other singles. Linnell's nasal whine and Flansburgh's brisker bark trade off with perfect comic timing. It's the sound of two oddballs from Brooklyn discovering that college radio was ready for them.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Lincoln on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ana Ng | 39 | #53 | – | 1988–2026 | |
| 2 | Cowtown | 7 | #1497 | – | 1999–2005 | |
| 3 | Purple Toupee | 1 | #1815 | – | 2003 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.