Song · They Might Be Giants
“The Guitar” by They Might Be Giants
From the EP The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) (1992)
“The Guitar” by They Might Be Giants appears on 15 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1992 and 2014. It was first released in 1992 on the EP The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight). Its best result is #88 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1992. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #283 alternative song of 1992 and #2,225 alternative song of all time.
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"The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" was the second of three singles They Might Be Giants pulled from Apollo 18, their fourth studio album, released on Elektra in 1992, and one of just two that made the charts. John Flansburgh and John Linnell wrote it and produced it themselves, Alan Winstanley mixed, and they opened the door to guests: Frank London on trumpet, Laura Cantrell on vocals.
Those extra hands suit a record built to sound bigger: the duo set out on purpose to break from their early sound, reaching for sturdier rock rhythms and fuller arrangements, and it was the last album they made as just the two of them before a backing band with live drums joined them on tour. It took its name from the canceled Apollo 18 mission, and NASA made the pair official musical ambassadors for International Space Year.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 88 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1992 | 91 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1317 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1317 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1296 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1295 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1280 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 1280 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1280 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2007 | 1505 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 1506 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 1527 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2010 | 1558 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2011 | 1625 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) | 2011 |
| 2013 | 1685 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) | 2012 |
| 2014 | 1759 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
Also listed as: The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight).
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