Rock Atlas
The Flaming Lips band photograph

Photo by Flickr user Mrmatt , licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Rank #458

The Flaming Lips

Oklahoma City psychedelic-rock band of cosmic ballads and confetti-cannon shows.

From Wikipedia

The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne, Derek Brown, Matt Duckworth Kirksey, AJ Slaughter and Tommy McKenzie (bass). Coyne is the only remaining founding member following the departure of bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins in 2021. From 1991 to 2024, Steven Drozd played a crucial role in the band as co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

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Discography & Previews

Browse through and click an album to open and play 30-second previews streamed from Apple Music.

Hear It Is

1986 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 With You ↗ 3:39
  2. 2 Unplugged ↗ 2:14
  3. 3 Trains Brains and Rain ↗ 3:39
  4. 4 Jesus Shootin' Heroin ↗ 7:21
  5. 5 Just Like Before ↗ 3:22
  6. 6 She Is Death ↗ 4:05
  7. 7 Charlie Manson Blues ↗ 4:22
  8. 8 Man from Pakistan ↗ 3:59
  9. 9 Godzilla Flick ↗ 4:06
  10. 10 Staring At Sound / With You (Reprise) ↗ 5:09
  11. 11 Summertime Blues ↗ 2:30

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Oh My Gawd!!!… The Flaming Lips

1987 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 Everything's Explodin' ↗ 4:44
  2. 2 One Million Billionth of a Millisecond On a Sunday Morning ↗ 9:21
  3. 3 Maximum Dream for Evil Knievel ↗ 2:51
  4. 4 Can't Exist ↗ 2:48
  5. 5 Ode to C.C., Pt.1 ↗ 0:45
  6. 6 The Ceiling Is Bendin' ↗ 3:46
  7. 7 Prescription (Love) ↗ 6:11
  8. 8 Thanks to You ↗ 3:56
  9. 9 Can't Stop the Spring ↗ 4:11
  10. 10 Ode to C.C., Pt. 2 ↗ 1:51
  11. 11 Love Yer Brain ↗ 7:43

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Telepathic Surgery

1989 · 14 tracks

  1. 1 Drug Machine In Heaven ↗ 2:12
  2. 2 Right Now ↗ 3:57
  3. 3 Michael, Time to Wake Up ↗ 0:30
  4. 4 Chrome Plated Suicide ↗ 5:43
  5. 5 Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon ↗ 3:47
  6. 6 Miracle On 42nd Street ↗ 2:52
  7. 7 Fryin' Up ↗ 2:45
  8. 8 Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory ↗ 3:02
  9. 9 U.F.O. Story ↗ 6:40
  10. 10 Redneck School of Technology ↗ 2:57
  11. 11 Shaved Gorilla ↗ 2:56
  12. 12 The Spontaneous Combustion of John ↗ 0:53
  13. 13 The Last Drop of Morning Dew ↗ 1:59
  14. 14 Begs and Achin ↗ 4:15

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In a Priest Driven Ambulance

1990 · 10 tracks

  1. 1 Shine On Sweet Jesus ↗ 4:28
  2. 2 Unconsciously Screamin' ↗ 3:53
  3. 3 Rainin' Babies ↗ 4:28
  4. 4 Take Meta Mars ↗ 3:13
  5. 5 Five Stop Mother Superior Rain ↗ 6:20
  6. 6 Stand In Line ↗ 4:36
  7. 7 God Walks Among Us Now ↗ 4:53
  8. 8 There You Are ↗ 4:32
  9. 9 Mountain Side ↗ 6:36
  10. 10 (What a) Wonderful World ↗ 3:41

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Hit to Death in the Future Head

1992 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 Talkin' 'Bout the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants to Live Forever) ↗ 3:50
  2. 2 Hit Me Like You Did the First Time ↗ 3:41
  3. 3 The Sun ↗ 3:32
  4. 4 Felt Good to Burn ↗ 3:21
  5. 5 Gingerale Afternoon (The Astrology of a Saturday) ↗ 3:45
  6. 6 Halloween On the Barbary Coast ↗ 5:43
  7. 7 The Magician Vs. The Headache ↗ 3:13
  8. 8 You Have to Be Joking (Autopsy of the Devil's Brain) ↗ 3:55
  9. 9 Frogs ↗ 4:28
  10. 10 Hold Your Head ↗ 4:25
  11. 11 Noise Loop ↗ 29:16

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Transmissions From the Satellite Heart

1993 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 Turn It On ↗ 4:39
  2. 2 Pilot Can at the Queer of God ↗ 4:17
  3. 3 Oh My Pregnant Head (Labia in the Sunlight) ↗ 4:07
  4. 4 She Don't Use Jelly ↗ 3:40
  5. 5 Chewin the Apple of Your Eye ↗ 3:52
  6. 6 Superhumans ↗ 3:14
  7. 7 Be My Head ↗ 3:15
  8. 8 Moth in the Incubator ↗ 4:13
  9. 9 ******* (Plastic Jesus) ↗ 2:19
  10. 10 When Yer Twenty Two ↗ 3:34
  11. 11 Slow Nerve Action ↗ 5:56

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Clouds Taste Metallic

1995 · 13 tracks

  1. 1 The Abandoned Hospital Ship ↗ 3:39
  2. 2 Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus With Needles ↗ 3:28
  3. 3 Placebo Headwound ↗ 3:41
  4. 4 This Here Giraffe ↗ 3:47
  5. 5 Brainville ↗ 3:14
  6. 6 Guy Who Got a Headache and Accidentally Saves the World ↗ 4:29
  7. 7 When You Smile ↗ 3:14
  8. 8 Kim's Watermelon Gun ↗ 3:22
  9. 9 They Punctured My Yolk ↗ 4:22
  10. 10 Lightning Strikes the Postman ↗ 2:51
  11. 11 Christmas At the Zoo ↗ 3:07
  12. 12 Evil Will Prevail ↗ 3:26
  13. 13 Bad Days (Aurally Excited Version) ↗ 4:39

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Zaireeka

1997 · 32 tracks

  1. 1 Okay I'll Admit That I Really Don't Understand (Disc 1) ↗ 2:52
  2. 1 Okay I'll Admit That I Really Don't Understand (Disc 2) ↗ 2:52
  3. 1 Okay I'll Admit That I Really Don't Understand (Disc 3) ↗ 2:52
  4. 1 Okay I'll Admit That I Really Don't Understand (Disc 4) ↗ 2:52
  5. 2 Riding to Work in the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now) [Disc 1] ↗ 7:02
  6. 2 Riding to Work in the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now) [Disc 2] ↗ 7:02
  7. 2 Riding to Work in the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now) [Disc 3] ↗ 7:02
  8. 2 Riding to Work in the Year 2025 (Your Invisible Now) [Disc 4] ↗ 6:56
  9. 3 Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair (Disc 1) ↗ 4:49
  10. 3 Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair (Disc 2) ↗ 4:59
  11. 3 Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair (Disc 3) ↗ 4:59
  12. 3 Thirty-Five Thousand Feet of Despair (Disc 4) ↗ 4:59
  13. 4 A Machine in India (Disc 1) ↗ 10:24
  14. 4 A Machine in India (Disc 2) ↗ 10:24
  15. 4 A Machine in India (Disc 3) ↗ 10:24
  16. 4 A Machine in India (Disc 4) ↗ 10:24
  17. 5 The Train Runs over the Camel but Is Derailed by the Gnat (Disc 1) ↗ 6:14
  18. 5 The Train Runs over the Camel but Is Derailed by the Gnat (Disc 2) ↗ 6:14
  19. 5 The Train Runs over the Camel but Is Derailed by the Gnat (Disc 3) ↗ 6:14
  20. 5 The Train Runs over the Camel but Is Derailed by the Gnat (Disc 4) ↗ 6:14
  21. 6 How Will We Know? (Futuristic Crashendos) [Disc 1] ↗ 2:24
  22. 6 How Will We Know? (Futuristic Crashendos) [Disc 2] ↗ 2:24
  23. 6 How Will We Know? (Futuristic Crashendos) [Disc 3] ↗ 2:24
  24. 6 How Will We Know? (Futuristic Crashendos) [Disc 4] ↗ 2:24
  25. 7 March of the Rotten Vegetables (Disc 1) ↗ 6:27
  26. 7 March of the Rotten Vegetables (Disc 2) ↗ 6:27
  27. 7 March of the Rotten Vegetables (Disc 3) ↗ 6:27
  28. 7 March of the Rotten Vegetables (Disc 4) ↗ 6:27
  29. 8 The Big Ol' Bug Is the New Baby Now (Disc 1) ↗ 5:05
  30. 8 The Big Ol' Bug Is the New Baby Now (Disc 2) ↗ 5:12
  31. 8 The Big Ol' Bug Is the New Baby Now (Disc 3) ↗ 5:12
  32. 8 The Big Ol' Bug Is the New Baby Now (Disc 4) ↗ 5:12

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The Soft Bulletin

1999 · 14 tracks

  1. 1 Race for the Prize ↗ 4:19
  2. 2 A Spoonful Weighs a Ton ↗ 3:32
  3. 3 The Spark That Bled ↗ 5:55
  4. 4 The Spiderbite Song ↗ 4:02
  5. 5 Buggin' (Mokran Mix) ↗ 3:16
  6. 6 What Is the Light? ↗ 4:05
  7. 7 The Observer ↗ 4:11
  8. 8 Waitin' for a Superman ↗ 4:17
  9. 9 Suddenly Everything Has Changed ↗ 3:54
  10. 10 The Gash ↗ 4:02
  11. 11 Feeling Yourself Disintegrate ↗ 5:17
  12. 12 Sleeping On the Roof ↗ 3:09
  13. 13 Race for the Prize (Mokran Mix) ↗ 4:09
  14. 14 Waitin' for a Superman (Mokran Mix) ↗ 4:19

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Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

2002 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 Fight Test ↗ 4:14
  2. 2 One More Robot / Sympathy 3000-21 ↗ 4:59
  3. 3 Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 ↗ 4:46
  4. 4 Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2 ↗ 2:58
  5. 5 In the Morning of the Magicians ↗ 6:19
  6. 6 Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell ↗ 4:34
  7. 7 Are You a Hypnotist?? ↗ 4:45
  8. 8 It's Summertime ↗ 4:20
  9. 9 Do You Realize?? ↗ 3:33
  10. 10 All We Have Is Now ↗ 3:53
  11. 11 Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia) ↗ 3:09

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At War With the Mystics

2006 · 12 tracks

  1. 1 The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song ↗ 4:51
  2. 2 Free Radicals ↗ 3:42
  3. 3 The Sound of Failure ↗ 7:18
  4. 4 My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion ↗ 4:51
  5. 5 Vein of Stars ↗ 4:15
  6. 6 The Wizard Turns On... ↗ 3:41
  7. 7 It Overtakes Me ↗ 6:51
  8. 8 Mr. Ambulance Driver ↗ 4:21
  9. 9 Haven't Got a Clue ↗ 3:26
  10. 10 The W.A.N.D. ↗ 3:43
  11. 11 Pompeii AM Gotterdammerung ↗ 4:22
  12. 12 Goin' On ↗ 3:40

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Embryonic

2009 · 18 tracks

  1. 1 Convinced of the Hex ↗ 3:56
  2. 2 The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine ↗ 4:11
  3. 3 Evil ↗ 5:44
  4. 4 Aquarius Sabotage ↗ 2:10
  5. 5 See the Leaves ↗ 4:24
  6. 6 If ↗ 2:05
  7. 7 Gemini Syringes ↗ 3:41
  8. 8 Your Bats ↗ 2:35
  9. 9 Powerless ↗ 6:56
  10. 10 The Ego's Last Stand ↗ 5:41
  11. 11 I Can Be a Frog ↗ 2:13
  12. 12 Sagittarius Silver Announcement ↗ 3:00
  13. 13 Worm Mountain ↗ 5:22
  14. 14 Scorpio Sword ↗ 2:02
  15. 15 The Impulse ↗ 3:30
  16. 16 Silver Trembling Hands ↗ 3:59
  17. 17 Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast ↗ 3:44
  18. 18 Watching the Planets ↗ 5:18

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The Dark Side of the Moon

2009 · 9 tracks

  1. 1 Speak to Me / Breathe (feat. Henry Rollins & Peaches) ↗ 5:19
  2. 2 On the Run (feat. Henry Rollins) ↗ 3:55
  3. 3 Time / Breathe (Reprise) ↗ 4:57
  4. 4 The Great Gig In the Sky (feat. Peaches & Henry Rollins) ↗ 3:58
  5. 5 Money (feat. Henry Rollins) ↗ 5:32
  6. 6 Us and Them (feat. Henry Rollins) ↗ 7:46
  7. 7 Any Colour You Like ↗ 2:43
  8. 8 Brain Damage (feat. Henry Rollins) ↗ 4:43
  9. 9 Eclipse (feat. Henry Rollins) ↗ 2:12

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7 Skies H3

2011 · 10 tracks

  1. 1 7 Skies H3 (Can't Shut Off My Head) ↗ 8:25
  2. 2 Meepy Morp ↗ 2:58
  3. 3 Battling Voices From Beyond ↗ 3:09
  4. 4 In a Dream ↗ 4:51
  5. 5 Metamorphosis ↗ 5:17
  6. 6 Requiem ↗ 3:33
  7. 7 Meepy Morp (Reprise) ↗ 2:01
  8. 8 Riot In My Brain!! ↗ 4:32
  9. 9 7 Skies H3 (Main Theme) ↗ 6:32
  10. 10 Can't Let It Go ↗ 8:20

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The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends

2012 · 13 tracks

  1. 1 2012 (You Must Be Upgraded) [feat. Ke$ha, Biz Markie & Hour of the Time Majesty 12] ↗ 4:09
  2. 2 Ashes in the Air (feat. Bon Iver) ↗ 6:15
  3. 3 Helping the Retarded to Know God (feat. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros) ↗ 7:03
  4. 4 Supermoon Made Me Want to Pee (feat. Prefuse 73) ↗ 3:17
  5. 5 Children of the Moon (feat. Tame Impala) ↗ 5:32
  6. 6 That Ain't My Trip (feat. Jim James) ↗ 3:47
  7. 7 You, Man? Human??? (feat. Nick Cave) ↗ 3:34
  8. 8 I'm Working At NASA On Acid (feat. Lightning Bolt) ↗ 7:59
  9. 9 Do It! (feat. Yoko Ono) ↗ 3:28
  10. 10 Is David Bowie Dying? (feat. Neon Indian) ↗ 6:37
  11. 11 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (feat. Erykah Badu) ↗ 10:04
  12. 12 Girl, You're So Weird (feat. New Fumes) ↗ 3:21
  13. 13 Tasered and Maced (feat. Aaron Behrens) ↗ 2:44

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The Terror

2013 · 10 tracks

  1. 1 Look...The Sun Is Rising (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 3:39
  2. 2 Be Free, A Way (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 4:29
  3. 3 Try To Explain (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 4:43
  4. 4 You Lust (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 9:49
  5. 5 The Terror (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 5:30
  6. 6 You Are Alone (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 3:45
  7. 7 Butterfly, How Long It Takes To Die (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 6:12
  8. 8 Turning Violent (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 4:17
  9. 9 Always There...In Our Hearts (Individual Shuffle-Ready Version) ↗ 4:16
  10. 10 The Terror ↗ 54:58

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With a Little Help From My Fwends

2014 · 13 tracks

  1. 1 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (feat. My Morning Jacket, Fever the Ghost & J. Mascis) ↗ 2:45
  2. 2 With a Little Help From My Friends (feat. Black Pus & Autumn Defense) ↗ 3:34
  3. 3 Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds (feat. Miley Cyrus & Moby) ↗ 5:48
  4. 4 Getting Better (feat. Dr. Dog, Chuck Inglish & Morgan Delt) ↗ 4:07
  5. 5 Fixing a Hole ↗ 3:55
  6. 6 She's Leaving Home (feat. Phantogram, Julianna Barwick & Spaceface) ↗ 3:12
  7. 7 Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (feat. MJ Keenan, Puscifer & Sunbears!) ↗ 2:34
  8. 8 Within You Without You (feat. Birdflower & Morgan Delt) ↗ 4:39
  9. 9 When I'm Sixty-Four (feat. Def Rain & Pitchwafuzz) ↗ 3:19
  10. 10 Lovely Rita (feat. Tegan and Sara & Stardeath and White Dwarfs) ↗ 4:19
  11. 11 Good Morning Good Morning (feat. Zorch, Grace Potter & Treasure Mammal) ↗ 3:15
  12. 12 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [feat. Foxygen & Ben Goldwasser] ↗ 5:14
  13. 13 A Day In the Life (feat. Miley Cyrus & New Fumes) ↗ 4:55

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Imagene Peise: Atlas Eets Christmas

2014 · 11 tracks

  1. 1 Winter Wonderland ↗ 3:48
  2. 2 Silver Bells ↗ 2:38
  3. 3 Christmas Laughing Waltz (Including Jingle Bells) ↗ 4:29
  4. 4 Silent Night ↗ 3:17
  5. 5 Atlas Eets Christmas ↗ 3:11
  6. 6 Do You Hear What I Hear? ↗ 4:01
  7. 7 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ↗ 3:01
  8. 8 White Christmas (Binson Echorec Sleigh Ride) ↗ 3:21
  9. 9 Frosty the Snowman ↗ 2:28
  10. 10 Christmas Kindness Song ↗ 3:10
  11. 11 The Christmas Song ↗ 3:46

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Oczy Mlody

2017 · 12 tracks

  1. 1 Oczy Mlody ↗ 2:54
  2. 2 How?? ↗ 4:25
  3. 3 There Should Be Unicorns ↗ 5:50
  4. 4 Sunrise (Eyes of the Young) ↗ 4:05
  5. 5 Nigdy Nie (Never No) ↗ 4:10
  6. 6 Galaxy I Sink ↗ 3:57
  7. 7 One Night While Hunting for Faeries and Witches and Wizards to Kill ↗ 6:08
  8. 8 Do Glowy ↗ 4:18
  9. 9 Listening to the Frogs with Demon Eyes ↗ 7:35
  10. 10 The Castle ↗ 4:51
  11. 11 Almost Home (Blisko Domu) ↗ 4:54
  12. 12 We a Famly ↗ 4:45

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King’s Mouth: Music and Songs

2019 · 12 tracks

  1. 1 We Don't Know How and We Don't Know Why (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 1:10
  2. 2 The Sparrow ↗ 5:39
  3. 3 Giant Baby (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 3:51
  4. 4 Mother Universe ↗ 1:51
  5. 5 How Many Times ↗ 3:22
  6. 6 Electric Fire (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 4:26
  7. 7 All for the Life of the City (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 4:39
  8. 8 Feedaloodum Beedle Dot (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 2:50
  9. 9 Funeral Parade (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 2:58
  10. 10 Dipped in Steel (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 1:32
  11. 11 Mouth of the King (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 4:48
  12. 12 How Can a Head (feat. Mick Jones) ↗ 4:09

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American Head

2020 · 13 tracks

  1. 1 Will You Return / When You Come Down ↗ 5:21
  2. 2 Watching the Lightbugs Glow ↗ 2:53
  3. 3 Flowers of Neptune 6 ↗ 4:31
  4. 4 Dinosaurs on the Mountain ↗ 3:38
  5. 5 At the Movies on Quaaludes ↗ 3:41
  6. 6 Mother I've Taken LSD ↗ 3:48
  7. 7 Brother Eye ↗ 4:23
  8. 8 You n Me Sellin' Weed ↗ 4:57
  9. 9 Mother Please Don't Be Sad ↗ 3:36
  10. 10 When We Die When We're High ↗ 3:39
  11. 11 Assassins of Youth ↗ 4:12
  12. 12 God and the Policeman (feat. Kacey Musgraves) ↗ 2:28
  13. 13 My Religion Is You ↗ 3:33

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Where the Viaduct Looms

2021 · 9 tracks

  1. 1 Girl In Amber ↗ 3:49
  2. 2 Weeping Song ↗ 4:27
  3. 3 Into My Arms ↗ 4:25
  4. 4 O Children ↗ 5:27
  5. 5 The Kindness of Strangers ↗ 3:16
  6. 6 No More Shall We Part ↗ 4:02
  7. 7 Red Right Hand ↗ 4:34
  8. 8 The Ship Song ↗ 3:27
  9. 9 We Know Who You Are ↗ 3:49

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Albums
22 albums
  1. Hear It Is
    The Flaming Lips
    1986
    11 tracks
  2. Oh My Gawd!!!… The Flaming Lips
    The Flaming Lips
    1987
    11 tracks
  3. Telepathic Surgery
    The Flaming Lips
    1989
    14 tracks
  4. In a Priest Driven Ambulance
    The Flaming Lips
    1990
    10 tracks
  5. Hit to Death in the Future Head
    The Flaming Lips
    1992
    11 tracks
  6. Transmissions From the Satellite Heart
    The Flaming Lips
    1993
    11 tracks
  7. Clouds Taste Metallic
    The Flaming Lips
    1995
    13 tracks
  8. Zaireeka
    The Flaming Lips
    1997
    32 tracks
  9. The Soft Bulletin
    The Flaming Lips
    1999
    14 tracks
  10. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
    The Flaming Lips
    2002
    11 tracks
  11. At War With the Mystics
    The Flaming Lips
    2006
    12 tracks
  12. Embryonic
    The Flaming Lips
    2009
    18 tracks
  13. The Dark Side of the Moon
    The Flaming Lips
    2009
    9 tracks
  14. 7 Skies H3
    The Flaming Lips
    2011
    10 tracks
  15. The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
    The Flaming Lips
    2012
    13 tracks
  16. The Terror
    The Flaming Lips
    2013
    10 tracks
  17. With a Little Help From My Fwends
    The Flaming Lips
    2014
    13 tracks
  18. Imagene Peise: Atlas Eets Christmas
    The Flaming Lips
    2014
    11 tracks
  19. Oczy Mlody
    The Flaming Lips
    2017
    12 tracks
  20. King’s Mouth: Music and Songs
    The Flaming Lips
    2019
    12 tracks
  21. American Head
    The Flaming Lips
    2020
    13 tracks
  22. Where the Viaduct Looms
    The Flaming Lips
    2021
    9 tracks

Deep Dive

Overview

The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in Oklahoma City in 1983. Emerging from a region with no established rock infrastructure, they built a career spanning four decades around Wayne Coyne’s production philosophy and the band’s willingness to fold electronic experimentation, orchestral arrangements, and multimedia spectacle into psychedelic rock frameworks. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, they had become one of the most recognizable alternative rock acts in the United States, known equally for intricate studio production and elaborate live shows featuring confetti cannons, giant inflatable structures, and synchronized visual accompaniment.

Formation Story

Wayne Coyne formed The Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City in 1983 during an era when the city offered no significant record label presence or touring infrastructure. The early lineup included Coyne alongside bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins, establishing the foundational partnership that would shape the band’s sound through three decades. Steven Drozd joined as a multi-instrumentalist and co-songwriter, becoming the second major creative force within the group. The three-man core—Coyne, Ivins, and Drozd—remained largely intact from the early 1990s onward, giving the band unusual creative stability even as peripheral members rotated. Throughout the 1980s, the band issued experimental recordings and performed locally, building a loyal following without major-label support or radio airplay.

Breakthrough Moment

The band’s ascent into broader recognition accelerated with Transmissions From the Satellite Heart in 1993, which introduced their sound to college radio and independent rock audiences. Two years later, Clouds Taste Metallic (1995) solidified their reputation as serious studio craftsmen capable of balancing psychedelic songwriting with sophisticated production. The critical turning point arrived with The Soft Bulletin (1999), an album that married orchestral arrangement, string sections, and Coyne’s distinctive falsetto vocals into a cohesive vision of psychedelic pop. The album’s success positioned them for mainstream breakthrough, which materialized fully with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002), a concept album that combined electronic production, childlike wonder, and complex songwriting into a work that transcended indie rock circles and reached audiences far beyond their traditional base.

Peak Era

The band’s most commercially successful and creatively ambitious period stretched from 1999 through the early 2010s. The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and At War with the Mystics (2006) formed a trilogy of increasingly elaborate productions that defined their work at the highest level of ambition and execution. During this era, they evolved from a three-piece electronic rock group into a full ensemble capable of orchestral arrangements, extended song structures, and conceptual albums that rivaled progressive rock in scope while remaining rooted in psychedelic sensibility. Live performances became increasingly theatrical, with the band’s show design matching the sophistication of the recorded work. Embryonic (2009) continued this trajectory while exploring darker, more abstract sonic territory, demonstrating their refusal to calcify into a signature sound.

Musical Style

The Flaming Lips synthesized psychedelic rock with electronic production, space rock atmospherics, and an unusual openness to orchestral and pop songwriting. Early work leaned heavily into experimental textures and studio effects, with Coyne’s falsetto vocals often treated as an instrument rather than a conventional lead. As production techniques improved and the band’s resources increased, they incorporated live strings, synthesizers, drum machines, and layered vocal harmonies into arrangements that could suggest everything from 1970s progressive rock to contemporary electronic music. The band’s approach to dynamics favored sudden shifts in texture and volume, building from sparse, intimate arrangements to dense, multi-tracked crescendos. Steven Drozd’s multi-instrumental proficiency enabled the band to maintain flexibility in composition and arrangement, preventing the sound from settling into formula. By the 2000s, their studio productions had become notably intricate and laborious, with Coyne and Drozd working through meticulous overdubbing and production refinement to achieve their intended sound.

Major Albums

Transmissions From the Satellite Heart (1993)

Marked the band’s arrival as serious songwriters and producers, introducing the core aesthetic of orchestral psychedelia that would define their future work.

Clouds Taste Metallic (1995)

Demonstrated the band’s capability to balance psychedelic experimentation with accessible songwriting, establishing them as more than a novelty act.

The Soft Bulletin (1999)

An orchestral pop album that married ambitious string arrangements with psychedelic sensibilities, becoming a critical landmark and establishing the band as serious artists capable of sweeping emotional scope.

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

A concept album that reached beyond indie rock audiences into mainstream success, balancing electronic production with direct, singable melodies and thematic coherence.

At War with the Mystics (2006)

Continued the band’s maximalist approach to production while incorporating more direct songwriting and broader genre influences.

Embryonic (2009)

A darker exploration of electronic textures and abstract compositional approaches, proving the band could evolve stylistically while maintaining their core identity.

Signature Songs

  • “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” — A melodic centerpiece showcasing Coyne’s falsetto and the band’s gift for orchestral arrangement.
  • “Do You Realize??” — Perhaps their most widely recognized track, combining intimate lyrics with sweeping string arrangements.
  • “A Parking Lot Experiments (With a Optimist)” — An early example of the band’s experimental studio approach and willingness to follow ideas without commercial consideration.
  • “Race for the Prize” — A driving pop-psychedelic song demonstrating their ability to write direct, memorable hooks.
  • “Waitin’ for a Superman” — A staple of their live shows and an example of their gift for building dynamic tension across a song’s duration.

Influence on Rock

The Flaming Lips demonstrated that psychedelic rock could survive and evolve in the post-grunge 1990s and beyond by embracing studio technology and orchestral arrangement rather than retreating into nostalgia or simplicity. Their use of electronic production alongside psychedelic songwriting influenced alternative rock bands seeking depth without abandoning accessibility. The sophistication of their studio approach—the layering, the orchestration, the conceptual ambition—helped establish that indie and alternative rock music could rival prog rock in complexity and ambition while remaining emotionally direct. Their willingness to make spectacle and visual design integral to their artistic statement influenced how rock bands approached live performance and multimedia integration, encouraging subsequent acts to think beyond conventional stage setups. The band’s longevity and refusal to calcify into a single sound provided a model for alternative rock acts navigating the shift from underground to mainstream visibility without compromising artistic integrity.

Legacy

The Flaming Lips remain active performers and recording artists, maintaining their position as one of the most enduring alternative rock acts from the 1990s. Wayne Coyne continues as the band’s leader and primary public face, with Steven Drozd having departed in 2024 after more than three decades as co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Michael Ivins, the band’s founding bassist and keyboardist, remained a core member until 2021. The band’s studio catalog has remained consistently available and has experienced streaming-era revival as subsequent generations discover their work. Their live shows continue to attract audiences drawn equally to their musical sophistication and theatrical presentation. The band’s ability to maintain relevance across five decades while continuing to release new material distinguishes them from peers who relied more heavily on nostalgia or reunion tours. Their records remain touchstones of 1990s alternative rock and stand as examples of how psychedelic rock could evolve without abandoning its core aesthetic values.

Fun Facts

  • The band released The Dark Side of the Moon in 2009, a live interpretation and reimagining of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album, demonstrating their ability to recontextualize canonical rock works through their own aesthetic lens.
  • Wayne Coyne is known for his distinctive, quirky public persona and use of social media, maintaining an unusually direct connection with fans compared to peers from their era.
  • The band’s live shows have become legendary for elaborate set design and confetti cannons, with the visual presentation of their performances rivaling the musical content in ambition and execution.
  • Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots spawned collaborative relationships with numerous artists and inspired remix versions and reinterpretations, demonstrating the album’s reach beyond traditional rock audiences.