Ranking All the Oingo Boingo Studio Albums

Oingo Boingo is an American goofy stage band that produces peculiar yet intriguing tracks in their albums. Most people compare it to Devo throughout their career because they ooze similar genre gimmicks. However, Oingo Boingo never attained the media success that the Devo had. According to Rate Your Music, Oingo Boingo was founded in their hometown, Los Angeles, CA. The band evolved into a theatre troupe/ musical act from Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Upon listening to these albums, you will notice that Oingo Boingo is full of energy, fun but dark lyrical themes, and their tremendous concerts that coincidentally fell on days like Dias de la Muerte or Halloween. Sadly, Danny Elfman disbanded the group to pursue his career as a composer. Without further ado, here is a ranking of all the Oingo Boingo studio albums:

8. Dead Man’s Party (1985)

 

“Dead Man’s Party” is Oingo’s fifth and the most talked-about album. It came to the limelight after the group rebranded labels and Elfman was busy testing out pop alongside So-Lo the band. Together, they came up with a heavily stylized and pop-infused album that made fans go crazy. The album’s most significant breakthrough was when it released its song “Weird Science,” which they used as the title theme for the same movie name. It is no wonder Donnie Darko appeared on the movie soundtrack. While the album has more than ten tracks, we recommend you to listen to these three:

• Just Another Day
• Dead Man’s Party
• Heard Someone Cry

7. Nothing to Fear (1982)

 

“Nothing to Fear” was Oingo Boingo’s second album that the group struggled to maximize the use of unique sound guitar and most talked-about percussion by Johnny Hernandez. Interestingly, the album got higher regional play in California than any other place. The group began touring alongside bands like The Police. The album features in this album include:

• Wild Sex
• Grey Matter
• Running on a Treadmill

6. Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)

 

The eighth album on this list is “Dark at the End of the Tunnel.” It was released in 1990 with the frontman Danny Elfman and Tim Burton. There are two tracks for two movies, “Midnight Run” and “Ghostbusters II.” Did you know that the Billboard Alternative Songs chart ranked “When the Lights Go Out” at 15 in 1990? Our favorite tracks include:

• When the Lights Go Out
• Skin
• Out of Control

5. Boingo (1994)

 

“Boingo” marked the last album after the 1990’s “Dark at the End of the Tunnel.” Elfman disbanded the group after realizing that it was losing direction and that change was vital to keep the members active. In 1994, he removed Warren Fitzgerald, who was the second guitarist. The album’s recording took place in February 1993 before its lineup. However, Danny decided to postpone it for unknown reasons. The tracks you should start listening to are:

• Insanity
• Hey!
• Mary
• Can’t See (Useless)

4. Boi-Ngo (1987)

 

According to Ranker, Boi-Ngo is Oingo Boingo’s sixth studio album that was released in 1987. Tracks on this album like “Home Again” were end credits of the films “Wisdom” and “Home Alone 3”. Surprisingly, some songs like “Remember My Name,” “Inside,” “Mama,” “Find You,” and “Happy” were recorded for the album, but weren’t appearing on its tracklist. We recommend you to listen to songs like:

• Home Again
• Where Do All My Friends Go
• Elevator Man

3. Only a Lad (1981)

 

Following their self-titled EP, Oingo Boingo released their “Only a Lad” album as a debut album in 1981. Most songs on this album drew inspiration from newspaper articles. For example, the song “Little Girls” talks about a person who has weird inclinations. Elfman claimed that Hollywood is where older guys take advantage of young girls. You can see him taking to the floor in the company of teenage girls. On the other hand, band members are standing outside the shop windows. Check out some of these songs:

• Little Girls
• Nasty Habits
• Only a Lad

2. Boingo Alive (1988)

 

Oingo released “Boingo Alive” as a double album in 1988, thanks to the American new wave. Danny, alongside other producers, recorded the album live in a rehearsal studio without an audience. The album marked the group’s 10th anniversary. Interestingly, Elfman claims that this album was a project he had planned for years. He went on about the album not oozing the energy required to succeed. However, we believe Danny was just a pessimist who didn’t believe in the group members’ musical skills, which is a typical trait of any frontman of his caliber. Still, we think the album did well thanks to songs like:

• Cinderella Undercover
• Home Again

1. Good for Your Soul (1983)

 

According to Best Overall Albums, “Good for Your Soul” ranks number three in this list, making it our best album. It was produced by Robert Margouleff and was the last album released on A&M records. Like “Boi-Ngo,” “Good for the Soul” lacks many songs that were recorded. This album is a music video titled “Nothing Bad Ever Happens,” which takes place on a paradise album. You can see Elfman watching TV, pretending to be unaware that burglars are robbing him in the background. He completes the video by taking a bath before the tub catches a fire. Afterward, Elfman offers his band’s horn section an upper-class dinner. They appear shocked, but their appetite for food tells otherwise. Excellent tracks on this album include:

• Who Do You Want to Be?
• Good for Your Soul
• No-Spill Blood

Conclusion

Sadly, Oingo Boingo was disbanded, but their power in music still lives among us. It’s difficult to tell which album performed better than the other, but there will always be a number one and last. These albums are timeless despite having tracks that were anthems in the 80s and 90s. Ranking all the Oingo Boingo studio albums wasn’t an easy task, but we hope you’ll listen to all of them to have your verdict.