9. They Might Be Giants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyqbckE9kIU They Might Be Giants technically got their start in the 80s, they really flourished in the 90s, so they count dammit! Known for writing funny songs about silly topics, They Might Be Giants are too often dismissed for their lighthearted approach to melody-making. And whereas a guy like Weird Al was able to win over most of the population with his humorous "reinventions" of hit songs, TMBG never had that safety net. Still, to classify them as a joke band is to overlook the genuine musical talent hiding underneath the wit and subtle snideness. Besides, some of their songs had a melancholy edge to them that you might have missed due to the excessively chipper delivery and bouncy melodies. And they should also be lauded for their ability to write about sad subjects without having to make the listener sad upon hearing it.