The Flaming Lips are celebrating their 40th anniversary with two free shows in hometown Oklahoma City.
How did they get to where they are after four decades? Here's a quick look at some major events in the evolution of the band.
1983: Led by brothers Mark and Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips form in Oklahoma City.
1984: First EP, "The Flaming Lips," is released.
1985: Mark Coyne leaves the band.
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1986: First full-length album, "Hear It Is," is released with Wayne Coyne on vocals.
1987: Second album, "Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips," is released.
1989: Third album, "Telepathic Surgery," is released.
1990: Band signs with Warner Bros. Records.
1991: Fan Steven Drozd joins the lineup.
1992: Major-label debut "Hit to Death in the Future Head" released.
1993: Album "Transmissions from the Satellite Heart" released.
1994: Song "She Don't Use Jelly" charts after it's on "Beavis and Butt-Head."
1995: Album "Clouds Taste Metallic" released.
1997: Experimental four-CD album "Zaireeka" released.
The road to The Flaming Lips' Grammy wins
1999: Album "The Soft Bulletin" brings a mainstream breakthrough.
2002: Album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" released to critical acclaim.
2003: Lips win their first Grammy, for best instrumental rock performance for "Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)."
2004: Coyne debuts his signature Space Bubble at the Coachella festival.
2005: Bradley Beesley's Lips documentary "The Fearless Freaks" premieres.
2006: Album "At War with the Mystics" is released and earns three Grammy nominations.
2006: Lips perform a fall concert at OKC's Zoo Amphitheatre.
2007: Lips win two Grammys, for best rock instrumental performance and best engineered album, non-classical.
2007: First live concert film, "UFOs at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City," released.
The Flaming Lips become OKC and Oklahoma landmarks
2007: Flaming Lips Alley dedicated in downtown OKC.
2007: Lips perform at Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular alongside Toby Keith, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and more.
2008: Special edition "At War With The Mystics 5.1" nominated for Grammy for best surround sound album.
2008: Lips' DIY indie film "Christmas on Mars" premieres.
2009: Gov. Brad Henry names "Do You Realize??" Oklahoma's official state rock song.
2009: Fan Derek Brown starts supplementing the band's live lineup.
2009: First double album "Embryonic" is released.
2009: Cover album "The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon" is released.
2010: Lips perform in concert with OKC Philharmonic.
2011: Lips set out to release at least one new song a month all year, including the "Gummy Song Skull" EP and "Gummy Song Fetus" EP.
2012: Album "The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends," featuring Kesha, Nick Cave and Erykah Badu, released for Record Store Day.
2012: Lips break Jay-Z's Guinness World Record for most live concerts in 24 hours by playing eight shows June 27-28.
2013: Album "The Terror" is released.
2013: Song "Sun Blows Up Today" featured in Hyundai Super Bowl commercial.
2015: Lips play "Saturday Night Live" with Miley Cyrus.
2017: Album "Oczy Mlody" is released.
2018: Lips share in a Tony Award nomination for their contribution to “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical."
2019: "King's Mouth," the companion album to Coyne's art installation, released for Record Store Day.
2019: First official live album, "The Soft Bulletin Recorded Live at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra," released.
2020: Album "American Head" released.
2020: In response to COVID-19, Lips play a series of socially distanced "Space Bubble Concerts" at OKC's Criterion.
2021: Bassist Michael Ivins leaves the Lips, leaving Coyne as the only original member.
2022: OKC Mayor David Holt unveils giant spin painting by Coyne and artist Damien Hirst inside OKC Convention Center.
2023: Lips embark on "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" 20th anniversary tour.
2024: Lips are working on a new music and planning two free summer concerts at OKC's Zoo Amphitheatre.
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