After three albums on independent labels, the band earned a reputation as one of the formative influences on American alternative rock.

[4] Mascis and Barlow played together, on drums and guitar respectively, in the hardcore punk band Deep Wound, formed in 1982 while the pair were attending high school in western Massachusetts.

[5] After high school, they began exploring slower yet still aggressive music like Black Sabbath, the Replacements, and Neil Young.

"[citation needed] Mascis enlisted vocalist Charlie Nakajima, also formerly of Deep Wound, and drummer Emmett Patrick Murphy (otherwise known as Murph) to complete the band.

"[7] The band was initially named Mogo, and they played their first show on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus in the first week of September 1984.

[11] Sonic Youth invited Dinosaur to join them on tour in the American Northeast and northern Midwest in September 1986.

[citation needed] Dinosaur recorded much of their second album, You're Living All Over Me, with Sonic Youth engineer Wharton Tiers in New York.

"[12] Gerard Cosloy was excited by the completed album, but was devastated when Mascis told him the band was going to release it on California-based SST Records.

Mascis was reluctant to sign a two-album deal with Homestead, which Cosloy felt betrayed by, "There was no way I couldn't take it personally.

"[citation needed] Mascis took lead vocals on all the other tracks and exhibited even tighter control over the band's sound, composing the parts for Murph and Barlow to play.

The single featured a short-lived lineup including guitarist Don Fleming and drummer Jay Spiegel from the band Gumball, in addition to Mascis and Murph.

[citation needed] Despite the ongoing turmoil in their lineup, Dinosaur Jr. signed with Sire Records in 1990, and made their major-label debut with Green Mind in 1991.

[20] This record heavily featured Mascis, with Murph playing drums on only a few songs, as well as minimal contributions from Fleming and Spiegel, who were out of the band by the time the album was released.

[citation needed] The band found their live shows well received in the changing musical climate of the early 1990s and decided to record new material with the new lineup.

Although their new material was more accessible than the band's 1980s albums, in terms of playing, it represented a partial return to the more unrestrained power-trio sound of the original lineup.

However, the band's subsequent albums would be recorded mostly by Mascis on his own, playing everything except for the bass and some of the harmony vocals, which continued to be handled by Mike Johnson.

It was met with critical acclaim, receiving an 8.4 rating from Pitchfork Media[26] and garnering positive reviews from the music press as a whole.

[31] To promote the album, the band played Farm's lead-off track, "Pieces", on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on June 25, 2009.

[33] In December 2015, Murph confirmed the band had entered the studio to begin working on their follow up to I Bet on Sky.

The band announced a 2021 North American tour to support the album was planned to begin in September 2021 and would conclude in February 2022.

This included the influence of classic rock on the band's music, their use of feedback, extreme volume as well as loud-quiet dynamic, combined with Mascis's droning vocals.

"[50] The band has also highlighted the influence of Neil Young, Black Sabbath, the Birthday Party, Scratch Acid, Sonic Youth,[51] Green on Red, the Dream Syndicate, and Throbbing Gristle.

[52] Mascis listened to classic rock artists such as the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys, elements of which were incorporated into Dinosaur Jr.'s sound.

[53] In addition, Mascis was also a fan of many punk and hardcore bands such as The Birthday Party, and has frequently noted Nick Cave as an influence.

Dinosaur Jr. combined elements of hardcore punk and noise rock into their songs, which often featured a large amount of feedback, distortion and extreme volume.

He attributed his "whiny low-key drawl", the opposite of the hardcore punk "bark",[9] to artists such as John Fogerty and Mick Jagger.

"[10] His drawl epitomized the band's slacker ethos and relaxed attitude; author Michael Azerrad said "even Mascis seemed removed from the feelings he was conveying in the music.

In a BBC review of their reissued albums You're Living All Over Me and Bug, Zoe Street called them "Frighteningly ahead of their time.

In particular, Dinosaur singer-guitarist J Mascis achieved the unthinkable in underground rock—he brought back the extended guitar solo.Dinosaur Jr.'s music has influenced many other musicians such as Kurt Cobain of Nirvana,[62] Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins,[63] Radiohead,[64] Slowdive,[65] Mudhoney,[66] Tad,[62] Superchunk,[67] Doug Martsch of Built to Spill,[68] Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine,[69] Ride,[70] Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap,[71] Swervedriver,[72] Uncle Tupelo,[73] Evan Dando of The Lemonheads,[74] Tom DeLonge of Blink-182,[75] Band of Horses,[76] and Kurt Vile.