They released their first album, Stands for Decibels, in 1981, to critical acclaim but negligible sales. Their sound was a modernized version of earlier power pop, with precise arrangements and highly accomplished instrumental work. Stamey and Holsapple were the band's songwriters, and while Holsapple was skilled in the composing of fairly straightforward tunes such as "Big Brown Eyes" and "Bad Reputation," Stamey's songs, which include "Espionage" and "Tearjerkin'," tended to be somewhat more experimental. They released a second album in 1982, Repercussion, which built upon the strengths of the first album, and also released singles such as "Judy." These two albums, recorded on the British label Albion, have since been reissued on one compact disc.

Stamey left the group after the second album, and pursued a career as a solo artist and producer. The group then recorded a third album, Like This, released in 1984. The band had finally landed an American record deal, Bearsville Records, but distribution woes caused the album to be greatly delayed. Rick Wagner joined the band on bass, and Holder moved to lead guitar.

Their last album, The Sound of Music, was released in 1987 with New Orleans bass player Jeff Beninato, founder of the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. Again under Holsapple's direction, this is perhaps the band's most traditional pop album. Jeff Beninato participated in the subsequent tour. Gene Holder left the band to join the Individuals, and Eric Peterson was recruited on lead guitar after replacing temporary guitarist/keyboardist Harold Kelt. Holsapple moved to Beninato's home town of New Orleans after living in Los Angeles toward the end of the band's career.

Two CDs were released after the dB's broke up. Ride the Wild Tom-Tom collected demos, early recordings and singles; Paris Avenue was a posthumous album by the final lineup, based on demo tapes from the band's waning days. In 1991, Stamey and Holsapple reunited (not under the dB's moniker) as a duo to record an album entitled Mavericks.

Following their breakup, Holsapple has worked as a session musician, issued one solo album, and was a member of the Continental Drifters. He toured with Hootie and the Blowfish. Stamey has released solo records and is a record producer. Rigby is a drummer playing for Steve Earle and others, and Holder has continued to record and produce. Beninato produced Little Queenie's""Q-Ball", is currently producing New Orleans guitar collective Twangorama and administers The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund.

The band reunited in 2005. The band recorded a cover version of the 1966 song "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" to benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Relief Fund. In September 2005 the "classic" lineup of the dB's played two shows in Chicago and two in Hoboken, New Jersey. November 2006 saw the release of Christmastime, an updated version of an album released in the Eighties with contributions from Mitch Easter, Ryan Adams, and other guests. The Bowery Ballroom in NYC hosted the dB's in January 2007, and in February 2007 the dB's performed at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina.

In March 2012, Holsapple, Stamey, Rigby and Mitch Easter (substituting for Holder) played at SxSW.

Falling Off the Sky, their first new studio album in decades, was released in June 2012 by Bar/None Records.