Garbage

Led by renowned frontwoman Shirley Manson, the alternative foursome Garbage emerged in the 1990s with a guitar-driven sound laced with electronics, drawing from the textures of My Bloody Valentine, Curve, and Sonic Youth while weaving in sharp pop songwriting that carried the group from underground status to worldwide success via the multi-platinum Garbage in 1995 and the Grammy-nominated Version 2.0 in 1998. A brief pivot toward pop textures on Beautiful Garbage in 2001 gave way to their strongest chart performance on the direct Bleed Like Me in 2005. Following a lengthy break that nearly dissolved the lineup, the musicians reappeared in the 2010s, embracing veteran status through independent, rock-leaning releases Not Your Kind of People in 2012 and Strange Little Birds in 2016. They opened the subsequent decade with their seventh album, No Gods No Masters, in 2021.

Garbage originated from the vision of producers Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, and Steve Marker. Raised in Viroqua, Wisconsin, Vig studied piano during childhood and drums in his teens. After college, he connected with Erikson in Spooner, where Marker, a fan of the group, introduced himself and stayed in contact. Though the three pursued separate paths—Vig especially gaining prominence for producing Nirvana’s Nevermind—they reconvened in 1993 to establish Garbage.

Seeking a vocalist, the producers discovered Scottish singer Shirley Manson. Shaped by early rock voices such as Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, and Debbie Harry, Manson had begun performing as a teenager in Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie, handling keyboards and backing vocals from 1984 until the group split in 1993. With three former MacKenzie members she formed Angelfish, which issued its sole album in 1994. Marker encountered the video for Angelfish’s “Suffocate Me” in the United States, reached out to Manson, and after several auditions she officially joined Garbage as lead singer in August 1994.

Late in 1994 and into 1995 the trio recorded their debut at their Wisconsin studio. The self-titled album appeared in August on Almo Sounds. Radio and MTV exposure helped it rise on the charts by year’s end, reaching number 20 on the Billboard 200. By summer 1996 it earned gold certification in the United States, soon followed by platinum status on the strength of “Queer,” “Only Happy When It Rains,” and “Stupid Girl.” The record ultimately achieved multi-platinum standing and received two Grammy nominations in 1997. The band closed the period with “#1 Crush,” featured on the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, which led the Billboard alternative chart in early 1997.

That summer Garbage began work on Version 2.0, issued in May 1998. It topped the U.K. chart and reached number 13 in the United States, spawning six singles including three U.K. top-ten hits: “Push It,” “I Think I’m Paranoid,” and “When I Grow Up.” Amid an international tour the album earned Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. Near the end of the cycle the band supplied “The World Is Not Enough” for the James Bond film of the same name.

On their third album, Beautiful Garbage, the musicians incorporated hip-hop, R&B, and early-1960s girl-group influences. Lead single “Androgyny” received modest airplay, yet promotion diminished after 9/11. Further singles such as the electronic-pop “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)” sustained chart presence into 2002. Returning quickly to the studio, the band faced health concerns and internal strain; the resulting Bleed Like Me emerged in 2005 on A&E/Geffen. Their first top-five Billboard 200 entry, the straightforward rock album featured production from John King of the Dust Brothers and drumming contributions from Dave Grohl. “Why Do You Love Me” became their highest-charting U.S. single since “Special” in 1998, while “Sex Is Not the Enemy” and “Run Baby Run” charted abroad. Despite the return to form, the supporting tour was canceled and the group announced an indefinite hiatus. During the break Vig produced projects including Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown, which earned him a Grammy. Manson recorded solo work and debuted as an actress on the Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The compilation Absolute Garbage maintained fan interest until the band resumed activity in 2012.

Following extended studio sessions, Garbage released their fifth album, Not Your Kind of People, in 2012. Their first collection of new material since Bleed Like Me, it also marked their initial independent release on the Stunvolume label. The set included lead single “Blood for Poppies” and reached number 13 on the Billboard 200. An international tour continued through 2013. That year the band collaborated with Screaming Females on the Record Store Day single “Because the Night.” In 2014 they issued the Record Store Day release “Girls Talk” b/w “Time Will Destroy Everything,” featuring Brody Dalle. The standalone single “The Chemicals,” recorded with Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups, appeared for Record Store Day 2015. A deluxe double-disc remaster of the debut album closed the year, accompanied by the 20 Years Queer tour.

Strange Little Birds, Garbage’s sixth album, arrived in 2016. Again self-released, it represented a stripped-down approach recorded in Vig’s basement. The least-produced effort to date, it emphasized raw emotion on tracks such as the soulful single “Empty.” The album led the U.S. Independent, Top Alternative, and Top Rock charts while peaking at number 14 on the Billboard 200.

Marking the 20th anniversary of Version 2.0 in 2018, the band toured and issued a deluxe reissue containing B-sides and rarities. Their seventh studio album, No Gods No Masters, followed in 2021; its thematic focus on the seven sins, sorrows, and virtues framed explorations of global disorder and inequity. The critically praised set supported an extended touring schedule that included performances with Alanis Morissette, Tears for Fears, Noel Gallagher, and Metric. In 2022 the group released a 20th-anniversary reissue of Beautiful Garbage and the 35-song compilation Anthology. Two years later Bleed Like Me received its own deluxe edition.