Garbage is an American rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993. The group's discography consists of eight studio albums, three compilation albums, one remix album, one extended play, 41 singles, four promotional singles, three video albums, and 44 music videos (many of which are alternate versions to the same song). The line-up consists of Scottish vocalist Shirley Manson and Americans Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig. They have amassed worldwide album sales of over 17 million units.
Garbage released a string of increasingly successful singles in 1995 and 1996, including "Queer", "Only Happy When It Rains", and "Stupid Girl". Their debut album, Garbage, charted in the top 20 in six countries and was certified double platinum in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Garbage spent two years working on their follow-up album, Version 2.0, which charted in the top 20 in 12 countries and was certified platinum in four countries and the European Union.
The band recorded the theme song of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. The band's third album, Beautiful Garbage (2001), failed to match the commercial success achieved by its predecessors. Garbage quietly disbanded in late 2003, but regrouped to complete their fourth album Bleed Like Me in 2005, peaking at a career-high number four on the Billboard 200. The band cut short their concert tour in support of Bleed Like Me, announcing an "indefinite hiatus". Garbage reconvened in 2007 and released a greatest hits compilation, Absolute Garbage. The band's fifth studio album, Not Your Kind of People, was released on May 15, 2012, through the band's own label, Stunvolume.
Garbage and Screaming Females recorded a cover of "Because the Night" for Record Store Day 2013. They released a video directed by Sophie Muller. The band released their first live DVD, One Mile High... Live, in May 2013. Strange Little Birds, the band's sixth studio album, was released on June 10, 2016. On March 30, 2021, Garbage released the song "The Men Who Rule the World", the lead single from their seventh studio album, No Gods No Masters, which was released on June 11, 2021.
On September 7, 2022, Garbage announced their third greatest hits album Anthology, released on October 28. The compilation features 35 newly remastered tracks celebrating three decades of their career, including "Witness to Your Love". On November 29, 2024, the band released their first cover collection, Copy/Paste, as a Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive. The compilation album includes ten classic songs covered by Garbage over the course of almost thirty years. On February 27, 2025, the band announced their eighth studio album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, which was released on May 30.
Albums Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications SalesUSAUSAUTCANFRAGERNZSWESWIUK Garbage Released: August 15, 1995 Label: Almo Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download 20 4 — 15 16 55 1 19 — 6RIAA: 2× Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum MC: 2× Platinum RMNZ: 2× Platinum SNEP: GoldWorld: 4,000,000 US: 2,400,000 GER: 230,000Beautiful Garbage marketing brochure, published by PIAS Germany/Disconnected, June 2001. UK: 701,757 Version 2.0 Released: May 12, 1998 Label: Almo Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download 13 5 4 2 1 4 1 12 17 1 RIAA: Platinum ARIA: Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum MC: Platinum IFPI: Platinum IFPI SWE: Gold RMNZ: Platinum SNEP: 2× Gold World: 4,000,000 US: 1,700,000 UK: 579,912 Beautiful Garbage Released: October 2, 2001 Label: Interscope Formats: CD, LP, cassette, MiniDisc, digital download 13 1 9 6 3 6 2 29 10 6 ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: Gold MC: Gold RMNZ: Gold US: 405,000 UK: 121,397 Bleed Like Me Released: April 12, 2005 Label: Geffen Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download 4 4 17 9 6 12 25 7 15 4 ARIA: Gold BPI: Silver US: 284,000 UK: 84,339 Not Your Kind of People Released: May 15, 2012 Label: Stunvolume Formats: CD, LP, digital download 13 8 39 17 15 15 32 — 15 10 US: 98,000 Strange Little Birds Released: June 10, 2016 Label: Stunvolume Formats: CD, LP, digital download 14 9 17 69 23 22 18 — 16 17 US: 20,000 No Gods No Masters Released: June 11, 2021 Label: Stunvolume / Infectious Music Formats: CD, LP, digital download 33 5 13 — 40 6 34 — 13 5 Let All That We Imagine Be the Light Released: May 30, 2025 Label: Stunvolume / BMG Formats: CD, LP, digital download — 87 10 — 104 17 — — 24 24 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Compilation albums + List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions and sales figures Title Details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsUSAUSBELCANGERIREITASPASWIUK Absolute Garbage Released: July 23, 2007 Label: Almo, Geffen, UMe Formats: CD, digital download 68 18 28 43 68 22 79 59 77 11 US: 66,000 BPI: Silver The Absolute Collection Released: November 2, 2012 Label: Liberation Music Formats: CD, digital download — 88 — — — — — — — — Anthology Released: October 28, 2022 Label: Stunvolume / BMG Formats: 2CDs, 2LPs, digital download — — 110 — 54 — — 49 — 99 Copy/Paste Released: November 29, 2024 Label: BMG Formats: LP, digital download—————————— "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Remix albums Title Details Version 2.0: The Official Remixes Released: July 6, 2018 Label: Almo, Interscope Format: Digital download
Extended plays Title Details Special Collection Released: February 6, 2002 Label: Sony Music Japan Format: CD Witness to Your Love Released: April 22, 2023 Label: BMG Format: Vinyl (original), digital (on April 28, 2023) Lie to Me Released: April 20, 2024 Label: BMG Format: Vinyl (original), digital (on May 3, 2024)
Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US USAlt AUS CAN GER IRE NL NZ SWI UK "Vow"1995 97 26 32 — — — — 41 — 138 Garbage"Subhuman" — — — — — — — — — 50 "Only Happy When It Rains" 55 16 80 79 — — 36 38 — 29 Garbage"Queer" — 12 55 — — — — 37 — 13"Stupid Girl"1996 24 2 47 30 — 16 — 32 — 4 BPI: Silver RMNZ: Gold"Milk" — — 44 — 84 — — 50 — 10"#1 Crush"1997 — 1 — 20 — — — — — —Romeo + Juliet OST"Push It"1998 52 5 31 — 88 26 77 15 — 9Version 2.0"I Think I'm Paranoid" — 6 57 — 98 — 94 19 — 9"Special" 52 11 54 42 — — — — — 15"When I Grow Up"1999 — 23 22 — — 28 — 24 — 9 "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" — — — — — — — — — —"You Look So Fine" — — 101 — — — — — — 19"The World Is Not Enough" — — — — 38 30 48 — 16 11The World Is Not Enough OST"Androgyny"2001 — — 21 19 93 39 71 17 67 24Beautiful Garbage"Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)"2002 — — 7 — — 27 80 22 85 22 ARIA: Gold"Breaking Up the Girl" — — 19 — — — — — — 27"Shut Your Mouth" — — 74 — — — — — — 20"Why Do You Love Me"2005 94 8 19 12 63 27 100 — 75 7Bleed Like Me"Bleed Like Me" — 27 — — — — — — — —"Sex Is Not the Enemy" — — — — — — — — — 24"Run Baby Run" — — 47 — 97 — — — — —"Tell Me Where It Hurts"2007 — — — — — — — — — 50Absolute Garbage"Blood for Poppies"2012 — 17 — — — — — — — —Not Your Kind of People"Battle in Me" — — — — — — — — — —"Big Bright World" — — — — — — — — — —"Control" — — — — — — — — — — "Because the Night" 2013 — — — — — — — — — —rowspan="3" "Girls Talk" 2014 — — — — — — — — — —"The Chemicals" 2015 — — — — — — — — — — "Empty" 2016 — 39 — — — — — — — — Strange Little Birds "Magnetized" — — — — — — — — — — "No Horses" 2017 — — — — — — — — — — rowspan="2" "Destroying Angels" 2018 — — — — — — — — — —"The Men Who Rule the World"2021 — — — — — — — — — —No Gods No Masters"No Gods No Masters" — — — — — — — — — —"Wolves" — — — — — — — — — — "Witness to Your Love" 2022 — — — — — — — — — — Anthology"Cities in Dust"2023 — — — — — — — — — —Witness to Your Love"There's No Future in Optimism" 2025 — — — — — — — — — —Let All That We Imagine Be the Light"Get Out My Face AKA Bad Kitty" — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Promotional singles + List of promotional singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Album SPAAirplaySólo éxitos. Año a año. 1959-2002, by Fernando Salaverri, published by the Foundation Author of the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE), 2002 "Supervixen" 1996 — Garbage "Temptation Waits" 1999 39 Version 2.0 "Automatic Systematic Habit" 2012 — Not Your Kind of People "Even Though Our Love Is Doomed" 2016 — Strange Little Birds "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other appearances Studio tracks YearSongRelease1996"Kick My Ass" Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation2002"I Just Want to Have Something to Do" We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones2008"All the Good in This Life" Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace"Witness to Your Love"Give Listen Help: Volume 52011"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" (Ăhk-to͝ong Ba͞y-bi) Covered2017"Where Do the Children Play?" Music To Inspire: Artists UNited Against Human Trafficking2018"Starman"The Howard Stern Tribute to David Bowie
Remixes YearArtistSongNotes1999Fun Lovin' Criminals"Korean Bodega" Fun Lovin' Criminals remixed "You Look So Fine" in return. Shirley Manson performs vocals on their track.
Garbage also remixed a number of their own singles, while drummer Butch Vig remixed a number of artists while Garbage were active.
Live tracks YearTrack nameRecordedRelease1999"Dumb"26 June 1998, Roskilde Festival Version 2.0 Special Live Edition"Stupid Girl""Temptation Waits""Vow""When I Grow Up" "When I Grow Up" (Live at Roskilde)"Special"1 October 1998, RIMAC Arena, San Diego, CaliforniaLaunch #23 (CD-ROM magazine)"Only Happy When It Rains"26 October 1998, PhiladelphiaSonic Sessions: Volume 3 (Y100 compilation)"Stupid Girl"12 December 1998, Los AngelesThe Best of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas2000"I Think I'm Paranoid" 23 September 1998, Seattle The End Sessions (KNDD compilation)2002"Wild Horses" Unspecified show on Beautiful Garbage tour, 2002 "Shut Your Mouth""Only Happy When It Rains"2003"Special" 20 March 1999, Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music (DVD compilation)"I Think I'm Paranoid" 14 May 1999, Later... with Jools Holland Later... Louder with Jools Holland (DVD compilation)"Shut Your Mouth" 26 August 2002, The Kerrang! Awards 2002 Kerrang! The DVD (Compilation)2005"Cherry Lips" Unspecified show on Beautiful Garbage tour, 2002 Bleed Like Me (Australian Tour Edition) "Only Happy When It Rains" 13 August 2005, Future, Atlanta, Georgia Live X 10: Recently & Relived (99x compilation)"Only Happy When It Rains" 14 May 1999, Later... with Jools Holland Later With Jools Holland - Even Louder (DVD compilation)"Only Happy When It Rains" 8 September 2005, Ex'pression College for Digital Arts, Emeryville Stripped Down/Unplugged: Volume III (KCNL compilation)2006"Special" 9 May 2002, Riviera Theatre for XRT Sunday Night Concert, Chicago, IL ONXRT: Live From the Archives Vol 9 (WXRT compilation)2013"I Think I'm Paranoid" 7 August 2012, XRT Studios ONXRT: Live From The Archives Vol. 14 (WXRT compilation)2016"Queer" 4 April 2005, Cologne Palladium, for Rockpalast Livesongs Der Besten Bands Des Festivalsommers 2016 (Musikexpress compilation)2017"Milk"5 October 2015, Madison, WI Orpheum Theater This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake 12""You Look So Fine"9 October 2012, Houston, TX House of Blues"Cup of Coffee"25 November 2012, Brussels Ancienne Belgique"Bleed Like Me"6 September 2016, Houston Revention Center"Beloved Freak""Even Though Our Love is Doomed""Only Happy When It Rains" 1996, 107.7 acoustic session The Glamour and The Squalor soundtrack
Videography Video albums