Garbage is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin. The band's line-up, consisting of Scottish musician Shirley Manson (vocals) and American musicians Duke Erikson (guitar, bass, keyboards), Steve Marker (guitar, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, percussion), has remained unchanged since its formation. All four members contribute to songwriting and production. Garbage has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide.
The band's self-titled debut album
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Garbage is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin. The band's line-up, consisting of Scottish musician Shirley Manson (vocals) and American musicians Duke Erikson (guitar, bass, keyboards), Steve Marker (guitar, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, percussion), has remained unchanged since its formation. All four members contribute to songwriting and production. Garbage has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide.
The band's self-titled debut album, released in 1995, received critical acclaim and sold over four million copies, achieving double platinum certification in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. It was supported by a series of successful singles, including "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains". Their second album, "Version 2.0" (1998), was also commercially successful, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and receiving two Grammy Award nominations. Around this period, the band contributed and co-produced the theme song for the 19th James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" (1999). Their third album, "Beautiful Garbage" (2001), was well received by critics but did not match the commercial performance of their earlier releases, despite selling over one million copies in its first three months.
During the production of their fourth album, "Bleed Like Me" (2005), the band briefly disbanded but later regrouped to complete the record, which reached number four on the US Billboard 200, the highest chart position of their career at that time. After its release, Garbage curtailed touring activities and entered an indefinite hiatus to pursue individual projects. The hiatus was briefly interrupted in 2007 when the band recorded new material for the compilation album "Absolute Garbage". Garbage reunited in 2011 and released "Not Your Kind of People" (2012) on their own label, Stunvolume, to generally positive reviews. This was followed by "Strange Little Birds" (2016), "No Gods No Masters" (2021) and "Let All That We Imagine Be the Light" (2025).
Duke Erikson and Butch Vig had previously played together in several bands, including Spooner and Fire Town, with Steve Marker working as a sound engineer on related projects. In 1983, Vig and Marker founded Smart Studios in Madison, which became an important production facility for their later work. Their experience producing and remixing artists such as U2, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and House of Pain influenced their approach to forming a band that combined remix-oriented production techniques with traditional rock instrumentation. The name "Garbage" is commonly attributed to either a remark that their early recordings sounded like "garbage" or to a phrase in Vig's studio notes describing the transformation of early experiments into finished songs.
Initial sessions featured Vig on vocals, but the group later decided to recruit a dedicated female lead singer. Steve Marker discovered Shirley Manson through the music video for her band Angelfish on MTV's "120 Minutes". Manson met the band in 1994 and, after an initially unsuccessful audition, was invited to join following further collaboration. She subsequently relocated from Edinburgh to Madison to work on the debut album. Early material included songs such as "Stupid Girl", "Queer" and "Vow". The band aimed to avoid the grunge style associated with Vig's production work, instead focusing on a more pop-oriented alternative rock sound.
The band released early demos without extensive promotional information to avoid industry competition for Vig's production reputation. They signed international and North American recording deals with Mushroom Records and Almo Sounds respectively. The single "Vow" received radio play in the United Kingdom and United States, helping to establish the band's profile prior to the release of their debut album.
Following the release of "Garbage", the band achieved international success, with "Only Happy When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl" becoming major hits. They toured extensively in 1995 and 1996, although initial live performances received mixed reactions before improving critically over time. During this period, industry observers sometimes emphasised Vig's production background over the contributions of the other members, a narrative the band publicly rejected.
The band’s second album, "Version 2.0", was written following extensive touring and released in 1998 after sessions in Wisconsin and Washington State. It debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and number 13 in the United States and produced several successful singles, including "Push It", "I Think I'm Paranoid", "Special" and "When I Grow Up". The album received Grammy nominations, and the band undertook a lengthy international tour through 1999. They also performed the James Bond theme "The World Is Not Enough" in collaboration with composer David Arnold.
In 2001, Garbage released "Beautiful Garbage", which marked a stylistic expansion but was released shortly after the September 11 attacks, which affected its promotion and reception. Although it reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200 and topped some genre-specific charts, it underperformed compared with earlier albums. The band were subsequently dropped by their record label, after which members expressed concerns about industry support and creative direction.
Work on "Bleed Like Me" began in 2003 but was delayed by internal tensions and Shirley Manson’s vocal health issues. The album was completed in 2005 and included contributions from musicians such as Dave Grohl. It produced the single "Why Do You Love Me" and returned the band to the US top ten. Following its release, the band announced an indefinite hiatus.
Garbage reunited in 2007 to complete additional recordings for "Absolute Garbage", a greatest hits compilation. They resumed full activity in 2010 and released "Not Your Kind of People" in 2012 independently, followed by continued touring and additional releases including "Strange Little Birds" and "No Gods No Masters". The band remained active into the 2020s, continuing to release new material and perform live, with lineup changes occurring in touring musicians rather than core members.
In the 2020s, Garbage issued further releases including anniversary reissues, compilation material and collaborative tours with other major acts. They continued work on new material, and their eighth studio album, "Let All That We Imagine Be the Light", was released in 2025.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_(band)
Studio albums
Garbage (1995)
Version 2.0 (1998)
Beautiful Garbage (2001)
Bleed Like Me (2005)
Not Your Kind of People (2012)
Strange Little Birds (2016)
No Gods No Masters (2021)
Let All That We Imagine Be the Light (2025)
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…shrink me down again