Elsewhere, the sulky single вЂњOnly Happy When It RainsвЂќ offered a poppified punch to depressive days spent indoors. Moody trip-hop standout вЂњQueer,вЂќ for example, was adopted by the LGBTQ+ community as an anthem about tolerance (the band has applauded this, while explaining that the single was not written explicitly about being gay). (Of course, it didnвЂ™t hurt that drummer and producer Butch Vig had a sparkling resume, having produced genre touchstones NirvanaвЂ™s Nevermindand Smashing PumpkinsвЂ™ Gish and Siamese Dream.) While the muddy guitar aesthetic is represented on GarbageвЂ™s early singles like вЂњOnly Happy When It Rains,вЂќ вЂњQueer,вЂќ and вЂњStupid Girl,вЂќ the band was also extremely intentional in their decision to layer in myriad other influences of the era вЂ“ trip-hop, electronica, punk, and hip-hop.ДЄnd it wasnвЂ™t just that Clinton-era sound the band explored on their multi-platinum debut: Each of the aforementioned Garbage songs were deeply introspective, rolling out like diary entries that dug into self-immolating feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and doubt. The Gritty, Grungy Confessionals (Only Happy When It Rains Stupid Girl Fix Me Now Not My Idea Queer)Д®arly in the quartetвЂ™s career, Garbage made their mark on pop radio by both leaning into вЂ“ and building on вЂ“ the 90s omnipresent grunge trend. Listen to the best Garbage songs on Apple Music and Spotify, and scroll down for our list. Lyrically, theyвЂ™ve been constant truth-tellers, especially on the politically minded Strange Little Birds (2016) and No Gods No Masters (2021), which tackle polarizing sociological issues like systemic racism and corporate greed.Д«elow, weвЂ™ve rounded up some of the best Garbage songs, from alternative radio staples like вЂњOnly Happy When It RainsвЂќ and вЂњQueerвЂќ to hook-heavy pop cuts like вЂњSpecialвЂќ and вЂњAndrogynyвЂќ to protest anthems like вЂњThe Men Who Rule The WorldвЂќ and more. Over the course of three decades and seven albums, Garbage have explored exciting new ways to challenge themselves musically, whether it was modernizing their sound on the slick Version 2.0 or paying homage to 60s girl groups on the criminally underrated Beautiful Garbage(2001). Musically, they innovated by combining several on-trend genres, building a muddy-grunge foundation, and layering in dance, electronica, and hip-hop, among others.ДЄs alt-rock gave way to a glossier, futuristic aesthetic, Garbage also evolved their sound while never altering their trademark edge. Soon after Manson joined forces with drummer/producer Butch Vig and guitarists Duke Erikson and Steve Marker, Garbage broke into the mainstream with confessional guitar-pop songs that touched on relatable anxieties and insecurities. But the quartet, fronted by Scottish singer Shirley Manson, has proven exceptional many times over. Given GarbageвЂ™s grunge-adjacent beginnings, it wouldвЂ™ve been easy to group them in with other alternative acts that dominated the mid-90s pop music scene.