THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

421-Garbage-Only Happy When It Rains.

1995-Number 29 single.

Best Bit-At 1.52. I guess they won’t be buying a holiday home in the Sahara Desert then.

Garbage were formed in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, in 1993 by Butch Vig, (drums and production) Shirley Manson, (vocals) Duke Erikson, (guitar, bass and keyboards) and Steve Marker, (guitar and keyboards.) The band derived their name from something that Butch Vig wrote in his studio journal in 1993, ‘I hope that all this garbage will become something beautiful.’ At the time of writing they remain active, with the same four band members having always being constant, although they have all pursued solo projects, especially when the band went on hiatus in 2006, and again in 2008-2009. The discography of Garbage who have sold in excess of 17 million records worldwide, includes seven studio Albums released between 1995-2021, and 37 singles released between 1995-2023, there is also one extended play, (EP) one remix Album, and three official compilation Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, ‘Stupid Girl’ from 1996, which reached Number 24, is their only top 40 single to date, with ‘Only Happy When It Rains,’ stalling at Number 55, although they have had great success on the Billboard ‘Alternative Airplay’ chart, with 13 of their tracks making the top 40, with ‘#1 Crush’ from 1997 reaching Number 1. In the UK, Garbage have had 16 top 40 hit singles, with ‘Stupid Girl’ peaking the highest at Number 4 in 1996.

Butch Vig (see also best songs 788-722-641 and 9) was born Bryan David Vig on August 2nd, 1955, in Viroqua, Wisconsin, United States, he is acknowledged as one of the world’s best, and most successful music producers. He was the producer of the 1991 Album ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana, (see also best songs 788 and 9) which has sold in excess of 15 million copies worldwide to date. Vig had first met fellow future ‘Garbage’ band mate Steve Marker at the University of Wisconsin where they both were students. Both Vig and Marker had known Duke Erikson as far back as 1983 when he helped them set up ‘Smart Studios’ in Madison, Wisconsin. It was Marker who saw Shirley Manson performing on ‘MTV’ and recommended her to the other three as a potential lead singer for the band. Butch Vig has been a music producer since 1983, producing some of the worlds top acts, including The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, and House of Pain.

Shirley Ann Manson was born on August 26th, 1966, in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, Her career breakthrough occurred when becoming a member of the Scottish Rock band ‘Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, who had a 1989 UK Number 37 hit with ‘The Rattler,’ she would eventually go on to front that band, who would later splinter to become ‘Angelfish,’ which was where she was first seen performing by Steve Marker. Marker has explained why Shirley Manson was his choice to front ‘Garbage, ‘We wanted to work with a female vocalist who didn’t have a high, chirpy, quality to her voice, we had discussed who we really respect, and names like Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde came up, and Shirley had some of the same depth.’ Butch Vig has said, ‘We wanted someone who could sing in an understated way, at the moment, a lot of these alternative-rock singers have a tendency to scream. Shirley is just the opposite. By using understatement, she can sound even more subversive.’

‘Only Happy When It Rains’ was the second of five singles released from the self titled debut Album by Garbage from August 1995, the song was co-written, and co-produced by all four members of the group. The lyrics to ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ are Garbage mocking themselves, as they, and particularly ‘Alternative Rock,’ and ‘Grunge’ artists at that time were singing dark and depressing song lyrics. Steve Marker has said, ‘It’s really just us poking fun of ourselves. We’re poking fun at the alternate rock angst, wearing your heart on your sleeve thing, and at ourselves for writing such dark songs.’ Butch Vig has said that the song is ‘An homage to The Jesus And Mary Chain’ (see also best songs 878 and 336.) Shirley Manson has explained the songs lyrics as, ‘About wanting love, but knowing life will always get in the way, yet not being obliterated by that. It’s a song for people that know what it is like to live on the dark side of life. It’s about devotion but a different kind, a devotion to the truth and to freedom, and to hell with the consequences.’

‘I only smile in the dark, my only comfort is the night gone black. I only listen to sad, sad songs, I’m only happy when it rains.