30 years ago (August 15, 1995), Garbage released their self-titled debut studio album featuring singles "Vow" "Only Happy When It Rains" "Queer" "Stupid Girl" and “Milk".
Garbage was acclaimed by contemporary critics. In 1997, Garbage was named the 71st greatest album of all time by The Guardian, which polled a number of renowned critics, artists, and radio DJs worldwide. It was later included in the musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. According to Los Angeles Times critic Mikael Wood, the record's techno-minded sound and Manson's alluring persona complemented and countered the contemporary post-grunge music Vig had helped pioneer after producing Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind. Sound on Sound journalist Sam Inglis argued that the musical techniques used on Garbage were radical at the time and influenced subsequent popular music, "uniting distorted guitars and cool female vocals with production that owed as much to Public Enemy as Led Zeppelin". In Jancee Dunn's opinion, the album always sounded "very forward-thinking, intelligent" and current, even when heard more than a decade later.