Garbage Albums Ranked

One of the first songs I bought on iTunes for my iPod Classic was #1 Crush by Garbage. I had stumbled across it on Youtube and fell in love with Shirley Mason's sultry vocals. The moaning in the track's introduction is a great touch to the song and helps make the song sound sexy—the depth of the lyrics and hard-hitting music. Listening to the song makes me think of the '90s now. The 1990s brought a renaissance to many music genres, particularly grunge and bubblegum pop. Garbage, in my opinion, falls into neither of those categories. Garbage is a great rock band with an alternative flavour.

I had #1 Crush on repeat a lot, and I don't know why it took me a couple of years to get into listening to their albums. When I was studying art in college, I used to get £30 a week EMA (Education Maintenence Allowance). I saved up and treated myself to second-hand albums and eventually got the first three garbage albums. The way we listen to music now has changed so much since I was a teen. iPods are now discontinued, and many use smartphones for everything now. Downloads and streaming are much more common now, and CDs are a lot more expensive. Vinyl records are back in fashion, and some predict that audio cassettes will make a return.

One thing that hasn't changed is my love for Garbage. They're still one of my favourite bands of all time. I wanted to write a ranking list of their albums and say which one I love the most, though to be honest, I love them all. They've got a new album that's meant to be coming out this year, and I also hope to see them live in concert.

What's even more amazing is that a band that's been active for over 20 years has yet to have a single change in their line up. Shirley, Duke, Vig and Steve have been together through the thick and thin. It shows that they work well together, and whilst I don't know the band personally, I get the feeling that they're excellent friends.

Bleed Like Me

Kicking off this list is their fourth album, Bleed Like Me. The album doesn't do it for me as much as other albums, even though it's got some solid gems. I love the sombre tone of the title track. Bad Boyfriend packs an excellent punch, which is to be expected when you've got David Gohl playing the drums. You've got him to thank for saving this album and convincing the band to get the album finished. Some songs don't do it for me and feel like they're going on the road to nowhere. I do, however, think that it's still a wicked album.

Highlights: Bad Boyfriend, Bleed Like Me and Why Do You Love Me.

Not Your Kind of People

This is a sweet album. Interestingly, they've been able to keep the same sound for twenty years and still make it sound fresh and up to date. It just shows how timeless Garbage's music is. Not Your Kind of People has all the classic traits of a garbage album; crossing over multiple genres with trip-hop and rock; funky guitars, percussion, and sultry vocals. It's

Highlights: Blood for Poppies, I Hate Love and Sugar.

BeautifulGarbage

This album had big boots to fill after their debut and sophomore album. I think it did a good job. The aesthetics on this album are lush. It's also quite ahead of its time as well. I think it would do really well if it were an album that was released today. I think it's a very accessible album and I think it might be their most commercial sounding album. It's friendly on the ear and is feels very polished from start to finish. I lean more towards the darker songs in their discography, and luckily, the band has plenty of them in their catalogue.

Highlights: Cup of Coffee, Cherry Lips (Go! Go!), Drive You Home, and Can't Cry These Tears.

Strange Little Birds

I'm not very good at keeping up to date with band news. This album was released in 2016 and only found out about it when someone told me their new album is good. I was amazed, and I think it's the best record that they've released in years. It sweeps you off your feet with its cinematic darkness. The band are no longer suppressing vulnerability and at the same time also embracing their aggression.

Highlights: Teaching Little Fingers to Play, Even Though Our Love is Doomed and Empty.

Garbage

The first two albums by Garbage are special. Their self-titled debut contains some bangers. It's so innovative with its brilliant fusions of pop, rock and everything else in between. They had a big breakthrough with their debut, and their rock tunes are stylish. Only Happy When It Rains is so catchy. I love how smooth Milk is, as well. I remember grabbing a load of garbage singles at a charity shop and buying them all, and it helped me love the singles on this album even more.

Highlights: Stupid Girl, Only Happy When it Rains, Not My Idea, Queer and Milk.

Version 2.0

Their sophomore album is their definitive classic. There are so many songs I love on this album that I consider to be feminine anthems. There's not one song I dislike on this album or aren't too keen on. I love a lot of songs on this album because I think they're unforgettable.

Highlights: Push It, I Think I'm Paranoid, and Hammering in My Head.