* BlackSheepHit:
** "Androgyny". It posted desultory chart positions in UK and USA, but performed well in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and across South America and Europe. In Australia, it launched the parent album to their first #1 debut there. It was one of the few official singles left off 2007's ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Absolute Garbage]]'', because Shirley Manson personally objected to its inclusion[[labelnote:*]]See OldShame for more information as it was since included in 2012's ''The Absolute Collection'' released only in Australia and New Zealand, and then again in 2022's Anthology which was released worldwide[[/labelnote]]. Admitting to liking it online starts flame wars.
*** The band did not play the song live between 2002 and 2016, only resuming playing the song in protest of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WrPIoFQIQY controversial measures]] being put forward in the USA regarding trans people's access to bathrooms). Since then the band have since spoken more positively about the video, particularly due to the increasing attention being paid to both androgyny and gender-fluidity.
** "Cherry Lips", which followed after "Androgyny" is a subversion - the album version is notable for Shirley's uncharacteristically high-pitched vocals and a MindScrew of a video (which Shirley since admits was an OldShame). Despite this, it was massive in Australia and Italy, and the song has been played at almost every concert since its release - albeit in Shirley's normal singing voice.
* ChartDisplacement: "Stupid Girl" is their best charting single in both the US and the UK, but "Only Happy When It Rains" was not as successful (#55, #29), outpeaked by two ''Version 2.0'' singles in America and just about every follow-up across Usefulnotes/ThePond. Also, their only chart-topper is "#1 Crush" on the Modern Rock Charts, which while frequently in setlists would hardly be guessed before actual album tracks.
* ColbertBump: While certainly not an unknown band, their appearance in the trailer for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' won over quite a few fans of the game.
* CreatorBacklash: Shirley Manson used to be extremely negative towards the music, image and reception of her first band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, who, despite going for ten years and being very well known in Scotland at the time, only managed one Top 40 single in the UK ("The Rattler") before losing their major label deal. Shirley played keyboard, performed backing vocals, and did a lot of admin for the band, but she wasn't allowed to write any material. She used her first royalties from Garbage to pay off the Mackenzie's debts, and wasn't too happy when they ran off to the UK press to dish dirt on her later. The song "Not My Idea" references her time with them. The song "Cup of Coffee" references her break-up with the band's lead singer.
** She hasn't mentioned them much in the last decade, though in 2012 she referred to the former lead singer as "the most talented person I have ever been in a room with... but he couldn't muster his forces for long enough to navigate a tricky business."
** The [[HilariousInHindsight two later]] [[http://www.contactmusic.com/shirley-manson/pictures/7ee1234a/shirley-manson-martin-metcalfe-scottish-music-awards_3968228 reunited briefly]] in 2013 and proceeded to [[http://www.cristinarocks.com/2013/11/shirley-manson-performs-with-goodbye-mr.html perform together]]. And then again in 2015 as part of a one-off reunion with Angelfish.
** She has said in a recent interview that she's not very happy with the "Cherry Lips" music video.
** Interviews from both 2012 and 2022 revealed that the band had minimal involvement with 2007's ''Absolute Garbage'' and that its release was required due to [[ExecutiveMeddling contractual requirements]] under the expectation the band would be dropped soon after.
* CreatorBreakdown: ''beautifulgarbage'' (Shirley got divorced) and ''Bleed Like Me'' (whose TroubledProduction had plenty of intra-band conflict) have many shades of this in the lyrics.
* DyeHard: Although a natural redhead, Shirley normally dyes her hair in a wide variety of shades from bright red to brown to dark purple. Exceptions would be her [[https://ficklegorgeous.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/blond.jpeg cropped blonde look]] during the ''beautifulgarbage'' era and the [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/1f5a7283e161b4fa4e7a1b8aab07f595/tumblr_nvetfc00qC1sdp156o1_500.png vivid pink hair]] she donned for the "20 Years Queer" tour and ''Strange Little Birds'' era.
** Steve also fell into this category before he went bald (compare his appearance in "Queer" and "Only Happy When It Rains" before his first video bald in "Push It").
* Main/{{Groupie}}: Shirley has professed her adoration for Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees's lead singer Siouxsie Sioux multiple times, even ending the band's 2023 cover of "Cities in Dust" with "I love you Siouxsie".
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The B-sides (one was even a single in the UK). The band even wanted to compilate them in an album, but the sales of their former labels (Almo Sounds and Mushroom Records) prevented this. The deluxe edition of a 2015 reissue of ''Garbage'' included seven b-sides from the era, however, as does the 2018 one for ''Version 2.0'' and the 2021 one for ''beautifulgarbage''.
* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: After the band's 20th anniversary the albums started being reissued in deluxe editions, and while the debut only got an extra disk, ''[[https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/upkAAOSwqptghu0a/s-l600.jpg Version 2.0]]'' and ''[[https://edition-limitee.fr/images/0_0_0dady/videodrom/beautiful-garbage-coffret-box-collector-vinyle-lp.jpeg Beautiful Garbage]]'' had some nice {{Feelies}}. ''No Gods No Masters'' also earned [[https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0024/9803/5810/products/439691-Product-0-I-637526158747461219_1080x.jpg a box set.]]
* PromotedFanboy: Shirley Manson is a huge 007 fan and when asked to do the theme for ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', she "squeed for an hour straight".
* RealSongThemeTune:
** "#1 Crush" was the ThematicThemeTune for the UK TV show ''Series/{{Hex}}''. Given that it's a downright creepy song about a StalkerWithACrush, it fitted the show's premise quite well. Bonus points to the show for using the original B-side, and not the remixed chart-bothering version.
** "Control" is the theme for the video game adaptation of ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan''. It was even used in the trailer.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork:
** Once they were directly under a major, Universal Music (first through Interscope, then Geffen), the label expected too much of the band commercially and even wanted some market-friendly actions such as [[AWildRapperAppears guest rappers]]. Following their UK label forcing the GreatestHitsAlbum and then releasing it with InvisibleAdvertising - plus UMG refusing to release Shirley's solo album - the band became independent.
** This also happened with ''Beautifulgarbage'' to some extent. In addition to the failure of lead single "Androgyny," the album also had the unfortunate luck of being released a mere three weeks after 9/11. This resulted in it [[InvisibleAdvertising being heavily underpromoted by their label]] and, thus, a commercial disappointment.
* SimilarlyNamedWorks: "Stupid Girl" and {{Music/Pink}}'s "Stupid Girl'''s'''" - both are lyrically similar however.
* ThrowItIn: While singing "Push It", Shirley begun "Don't worry baby... it'll be alright". Soon after Butch sent a demo to Brian Wilson requesting permission for this ShoutOut to Music/TheBeachBoys' "Don't Worry Baby" (he approved, and a sample of the song is even used live). She also went "we were the talk of the town" during "Special", and the contact regarding this reference of Music/ThePretenders led to the amusing fax 'I, Chrissie Hynde, do solemnly swear that the rock band Garbage can sample my sound, my voice or indeed my very ass.'.
** The constant use of StopAndGo in "Supervixen" was inspired by a faulty tape machine they were using while recording the song: The playback kept abruptly pausing in the middle of a guitar part that was supposed to play through smoothly, and the band thought the mistake sounded interesting enough that they worked deliberate silences into the song's structure.
* TroubledProduction: The band nearly broke up making ''Bleed Like Me'', even taking a four-month hiatus after the first attempts. It's because of this that they would take a two-year break after abruptly ending their tour promoting the album.
** The recording of ''No Gods No Masters'' was impacted by the early stages of the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Shirley and Music/MarilynManson teamed up to record a cover of Music/TheHumanLeague's "Don't You Want Me", which has not been publicly released.
** It was planned for Andy Mackay to feature as a sax player on "Anonymous XXX" in a nod to the heavy influence Music/RoxyMusic (in particular the song "Love Is The Drug") had on the band during the recording of ''No Gods No Masters''.
* WorkingTitle: ''Bleed Like Me'' was ''Hands on a Hard Body'' (the name of a documentary) and ''Strange Little Birds'', ''Teaching Little Fingers to Play'' (one of the album's songs).
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