While you can pretty accurately guess what this song is about by the title Garbage's guitarist Steve Marker told
Addicted to Noise
in 1995 their hit “I'm Only Happy When it Rains” is the band “just poking fun of ourselves…We're poking fun at the alternative rock angst, wearing your heart on your sleeve thing and at ourselves for writing such dark songs.”
Garbage drummer, Bruce Vig, was the producer behind Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins is a Wisconsin native. He owned a recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison. This is of course where this song and album were produced in 1995.
The song was not only a hit on alternative radio, but it also got play on modern rock stations and crossed over to pop radio. It topped out at 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 16 on the Alternative Rock chart.
Personally, I loved this album front to back. As a teen we often got together in a friend's basement and listened to angsty alternative rock while playing pool and drinking Coca-Cola (my friend's basement had a Coke theme so that's all her parents bought for us to drink) the Garbage album was one of our favorites.
*90s at 9 brought to you by Taco John's. Text “TORTILLA” to 39327 for your chance to win free food from Taco John's.
