[4][5] Follow-up Version 2.0, released in 1998 after a year in production, was equally successful, topping the UK Albums Chart and receiving two Grammy Award nominations.

"[18] According to Vig, the team drew inspiration for its name from a hostile early comment, when a friend of the band heard recording material said, "This shit sounds like garbage!

"[2] However, according to This Is The Noise That Keeps Me Awake, an autobiography of the band, Vig wrote in his 1993 studio journal about the creative process; of working for long periods of time, "without coming up with anything cool... and when you least expect it, it all falls into place."

[19] Initial sessions with Vig on vocals, along with the members' past work with all-male groups, led to the band's desire for a woman on lead.

[20] Vig declared that they wanted to find a female vocalist like "Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde and Siouxsie Sioux—all really strong, unique personalities".

[21] Marker and Vig desired someone "who didn't have a high, chirpy, girly quality to her voice" and who could sing in an understated way, in contrast to "these alterna-rock singers [that] have a tendency to scream".

[29] Garbage signed with Mushroom UK worldwide (excluding North America) and secured the band a Volume magazine compilation inclusion.

[34] Because the exclusive licensing of Volume prevented a full commercial single release,[27] on March 20, 1995, Mushroom issued "Vow" in a limited 7-inch vinyl format through Discordant, a label set up just to launch Garbage.

[49] In North America, Almo Sounds released album track "Supervixen" to Modern Rock radio,[50] while Mushroom Records released a remix of "#1 Crush" in March 1997 as a single from the soundtrack to Romeo + Juliet, which topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks from the start of the year; the remix was also featured as the theme for the TV show Hex.

The band decided not to change their formula, but progress musically by pushing their sound as far as it could go—hence the album's eventual title Version 2.0, which was completed by February 15, 1998.

[54] By October 12, "Special" was released and Garbage was nominated for three MTV Europe Music Awards: "Best Group", "Best Rock Act" and "Best Video" for "Push It".

[51] "You Look So Fine" was released as the final single from Version 2.0 worldwide, as Garbage toured Europe, including headlining in Edinburgh to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament.

On August 4, Garbage was contracted to perform the theme for the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough and worked with composer David Arnold in London and Vancouver.

[63] Released three weeks after the September 11 attacks, the album suffered from lack of promotion, mixed reaction from critics and fans alike, and the failure of its lead single "Androgyny" to achieve high chart positions.

[8] On December 27, Rolling Stone's United States and Australian editions named Beautiful Garbage as one of their critics "Top 10 Albums of the Year".

[74] By October, due to rising tension within the band and a breakdown in communication,[75] Vig relocated to Los Angeles while Manson returned to Scotland.

[76] In January 2004 Garbage reconvened in Los Angeles with Dust Brothers' John King, drummer Matt Chamberlain, bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen,[77] and on February 6, Dave Grohl performed drums on "Bad Boyfriend".

"[84] Garbage ended their 18-month hiatus on January 31, 2007, at a benefit show in Glendale, California, organised by Vig to help pay musician Wally Ingram's medical care following treatment for throat cancer.

[85] Garbage began work on the new songs in earnest during February and March at Vig's home studio,[86] completing four tracks including "Tell Me Where It Hurts", which was released as the album's lead single.

A DVD format rounded out the package; among the fifteen Garbage music videos included was a documentary film titled "Thanks For Your, Uhhh Support" featuring backstage and behind-the-scenes footage, live performances and interviews.

[91] In an interview with Jason Tanamor, Duke stated in regard to the band reuniting after seven years, "It's kind of amazing we all happen to be in the right place at the same time.

"[92] On September 17, 2011, the band clarified that their forthcoming 11-track LP would be mixed by October 17, while another 12 songs would be finalized by the end of the year and see release as "b-sides, extra tracks and maybe one might even come your way simply as a Christmas present from Garbage as a thank you to you all for sticking around,"[93] though this did not materialize.

[94] On January 6, 2012, the band announced that they had entered Red Razor Studios in Glendale, California to record bonus material for their forthcoming album,[95] later confirming on Twitter that a further five tracks were being worked on, including the new title "What Girls Are Made Of".

[107] On January 23, 2015, Garbage confirmed on their Facebook page that they completed two new songs for Record Store Day 2015;[108] "The Chemicals", which features vocals from Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups, was released on April 18, 2015.

[117] The band recorded the album in Vig's basement[116] and at engineer Billy Bush's Red Razor Sounds studio in Los Angeles.

[123] Work was paused in the latter half of 2018, as Garbage marked the twentieth anniversary of their second album Version 2.0 (1998) with the two-month 20 Years Paranoid tour, before reconvening in Los Angeles to finish the project.

[146] In February 2023, Garbage announced their Summer 2023 co-headline North American tour with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds featuring Metric as special guests.

[147] On April 22, 2023 Garbage released the four-song 12" Witness to Your Love EP as a vinyl exclusive Record Store Day release featuring "Witness to Your Love" backed by an unreleased cover of "Cities in Dust", originally by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and two outtakes from the No Gods No Masters sessions, "Blue Betty" and "Adam and Eve".

"[20] Lindsay Zoladz of Pitchfork notes Garbage prevailed in the glory days of alternative-rock "probably because their sound was a hectic amalgamation of almost everything that mingled on the format's airwaves: electronica, punk, industrial rock, grunge, and the occasional trip-hop".

[178] Garbage has been inspired by The Velvet Underground, Iggy & The Stooges, T. Rex, Roxy Music,[179] The Pretenders,[180] Siouxsie and the Banshees,[180][181] Blondie, Cocteau Twins,[182][183][184] Patti Smith,[180] The Smashing Pumpkins and David Bowie.