[4] Replacing "Queer" at the last-minute as the lead-in single for the debut album, "Only Happy When It Rains" was the band's breakthrough track in the United Kingdom, receiving positive reviews from the music press and strong support from BBC Radio One.

[6] In Europe, where it was the fourth single from Garbage, it followed the success of "Stupid Girl", by reaching the top ten European Alternative Rock airplay charts over the summer of 1996.

[7] "Only Happy When It Rains" is one of Garbage's enduring works, covered by multiple artists, including Metallica, featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero 5,[8] and heard in episodes of '90s television shows such as Homicide: Life on the Street and The X-Files.

[15] Manson explained that the song was "a dig at ourselves because we like records that don't make us feel very happy, and at this so-called 'alternative' scene of 'we're so weird and more wonderful than everybody else'".

[16] Vig added that "'Only Happy When It Rains' was "about what happened with grunge and the angst-filled thing which has dominated the American alternative rock scene... With us there's self-deprecation, we have to poke fun at ourselves because we're so incredibly obsessive about the songs and the lyrics, which makes us filled with self-loathing, hurhur.

"[17] Garbage said they referenced both the title of The Jesus and Mary Chain song "Happy When It Rains" (1987) and Manson's own Scottish psyche.

[citation needed] In 2015, an early demo mix of "Only Happy When It Rains" was included as a previously unreleased bonus track on Garbage (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition).

He noted Manson's "alluring vocals" and stated that "giving the song its cool rock star vibe is the strong guitar solo in the middle.

[25] Patrick Brennan of Hot Press declared it his Single of the Fortnight, writing, "It's hugely refreshing to come across a song which celebrates all those sad moments of loneliness that can be so life affirming",.

[29] A reviewer for Music Week stated that "Shirley Manson's vocals veer between fuzzy darkness, grinding catchy and crystal brilliance.

"[30] The magazine's Leo Finlay compared the song to Mazzy Star, and that it "employs the current hip status of country music to devastating effect".

[32] Spin's Eric Weissard said the song was the only one he hated in Garbage's debut album, but reacted positively to the intro where "backward guitars produce a chiming solo.

[43] In United States, after multiple stations began playlisting "Only Happy When It Rains" from mid-December 1995,[44] Almo Sounds officially serviced the track to alternative radio at the start of January 1996.

[6][52] Garbage made their US TV debut performing "Only Happy When It Rains" on Saturday Night Special on April 27[53] as the song peaked at number 54 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.

Garbage rounded out the promotional work for the track by performing "Only Happy When It Rains" at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards on June 8.

[56] In Australia and New Zealand, Garbage's Australasian record label, White, released "Only Happy When It Rains" on May 27, 1996[57] as the follow-up to "Stupid Girl".

[6] On June 16, 1996, "Only Happy When It Rains" debuted on the ARIA singles chart and spent nine weeks in the top 100, peaking at number 80.

[60] Across Europe, Mushroom Records international distributor BMG released "Only Happy When It Rains" in two formats, a two-track card sleeve CD single with "Dog New Tricks",[61] or a four-track maxi single with "Dog New Tricks", a remix of "Stupid Girl" by Red Snapper and a remix of "Queer" by Danny Saber.

[66] The music video debuted in the United States on February 12,[67] where MTV playlisted it immediately as a "Buzz clip", thus guaranteeing it heavy rotation.

Garbage are located in a litter-strewn warehouse, where the male band members destroy vinyl records, videotape and musical instruments as Manson performs to the camera.