Butch Vig
Encyclopedia
Butch Vig is an American
musician
and record producer
, best known internationally as the drummer
of the Madison, Wisconsin
-based alternative rock
band Garbage
and the producer of multi-platinum
selling album Nevermind
by Nirvana
.
Now a resident of the Silverlake district of Los Angeles
, Vig had been based in Madison for much of his career, from studying at the University of Wisconsin
, to performing in local bands Spooner and Fire Town, and then to setting up his own recording studio
, Smart Studios
, in the town. After becoming well known as a producer, he returned to performing with Garbage, who sold 17 million records over a ten-year period. Vig returned to producing full-time once Garbage was put on hiatus.
Vig is married to his second wife, Beth Halper, a former DreamWorks
A & R executive, and they have a daughter, Bo Violet.
, Wisconsin
. Vig has two siblings, Chris and Lisa. Vig acquired the nickname Butch as a child, due to the severe crew cut his father gave him. Vig studied piano
for six years. After seeing The Who
perform on The Smothers Brothers, he swapped his piano for a $60 drum kit
.
Moving to Madison, Vig enrolled at the University of Wisconsin to study film direction, where he first met Steve Marker
. Vig contributed several soundtrack pieces to low-budget films, including one song on Slumber Party Massacre, a Hollywood B-movie
. While in Madison, Vig joined a number of garage pop bands, including Eclipse, and in 1978 formed Spooner with Duke Erikson
, Dave Benton, Jeff Walker and Joel Tappero. Spooner founded their own label, Boat Records to issue their own recordings, including their 1979 debut EP
, "Cruel School", and releases for around twenty local acts.
In 1984, Vig and Marker founded Smart Studios in Madison, while still performing drums in Spooner at night and driving a taxi cab during the day. When Spooner lost momentum, Vig formed a band called First Person with Marker and Phil Davis and a side-project called Fire Town
featuring Davis and Erikson. Fire Town quickly became Vig's priority, and after their first album were signed to Atlantic Records
. Atlantic hired producer Michael Fondelli to work with Fire Town on their second album. While the sessions did not do well, and the resulting record sank, Vig learned a lot of production techniques from the process. Fire Town split, and Vig reformed Spooner for a final album before Vig's production work became a full-time career for him.
' Gish
and Nirvana
's Nevermind
. Vig incorporated overdubs
and vocal doubletracking, whereas Nirvana's previous album, Bleach
(produced by Jack Endino
) had a more "lo-fi" sound. Kurt Cobain
originally refused to double-track his vocals and guitars but Vig reportedly got him to comply by saying "John Lennon
double-tracked". Cobain would later criticize Vig for the album's slickness, although this might be due to Andy Wallace
's mixing of the album. Cobain said that "Butch Vig...recorded the album perfectly," in a 1993 MTV
interview. Billy Corgan
welcomed Vig's elaborate production on The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream
. This album met with great commercial and critical reception, also breaking another indie band into the mainstream. Vig also produced two critically lauded Sonic Youth
's albums, 1992's Dirty and 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
.
Vig worked with Jimmy Eat World
on their sixth album, Chase This Light
, released in October 2007. He is also working on soundtrack
s for two new movies
. His first production for an English band was 2008's All or Nothing
by The Subways
. He also worked with Tom Gabel of Against Me!
on his solo EP, 'Heart Burns'. Shirley Manson
, lead singer of Garbage, revealed in a Carson Daly
interview that Vig would be producing the 8th studio album by Green Day
, 2009's 21st Century Breakdown
, which later won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Album. Recently, Vig has been partnered in duties by his engineer and mixer Billy Bush
who also worked on Garbage's albums and live tours.
Butch Vig composed and produced the soundtrack for the film The Other Side
.
In 2009 Vig recorded two new tracks for the long awaited greatest hits release by the Foo Fighters
, most notably the single "Wheels" and ultimately produced their April 2011 follow-up, Wasting Light
.
In 2010 Vig produced the latest Muse
single, Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
which was featured on the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
.
in 1995–1996, including "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains
". Their debut album, Garbage
, was an unexpected smash
, selling over 4 million copies and certified double platinum
in the UK, US and Australia
. Garbage won the Breakthrough Artist award at the 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards
.
Garbage
spent two years working on follow-up album, Version 2.0
, which topped the charts in the UK
upon its 1998 release and the following year was nominated for two Grammy Award
s, Album of the Year
and Best Rock Album
. Version 2.0 went on to match the sales of its predecessor. Garbage followed this up by performing and co-producing the theme song
to the nineteenth James Bond
movie The World Is Not Enough
.
Despite being named one of Rolling Stone
s Top 10 Albums of The Year, Garbage's 2001 third album Beautiful Garbage failed to match the commercial success achieved by its predecessors. Garbage quietly disbanded in late 2003, but regrouped to complete fourth album Bleed Like Me
in 2005, peaking at a career-high #4 in the U.S. The band cut short their concert tour in support of Bleed Like Me announcing an "indefinite hiatus", emphasizing that they had not broken up, but wished to pursue personal interests. In 2006, Vig returned to producing while Manson worked on a solo album
(as yet unreleased). Garbage ended their hiatus in 2007, and released greatest hits
retrospective Absolute Garbage
. Worldwide, the band have sold over 17 million albums.
The band began work and recording their fifth studio album in 2010, and have confirmed that they will tour in 2011 in support of the album.
Fire Town
Garbage
(1995) Version 2.0
(1998) Beautiful Garbage (2001) Bleed Like Me
(2005)
1984: Killdozer
- Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite
1985: The Other Kids - Living In The Mirror
1985: Killdozer - 12 Point Buck
1985: Killdozer - Snakeboy
1985: Laughing Hyenas- Come Down to the Merry Go Round
1987: The Other Kids - Happy Home
1987: Killdozer - Little Baby Buntin
1988: Die Kreuzen - Century Days
1988: The Cheeters - Sign of Fire
1989: Killdozer - For Ladies Only
1989: Laughing Hyenas- You Can't Pray a Lie
1989: Stuart Stotts - Music in My Mother's House
1990: Urge Overkill
- Americruiser
1990: King Snake Roost
- Ground into Dirt
1990: Laughing Hyenas
- Life of Crime
1990: The Fluid
- Glue
1991: The Fluid - Spot the Loon
1991: The Smashing Pumpkins
- Gish
1991: Nirvana
- Nevermind
1991: Tad - 8-Way Santa
1991: Young Fresh Fellows
- Electric Bird Digest
1991: Overwhelming Colorfast - Overwhelming Colorfast
1991: Die Kreuzen - Cement
1992: Sonic Youth
- Dirty
1992: L7
- Bricks Are Heavy
1992: Chainsaw Kittens
- Flipped Out in Singapore
1992: Drain - Pick Up Heaven
1992: Gumball - Wisconsin Hayride
1993: Gumball - Super Tasty
Remix work
Butch Vig has remixed songs for the following artists: Against Me!, Ash
, Beck
, The Cult
, Depeche Mode
, EMF
, Fun Lovin' Criminals
, House of Pain
, Korn
, Limp Bizkit
, Alanis Morissette
, Nine Inch Nails
, Michael Penn
, Galexia, M.O.P, U2
as well as his own band Garbage.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, best known internationally as the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of the Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
-based alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
and the producer of multi-platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
selling album Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
.
Now a resident of the Silverlake district of Los Angeles
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
, Vig had been based in Madison for much of his career, from studying at the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
, to performing in local bands Spooner and Fire Town, and then to setting up his own recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, Smart Studios
Smart Studios
Smart Studios was a recording studio located at 1254 E Washington Ave in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands....
, in the town. After becoming well known as a producer, he returned to performing with Garbage, who sold 17 million records over a ten-year period. Vig returned to producing full-time once Garbage was put on hiatus.
Vig is married to his second wife, Beth Halper, a former DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
A & R executive, and they have a daughter, Bo Violet.
Early life
Butch Vig was born Bryan David Vig to Dr. DeVerne and Betty Vig, a music teacher, in ViroquaViroqua, Wisconsin
Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,079 at the 2010 census. The city is located within the Town of Viroqua.-History:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Vig has two siblings, Chris and Lisa. Vig acquired the nickname Butch as a child, due to the severe crew cut his father gave him. Vig studied piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
for six years. After seeing The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
perform on The Smothers Brothers, he swapped his piano for a $60 drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
.
Moving to Madison, Vig enrolled at the University of Wisconsin to study film direction, where he first met Steve Marker
Steve Marker
Steve Marker is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the guitarist of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage.-Early life:...
. Vig contributed several soundtrack pieces to low-budget films, including one song on Slumber Party Massacre, a Hollywood B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
. While in Madison, Vig joined a number of garage pop bands, including Eclipse, and in 1978 formed Spooner with Duke Erikson
Duke Erikson
Douglas Elwin Erickson , better known as Duke Erikson, is a founding member of the band Garbage. At 16 years old he formed his first band, The British. Erickson studied art history, and financed his studies with numerous jobs such as carpenter or truck driver...
, Dave Benton, Jeff Walker and Joel Tappero. Spooner founded their own label, Boat Records to issue their own recordings, including their 1979 debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "Cruel School", and releases for around twenty local acts.
In 1984, Vig and Marker founded Smart Studios in Madison, while still performing drums in Spooner at night and driving a taxi cab during the day. When Spooner lost momentum, Vig formed a band called First Person with Marker and Phil Davis and a side-project called Fire Town
Fire Town
Fire Town was a garage-rock band formed in the mid-1980s in Madison, Wisconsin, from the remnants of an earlier popular local group, Spooner. Fire Town were signed to a major label and published two albums, In the Heart of the Heart Country and The Good Life...
featuring Davis and Erikson. Fire Town quickly became Vig's priority, and after their first album were signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Atlantic hired producer Michael Fondelli to work with Fire Town on their second album. While the sessions did not do well, and the resulting record sank, Vig learned a lot of production techniques from the process. Fire Town split, and Vig reformed Spooner for a final album before Vig's production work became a full-time career for him.
Production career
Vig's first high-profile production work was in 1991, when he produced The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
' Gish
Gish
Gish is the debut album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released in May 1991 through Caroline Records. Frontman Billy Corgan described Gish as a "very spiritual album"...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
. Vig incorporated overdubs
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
and vocal doubletracking, whereas Nirvana's previous album, Bleach
Bleach (album)
Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
(produced by Jack Endino
Jack Endino
Jack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
) had a more "lo-fi" sound. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
originally refused to double-track his vocals and guitars but Vig reportedly got him to comply by saying "John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
double-tracked". Cobain would later criticize Vig for the album's slickness, although this might be due to Andy Wallace
Andy Wallace (producer)
Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
's mixing of the album. Cobain said that "Butch Vig...recorded the album perfectly," in a 1993 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
interview. Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
welcomed Vig's elaborate production on The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream is the second album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993 on Virgin Records. The album fused diverse influences such as shoegazing, dream pop, grunge, classic rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock.Despite recording sessions fraught...
. This album met with great commercial and critical reception, also breaking another indie band into the mainstream. Vig also produced two critically lauded Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
's albums, 1992's Dirty and 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is the eighth album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in May 1994. The album includes one of the group's biggest hits, "Bull in the Heather"...
.
Vig worked with Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
on their sixth album, Chase This Light
Chase This Light
-Bonus tracks:* "Be Sensible" – 5:04* "Distraction" – 2:58* "Open Bar Reception" – 3:55...
, released in October 2007. He is also working on soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s for two new movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. His first production for an English band was 2008's All or Nothing
All or Nothing (The Subways album)
All or Nothing is the second studio album by English trio The Subways and was released on 30 June 2008. Recorded in Conway Studios in Los Angeles by producer Butch Vig, the album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Girls & Boys", released 27 March 2008, and available as a free download,...
by The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
. He also worked with Tom Gabel of Against Me!
Against Me!
Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...
on his solo EP, 'Heart Burns'. Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...
, lead singer of Garbage, revealed in a Carson Daly
Carson Daly
Carson Jones Daly is an American television host. He is the host of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, a late-night talk show that began airing on January 7, 2002. Before his role as host of that program, Daly was a VJ on MTV's TRL, and a DJ for the Southern California based radio station KROQ-FM...
interview that Vig would be producing the 8th studio album by Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, 2009's 21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006...
, which later won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Album. Recently, Vig has been partnered in duties by his engineer and mixer Billy Bush
Billy Bush (producer)
Billy Bush is an American musician, audio engineer and record producer, best known as the sound engineer and live tech for the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the co-producer of albums Help Wanted by Eric Avery and Heart Burns by Tom Gabel.Bush was hired by Garbage in...
who also worked on Garbage's albums and live tours.
Butch Vig composed and produced the soundtrack for the film The Other Side
The Other Side (2010 film)
The Other Side is an upcoming comedy-drama film. The film is the directorial debut of writer David Michaels, who co-wrote the script with Phil Reeves...
.
In 2009 Vig recorded two new tracks for the long awaited greatest hits release by the Foo Fighters
Greatest Hits (Foo Fighters album)
-DVD:At the main menu, there is bullet hole that you can click, and shows Dave Grohl performing "Home" on the piano.-Personnel:...
, most notably the single "Wheels" and ultimately produced their April 2011 follow-up, Wasting Light
Wasting Light
Wasting Light is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, released April 12, 2011, on RCA Records. It was produced by Butch Vig and described by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Grohl as their "heaviest album yet." The title is taken from the lyrics of the...
.
In 2010 Vig produced the latest Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
single, Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
"Neutron Star Collision " is a song by the English alternative rock band Muse, featured on the soundtrack to the 2010 film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Recorded by the band in 2010, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 17 May 2010...
which was featured on the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...
.
Garbage
The band has counted worldwide album sales of over 17 million units. Garbage released a string of increasingly successful singlesSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1995–1996, including "Stupid Girl" and "Only Happy When It Rains
Only Happy When It Rains
"Only Happy When It Rains" was a single written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage at their own recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin...
". Their debut album, Garbage
Garbage (album)
Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
, was an unexpected smash
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
, selling over 4 million copies and certified double platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the UK, US and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Garbage won the Breakthrough Artist award at the 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
.
Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
spent two years working on follow-up album, Version 2.0
Version 2.0
Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
, which topped the charts in the UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
upon its 1998 release and the following year was nominated for two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
and Best Rock Album
Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre...
. Version 2.0 went on to match the sales of its predecessor. Garbage followed this up by performing and co-producing the theme song
The World is Not Enough (song)
"The World Is Not Enough" is a 1999 orchestral rock song performed by alternative rock group Garbage, and was the theme single of the James Bond film of the same name. The song and accompanying soundtrack were released internationally by Radioactive Records as the feature film premiered in theaters...
to the nineteenth James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
.
Despite being named one of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s Top 10 Albums of The Year, Garbage's 2001 third album Beautiful Garbage failed to match the commercial success achieved by its predecessors. Garbage quietly disbanded in late 2003, but regrouped to complete fourth album Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
in 2005, peaking at a career-high #4 in the U.S. The band cut short their concert tour in support of Bleed Like Me announcing an "indefinite hiatus", emphasizing that they had not broken up, but wished to pursue personal interests. In 2006, Vig returned to producing while Manson worked on a solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
(as yet unreleased). Garbage ended their hiatus in 2007, and released greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
retrospective Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage is the 2007 greatest hits album released by alternative rock group Garbage. The album was compiled and released by Geffen imprint Almo Sounds through Universal Music Enterprises backcatalogue division in North America and Warner Music's record label A&E Records throughout the rest...
. Worldwide, the band have sold over 17 million albums.
The band began work and recording their fifth studio album in 2010, and have confirmed that they will tour in 2011 in support of the album.
Discography
SpoonerFire Town
Garbage
Garbage (album)
Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
(1995) Version 2.0
Version 2.0
Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
(1998) Beautiful Garbage (2001) Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
(2005)
Production career
- 1982: Die KreuzenDie KreuzenDie Kreuzen was a rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin which was formed in 1981. The name is broken German for "the crosses", and was picked up by the band from a German Bible...
-
Killdozer (band)
Killdozer was an American noise-rock band, formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1983, with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album,...
-
Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite
Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite is the debut album from the band Killdozer released in 1984 by Touch & Go Records.- Side A :#"Man of Meat" – 2:13#"Pile Driver" – 3:52#"Parade" – 2:15#"Farmer Johnson" – 4:32- Side B :...
Snake Boy
Snakeboy is the sophomore LP from the band Killdozer. Fan favorites such as "King of Sex" and the cover version of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" make their appearance on this release...
Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill is an alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, United States, consisting of Nash Kato , and Eddie "King" Roeser . Their cover of Neil Diamond's song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" appeared prominently in the movie Pulp Fiction, and became a hit in 1994...
- Americruiser
King Snake Roost
King Snake Roost were one of a number of Australian and International guitar-based bands who emerged from within the punk rock and post-punk scene of the mid 1980s that came to be defined as noise rock. King Snake Roost formed in 1985 in Adelaide and in 1987 the band moved to Sydney. The band...
- Ground into Dirt
Laughing Hyenas
Laughing Hyenas was an American rock band that existed from 1985 to 1995. They formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan and were initially made up of former members of Negative Approach , L-Seven , plus Kevin Strickland and Jim Kimball...
- Life of Crime
Life of Crime (album)
-Personnel:Laughing Hyenas*John Brannon – vocals*Jim Kimball – drums*Kevin Strickland – bass guitar*Larissa Strickland – guitarAdditional musicians and production*Laughing Hyenas – production*Butch Vig – production...
The Fluid
The Fluid was an American rock band from Denver, formed in 1984 who disbanded in 1993, but reconvened in 2008.-History:The Fluid were originally called Madhouse. After early 1980s Denver punk band Frantix broke, up bassist Matt Bischoff, drummer Garrett Shavlik and guitarist James Clower began...
- Glue
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
- Gish
Gish
Gish is the debut album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released in May 1991 through Caroline Records. Frontman Billy Corgan described Gish as a "very spiritual album"...
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
Young Fresh Fellows
The Young Fresh Fellows are an American alternative rock group that was formed in 1981 in Seattle, Washington, by Scott McCaughey and Chuck Carroll; Tad Hutchison, Chuck Carroll's first cousin, joined for the recording of the group's debut album in 1983....
- Electric Bird Digest
Electric Bird Digest
Electric Bird Digest is the sixth proper full-length album by rock band Young Fresh Fellows. It was the last Young Fresh Fellows album released by Frontier Records, and was originally issued in 1991...
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
- Dirty
L7 (band)
L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...
- Bricks Are Heavy
Bricks Are Heavy
Bricks Are Heavy is the third album by the Los Angeles band L7, released in April 1992 through Slash Records. Backed by the single "Pretend We're Dead", the album became a breakthrough hit and the band became the "poster girls" of grunge music....
Chainsaw Kittens
The Chainsaw Kittens were a part of the American alternative rock scene, drawing from pop, glam rock, punk, new wave and British Invasion music. Their lyrics tackled such varied topics as religion, the Stonewall Riots, Federico Fellini, Oklahoma, Erik Menendez, and Oscar Wilde.Based in Norman,...
- Flipped Out in Singapore
Flipped Out in Singapore
Flipped Out in Singapore is the second album by the band Chainsaw Kittens, released in 1992.-Recording:Flipped Out in Singapore was produced by Butch Vig at Smart Studios in Madison, Wis. in 1992...
- 1993: Gumball - The Damage Done
- 1993: Crash Vegas - Stone
- 1993: The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese DreamSiamese DreamSiamese Dream is the second album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993 on Virgin Records. The album fused diverse influences such as shoegazing, dream pop, grunge, classic rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock.Despite recording sessions fraught...
- 1993: GumballGumball (band)Gumball was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1990. The original lineup consisted of Don Fleming , Eric Vermillion , and Jay Spiegel . In 1992, a fourth member was added, Malcolm Riviera who had previously played with Fleming and Spiegel in the Velvet Monkeys.-History:After Fleming...
- Real Gone Deal - 1994: Sonic Youth - Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No StarExperimental Jet Set, Trash and No StarExperimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is the eighth album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in May 1994. The album includes one of the group's biggest hits, "Bull in the Heather"...
- 1994: HelmetHelmet (band)Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
- Betty - 1994: Freedy JohnstonFreedy JohnstonFreedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
- This Perfect World - 1994: KilldozerKilldozer (band)Killdozer was an American noise-rock band, formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1983, with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album,...
- Uncompromising War on Art Under... - 1995: Soul AsylumSoul AsylumSoul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
- Let Your Dim Light ShineLet Your Dim Light ShineLet Your Dim Light Shine is an album from 1995 from the band Soul Asylum. Critically, it suffered in comparison to its predecessor, Grave Dancers Union, the band's breakout release... - 1995: GarbageGarbage (band)Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
- GarbageGarbage (album)Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a... - 1997: The And - Day
- 1997: The And - And Night
- 1998: Garbage - Version 2.0Version 2.0Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
- 2001: Garbage - Beautiful Garbage
- 2003: AFIAFI (band)AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
- Sing the SorrowSing the SorrowSing the Sorrow is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on March 11, 2003 through DreamWorks Records. It debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Platinum in December 2004 by the RIAA. The album was supported by three singles, "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving... - 2005: Garbage - Bleed Like MeBleed Like MeBleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
- 2006: Kilroy - LP
- 2007: Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
- Chase This LightChase This Light-Bonus tracks:* "Be Sensible" – 5:04* "Distraction" – 2:58* "Open Bar Reception" – 3:55... - 2007: Against Me!Against Me!Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...
- New WaveNew Wave (Against Me! album)New Wave is Against Me!'s fourth full-length studio album and their debut album on Sire Records. Produced by Butch Vig of Nevermind fame, it was released on July 10, 2007. The album debuted at #57 on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release. The album's first single, "White People for Peace",... - 2008: The SubwaysThe SubwaysThe Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
- All or NothingAll or Nothing (The Subways album)All or Nothing is the second studio album by English trio The Subways and was released on 30 June 2008. Recorded in Conway Studios in Los Angeles by producer Butch Vig, the album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Girls & Boys", released 27 March 2008, and available as a free download,... - 2008: Tom GabelTom GabelThomas James "Tom" Gabel is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and a guitarist for Gainesville, Florida punk rock band Against Me!, as well as a solo artist. He was born on Fort Benning, Georgia a US Army post, where his father was stationed. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and formed Against...
- Heart BurnsHeart BurnsHeart Burns is the debut solo EP by Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel. It was released October 28, 2008 on Sire Records.- Track listing :- Bonus tracks :-Personnel:* Chuck Ragan – Background vocals and harmonica on "Anna Is a Stool Pigeon"... - 2009: Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
- 21st Century Breakdown21st Century Breakdown21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006... - 2009: Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
- Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Foo Fighters album)-DVD:At the main menu, there is bullet hole that you can click, and shows Dave Grohl performing "Home" on the piano.-Personnel:... - 2010: Against Me! - White CrossesWhite Crosses (album)White Crosses received generally favourable critical acclaim, despite being leaked three months before its retail release date. The album was mainly praised for its success in merging Against Me!'s long-time punk rock style with, according to critics, a new found ethos of "arena-" or "radio rock",...
- 2010: MuseMuse (band)Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
- "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)"Neutron Star Collision " is a song by the English alternative rock band Muse, featured on the soundtrack to the 2010 film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Recorded by the band in 2010, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 17 May 2010...
" - 2010: Never Shout Never - HarmonyHarmony (Never Shout Never album)Harmony is the second studio album by Never Shout Never and was released August 24, 2010. The packaging of the CD comes with flower seeds with planting instructions "so you can get involved and make the world a more beautiful place!" The album was streamed on his MySpace on August 22, 2010...
- 2011: Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
- Wasting LightWasting LightWasting Light is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, released April 12, 2011, on RCA Records. It was produced by Butch Vig and described by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Grohl as their "heaviest album yet." The title is taken from the lyrics of the... - 2011: GarbageGarbage (band)Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
- TBA - 2011: Galexia - The Generic Rock Album
Remix work
Butch Vig has remixed songs for the following artists: Against Me!, Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, EMF
EMF (band)
EMF were an indie dance band from the United Kingdom. The band, from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, came to prominence at the beginning of the 1990s. During its initial eight year run , EMF had released three studio albums and had gone on hiatus and reformed twice...
, Fun Lovin' Criminals
Fun Lovin' Criminals
The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
, House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
, Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Michael Penn
Michael Penn
Michael Penn is an American singer, songwriter and composer. He is the eldest son of actor/director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan, and the brother of actors Sean Penn and the late Chris Penn.-Career:...
, Galexia, M.O.P, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
as well as his own band Garbage.
External links
- Official website Garbage