Milk (song) - Single Release

Single Release

"Milk" was first released as a single in Australia and New Zealand by Mushroom Records imprint label White. The single was released on October 7, 1996 on CD and cassette single and featured the Siren mix as the a-side, and was backed up with the Wicked mix, Tricky's remix and the original album version. The single coincided with the band's first live dates in both countries, which saw the release of a tour edition of the album reach #4 on the ARIA charts and #1 on the RIANZ chart. Garbage made their first televised performance on Australian television on Hey Hey It's Saturday performing the single. A second "Milk" CD single was subsequently issued to stores containing the b-side "Alien Sex Fiend", the band's own house mix of "Dog New Tricks", and remixes of "Milk", "Stupid Girl" and "Queer" by Rabbit In the Moon, Todd Terry and Danny Saber respectively. "Milk" debuted on the Australian singles chart at the start of November at #48; the single then recharted in December and peaked at #44. In New Zealand, "Milk" spent a week at #50.

The Wicked remix of "Milk" featuring Tricky impacted UK radio stations in mid-October 1996 and was A-listed by both Radio 1 and Virgin Radio. "Milk" subsequently reached #19 on the airplay chart. Mushroom pre-empted the UK release of "Milk" by issuing three limited "taster" 12" singles through HMV stores at the end of October; the actual commercial release was on November 11. Two CD singles and a limited edition 7" vinyl were distributed to stores, each featuring the Wicked mix, and with remixes of "Milk" by Massive Attack, Goldie, Tricky and Rabbit in The Moon, and remixes of "Stupid Girl" by Danny Saber and Todd Terry spread across the formats. During the week of release, Garbage won the Breakthrough award and performed "Milk" live at the MTV Europe Music Awards in London. "Milk" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #10. This was the band's second top ten hit in the United Kingdom. To mark the high position, Garbage performed a live videolink performance of the song from Atlanta for broadcast on Top of The Pops. "Milk" spent eight weeks on the UK charts; and sold over 135,000 copies.

In North America, Almo Sounds released the album version of "Milk" to Triple A radio stations and commercially on maxi-CD and maxi-cassette on November 12; both formats contained the Siren and Wicked mixes as well as a version by Rabbit In the Moon. Almo sent additional Rabbit In the Moon mixes to nightclubs from November 18. Modest airplay and single sales of "Milk" led to the song registering at #18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, a chart which shows the most popular songs in the United States that haven't yet reached the Hot 100. At the same time "Milk" was released in North America, a remix of the band's early b-side "#1 Crush" had gained considerable airplay at alternative radio stations. "#1 Crush" eventually reached #1 on the alternative charts in United States and Canada; and top forty on the airplay charts at the start of January 1997. The same week, "Milk" re-entered the Bubbling Under listing at #15 and peaked a week later at #6. "Milk" spent another six weeks declining before dropping off the chart at the end of February.

In May 1997, Mushroom Records released a set of four commercial 12" vinyl remix sets to record stores in the United Kingdom. All were packaged in black card sleeves and included mixes of "Queer", "Stupid Girl", and two of "Milk". The first "Milk" vinyl contained three remixes by Massive Attack remixes and the second contained two of Goldie's remixes..