Single Release and Chart Performance
Initially, Mushroom Records had scheduled "Queer" to be the lead single for the UK release of the debut album Garbage, matching the single release strategy internationally. At last minute, it was decided to release "Only Happy When It Rains" upfront of the album, with "Queer" rescheduled to later in 1995. "Only Happy When It Rains" was quickly picked up by radio, and was C-listed by Radio One, and reached 47th on the airplay chart. Mushroom issued the single on a limited edition 7" vinyl, CD and cassette on September 18, 1995. All formats were backed with two new tracks specifically recorded for the single; "Girl Don't Come" and "Sleep". After its first week on-sale, "Only Happy When it Rains" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at 29th. At the end of the month, Garbage made their debut live appearance to perform the single on Top of The Pops, providing momentum for the album Garbage to debut on the album chart at 12th.
In United States, Almo Sounds first sent "Only Happy When It Rains" to alternative radio at the start of January 1996, earning much airplay in both college and alternate rock radio stations. The physical single was issued on February 20 in two formats, CD maxi and cassette single, both featuring "Girl Don't Come" and "Sleep" as b-sides. A single remix of the song was also issued to Top 40 radio on March 26 as the single escalated the pop charts. Notable live performances of "Only Happy When It Rains" included Garbage's network television debut on Saturday Night Special on April 27, and during the 1996 MTV Movie Awards. The song spent twenty weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 55th, plus nineteen weeks at the Modern Rock Tracks, peaking at 16th at the end of May, and peaked at 54th on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. The single's success also lead to a sales increase of the band's debut album, which managed to enter the Billboard 200 chart six months after its release. having sold 238,000 units at this point.
In Australia and New Zealand, Garbage's Australasian record label, White, released "Only Happy When it Rains" as the follow-up to "Stupid Girl" on May 28, 1996. The single was issued on CD single and cassette, backed with "Driving Lesson" and a house remix of album track "Dog New Tricks", both of which had been recorded by the band earlier in the year. The following week, "Only Happy When it Rains" debuted on the ARIA singles chart and spent nine weeks on the chart, peaking at 80th. A month later, the song debuted at 42nd on the New Zealand singles chart, peaking the following week at 38th.
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", 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. Following the band's performance at the Lowlands Festival, the single was a success in the Netherlands where it spent the month of September 1996 on the charts, peaking at 36th on the Single Top 100.
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