{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Absolute Collection | type = Greatest Hits | artist = Garbage | cover = The Absolute Collection.png | alt = | released = {{start date|2012|11|02}} | recorded = 1994–2012<br>Madison, Wisconsin,<br/>Los Angeles, and Silverlake, California | venue = | studio = | genre = {{flatlist| * Alternative rock * electronica }} | length = | label = {{flatlist| * Liberation Music * Stunvolume }} | producer = Garbage | prev_title = Not Your Kind of People | prev_year = 2012 | next_title = Strange Little Birds | next_year = 2016 }}

'''''The Absolute Collection''''' is the second greatest hits album by American-Scottish alternative rock band Garbage. It was released in Australia and New Zealand on November 2, 2012 on their own label Stunvolume, via Liberation Music,<ref name="TAC">{{cite web|url=http://moshroom.com.au/2012/11/02/album-bio-garbage-the-absolute-collection-out-2-november-2012-liberator/|title=ALBUM BIO: Garbage – The Absolute Collection (out 2 November 2012) Liberator|publisher=Mushroom Group Promotions|accessdate=2012-12-03|archive-date=January 15, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115013503/http://moshroom.com.au/2012/11/02/album-bio-garbage-the-absolute-collection-out-2-november-2012-liberator/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and supersedes the band's previous major label compilation, ''Absolute Garbage''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garbage.com/news/news.php?id=116|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716201030/http://garbage.com/news/news.php?id=116|archivedate=2011-07-16|title=Greatest Hits Album coming soon!|publisher=Garbage.com|accessdate=2012-12-03}}</ref> The album was released in advance of the band's 2013 tour dates throughout both countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moshroom.com.au/2012/11/22/garbage-announce-new-zealand-tour-february-2013/#more-12435|title=Garbage announce NEW ZEALAND tour February 2013!|publisher=Mushroom Group Promotions|accessdate=2012-12-03}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

The collection compiles a run of singles from the band's career, including the band's three Australian top twenty hits "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)", "Breaking Up the Girl" and "Why Do You Love Me". It followed the release of their fifth studio album, ''Not Your Kind of People'', which reached the top ten earlier in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue1160.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120615140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20120616-0000/Issue1160.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-06-15|title=The ARIA Report (May 21, 2012)|publisher=ARIA|accessdate=2012-12-03}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ''The Absolute Collection'' charted at #88<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue1186.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20121204015700/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20121204-1257/Issue1186.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-12-04|title=The ARIA Report (Nov 19, 2012)|publisher=ARIA|accessdate=2012-12-03}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> for a single week on the ARIA Charts.<ref name="aualbum"/>

In 2015, ''The Absolute Collection'' was remastered for iTunes. On this re-release, "#1 Crush" was replaced with the original version from ''Garbage: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition''.<ref name="remastered"/>

==Album package== ''The Absolute Collection'' track listing differs from 2007's worldwide release ''Absolute Garbage'': it is not chronologically sequenced and the single inclusions favour towards the latter half of the band's career.<ref name="TAC"/> Unlike the earlier compilation, ''The Absolute Collection'' includes both "Androgyny" and "Breaking Up the Girl", which reached #21 and #19<ref name=ARIABUTG>{{cite book|title=ARIA Report; Issue #636|date=2002-05-06|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue636.pdf|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020514140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020515-0000/www.aria.com.au/Issue636.pdf|archivedate=2002-05-14}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> on the Australian singles chart respectively; inversely, it omits both "You Look So Fine" and the band's James Bond theme, "The World Is Not Enough".<ref name="TAC"/> Both singles failed to chart in either Australia<ref>{{cite web |url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Garbage&titel=Androgyny&cat=s |title="Androgyny" - Garbage |publisher=AustralianCharts.com |accessdate=2011-01-02}}</ref> or New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Garbage&titel=Androgyny&cat=s |title="Androgyny" - Garbage |publisher=charts.nz |accessdate=2011-01-02}}</ref> ''The Absolute Collection'' also includes "Supervixen", a cut from the band's debut album, and their most recent single releases, "Blood for Poppies" and "Big Bright World", both from 2012's ''Not Your Kind of People''.

In place of an extended bio, the band compiled a thanks list for the album booklet, while the album artwork was designed by Ryan Corey for Smog Design, from artwork created for the ''Not Your Kind of People'' booklet with a group shot image photographed by Paul Scala. The booklet also compiled a number of promotional photographs of the group taken over the course of their career by Stéphane Sednaoui, Ellen von Unwerth, Rankin, Autumn de Wilde, Warwick Saint and Joseph Cultice.

==Track listing== {{track listing |headline=''The Absolute Collection'' track listing | all_writing =Garbage, except where noted | title1=Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)|length1=3:13|note1=from ''Beautiful Garbage'' | title2=Stupid Girl|length2=4:18|note2=from ''Garbage'' | title3=Androgyny|length3=3:11|note3=from ''Beautiful Garbage'' | title4=I Think I'm Paranoid|length4=3:39|note4=from ''Version 2.0'' | title5=Vow| length5=4:32|note5=from ''Garbage'' | title6=Bleed Like Me|length6=4:01|note6=from ''Bleed Like Me'' | title7=Supervixen|length7= 3:56|note7=from ''Garbage'' | title8=Blood for Poppies|length8= 3:24|note8=from ''Not Your Kind of People'' | title9=When I Grow Up|length9= 3:24|note9=from ''Version 2.0'' | title10=Why Do You Love Me|length10=3:53|note10=from ''Bleed Like Me'' | title11=Big Bright World|length11= 3:24|note11=from ''Not Your Kind of People'' | title12=Special|length12= 3:47|note12=from ''Version 2.0'' | title13=Only Happy When It Rains|length13=3:47|note13=from ''Garbage'' | title14=Shut Your Mouth|length14=3:27|note14=from ''Beautiful Garbage'' | title15=Queer|length15=4:37|note15=from ''Garbage'' | title16=Tell Me Where It Hurts|length16=4:10|note16=from ''Absolute Garbage'' | title17=Breaking Up the Girl|length17=3:33|note17=from ''Beautiful Garbage'' | title18=Milk|length18=3:50|note18=from ''Garbage'' | title19=Push It|length19= 4:03|note19=from ''Version 2.0'' |title20=#1 Crush|length20=4:45|note20=from the ''Romeo + Juliet'' soundtrack}}

==Release history== {| class="wikitable" |+Release formats for ''The Absolute Collection'' |- !scope="col"| Date !scope="col"| Territory ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"|Format(s) |- | rowspan="2"|November 2, 2012 | Australia<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-absolute-collection/id567429343|title=The Absolute Collection| publisher=iTunes (Australian store)|accessdate=2012-12-03}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | ROWSPAN="3"|{{flatlist| * Liberation Music * Stunvolume }} | ROWSPAN="2"|{{flatlist| * CD * digital download }} |- | New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/the-absolute-collection/id567429343|title=The Absolute Collection| publisher=iTunes (New Zealand store)|accessdate=2012-12-03}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |October 2, 2015 |Australia and New Zealand |Digital download (remastered)<ref name="remastered">{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/absolute-collection-remastered/1041857769|title=The Absolute Collection (Remastered)| publisher=iTunes (Australian store)|access-date=2015-10-18}}</ref> |}

==Charts== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+Weekly chart performance for ''The Absolute Collection'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2012) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref name="aualbum">{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue1185.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20121113051100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20121113-1611/Issue1185.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-11-13|title=The ARIA Report (Nov 12, 2012)|publisher=ARIA|accessdate=2012-11-17}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | align="center"| 88 |}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *[http://www.garbage.com Garbage official website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131015102107/http://www.garbage-discography.co.uk/miscellaneous-releases/not-your-kind-of-people/australia-new-zealand-lib145cd-commercial-cd-absolute-collection/ ''The Absolute Collection''] at Garbage-Discography.co.uk

{{Garbage}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Absolute Collection}} Category:2012 greatest hits albums Category:Liberation Music compilation albums Category:Garbage (band) compilation albums