When it was first released independently, "Loser" began receiving airplay on various modern rock stations, and the song's popularity eventually led to a major-label record deal with Geffen Records-subsidiary DGC Records. After the song's re-release under DGC, the song peaked at number 10 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 in April 1994, becoming Beck's first single to hit a major chart. The song performed well internationally, reaching number one in Norway and the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. The song was subsequently released on the 1994 album "Mellow Gold".