Alanis Morissette
In 1995, Alanis Morissette released Jagged Little Pill, an emotionally raw rock album driven by the furious single "You Oughta Know." It sold more than 16 million copies in the U.S. and made her the defining voice of 1990s alt-rock angst.
Child Performer
Born in Ottawa, Alanis Morissette began writing songs at nine and acting on Nickelodeon at ten. Her early Canadian albums leaned toward dance-pop before she reinvented herself.
Alt-Rock Icon
Teaming with producer Glen Ballard in Los Angeles, she channeled raw emotion into Jagged Little Pill. The 1995 album made her the defining voice of 1990s female rock angst.
Enduring Artist
She continued releasing introspective albums and earned seven Grammy Awards. In 2020 a Broadway musical built on her landmark album won two Tony Awards.
Career Timeline
- 1974Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- 1984Acts on Nickelodeon's You Can't Do That on Television
- 1991Releases dance-pop debut album Alanis
- 1994Moves to Los Angeles, meets producer Glen Ballard
- 1995Jagged Little Pill becomes a global phenomenon
- 1996Wins four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year
- 1998Releases Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
- 2002Becomes a United States citizen
- 2008Releases Flavors of Entanglement
- 2015Inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame
- 2018Jagged Little Pill musical premieres on stage
- 2020Broadway production wins two Tony Awards
Biggest Hits
- Before her rock breakthrough, she was a teen pop star in Canada, winning a Juno for most promising female vocalist.
- Jagged Little Pill became a Tony-winning Broadway musical in 2020, decades after its release.
Portrait: Justin Higuchi · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons