Alanis Morissette, The #46 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Canada and attended Immaculata High School in Grades seven and eight before finishing her education at Glebe Collegiate Institute.  

She recorded her first demo tape in Toronto, which was engineered by Rich Dodson from the group the Stampeders ("Sweet City Woman").  She signed a recording contract with MCA and released her self-titled debut album in 1991 in Canada only.  Morissette had success with the dance-pop album, which eventually went Platinum, and she opened for Vanilla Ice on tour.  

In 1992, Alanis released the album Now Is the Time also exclusively in Canada.  This album did not sell well, and her deal with MCA was complete.  Alanis met manager Scott Welch the next year, who convinced her to move to Toronto after her graduation from high school.  There, Morissette met songwriter and producer Glen Ballard, and the two collaborated on her next album.  

Welch shopped the project around, and every major label passed on it.  Maverick Records didn't, and that would be the label for one of The Top 10 Albums of the Rock Era*.  Morissette released Jagged Little Pill internationally in 1995.  Her modest goal was to make enough money to make another album, but then KROQ-FM, a giant among the modern rock radio stations, began playing the first single, "You Oughta' (sic) Know".  The accompanying video went into heavy rotation on MTV and a star was born.  The single went to #4 in Australia and #6 in the United States.

Jagged Little Pill went to #1, and "Hand In My Pocket" was chosen for the follow-up.  It reached #1 in Canada and #6 in New Zealand, but an underrated #15 in the U.S.  

While "Pocket" was underrated, the next single, "Ironic", had no such problems.  It achieved a Top 10 ranking in every major market except the U.K., where it was #11.  It hit #1 in Canada, #3 in Australia and New Zealand and #4 in the United States.  "Ironic" was nominated for two Grammys--Record of the Year and Best Music Video, Short Form.  The video garnered significant attention at the MTV Video Music Awards as well, with Morissette winning for Best New Artist and Best Female Video, and being nominated for Video of the Year and Viewer's Choice Award.

These singles led the album to remain on the Album chart for over a year.  But Morissette wasn't done with the album.  Not by a long shot.  "You Learn" was next, which reached #1 in Canada and #6 in the U.S.

Morissette embarked on an 18-month world tour in support of the album, initially in small clubs but, as the album took off into the stratosphere, ending in large venues.  Jagged Little Pill went on to sell 16 million copies in the United States alone and 33 throughout the world and become the #6 Album of the Rock Era*.  The next single was "Head Over Feet", her third straight #1 in her native Canada, and a #7 song in the U.K.

Alanis won American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Pop Rock Female Artist.  With an album of this caliber, there's much more than the singles, although those five give you an idea.  But no review of Morissette's career would be complete without featuring two additional songs from Jagged Little Pill.  This is "Not The Doctor".

Morissette won Album of the Year, Best Rock Album, and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song (both for "You Oughta' (sic) Know") at the Grammy Awards.  The video Jagged Little Pill, Live won the Grammy for Best Music Video, Long Form.  Morissette was also nominated for Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "You Oughta' (sic) Know".  Another outstanding track on the album is "Mary Jane".

Alanis recorded "Uninvited" for the soundtrack to the great movie City of Angels.  Although the song was not released as a single, it reached #7 in Canada and received widespread radio airplay in the U.S.  "Uninvited" was honored at the Grammys, winning Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.  It was also nominated for an Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.

Alanis provided guest vocals for Ringo Starr and the Dave Matthews Band on their albums.  Later in the year, Morissette released her follow-up album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.  The album debuted at number one and sold 469,000 copies its first week, a record at the time, for the highest first-week album sales for a female artist.  The only single released internationally, "Thank U (sic)", reached #1 in Canada, #2 in New Zealand and #5 in the U.K..  It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

In 2001, Morissette performed "So Pure" at Woodstock '99, and was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

The following year, Alanis released her fifth album, Under Rug Swept.  It too debuted at #1 and sold over one million copies in the U.S.  "Hands Clean" went to the top in Canada and New Zealand and hit #5 in Switzerland.

Morissette has released three albums since, and has continued to do well in her native Canada, but success has been mostly limited there.  

Morissette has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards.  She has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.