The Genius, Complexity, and Legacy of Alanis Morissette

With shockingly little fanfare, one of the most important and influential albums of all time celebrated its silver anniversary last Saturday, June 13. Most acknowledge that Alanis Morissette’s Grammy-winning blockbuster “Jagged Little Pill” is a generation-defining, genre-defying masterpiece. But what many people don’t realize is that the Canadian singer-songwriter continued to gift us with sonically innovative and lyrically profound music for the next 25 years. Here, I count down the 50 greatest songs of her illustrious career.

A Brief History of Alanis Morissette

Born June 1, 1974 in Ottawa, Canada, Alanis Nadine Morissette’s entertainment career started very early. By age 7, she was already becoming a piano virtuoso and enrolled in dance classes. In junior high school she was appearing on the Canadian children’s TV series You Can’t Do That on Television. By age 14, she had recorded her first demo.

In 1991, when Alanis was only 16 years old, she released her first album (straightforwardly titled Alanis). The 10-track bubblegum pop album drew comparisons to other contemporary teen pop stars like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. It brought her moderate success in Canada, where it reached the top 40 and was certified platinum. A follow-up album, Now is the Time, came a year later and was less successful…