Jagged Little Pill

For other uses, see Jagged Little Pill (disambiguation).

Jagged Little Pill
Studio album by
Alanis Morissette
ReleasedJune 13, 1995
Recorded1994–1995[1]
Studio
Genre
Length57:23
Label
ProducerGlen Ballard
Alanis Morissette chronology
Now Is the Time
(1992) 		Jagged Little Pill
(1995) 		Space Cakes
(1995)
Singles from Jagged Little Pill
  1. "You Oughta Know"
    Released: July 6, 1995[3]
  2. "You Learn"
    Released: September 25, 1995[4]
  3. "Hand in My Pocket"
    Released: October 16, 1995[5]
  4. "Ironic"
    Released: February 27, 1996[3]
  5. "Head over Feet"
    Released: July 22, 1996[6]
  6. "All I Really Want"
    Released: November 25, 1996[7] (Europe and Australia)

Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick on June 13, 1995. Recorded in Hollywood at Westlake with production by Glen Ballard, it is Morissette's first album to be released worldwide. It marks a significant stylistic departure from dance-pop sound of her first two efforts, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). She began work on the album after moving from her hometown Ottawa to Los Angeles, where she met Ballard. The pair had an instant connection and began co-writing and experimenting with sounds. The experimentation resulted in an alternative rock album that takes influence from post-grunge and pop rock, and features guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and harmonica. The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst.[8] The title of the album is taken from a line in the first verse of the song "You Learn".

Jagged Little Pill received positive reviews from critics, who praised its music and Morissette's lyrics and vocals. It received nine Grammy Award nominations, of which it won five: Album of the Year, making her the youngest artist to win the award at the time; Best Rock Album; Best Female Rock Vocal Performance ("You Oughta Know"); Best Rock Song ("You Oughta Know"); and Best Long Form Music Video. It was certified ten times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), seventeen times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and double diamond by Music Canada, making Morissette the first Canadian artist to achieve double diamond.[9] With combined sales of over 33 million copies worldwide, Jagged Little Pill is one of the best-selling albums of all time. It has been included on several all-time lists, such as those of Apple Music, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Rolling Stone.

The album has been re-released twice: on October 30, 2015, in a two-disc deluxe edition and a four-disc collector's edition commemorating its 20th anniversary; and on June 26, 2020, in a 25th anniversary deluxe edition. An acoustic re-recording of the album was released on June 13, 2005, to mark its 10th anniversary. It inspired a musical stage production, which premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge on May 5, 2018; it transferred to Broadway the following year, and was nominated for 15 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.[10] A world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill began in early 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12][13]

  1. ^ Fournier, Karen (January 16, 2015). The Words and Music of Alanis Morissette. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440830693 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. ^ a b "Jagged Little Pill". alanis-m.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "ユー・ラーン | アラニス・モリセット" [You Learn | Alanis Morissette] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 14, 1995. p. 27.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 20, 1996. p. 46.
  7. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. November 23, 1996. p. 29.
  8. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  9. ^ Barclay, Michael; Jack, Ian A.D.; Schneider, Jason (2011). Have Not Been the Same The Canrock Renaissance 1985-1995 (10th Anniversary ed.). ECW Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781550229929.
  10. ^ "Alanis Morissette Has Written a Musical Based on 'Jagged Little Pill'". The New York Times. May 30, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  11. ^ "Alanis Morissette to celebrate 25 years of 'Jagged Little Pill' with anniversary tour". NME. December 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Alanis Morissette announces 'Jagged Little Pill' UK and Ireland anniversary tour". NME. February 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Hughes, William (June 18, 2020). "Alanis Morissette Announces 25th Anniversary Edition of Jagged Little Pill". Retrieved June 18, 2020.