1995 was a vintage year for rock music. Britpop was at its apex with Pulp’s Different Class, grunge had grown up with Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, and ska upstarts No Doubt were staking a claim for punk in the pop charts with Tragic Kingdom .
But none of them came close to the sheer success of Alanis Morissette’s third album, Jagged Little Pill – an alt rock crossover hit of the highest order with 33 million copies sold, double diamond status and five Grammys to its name. It was angsty and distorted enough for Gen X, sincere and smart enough to please the critics, and catchy enough to warrant endless radio play and high profile talk show spots.
Indeed, it can be difficult to describe just how big a deal Jagged Little Pill was at the time, and likewise the endearing relationship Morissette’s fans have with this album, but thankfully a short montage of video clips that play before she takes to the AO arena stage provide a reminder. As it stands, there are few other musicians who can appeal to cult film fans (she appeared in Kevin Smith’s Dogma as the human form of God) and so too the Carpool Karaoke audience alike.
