20 of Alanis Morissette’s most amazing moments
The 'You Oughta Know' singer celebrates her 47th birthday today.
By Nick Bond
Words: Nick Bond
Given that she released her debut album 30 years ago, it’s hard to believe Alanis Morissette is only celebrating her 47th birthday today (1 June).
Still just 21 when she released her era-defining 1995 record Jagged Little Pill, Alanis’ poetic lyricism and full-throated performances have always conveyed wisdom beyond her years – and in honour of her birthday, we’re celebrating 20 of her most amazing career moments to date.
From making out with Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City to her tongue-in-cheek cover of Black Eyed Peas ‘My Humps’ (yes, that really happened), here are just some of Alanis’s greatest hits, both musical and otherwise…
1) The deep irony of most of the situations listed in Ironic not actually being at all ironic #tenthousandspoons
2) Her incredible Grammys performance of ‘You Oughta Know’
3) ‘Uninvited’, aka the best thing about that naff Meg Ryan/Nicolas Cage film City of Angels
4) The time French & Saunders did a pitch-perfect piss-take of her hit ‘Thank U’. The footage has seemingly been erased from the internet forever – but the sight of those runaway pubes can never be erased from our brain…
5) Playing God in Dogma (1999) and finally answering the age-old question, ‘Why are we here?’
6) Jagged Little Pill‘s jaw-dropping a cappella hidden track, ‘Your House’
7) Her totes emosh piano-ballad remake of Black Eyed Peas’ ‘My Humps’
8) Her Paula Abdul-esque pre-Jagged Little Pill pop past
9) That time she gave Carrie Bradshaw her first lesbian experience on Sex and the City
10) ‘Woman Down’, the crunchy power-pop highlight of 2012’s Havoc and Bright Lights
11) The genius life-story-in-reverse music video for ‘Eight Easy Steps’
12) Getting slimed as a tomboyish kid on Canadian children’s TV show You Can’t Do That On Television
13) The best song about Mums since the Spice Girls’ ‘Mama’, ‘Heart of the House’
14) Her incredible self-doubt anthem ‘Tapes’. (We’re gonna go out on a limb and say this is her best song ever. Deal with it)
15) That time she quietly slipped a Kylie-esque electro banger onto one of her albums
16) Amazing kiss-off anthem ‘Narcissus’. The opening line ‘Dear Mama’s boy, I know you’ve had your butt licked by your mother,’ eviscerates the guy in question – and it doesn’t let up from there.
17) Her scene-stealing role as a gynaecologist in Weeds:
18) ‘Unsent’, her open letter to all her ex-boyfriends (haven’t we all been there)
19) That time she covered a Seal classic and got away with it (just)
20) Finally, Jagged Little Pill’s opening song, All I Really Want. Best side 1, track 1 / statement of intent ever? Maybe…