I know you're all wondering, "Scotch, who's the artist you forgot, that got your whole list derailed yesterday?" Right? Well it's Canada's own Alanis Morissette.
Following her stint on Nickelodeon's You Can't Do That On Television, she released two hit albums that were sold only in Canada. So, as a 'Murican, I knew nothing about her singing ability, until that Sunday night in '95, watching MTV's 120 Minutes, I saw this video that blew my mind
Alanis Morissette – All I Really Want
I thought, "That's some good shit!" She was hot, in an unencumbered way; wild but intellectual; and talented. And she rocked! And everyone who saw that video said to themselves, "This is the way out of those godforsaken grunge doldrums!"
What we didn't know, was that behind the scenes, there was Glen Ballard's songwriting, and Taylor Hawkins' (later of the Foo Fighters) drumming. Of course, it all hinges on the awesome singing and performing capabilities of Alanis herself. The album Jagged Little Pill went ballistic; one of the biggest debuts by a female artist ever. Big hits included Hand in My Pocket, You Learn, and Ironic, plus these
Look at how she rips through this smoking TV premier performance on Letterman
Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know (live on Letterman)
On a personal note, this album came out just as I started dating Mrs. Scotch. While trying to impress her with my audiophile rig, I said something about this song reminding me of us, and it ended up being played at our wedding
Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet (live)
A few years later, she belted out this song for the City of Angels soundtrack
Alanis Morissette – Uninvited (live)
None of her subsequent album releases did nearly as well, but this song from 1998's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was popular
Alanis Morissette – Thank U (live)