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31 Years Ago, This Future Alt-Rock Icon Released a Biting Single Ripped Straight From Her Diary

Alanis Morissette’s brokenhearted fury helped her breakthrough into mainstream alt-rock.

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On July 6, 1995, Alanis Morissette released the lead single to her third album, Jagged Little Pill. The raw emotion of “You Oughta Know” helped break Morissette into the mainstream, setting her up for a rapid rise to alt-rock icon status. It remains one of her most popular and successful songs to this day.

At the time, the vulnerability of “You Oughta Know” differed from many cathartic, emotional songs that had come before. There was typically a singer-songwriter quality to most of them, with sentimentality reserved for the folk poetry leanings of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and, tangentially, Patti Smith.

But Alanis Morissette came through with “You Oughta Know” to stir up the 90s. She was in good company, too. Liz Phair, PJ Harvey, and the punks........

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