Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
ALANIS MORISSETTE
Studio Albums: Alanis (1991) | Now Is the Time (1992) | Jagged Little Pill (1995) | Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998) | Under Rug Swept (2002) | So-Called Chaos (2004) | Flavors of Entanglement (2008) | Havoc and Bright Lights (2012) | Such Pretty Forks in the Road (2020) | Readers’ Poll Results
With each album she has released in the past twenty-five years, Alanis Morissette has continually offered up her life journey for examination. Her frank excavations of rage, sexuality, and personal crisis pushed her 1995 breakthrough Jagged Little Pill into legendary status. And she’s never stopped digging into the darker corners of her existence for any of the albums she’s released since.
This is what makes Morissette’s canon such a satisfying experience. As she’s matured through her twenties, thirties, and now into her mid-forties, she’s crafted painstakingly revelatory material that often holds up a mirror to herself as she lenses on her own scars of broken relationships, questionable behavior, and personal trauma—often without sugarcoating the details.
In particular, 2002’s Under Rug Swept is a pinnacle album in her catalog, where Morissette really lays it all out: a laundry list of what she desires in a lover, a habitual loss of self-confidence, an addiction to love, a breakup she can’t get over, an attraction to a narcissist, and a very catchy pop tune that, for many, cleverly disguised darker lyrics about sexual assault.
Over the years, Morissette has established herself as a seeker of spiritual truth and a teacher in the self-improvement space outside of her recording career. This journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-love—first glimpsed on 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie with “Thank U”—is sprinkled throughout her later albums including her most recent LP, 2020’s Such Pretty Forks in the Road, where she viscerally regales about addiction, postpartum depression, and rocky moments in her marriage.
This is what makes Morissette’s canon such a fascinating spin. By making these albums, she’s been painting a vibrant portrait of a woman who’s maturing, changing, and challenging herself in front of our eyes and ears. Thankfully, there’s plenty of blank canvas left upon which she can add more color.
Mark’s 3 Favorite Alanis Morissette Albums of All Time:
1. Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998)
2. Under Rug Swept (2002)
3. Flavors of Entanglement (2008)
VISIT Alanis Morissette’s Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: