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Is Jimi Hendrix the Greatest Guitarist of all Time?
Unpack the debate on Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist of all time and his transformative role in rock music history.
Sam
September 16, 2025
The ’90s had no shortage of rock royalty. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins — the alt-rock throne room was crowded. But when it comes to the crown for the women who defined that decade, one name always comes up: Alanis Morissette.
So, was Alanis the Queen of ’90s Alt-Rock? Let’s break it down.
Alanis’s appeal wasn’t just the numbers. It was the rawness. She wasn’t polished or packaged. She wrote about rage, heartbreak, insecurity, and empowerment in a way that felt brutally honest.
In 1995, Alanis unleashed Jagged Little Pill. It wasn’t just an album — it was an earthquake. Tracks like You Oughta Know, Ironic, and Hand in My Pocket weren’t background music, they were anthems.
The record sold over 33 million copies worldwide. That’s not just “big for the ’90s” — that’s one of the best-selling albums of all time. And it put Alanis in the same conversation as Nirvana’s Nevermind when it came to cultural impact.
When she snarled, “And I’m here to remind you…”, it wasn’t just directed at some ex — it was a whole generation of young women realizing they could be loud, angry, and unapologetic.
Of course, Alanis wasn’t alone. Courtney Love and Hole brought grunge fury. Shirley Manson and Garbage dripped with goth-alt cool. Gwen Stefani and No Doubt brought ska-punk energy.
But Alanis’s combination of mainstream reach and uncompromising lyrics made her stand apart. She wasn’t niche, she was universal — blasting on MTV, the radio, and in every bedroom with a CD player.
Fast-forward to today: Jagged Little Pill has been turned into a Broadway musical, and Alanis still tours to sold-out crowds. The songs haven’t aged out — they still cut deep, maybe even deeper now.
So, is Alanis Morissette the Queen of ’90s Alt-Rock?
If sales, impact, and honesty are the measure — yeah, she wears the crown. Others shared the throne, sure, but Alanis made it hers in 1995 and never really gave it back.
Because in a decade full of noise, she managed to scream the loudest — and You Oughta Know the world never stopped listening.
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