Thank U

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1998 single by Alanis Morissette

title: "Thank U" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1990s-ballads", "1997-songs", "1998-singles", "alanis-morissette-songs", "canadian-singles-chart-number-one-singles", "maverick-records-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-stéphane-sednaoui", "pop-ballads", "reprise-records-singles", "rock-ballads", "rpm-top-singles-number-one-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-glen-ballard", "songs-about-india", "songs-written-by-alanis-morissette", "songs-written-by-glen-ballard", "trip-hop-songs"] description: "1998 single by Alanis Morissette" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_U" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1998 single by Alanis Morissette ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameThank U
coverAlanis Morissette - Thank U.png
borderyes
typesingle
artistAlanis Morissette
albumSupposed Former Infatuation Junkie
written1997
released
studioRoyaltone (Los Angeles)
length4:19
prev_titleUninvited
prev_year1998
next_titleJoining You
next_year1999
misc{{Audio sample
typesingle
fileAlanis - Thank U Sample.ogg
::

::callout[type=note]

::

| name = Thank U | cover = Alanis Morissette - Thank U.png | alt = | border = yes | type = single | artist = Alanis Morissette | album = Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie | B-side =

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics and performed well on the record charts, becoming Morissette's fifth number-one single in Canada, reaching the top three in New Zealand and Norway, and peaking within the top ten in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, where it is her highest-charting single. An accompanying music video was released for the single, featuring Morissette nude in the streets. The song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards.

Background

Alanis wrote "Thank U" during a trip to India in 1997. In 1998, Morissette contributed the song "Uninvited" to the soundtrack of the 1998 film City of Angels. In September of the same year, "Thank U" was released on radio and Alanis talked with MTV about the break between LPs and the first single: "Basically, I had never stopped in my whole life, hadn't taken a long breath, and I took a year and a half off and basically learned how to do that. When I did stop and I was silent and I breathed... I was just left with an immense amount of gratitude, and inspiration, and love, and bliss, and that's where the song came from, you know."

Composition and writing

"Thank U" was written and produced by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard. "Thank U" is a rock song composed in the key of C Major. It is written in common time and moves at a moderate tempo of 91 beats per minute. The song uses a simple chord progression alternating between a tonic C major chord, dominant G major chord, and the subdominant F major chord. The music is simple, mid-tempo rock, with the drum track being a loop of the oft-sampled break in Sly and the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song". An electric piano intro underscores Morissette's vocals, which begin by asking, "How bout getting off these antibiotics?" The rest of the song continues with Morissette posing similar questions -- "How bout remembering your divinity?"—and her thanking the circumstances—terror, disillusionment, and consequence, among others—that helped her achieve personal growth.

The lyrics document Morissette's spiritual awakenings following her trip to India, as well as other physical and internal journeys. In "Thank U", Alanis expresses the heartfelt gratitude, inspiration, and compassion that she felt at the time she wrote it. According to Jon Pareles of The New York Times, the song has "verses of self-help," such as, "How 'bout no longer being masochistic?, how 'bout remembering your divinity?, how 'bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out?." Liana Jones of Allmusic noticed that "There aren't many artists, let alone everyday people, who acknowledge and pay tribute to life's lessons."

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic picked the song as a highlight from the album, writing that "the textured production functions as a backdrop for Morissette's cryptically introspective lyrics." Liana Jones also of Allmusic wrote that the song's lyrics are "a real boon for contemporary rock music, which tends to be simplistic and hackneyed in its themes." Daily Record noted that Morissette "returns to angst-ridden form". Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the song's structure "creates an immediate catchiness, underpinned and emphasized by Gary Novak's hypnotic drum pattern." Tucker also called 'Thank U,' "a terrific single, with its positive sentiments tucked inside a crystalline melody like a message in a bottle." NME praised the "pleasant, lilting Liz Cocteau-on-a-broomstick style frame." Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "could've been a pretentious disaster, but instead it's a pretentious stroke of brilliance – she finds something shockingly smart to say about her spiritual crises, riding an indelible Eighties AOR synth hook and wailing like Robert Plant stealing 'Kashmir' back from Jimmy Page and 'Puffy'. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called the "soft-rock synth hook" and "the bundle of Morissette's signature list-y lyrics," "anything but ordinary."

Chart performance

"Thank U" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart at number 42. A week later, it debuted on the Modern Rock Tracks at number 19. The same week, the song climbed to number 11 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Thank U" peaked at number 17, on the issue date December 5, 1998. In Canada, "Thank U" topped the RPM Top Singles chart for three consecutive weeks (six weeks if counting the holiday period in which no charts were published), becoming her fifth number-one single there.

"Thank U" was also successful in the Oceania region. In Australia, it debuted at number 20 and peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming the album's only single that charted there.

Accolades

"Thank U" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards, but lost to Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You".

ReDigi website also listed the "Top 10 Alanis Morissette Songs", picking "Thank U" as her third best song, writing that, "Most of the attention might have been focused on its revealing video, but the angst-ridden melancholy of 'Thank You' works just as well without images of Alanis wandering the streets in her birthday suit."

Music video

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Thank_U_music_video.jpg" caption="A stranger (actor/producer Sanjay Pandya) places his hand on Morissette as she stands in the middle of the street."] ::

The music video for the song was directed by French director Stéphane Sednaoui (who previously directed "Ironic" for Morissette) and premiered on October 12, 1998, on MTV's Total Request Live. It features Morissette walking around and being embraced by strangers in a variety of public locations, such as in the street, at a supermarket, and on a subway car. Throughout the video, Morissette is completely nude with her long hair shrouding her breasts and her pubic region blurred out. Slight modifications to the video were made before broadcasting by MTV in India and certain other Asian countries. Subsequent replays, however, aired the video in its original format. In May 2001, the video was voted number 66 on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos.

While being asked why she chose to be nude in the video, Morissette said, "Actually, the idea for that video hit me in my shower – I was thinking about the song and its simplicity and its baring itself, and I just thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if I could just walk around New York City or grocery stores in just a symbolism of being naked everywhere I went?'. Less about overt sexuality and more about the symbolism of being really raw and naked and intimate in all these environments where you'd seemingly need protection, like in a subway and those kinds of places. So that hit me in the shower and then we executed it." It was filmed in Downtown Los Angeles, under a closed set.

Track listing

Canadian maxi-single and international CD single

  1. "Thank U" (album version) – 4:18
  2. "Pollyanna Flower" – 4:05
  3. "Uninvited" (demo) – 3:02

UK 7-inch jukebox single :A. "Thank U" (album version) :B. "Uninvited" (demo)

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "Thank U""] | Chart (1998–2017) | Peak position | Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) | Denmark (IFPI) | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | Italy (FIMI) | Italy Airplay (Music & Media) | Poland (Music & Media) | US Adult Alternative (Radio & Records) | US Alternative (Radio & Records) | US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records) | US Hot AC (Radio & Records) | US Pop/Alternative (Radio & Records) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1998 year-end chart performance for "Thank U""]

Chart (1998)PositionAustralia (ARIA)Canada Top Singles (RPM)Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)New Zealand (RIANZ)UK Singles (OCC)US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)US Triple-A (Billboard)US Adult Alternative (Radio & Records)US Alternative (Radio & Records)US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)US Hot AC (Radio & Records)
49
72
49
65
67
34
115
47
85
49
48
88
44
37
::

::data[format=table title="1999 year-end chart performance for "Thank U""]

Chart (1999)PositionCanada Top Singles (RPM)Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)US Adult Alternative (Radio & Records)US Hot AC (Radio & Records)
85
86
32
81
89
56
::

Decade-end charts

::data[format=table title="Decade-end chart performance for "Thank U""]

Chart (1990–1999)PositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan)
90
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "Thank U""]

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.EuropeCanadaUnited KingdomJapan
October 12, 1998CD
October 13, 1998url=https://alanis-m.com/discography/supposed-former-infatuation-junkie/title=Supposed Former Infatuation Junkiewebsite=alanis-m.comurl-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123215842/https://alanis-m.com/discography/supposed-former-infatuation-junkie/archive-date=November 23, 2021access-date=November 23, 2021}}
October 19, 1998
November 2, 1998CD
::

References

References

  1. "Rock On the Net: Alanis Morissette". Rock on the Net.
  2. (August 7, 2001). "Thank U".
  3. Sheet music for "Thank U". [[Hal Leonard Corporation]]. 1998.
  4. Jonas, Liana. "Alanis Morissette -Thank U: Allmusic". [[Allmusic]].
  5. "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  6. Pareles, Jon. (November 1, 1998). "Alanis Morissette Explores The Healing Power of Song". [[The New York Times]].
  7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. (November 3, 1998). "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie - Alanis Morissette: Allmusic".
  8. (October 3, 1998). "Billboard - October 3, 1998 Issue".
  9. "Chart Slot". ''[[Daily Record (Scotland). Daily Record]]''. October 30, 1998. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  10. Tucker, Ken. (November 2, 1998). "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  11. (September 27, 1998). "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  12. Sheffield, Rob. (December 10, 1998). "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  13. Cinquemani, Sal. (November 5, 2003). "Alanis Morissette: Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  14. (October 3, 1998). "Billboard - October 3, 1998 Issue (Airplay Chart)".
  15. (October 17, 1998). "Billboard - October 17, 1998 Issue".
  16. (November 28, 1998). "Billboard - November 28, 1998 Issue". Nielsen Business Media.
  17. (December 5, 1998). "Billboard - December 5, 1998 Issue". Nielsen Business Media.
  18. Myers, Justin. (May 5, 2016). "Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill hit Number 1 20 years ago this week". [[Official Charts Company]].
  19. Lamb, Bill. "Top 10 Alanis Morissette Lyrics". [[About.com]].
  20. "Re Digi Blog - Top 10 Alanis Morissette Songs". [[ReDigi]].
  21. (October 13, 1998). "Alanis Debuts New Video As Tour Kicks Off". [[MTV.com]].
  22. "Alanis Morissette in "Thank You" from Naked Stars in Music Videos".
  23. "Back to article: Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams: Singers naked in videos".
  24. Hamersly, Michael. (October 27, 2008). "What you oughta know before seeing Alanis Morissette".
  25. (1998). "Thank U". [[Maverick Records]], [[Reprise Records]].
  26. (1998). "Thank U". Maverick Records, Reprise Records.
  27. (1998). "Thank U". Maverick Records.
  28. (November 14, 1998). "Hits of the World: Canada".
  29. Danish Singles Chart October 30, 1998
  30. (November 14, 1998). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
  31. (December 4, 1998). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 301 Vikuna 4.12. – 11.12. 1998)". [[Dagblaðið Vísir]].
  32. "History". [[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  33. (12 December 1998). "Major Market Airplay: Italy".
  34. (November 14, 1998). "Major Market Airplay – Week 46/1998".
  35. (November 6, 1998). "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: November 6, 1998 – Adult Alternative".
  36. (October 23, 1998). "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: October 23, 1998 – Alternative".
  37. (November 20, 1998). "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: November 20, 1998 – CHR/Pop".
  38. (November 6, 1998). "R&R The Back Pages – National Airplay Overview: November 6, 1998 – Hot AC".
  39. (November 6, 1998). "Pop/Alternative Top 20".
  40. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
  41. (December 14, 1998). "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of '98".
  42. "RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98".
  43. (January 2, 1999). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir.
  44. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1998". [[Dutch Top 40]].
  45. "End of Year Charts 1998". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
  46. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1998 wg sprzedaży".
  47. (December 25, 1998). "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998".
  48. (December 25, 1998). "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998".
  49. (December 25, 1998). "Best of '98: Most Played Triple-A Songs".
  50. (December 11, 1998). "98 of 1998".
  51. "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks".
  52. "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary".
  53. (December 24, 1999). "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999".
  54. (December 24, 1999). "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999".
  55. (December 10, 1999). "Top 99 of 1999".
  56. Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". [[Jam!]].
  57. "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie".
  58. (October 17, 1998). "New Releases: Singles".
  59. "サンキュー {{!}} アラニス・モリセット". [[Oricon]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1990s-ballads1997-songs1998-singlesalanis-morissette-songscanadian-singles-chart-number-one-singlesmaverick-records-singlesmusic-videos-directed-by-stéphane-sednaouipop-balladsreprise-records-singlesrock-balladsrpm-top-singles-number-one-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-glen-ballardsongs-about-indiasongs-written-by-alanis-morissettesongs-written-by-glen-ballardtrip-hop-songs