If It Makes You Happy

"If It Makes You Happy" is the lead single from Sheryl Crow's 1996 eponymous album. The song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards. The song ties with her 1998 single, "My Favorite Mistake", as her third-highest-charting single in the United Kingdom, reaching number nine on the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at number one in Canada and was her final top-ten solo hit in the United States, making it to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "If It Makes You Happy" at number 663 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[1]

"If It Makes You Happy"
Single by Sheryl Crow
from the album Sheryl Crow
B-side	"Keep On Growing" "I'm Going to Be a Wheel Someday" "On the Outside" "The Book"
Released	September 20, 1996
Recorded	1996
Genre	Rock
Length	5:23 (album version) 4:30 (radio edit)
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Sheryl Crow Jeff Trott
Producer(s)	Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow singles chronology
"Can't Cry Anymore" (1995) "If It Makes You Happy" (1996) "Everyday Is a Winding Road" (1996)
Audio sample
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Critical reception

Aftonbladet described the song as "shuffling trad-rock".[2] Larry Flick from Billboard stated that it is a "straight-ahead rocker that has far more bite than anything on her Grammy-lavished debut." He added that "seemingly endless touring has given her voice a sharp rasp, which benefits the song's ironic lyrics and holds up strong against the track's crunchy guitars." He also noted the track's "edgy nature" and "subtle but unmistakable hook."[3] Göteborgs-Tidningen called it "darkly moody" and picked the song as one of two favourites from the album.[4] Rachel Cohen from The Heights said that "the familiar more expressive Crow of the first album is evident" in "If It Makes You Happy", noting it as "one of the most peppy" on the Sheryl Crow album.[5]

Chart Performance

The song initially entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #44 on the week of September 21, 1996. It then entered the top 20 on October 19, 1996 and fluctuated within the top 20 for roughly three months before finally reaching the #10 position on January 25, 1997. The song spent a total of 27 weeks on the Hot 100. [6]

Music video

Two music videos for the song were made; both were directed by Keir McFarlane.

The first was shot entirely in black-and-white. It begins with Crow in an apartment, donning a black raincoat. She then walks down a city street, rides a subway, is shown on a boardwalk, buys coffee at a mall, and then returns to the apartment.

The second video was shot in color and features Crow in the Endangered Species section of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She is dressed in a leopard-print fur coat and Yves Saint Laurent leather boots.

Track listing

US CD single

1. "If It Makes You Happy" – LP version
2. "Keep On Growing"
3. "I'm Going to Be a Wheel Someday"
4. "No One Said It Would Be Easy" – Live in Nashville

EU CD single 1

1. "If It Makes You Happy" – Edit
2. "Keep On Growing"
3. "On the Outside"
4. "The Book" – LP version

EU CD single 2 (Cat. No. 581 903-2) (ltd. edition incl. 4 exclusive postcards)

1. "If It Makes You Happy" – Edit
2. "All I Wanna Do"
3. "Run Baby Run"
4. "Leaving Las Vegas"

Crow performed the song on her live album Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park (1999) alongside Chrissie Hynde.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996–1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 20 Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[8] 5 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[10] 1 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[11] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 56 France (SNEP)[13] 29 Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 80 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[15] 17 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 12 Poland (LP3)[17] 21 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[18] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 20 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 39 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 9 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 10 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[23] 1 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 5 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[25] 6 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[26] 37 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[27] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[28] 73 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[29] 14 US Billboard Hot 100[30] 75 Chart (1997) Position Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[31] 42 US Billboard Hot 100[32] 55

See also

• List of RPM number-one singles of 1996 (Canada)
• List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)

References

1. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
2. Aftonbladet. August 17, 1996
3. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. August 24, 1996. p. 113. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
4. Göteborgs-Tidningen. September 27, 1996.
5. Cohen, Rachel (September 30, 1996). "Love is in the air for John's latest collection". The Heights. p. 28. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
6. http://musicchartsarchive.com/singles/sheryl-crow/if-it-makes-you-happy
7. "Australian-charts.com – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
8. "Ultratop.be – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9865." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
10. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9789." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
11. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9925." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 39. September 28, 1996. p. 20. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
13. "Lescharts.com – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
15. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (3.10. – 9.10. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). October 4, 1996. p. 16. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
16. "Charts.nz – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
17. "Lista Przebojów Trójki – Polskie Radio Online". Lp3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
19. "Swedishcharts.com – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
22. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
23. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
24. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
25. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
26. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
27. "Sheryl Crow Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
28. "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
29. "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
30. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
31. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
32. "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics