RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. 1996 saw twenty-three songs reach the number-one spot in Canada. Alanis Morissette achieved both the first and last number-one singles of the year: "Hand in My Pocket" and "Head over Feet", respectively. Six different artists reached number one for the first time in 1996: Joan Osborne, Everything but the Girl, Collective Soul, Melissa Etheridge, BoDeans, and the Tragically Hip.
Canadian singer Alanis Morissette was the most successful act of 1996 in Canada, reaching number one with four different singles between January and November: "Hand in My Pocket", "Ironic", "You Learn", and "Head over Feet"—all from her album Jagged Little Pill. Although "Ironic" spent six weeks at number one, it was the second-most-successful single of the year; "You Learn" came in first place, topping the RPM Singles Chart for three nonconsecutive weeks in July. Mariah Carey, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Bryan Adams were the only other acts to top Canada's chart with multiple singles.
Aside from Morissette, three other Canadian acts reached number one: the Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, and Celine Dion. Morissette's "Head over Feet" spent the most weeks at the top in 1996, staying there for seven weeks. Eric Clapton stayed five weeks at number one with "Change the World", as did John Mellencamp with "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)". Hootie & the Blowfish spent four weeks at number one with two hits: "Time" and "Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)", while Mariah Carey, Everything but the Girl, and Bryan Adams each logged three weeks at number one with their chart-topping singles.
+ Key Indicates best-performing single of 1996
Chart history
Issue dateSongArtistReference1 January"Hand in My Pocket"Alanis Morissette8 January"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"Whitney Houston15 January22 January"One Sweet Day"Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men29 January5 February"One of Us"Joan Osborne12 February"Time"Hootie & the Blowfish19 February"Missing"Everything but the Girl26 February4 March11 March"The World I Know"Collective Soul18 March"I Want to Come Over"Melissa Etheridge25 March"Follow You Down"Gin Blossoms1 April"Ironic"Alanis Morissette8 April15 April22 April29 April6 May13 May"Closer to Free"BoDeans20 May"Always Be My Baby"Mariah Carey27 May"Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)"Hootie & the Blowfish3 June10 June17 June"Give Me One Reason"Tracy Chapman24 June"Ahead by a Century"The Tragically Hip1 July"You Learn"Alanis Morissette8 July"Ahead by a Century"The Tragically Hip15 July"The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You"Bryan Adams22 July"You Learn"Alanis Morissette29 July5 August"Change the World"Eric Clapton12 August19 August26 August2 September9 September"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)"John Mellencamp16 September23 September30 September7 October14 October"Let's Make a Night to Remember"Bryan Adams21 October28 October"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"Celine Dion4 November11 November"If It Makes You Happy"Sheryl Crow18 November"Head over Feet"Alanis Morissette25 November2 December9 December16 December23 December30 December
Notes
See also 1996 in music List of number-one albums of 1996 (Canada) List of RPM number-one adult contemporary singles of 1996 List of RPM number-one alternative rock singles of 1996 List of RPM number-one country singles of 1996 List of RPM number-one dance singles of 1996 List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1996 List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1996
References
External links Read about RPM Magazine at the AV Trust Search RPM charts here at Library and Archives Canada