The song was the first released track that saw Morissette's departure from bubblegum pop to the alternative rock sound she was later known for. Released to positive reviews from critics, the single outperformed the label's initial expectations. KROQ-FM, an influential Los Angeles modern rock radio station, began playing "You Oughta Know", leading to the single receiving commercial success, reaching the top ten in Canada, Australia and the United States, where it was a multiformat hit in several different genre charts, and making the top forty in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.