If It Makes You Happy

Aberdeen Press and Journal stated that Crow "continues to stay near the top of the premier league of slightly off the-wall female solo singers with what seems a near-certain Top 10 hit."[3] Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet described "If It Makes You Happy" as "shuffling trad-rock".[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it "weary"[5] and "sexily exhausted".[6] 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."[7] The Daily Vault's Sean McCarthy stated that a "dirty guitar riff is established, complimenting Crow's gritty swagger."[8] Another Swedish newspaper, Göteborgs-Tidningen called it "darkly moody", and picked it as one of two favourites from the album.[9] Rachel Cohen from The Heights said "the familiar more expressive Crow of the first album is evident" on the song, noting it as "one of the most peppy" on the Sheryl Crow album.[10] People described it as "country-tinged".[11]

The song entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 44 on the week of September 21, 1996.[12] It entered the top 20 on October 19, 1996,[13] and fluctuated within the top 20 for roughly three months before reaching its peak of number 10 on January 25, 1997.[14] The song spent a total of 27 weeks on the Hot 100.[14] In Canada, on September 2, 1996, "If It Makes You Happy" debuted at number 78 on the RPM Top Singles chart.[15] Ten issues later, on November 11, it topped the chart for a single week.[16] It also reached number one on RPM's Adult Contemporary and Alternative 30 listings.[17][18]

In Europe, the single debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Crow's second top-ten single in the United Kingdom.[19] The British Phonographic Industry certified the song silver in January 2021 for sales and streaming figures of over 200,000.[20] It reached the top 40 in France, Iceland, and Sweden, reaching numbers 29, 17, and 20, respectively, and also charted in Flanders, Germany, and Switzerland.[21][22] On the Eurochart Hot 100, "If It Makes You Happy" settled at a peak of number 56.[23] It additionally reached the top 20 in Australia, rising to number 20 on November 17, 1996,[1] and in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 12 one week later.[24]

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.

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

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics