Joan Osborne

Singer-songwriter Joan Osborne is best known for her massive hit single "One Of Us", which she released in 1995. The line "what if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us?" provoked controversy among some Christians who considered it close to blasphemy. Nevertheless, the song was hugely popular and became a Top 10 hit around the world at the beginning of 1996. Later that year she was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year (for "One Of Us"), and Album of the Year (for Relish). Although she didn't win any Grammy's, Relish was voted the album of the year by Entertainment Weekly, and it went on to sell over three million copies.

Following that success, Osborne took some time out, only releasing an Early Recordings album in the rest of the decade. In 2000 she finally released an album of new material, Righteous Love, but it received unenthusiastic reviews from critics and didn't sell well. How Sweet It Is (2002) was an album of soul covers, and Breakfast In Bed (2007) was mostly soul covers too.