Fiona Apple's Hit Song She Wrote in 45 Minutes Turns 29 Today

Twenty-nine years ago today, Fiona Apple came out with what is known as her greatest hit - and it was written in just 45 minutes.

"Criminal" which was officially released on June 2, 1997, was perhaps born out of necessity. According to a 2012 Vulture profile with the singer, she was a teen when she was signed to Sony Records, and the label was looking for a "more obvious" single before releasing her record 'Tidal' - and then "Criminal" was made in under an hour.

It's worth noting that the album itself was released in 1996, with songs like "Shadowboxer" and "Sleep to Dream" having been released before "Criminal" made it to the radio waves a year later.

The song, which was about "feeling bad for getting something so easily by using your sexuality," per Rolling Stone, notoriously starts with the widely-recognized lyrics, "I've been a bad, bad girl."

"Criminal" went on to become her only Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 21, while "Sleep to Dream" earned her Best New Artist in a Video at the 1997 VMAs. "Criminal" itself took home the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1998.

In her VMA acceptance speech, Apple made a blunt statement about the music industry. "This world is bulls--t," she said, per Vulture. "You shouldn't model your life on what we think is cool, and what we're wearing and what we're saying."

Related: Iconic '90s Singer Makes Powerful Career Move After 5 Years Without New Music

However it was the music video that really boosted its popularity, and also received backlash. Apple was a teen, and was not only singing a provocative song, but the video was also provocative in its content. The video showed Apple looking moody and, as Vulture described it, "rolling disconsolately around a seventies-era basement amid some indistinguishable male bodies during an apparent all-night, drunken sleepover."

While Apple, now 48, continued to make music throughout the 2000s, her work in the 90s still remains relevant as it scored her a spot on the New York Times' list of 30 Greatest American Living Songwriters.



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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 4:00 AM.