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.
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.
Eric Clapton stayed five weeks at number one with "Change the World", as did John Mellencamp with "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)".