Adam Sandler Reveals the One Rock Album He Never Stops Returning To — and Why It Still Hits Him Just as Hard Today

For decades, Adam Sandler has been known as one of America’s most beloved entertainers — a comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician with a career that has spanned generations and shaped the comedy landscape. Yet behind the jokes, films, and warm-hearted characters, Sandler has always had a genuine love for music. Fans familiar with his acoustic performances and his unexpectedly tender songwriting know that music has long been part of his creative DNA. But in a recent conversation that surprised even longtime followers, Sandler revealed the rock album that has remained a personal touchstone for him: Live Through This by Hole.

Released in 1994, Hole’s Live Through This became a defining alternative-rock album of its era — raw, emotional, unguarded, and fiercely melodic. Many artists have spoken about its influence over the years, but hearing Adam Sandler praise it so passionately offers a refreshing window into the artistic inspirations that shaped him during one of the most pivotal periods of his career.

Sandler described in vivid detail the first time he heard the record. He was still young, still grinding through long stretches of stand-up comedy tours, driving from club to club with a trunk full of luggage and a head full of jokes. Life on the road could be solitary, repetitive, and strangely quiet at times — the perfect environment, he said, for an album to truly sink in.

“I remember I was on tour,” Sandler recalled. “I was doing stand-up and that album had just come out, and I was in my car a lot. I listened to track one and I was like, ‘Ooh, that was nasty.’ Track two, I was like, ‘two for two.’ And then I just said, ‘I guess this whole album is going to be great.’”

There was no irony in his voice — just genuine admiration. What struck him most was the immediate punch of the opening songs, the unapologetic grit, and the emotional honesty that Courtney Love and her band brought to the record. For Sandler, the album wasn’t just background noise during long drives. It was a companion — a burst of energy that cut through exhaustion and monotony, a reminder of how powerful raw artistic expression can be.

He admitted that he didn’t listen to it casually or halfway. Live Through This was the kind of album that demanded full attention, the kind that made him roll down the windows, turn up the volume, and let the emotional force of the music energize him for the next show. The intensity, urgency, and melodic sharpness spoke to him at a moment when he himself was learning how to navigate the pressures of creative ambition.

Sandler’s affection for the album didn’t fade with time. He says it remains one of the few records he regularly returns to — not out of nostalgia, but because it still surprises him, still jolts him, still feels alive. “It’s an album I always go back to,” he said simply, as if the explanation required nothing more. For him, Live Through This isn’t frozen in the 1990s. It still breathes, still resonates, and still delivers the same electric combination of vulnerability and confidence that captivated him more than 30 years ago.

Fans may wonder why a comedian with a warm, goofy persona gravitates toward a rock album known for its emotional edge. But art rarely fits into neat categories, and Sandler is no stranger to intensity. His dramatic performances — from Punch-Drunk Love to Uncut Gems — reveal an artist who deeply understands volatility, honesty, and risk-taking. In many ways, Live Through This embodies that same spirit: bold, imperfect, fearless. Perhaps that’s why he connected with it from the very start.

Moreover, Sandler has long expressed admiration for musicians who pour their entire selves into their work. His acknowledgment of Hole’s craftsmanship highlights an appreciation for authenticity, the kind that transcends genre or expectations. Whether through humor, storytelling, or music, Sandler values emotional truth — the real, vulnerable, human threads that make art resonate across time.

His comments also remind audiences that entertainers, no matter how iconic, are shaped by the same cultural touchstones as everyone else. A young performer in a car, discovering an album that electrifies him — it’s a universal experience. One great record, at the right moment, can anchor a person, inspire them, or simply make the world feel a little bigger and more intense. For Sandler, Live Through This was one of those defining records.

Today, as both Sandler and the album continue to evolve in the public imagination, his admiration stands as a heartfelt tribute to a piece of music that left a genuine mark on him. It’s a reminder that the power of art doesn’t fade — it echoes, it returns, and sometimes, it becomes part of who we are.