"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a pop-R&B ballad written and composed by Prince in 1984–1985 for the short-lived Minneapolis funk group The Family, whom he had assembled as a side project.[1][2] The song first appeared as an album track on The Family's self-titled debut LP, released in August 1985 on Prince's Paisley Park Records label, but received minimal attention at the time.[3][4] Its lyrics poignantly convey the raw anguish of romantic loss and irreplaceable longing, themes rooted in Prince's prolific songwriting output during his mid-1980s creative peak.[5]The track's enduring legacy stems from Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor's stripped-down, vocally intense cover, recorded for her second studio album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got and released as its lead single in January 1990.[6] O'Connor's rendition, featuring minimal instrumentation and her signature shaved-head persona in the accompanying black-and-white music video—marked by authentic tears during the bridge—propelled the song to global ubiquity, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, the UK Singles Chart, and charts in over a dozen other countries.[7][8] This version not only represented O'Connor's sole number-one hit but also earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, cementing its status as one of the decade's defining ballads despite the artist's later public disavowal of industry accolades.[7]
Origins and Composition
Writing for The Family
Prince composed "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1984 specifically for The Family, a short-lived funk and R&B ensemble he assembled as a side project following the dissolution of his earlier group The Time.[9] The band featured Paul Peterson on lead vocals and keyboards, Susannah Melvoin on vocals, Jellybean Johnson on drums and guitar, Jerome Benton on percussion, and Eric Leeds on saxophone, with Prince providing uncredited production and most songwriting.[10] Intended as showcase material, the track formed part of the repertoire for their self-titled debut album, released on October 15, 1985, via Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros., though it received limited promotion and commercial attention at the time.[11]The song's lyrics center on themes of profound emotional loss and irreplaceable longing after a separation, articulated through vivid imagery of everyday desolation—such as the absence of shared rituals like coffee brewing or taxi hailing—culminating in the refrain's assertion that "nothing compares 2 U."[12]Prince employed his characteristic stylistic shorthand, substituting the numeral "2" for "to," a convention evident across his oeuvre to evoke phonetic play and visual intrigue in titles and lyrics. Anecdotal reports attribute the song's genesis to real-life pangs of absence, potentially inspired by the temporary departure of Prince's housekeeper, Sandy Scipioni, who left to visit family, rather than a romantic dissolution, though direct confirmation remains elusive.[13]Prince initially demoed the track himself in 1984 at his Warehouse studio on Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, before adapting it for The Family's recording sessions, where Peterson and Melvoin overdubbed vocals, Leeds added saxophone, and arranger Clare Fischer contributed strings.[14] This process reflected Prince's hands-on method of crafting material for protégés, writing from intuitive emotional cores while refining through iterative studio experimentation to suit the group's vocal and instrumental dynamics.[6]
Initial Recording Context
The Family, a R&B/funk ensemble formed by Prince as a side project featuring members from his musical circle including Paul "St. Paul" Peterson on lead vocals and Susannah Melvoin on backing vocals, recorded "Nothing Compares 2 U" during sessions for their eponymous debut album. Basic tracking occurred on July 15, 1984, at Prince's Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse studio in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with saxophone overdubs added two days later on July 18, followed by vocal and orchestral overdubs in late 1984.[15][11]Prince exerted direct control over production, writing the song, performing the majority of instruments such as synthesizers and bass guitar, and overseeing contributions including Eric Leeds on saxophone and Clare Fischer's orchestral arrangements, which layered emotional texture onto Peterson's vulnerable delivery.[15][11][16] The track's inclusion on the album, released August 19, 1985, via Paisley Park Records, reflected Prince's strategy of testing material through associated acts amid his prolific output, though the band's cohesion relied heavily on his involvement rather than independent development.[11][16]The song saw no dedicated promotion, as The Family's viability as a standalone act was constrained by their dependence on Prince's ecosystem, with the album garnering limited attention partly due to Prince's diversion to filming Under the Cherry Moon and the absence of touring beyond one club date on August 13, 1985, at First Avenue in Minneapolis.[11][16] This overshadowed approach typified many Prince protégé projects, prioritizing artistic experimentation over commercial push.[16]
Prince's Versions
1984–1985 Sessions
Prince recorded a demo version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" on July 15, 1984, at his Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse studio in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, shortly after the release of Purple Rain.[14][17] Engineered by Susan Rogers, the session captured Prince performing lead vocals with minimal accompaniment, including keyboard elements that provided a tick-tock motif and subtle guitar licks, creating a melancholy slow-dance feel rather than a full power ballad arrangement.[14][18] This raw, intimate take aligned with Prince's prolific output during the post-Purple Rain period, when he amassed numerous unreleased recordings in his vault for potential side projects like The Family.[19]The demo featured an extended saxophone solo in the bridge, adding layers of emotional depth and distinguishing it from the more synth-heavy Family adaptation overdubbed later that year and into early 1985.[20][15] Prince's vocal delivery emphasized seductive phrasing and personal ad-libs, showcasing his interpretive style in contrast to the group's version, which incorporated additional backing vocals by Susannah Melvoin and orchestral elements by Clare Fischer without Prince's lead.[21][15] These sessions reflected Prince's practice of crafting guide tracks for protégés while experimenting solo, though the track remained vaulted for decades amid his extensive 1980s output.[22]
Posthumous and Live Releases
Following Prince's death on April 21, 2016, his estate oversaw the official release of previously unreleased or archival versions of "Nothing Compares 2 U," prioritizing material from his Paisley Park vaults to highlight his original compositions. On April 19, 2018, the 1984 studio demo—featuring Prince's lead vocals, recorded during sessions for The Family—was issued digitally as a standalone single by NPG Records and Warner Bros., marking its first commercial availability.[21] A limited-edition 7-inch vinyl followed on April 21, 2018, bundled with merchandise and limited to 1,984 copies, referencing the recording year.[23]This version, running 4:41, appeared on the 2019 posthumous album Originals, a compilation of Prince's demos for other artists, underscoring the estate's focus on his compositional intent amid the song's association with external covers.) Archival live performances also surfaced, including a January 11, 1992, rendition from Prince's Glam Slam club in Minneapolis, featuring the New Power Generation and Rosie Gaines on vocals, released on the 2023 Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Edition (Disc 6, track 7, duration 4:34).[24] A promotional single pairing it with "Diamonds and Pearls (Live at Glam Slam)" was distributed to Paisley Park event attendees post-2016, exemplifying estate-managed vault extractions.[25]In the 2020s, Paisley Park continued curating outputs, with video footage of a December 18, 1999, live performance at the studio complex made available in 2020 via official channels, though audio tracks emphasized studio fidelity over live variants in major releases.[26] These efforts, handled by the Prince Estate, avoided over-commercialization, releasing select tracks to preserve artistic control rather than flooding the market with variants.[27]
Personnel for Original Demos
The original 1984 demo of "Nothing Compares 2 U," recorded by Prince at his Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, featured Prince on lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums, with him multi-tracking the instrumentation.[15][14] Backing vocals on this version were contributed by Susannah Melvoin and Paul "St. Paul" Peterson.[14]Subsequent overdubs for the track, prepared for release by Prince's associated act The Family in late 1984 to early 1985, included uncredited saxophone by Eric Leeds and orchestral strings arranged and conducted by Clare Fischer.[15][28]Prince retained primary instrumental credits, with Peterson providing lead vocals and Melvoin on additional vocals for The Family iteration.[15] These sessions drew from Prince's core production approach, emphasizing his solo multi-instrumentalism before selective external contributions.[9]
Sinéad O'Connor's Cover
Selection and Recording Process
Sinéad O'Connor first encountered "Nothing Compares 2 U" through its original recording by Prince's protégés The Family on their 1985 album of the same name, as she was an admirer of Prince's work.[6] Her decision to cover the song was influenced by suggestions from her manager Fachtna O'Kelly and producer Nellee Hooper, who recognized its potential alignment with her artistic voice.[4][29] O'Connor selected it for inclusion on her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, due to the lyrics' evocation of profound loss—particularly the reference to a mother's absence—which resonated with her own experiences of familial dysfunction and personal trauma from childhood abuse.[5]The track was recorded in 1989 in London, primarily at Westside Studios, where O'Connor's lead vocals were captured using an SSL console to preserve their raw emotional intensity.[30][31] Co-produced by O'Connor and Nellee Hooper, the arrangement adopted a minimalist approach, featuring subtle keyboards and strings orchestrated by Hooper to highlight the fragility and vulnerability in O'Connor's delivery, eschewing denser instrumentation in favor of acoustic sparsity.[32] O'Connor insisted on this stripped-down production to ensure authenticity, emphasizing her vocal performance as the focal point and allowing space for interpretive nuance drawn from her lived emotional experiences.[33]
Production Details
The production of Sinéad O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was co-handled by O'Connor and Nellee Hooper, with engineering by Chris Birkett, marking it as the sole track on her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got not solely produced by O'Connor herself.[34] The arrangement emphasized a minimalist ballad structure, featuring a sustained F-major synth-string chord as its opening element and throughout, programmed elements including drums by Gota Yashiki—who had collaborated with Hooper on prior Soul II Soul projects—and subtle backing vocals to underscore emotional depth.[35][36]O'Connor's lead vocals were captured in a single take, immediately double-tracked to retain their unprocessed intensity and dynamic range, using an AKG 414B-ULS microphone selected for its ability to handle expressive singing without compression or pitch correction effects.[31][37] Live string arrangements, conducted by Nick Ingman, were overdubbed to add a layer of melancholic texture, differentiating the track's sparse, introspective sound from denser rock-oriented originals while integrating seamlessly with the album's varied sonic palette of acoustic and experimental elements.[35]Post-production mixing prioritized clarity and radio accessibility, balancing the raw vocal forefront with restrained reverb on drums and strings to evoke intimacy rather than bombast, ensuring the track's balladry stood in subtle contrast to the album's bolder, politically inflected compositions like those incorporating traditional Irish influences or spoken-word critiques.[38]
Release and Promotion
Single Release
"Nothing Compares 2 U" was released as a single on January 8, 1990, by Ensign Records in the United Kingdom, with Chrysalis handling distribution in select markets.[39] The release featured "Jump in the River" as the B-side, an original track written by O'Connor and Marco Pirroni.[40] Available formats included 7-inch vinyl (catalogue ENY 630), 12-inch vinyl, compact disc singles, and cassette tapes, catering to both mainstream and promotional demands.[41]Promotional efforts emphasized radio airplay to capitalize on O'Connor's emerging profile following the moderate success of her 1987 debut album The Lion and the Cobra, which had established her as a distinctive voice in alternative music. Labels targeted European broadcasters initially, aligning with the single's rollout strategy that prioritized the UK and continental markets before broader international expansion. This approach facilitated early momentum in Europe, setting the stage for subsequent releases in regions like North America under Chrysalis.[42]
Album Context
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got is Sinéad O'Connor's second studio album, released on March 20, 1990, by Ensign Records in the United Kingdom and Chrysalis Records internationally.[43] The record combines O'Connor's original compositions with reinterpretations of traditional material and contemporary covers, such as the Gaelic lament "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" and Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," showcasing her range across folk, rock, and soul influences.[44]The album delves into themes of spirituality, informed by O'Connor's Catholic upbringing and personal quest for meaning, as evident in the title track's incorporation of a contemplative prayer excerpt, and reflections on trauma and motherhood in songs like "Three Babies."[45] While not explicitly centered on abuse, its introspective lyrics echo O'Connor's documented history of childhood adversity, blending raw emotional vulnerability with broader social critiques, such as in "Black Boys on Mopeds."[46] This fusion positions the project as a sophomore evolution from her 1987 debut, emphasizing artistic maturity over stylistic conformity.[47]As the album's tenth and final track, "Nothing Compares 2 U" functions as an emotional capstone, its themes of loss and longing synthesizing the preceding narrative of inner turmoil and redemption.[44] The song's placement amplifies the record's cohesive arc, where O'Connor's eclectic sourcing—merging external works with her voice—highlights a deliberate framework for vulnerability, ultimately driving the album's resonance through authentic reinterpretation rather than uniform originality.[48]
Music Video
Concept and Filming
The music video for Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," directed by John Maybury, was filmed primarily in Paris during 1990.[49] Maybury employed a minimalist approach, centering the visuals on extended close-up shots of O'Connor's face as she performed the song, clad in simple black attire against a stark background to underscore themes of solitude and raw emotion.[50] This directorial choice aimed to forge an intimate connection with viewers, allowing O'Connor's expressions to convey the lyrics' profound sense of grief and isolation without extraneous elements.[51]Interspersed throughout the close-ups are brief sequences of O'Connor wandering desolate Paris streets, captured over several hours of footage, symbolizing the song's narrative of aimless longing and emotional desolation.[49] These outdoor shots, featuring a washed-out, monochromatic aesthetic, contrast the confined studio performance to visually represent the internal turmoil articulated in the track. Toward the video's conclusion, genuine tears stream down O'Connor's cheeks during the crescendo, a spontaneous reaction during filming that amplified the portrayal of authentic vulnerability, rather than a fabricated effect.[52]
Visual Style and Symbolism
The music video for Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," directed by John Maybury, utilizes a stark monochrome palette of black-and-whitecinematography to heighten the song's portrayal of emotional desolation.[53] This desaturated visual scheme eliminates color, directing focus squarely on O'Connor's expressive face and minimalistic wardrobe—a simple black outfit against neutral backgrounds—that evoke isolation and introspection.[50] Slow-motion techniques appear in pivotal moments, such as the extended close-up of a single tear tracing her cheek midway through the video, which intensifies the viewer's perception of her vulnerability by drawing out the raw physical manifestation of grief.[18]O'Connor's shaved head, adopted as a pre-fame act of rebellion against music industry pressures to conform to feminine ideals, functions as a potent symbol of personal autonomy and rejection of commodified identity.[54] She first shaved her head in the late 1980s, citing it as a defensive measure against exploitation and a statement of "don't f—k with me," which predated the video's January 1990 release and reinforced the performance's theme of unadorned authenticity over superficial allure.[55] This bold aesthetic choice underscores the video's emphasis on inner turmoil, presenting O'Connor not as a polished pop star but as an exposed individual confronting loss.Maybury's direction draws from art film influences, prioritizing auteur-driven minimalism over conventional pop video tropes like elaborate sets or dance sequences.[56] By favoring prolonged facial close-ups and subtle gestures, the video avoids voyeuristic clichés, instead fostering a direct, unmediated connection to the song's lyrical pain and sidestepping the era's prevalent emphasis on visual extravagance.[57] This restrained style, informed by Maybury's background as a painter, transforms the medium into a canvas for emotional realism, aligning the visuals causally with the track's sparse arrangement to amplify its haunting delivery.[50]
Initial Reception
The music video for Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," directed by John Maybury and released in January 1990, garnered immediate praise for its raw emotional authenticity and minimalist black-and-white aesthetic, starkly contrasting the era's typically flashy productions. O'Connor's direct gaze into the camera and the visible tear during the second chorus were highlighted as conveying profound vulnerability, fostering a strong emotional connection with viewers who reported feeling the performance's intensity as genuine grief.[58][59]Heavy rotation on MTV amplified the video's visibility shortly after its premiere, with critics and audiences noting its unflinching portrayal of loss as a departure from conventional music video tropes, emphasizing O'Connor's unadorned delivery over elaborate visuals.[60][61]At the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards held on September 6, the video won Video of the Year—making O'Connor the first female artist to achieve this—along with Best Female Video and Best Postmodern Video, reflecting its swift critical and viewer acclaim for innovative emotional directness.[62][60][61]
Commercial Performance
Chart Achievements
"Nothing Compares 2 U" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for four consecutive weeks from March 17 to April 7, 1990.[63][7] It debuted on the chart dated February 3, 1990, at number 51 and ascended steadily, marking Sinéad O'Connor's sole number-one single in the United States.In the United Kingdom, the single topped the Official Singles Chart for four weeks, from January 28 to February 24, 1990, after entering at number two the previous week.[8] It spent a total of eight weeks in the top ten and 18 weeks on the chart overall.[64]The song achieved number-one status in Ireland for six weeks, entering the Irish Singles Chart on January 11, 1990, and reaching the top spot by January 25.[65] In Australia, it peaked at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart for an unspecified duration in early 1990, reflecting strong Oceanic performance akin to its Anglo-American success.Across continental Europe, "Nothing Compares 2 U" topped national charts in countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands, underscoring greater chart dominance there compared to some non-European markets.[66] It also reached number one in Canada and New Zealand.[66]On year-end tallies, the single ranked third on the 1990 Billboard Hot 100, behind "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips and "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection" by Nelson. In the UK, it placed second on the 1990 year-end Official Singles Chart, trailing only a reissue of "The Power of Love" by Jennifer Rush.[65]
Sales and Certifications
"Sinéad O'Connor's rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U," released in 1990, sold more than 3.5 million copies in its debut year.[67] In the United States, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying one million units shipped.[68] In the United Kingdom, it earned a platinum award from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for over 600,000 units sold.[69]
The track's digital performance added over one million certified units in the U.S. alone by the 2010s.[70] Following O'Connor's death on July 26, 2023, streaming surged 2,885% week-over-week in the U.S., driven primarily by "Nothing Compares 2 U" which garnered 3.2 million on-demand streams in the immediate tracking period.[71][72] This resurgence included renewed digital sales and downloads, propelling equivalent units but without reported additional physical certifications as of 2025.[73]
Critical Reception
Contemporary Reviews
Upon its 1990 release as the lead single from I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, "Nothing Compares 2 U" drew acclaim for Sinéad O'Connor's vocal interpretation, which critics described as injecting raw emotional depth into Prince's composition originally intended as a mid-tempo funk track for his side project The Family. O'Connor's stripped-down arrangement, featuring orchestral swells and her unadorned delivery, transformed the song into a haunting ballad emphasizing personal anguish, with reviewers noting her forceful tone conveyed vulnerability more potently than the demo's lighter groove.[74] A June 1990 Rolling Stone profile praised her voice as a "remarkable and forceful instrument," highlighting its ability to sustain the track's sparse production while elevating its lyrical themes of irreplaceable loss.[75]Album reviews frequently singled out the song as a pinnacle of O'Connor's artistry, crediting her phrasing and dynamics for surpassing the original's relative obscurity and imbuing it with interpretive nuance drawn from her own experiences of isolation. NME ranked I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got the second-best album of 1990, with the track's emotional resonance cited as a key factor in its impact.[76]Critiques of over-sentimentality emerged amid the praise, with some observers arguing the ballad's intensity tipped into excess. Robert Christgau's May 1990 Village Voice consumer guide deemed the closer "the dullest of all," dismissing the Prince cover as "just too obvious" despite its commercial breakthrough from an "obscure" source.[74] A contemporaneous personal assessment echoed this, conceding the vocal power but faulting the rendition as "too sentimental for my taste."[77]
Retrospective Critiques
In retrospective analyses from the 2010s onward, O'Connor's rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" has been lauded for its vocal intensity, with isolated vocal tracks revealing her command of phrasing and timbre that imbued Prince's composition with unparalleled rawness.[78] Critics such as those at Variety in 2023 highlighted how her voice's hollow reverberation, paired with sparse production, stripped the song to its emotional core, fostering enduring resonance over ornate alternatives like Prince's 1993 release.[79]The arrangement's deliberate minimalism—relying on subtle strings, a steady pulse, and unadorned vocals—has been analyzed as key to its transcendence, enabling the track to evade dated production trends and maintain relevance in streaming eras.[31] A 2023 Substack essay described this as yielding a "perfect record," where simplicity amplified universality without diluting lyrical heartbreak penned by Prince in 1985.[18] Such views contrast earlier dismissals of the reverb-heavy mix, affirming its role in spotlighting O'Connor's interpretive ownership despite Prince's authorship.[38]Post-2023 reflections following O'Connor's death on July 26 have framed the song as a double-edged catalyst in her trajectory, crediting its 1990 breakthrough for elevating her from niche artist to global figure while entangling her public image with perpetual vulnerability. Analyses in outlets like Blogcritics posited that her version's stark intimacy not only overshadowed Prince's but also mirrored her life's turbulence, rendering it more poignant in hindsight without resolving debates on whether her emotional lens enhanced or sentimentalized the original's detachment.[80] This perspective underscores a consensus that O'Connor's performance redefined the track's legacy, prioritizing interpretive authenticity over compositional credit.[81]
Controversies and Disputes
O'Connor-Prince Personal Encounters
In the early 1990s, shortly after the commercial success of her cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinéad O'Connor was summoned by Prince to his Hollywood mansion for a meeting.[82] According to O'Connor's account in her 2021 memoir Rememberings and subsequent interviews, Prince chastised her for using profanity in media interviews, citing his personal policy against swearing as a Jehovah's Witness.[83] He repeatedly instructed his butler to serve her soup, which she declined multiple times, later describing the insistence as obsessive and tied to Prince's vegan dietary practices.[84]O'Connor recounted feeling increasingly uneasy during the encounter, as Prince avoided substantive discussion of the song or potential collaboration and instead suggested they engage in a pillow fight to resolve tensions.[85] The situation escalated when O'Connor perceived Prince's actions as aggressive; she claimed he attempted to physically assault her, prompting her to defend herself before fleeing the residence on foot in the middle of the night.[86] No independent corroboration of the physical altercation exists, as Prince, who died in 2016, provided no public response, and O'Connor's narrative remains the primary source.[87]The meeting yielded no musical collaboration, and O'Connor later stated that the incident irreparably "spoiled" the song for her personally, despite its prior emotional significance. She emphasized in interviews that her admiration for Prince as an artist persisted separately from the personal discord.
Estate Rights Denial
In September 2022, the estate of Prince denied a licensing request to include Sinéad O'Connor's 1990 recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U" in the documentary film Nothing Compares, which chronicles O'Connor's career and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022, before a wider release via Showtime on October 2, 2022.[88][89]Sharon Nelson, Prince's half-sister and a co-heir to his estate following his death on April 21, 2016, cited both financial considerations and a personal assessment in the refusal, stating, "I didn't feel [O'Connor] deserved to use the song my brother wrote in her documentary so we declined. His version is the best."[90][88]The denial compelled filmmakers to omit O'Connor's vocal performance, relying instead on archival footage, interviews, and descriptive narration to reference the song's significance without its audio, thereby underscoring the estate's authority over Prince's compositions amid ongoing catalog management after his intestate passing.[91][92]This incident exemplifies the estate's stringent oversight of licensing since 2016, when Prince's lack of a will led to a probate process resolved in 2022 among heirs, prioritizing original works over derivative uses in unauthorized biographical contexts.[90][88]
Link to O'Connor's SNL Performance
On October 3, 1992, Sinéad O'Connor appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, leveraging the widespread fame from her 1990 cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U," which had propelled her to global stardom with over 6 million album sales for I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.[93][94] This success provided the platform for her planned second performance, an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley's "War" adapted to protest child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church; at its conclusion, she displayed and tore a photograph of Pope John Paul II while declaring, "Fight the real enemy."[93][95]The incident triggered immediate and severe backlash, including NBC's lifetime ban on O'Connor from the network, public denunciations from figures like Frank Sinatra who called for her deportation, and widespread condemnation for perceived sacrilege against the papacy, with conservative commentators framing it as an unprovoked attack on religious authority rather than a targeted critique of institutional failures.[94][96] This reaction correlated with a sharp commercial decline in her career; subsequent albums like Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994) achieved only modest sales in the hundreds of thousands, far below the multimillion peak tied to "Nothing Compares 2 U," reflecting boycotts and radio blackouts that diminished her market viability.O'Connor maintained the act was a principled stand against documented church cover-ups of priestly abuse, predating major public revelations; Irish government reports later confirmed thousands of cases involving clerical perpetrators and hierarchical concealment, vindicating her claims amid global scandals exposed from 2002 onward.[97][96] Left-leaning advocates defended it as an exercise in free speech highlighting systemic corruption, though critics across the spectrum noted the dramatic method alienated potential allies and overshadowed substantive discourse on the abuses.[98][99] O'Connor herself rejected narratives of career derailment, asserting in her 2021 memoir that it liberated her from commercial pressures, yet empirical trajectories show the protest severed the momentum from her song's triumph, associating her legacy indelibly with controversy over musical achievement.[100][101]
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Overshadowing the Original
Sinéad O'Connor's 1990 rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U" achieved global chart dominance, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and topping charts in 18 countries, while the original 1985 recording by Prince's protégés The Family, released on their self-titled album on August 12, garnered no significant airplay or sales as a standalone track prior to that point.[7][102][15] Prince's own live version, featuring Rosie Gaines and issued on his 1993 compilation The Hits/The B-Sides, peaked at number 79 on the UK Singles Chart in 2016 amid posthumous interest but failed to replicate the original cover's ubiquity.[103]Public metrics underscore this shift: O'Connor's version dominates streaming platforms, with data indicating it has accrued hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify—far outpacing Prince's variants, which hover around 12 million as of earlier analyses—reflecting persistent listener preference tied to her interpretation.[104] Search associations and cultural recall similarly favor O'Connor, as evidenced by the song's post-1990 identification in media and fan discourse primarily through her performance, rendering the pre-O'Connor incarnations obscure outside Prince's core discography.[81]The accompanying music video, directed by John Maybury and featuring O'Connor's raw, close-up emotional delivery with visible tears, aired heavily on MTV and secured Video of the Year at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards—the first win for a solo female artist—amplifying the track's emotional resonance and accessibility to a broader audience beyond Prince's funk-oriented fanbase.[62][2] This visual and temporal alignment in early 1990 capitalized on MTV's peak influence, eclipsing the song's origins despite Prince's rare live renditions, such as a 1995 set in Den Bosch, Netherlands, which acknowledged the hit without reclaiming mainstream ownership.[105]
Notable Covers and Tributes
Jimmy Scott, a jazz vocalist known for his falsetto range, recorded a version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" for his 1998 covers album Holding Back the Years, infusing the track with intimate, torch-song phrasing that emphasized vulnerability over pop sheen.[106] Released on Shanachie Records, Scott's interpretation drew on his experience collaborating with figures like David Lynch, slowing the tempo to highlight lyrical heartbreak through sparse piano and string accents.[107]Chris Cornell delivered a stripped-down acoustic rendition live for SiriusXM's Lithium channel on September 22, 2015, accompanied by cello and guitar, which captured a grunge-inflected rawness contrasting the original's synth elements.[108] This performance, later included on Cornell's 2018 career-spanning compilation Chris Cornell, was praised for its wrenching emotional delivery, with Cornell's baritone conveying personal loss amid rising intensity.[109]The song appeared in media tributes prior to 2023, including a 30 Rock episode referencing O'Connor's performance alongside her infamous SNL moment, underscoring its role in cultural discussions of artistic rebellion.[110] Such usages illustrate reinterpretations that prioritize narrative context over strict replication, sparking debates among commentators on whether acoustic or jazz variants maintain the composition's core authenticity—rooted in Prince's minimalist demo structure—or dilute it through stylistic commercialization.[111] O'Connor's arrangement, in particular, influenced subsequent ballads by proving electronic percussion and vocal isolation could heighten dramatic tension without orchestral excess, as evidenced in production analyses of 1990s power ballads.
Reflections After O'Connor's Death
Following Sinéad O'Connor's death on July 26, 2023, several artists performed tributes centered on "Nothing Compares 2 U," highlighting the song's enduring association with her voice and emotional intensity. On the day of her passing, P!nk and Brandi Carlile delivered an impromptu duet of the track during P!nk's concert at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicating it explicitly to O'Connor.[112][113] In March 2024, O'Connor's daughter, Roisín Waters, performed an emotional rendition at a joint tribute concert for her mother and Shane MacGowan at Carnegie Hall in New York City, underscoring the song's personal significance to the family.[114][115]At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, Annie Lennox honored O'Connor during the in memoriam segment with a stripped-down version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," joined by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman on guitar, emphasizing the song's raw vulnerability as a fitting eulogy.[116][117] These performances prompted media discussions reevaluating the track's pivotal role in defining O'Connor's legacy, often framing its themes of loss and isolation as reflective of her documented struggles with mental illness, including diagnoses of complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder, which she publicly addressed before her suicide.[118] Analysts noted how the song's success amplified her authenticity but also intensified scrutiny of her personal turmoil, positioning it as a double-edged emblem of her artistic triumph amid lifelong psychological challenges.[118]Prince's estate, which retains master rights to the composition, maintained its pre-existing stance on approvals post-O'Connor's death, with no permissions granted for new releases or adaptations tied to her passing, consistent with prior denials such as for her 2022 documentary Nothing Compares.[119] This control limited posthumous commercial exploitation of her version, focusing tributes instead on live interpretations and reinforcing the song's cultural permanence without altering its licensing framework.[119]
Track Listings and Formats
Standard Editions
The standard single release of "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor, issued in early 1990, primarily featured two tracks across formats: the title song as the A-side, running approximately 5:00, and "Jump in the River" as the B-side, running approximately 4:07.[41]7-inch vinyl editions were distributed internationally with this configuration, including the UK release on Ensign Records (catalog ENY 630), the US edition on Chrysalis (catalog B 23488), European variants on Ensign/Chrysalis (catalog 113 006), and Australian pressings on Chrysalis/Ensign (catalog CHS 2369).[41]Cassette singles mirrored the vinyl track listing, with examples including the UK Ensign/Chrysalis version (ENYMC 630), the US counterpart (4JM 23488), and the Australian release (TC-CHS 2369).[41]CD single formats, introduced in select markets, also contained the core duo of tracks without additional content in standard editions, such as the UK Ensign release (ENYCD 630) and European Ensign/Chrysalis pressing (663 006).[41] Track orders and selections remained consistent between major territories like the US and UK, with no documented alterations to the primary pairing.[41]Standalone remastered reissues of the single in the 2010s were not produced; the track appeared in digitally remastered form on album compilations but retained original single formatting in physical re-releases.[41]
Remixes and Variations
Sinéad O'Connor's recording features a single edit version clocking in at 4:40, which trims the orchestral fade-out of the full album track from I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (running 5:10) for radio play.[120]Prince's 1993 version from The Hits/The B-Sides, reissued digitally in 2018, includes an official edit reduced to 4:12 from the original 4:57 length, emphasizing a tighter arrangement without altering core instrumentation. [121]Following the song's enduring popularity, unofficial remixes proliferated, particularly after O'Connor's death in 2023, adapting her vocal for electronic and dance genres; examples include Jason Parker's 2023 remix layering house beats over the original stem, Tomer Maizner's club-oriented rework, and Ben Nicky's TikTok viral edit incorporating trance elements for streaming platforms.[122][123][124]Prince's track has seen similar digital-era alterations, such as the 2015 DJDS Club Mix transforming the funk-soul base into an uptempo electronic track for club play, and a Cinematic Mix enhancing atmospheric strings for immersive audio experiences on platforms like YouTube.[125][126]
Credits and Personnel
Prince Versions
Prince composed "Nothing Compares 2 U" and recorded an initial solo demo version in early 1985 at his Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, performing lead vocals and all instruments, including keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and programming.[15] He served as the sole producer for this track, handling arrangement, engineering, and mixing.[15]For the version recorded with his protégés The Family, Prince provided the foundational track from his demo, retaining production responsibilities and performing the majority of instrumentation, such as keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and Fairlight CMI sampling.[15][28] Vocals were overdubbed by Paul "St. Paul" Peterson and Susannah Melvoin in late 1984 to early 1985 at the same studio.[15]Eric Leeds contributed saxophone, while Clare Fischer arranged and conducted orchestral strings during the same period.[15][28]
Prince's involvement extended to engineering aspects, with Dez Dickerson credited on related sessions for additional guitar in some configurations, though primary instrumentation remained his.[15] These recordings underscore Prince's hands-on role in crafting the song's core sound, blending synthesized elements with live overdubs for emotional depth.[15]
O'Connor Version
Sinéad O'Connor served as co-producer on her version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," alongside Nellee Hooper, with the track recorded primarily at Sarm West Studios in London during sessions for her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.[127][128] Chris Birkett acted as recording engineer and co-producer, handling the minimalistic arrangement that emphasized O'Connor's vocals over subtle string swells and atmospheric elements, captured in a sparse setup to highlight emotional delivery.[35][31]Mixing duties were shared by Birkett, O'Connor, and manager Fachtna O'Ceallaigh, resulting in a polished yet intimate sound that propelled the single's commercial success upon its release on January 22, 1990.[129][130] O'Connor provided lead vocals and contributed to drum programming and percussion elements across the album, though specifics for this track remain centered on her interpretive performance rather than extensive ensemble contributions.[131]
Release History
The song "Nothing Compares 2 U" was first commercially released by the Minneapolis-based band The Family, a short-lived project assembled by Prince, as an album track on their self-titled debut album The Family, issued on August 12, 1985, via Paisley Park Records in the United States.[15] This version featured lead vocals by Wendy Melvoin and Susannah Melvoin, with Prince providing uncredited backing vocals and instrumentation, but it was not issued as a standalone single and garnered minimal attention at the time.[1]Sinéad O'Connor's cover, recorded for her second studio album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (released March 20, 1990, by Ensign/Chrysalis Records), was issued as a single in the United Kingdom on January 22, 1990, in CD format (Ensign ENYCD 630), followed by 7-inch vinyl on February 8, 1990 (Ensign 113 006/Chrysalis).[40][41] The single, produced by O'Connor with minimal instrumentation emphasizing her vocal performance, achieved global commercial success, topping the UK Singles Chart for four weeks starting March 11, 1990, and the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks from April 21, 1990.[132]Prince's own studio demo recording from 1984, featuring his lead vocals and the Revolution on instrumentation, remained unreleased during his lifetime but was issued posthumously as a digital single on April 19, 2018, by his estate via NPG Records/Warner Bros., coinciding with the second anniversary of his death.[9][133] An earlier live version, recorded in 1992 with Rosie Gaines on co-lead vocals, appeared on Prince's compilation album The Hits 1 on September 14, 1993, via Warner Bros. Records, accompanied by a promotional single release in the US on November 18, 1993.[134][2]