"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written and composed by Prince for his side project,

The Family A family is a domestic or social group. Family or The Family may also refer to: Mathematics *Family of curves, a set of curves resulting from a function with variable parameters *Family of sets, a collection of sets *Indexed family, a family wh ...

; the song featured on their eponymous 1985 debut album. The song features lyrics exploring feelings of longing from the point of view of an abandoned lover. Several years later, Irish singer

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...

recorded a version of the song for her second studio album, ''

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got ''I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got'' is the second album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, released in March 1990 on Ensign/Chrysalis Records. It contains O'Connor's version of the Prince song " Nothing Compares 2 U", which was released as a si ...

'' (1990). It was released as the album's second single in early 1990 and became a worldwide hit. O'Connor co-produced the record with Nellee Hooper, and its music video, directed by

John Maybury John Maybury (born 25 March 1958) is an English filmmaker and artist. He first came to prominence as the director of the music video for the Pet Shop Boys 1984 single " West End Girls". In 2005 he was named as one of the 100 most influential gay ...

, received heavy rotation on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. In December 1990, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' named "Nothing Compares 2 U" as the "#1 World Single" of 1990 at its first ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Prince released his own rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U", with Rosie Gaines on guest vocals in 1993. This live version of the song was included on his

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

'' The Hits/The B-Sides''. His original 1984 studio recording of the song was eventually released in 2018 as a single and later on the 2019 posthumous compilation '' Originals''.

Background

In 1985, the

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

band

released their only album, ''

''. It contained songs written by Prince including "Nothing Compares 2 U". The song was essentially filler music on the album. It was not released as a single and received little recognition. Prince had recorded the song earlier, in 1984, which was not released until April 2018 as a digitally released posthumous single. Sinead O'Connor recorded the song for her 1990 second album ''I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got'' with a completely new arrangement by her and producer Nellee Hooper. O'Connor's version is composed in the key of F major. Prince did not perform the song in concert until the years after O'Connor turned it into a hit, when he began performing the song live. He performed duets with Rosie Gaines in concert and subsequently had a live performance released on compilation albums: 1993's '' The Hits/The B-Sides'', and the 2006 '' Ultimate Prince''. He also recorded a solo version for his concert film '' Rave Un2 the Year 2000'', as well as for his 2002 live album '' One Nite Alone... Live!''.

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from most music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com wrote that O'Connor's "emotional, gutsy performance made it a classic. Painful loss meets stunning vocal beauty with a perfectly understated instrumental arrangement." Matthew Hocter from Albumism described it as a song "deeply rooted in emotion and despair which would go on to certify O'Connor and that song as one of music history's most unforgettable moments." AllMusic editor Steve Huey called the song "stunning" and noted its "remarkable intimacy". Jodi Cleesattle from ''American Eagle'' wrote that "there is pain in Sinead O'Connor's voice, and there probably always will be." She noted that "loneliness and longing" are highlighted on the song, adding that O'Connor's voice "fits the song perfectly. Her vocals soar and leap unexpectedly but gracefully, making, the ballad, the loveliest of love songs." Bill Coleman from ''

'' described it as a "brilliant interpretation of the melancholic lament." Ernest Hardy from '' Cashbox'' called it a "genuine tear-jerker".

Greg Sandow Greg Sandow (born June 3, 1943) is an American music critic and composer. Education Sandow is a graduate of Harvard University, with a bachelor's degree in government. He is also a graduate of Yale University, with a master's degree in compositi ...

for '' Entertainment Weekly'' said that it is a song "about how to carry on after losing love". Tom Ewing of ''

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'' noted it as a "very moving track", and added that it "captures the stasis, anger and devastation of a bad break-up with awful accuracy." He also complimented the music "whose stately, sympathetic pulse gives O’Connor the canvas she needs to be so devastating." Tom Moon from ''

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'' said she "adapts the breathy approach of a torch singer." A reviewer from '' Los Angeles Times'' noted that the singer "match raw emotion with spare sounds" on "the quiet, desperate, lovelorn beauty". Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' stated that out of all the recent covers of Prince songs -

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

's " I Feel For You",

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer * Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in ...

' " Kiss" and

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' " Sign 'O' The Times" - "this is definitely the most convincing." The reviewer noted further that originally recorded by Minneapolis band

for their 1985 debut album, "O'Connor's emotionally charged version has immediate appeal", and is "destined to be her biggest hit to date." David Giles from '' Music Week'' commented that the song "is not one of Prince's finest moments, and O'Connor does little to disguise this fact bar a few token vocal somersaults. The string synths also have a dirge-like effect, dragging the rest of the arrangement along with them." ''The Network Forty''s reviewer wrote that "when Sinead sang "Nothing Compares 2 U", seas calmed, angels wept and Top 40 radio stood still to listen to this powerful expression of unrequited love." Steven Wells from '' NME'' said "it remains one of the best 'boo-hoo, my bloke's left me' pop songs ever recorded", and a "stark reminder that O'Connor is blessed with an amazing and unique voice". He concluded with that it "remains the outstanding highlight of her career to date. She's more than capable of surpassing it in the future. Less Sade and more Aretha, please." Mark Richardson from '' Pitchfork'' commented that "you have to look pretty hard to find a better expression in pop music of the void that exists when a relationship ends." Pop Rescue wrote that O'Connor "makes light work" of the track, and she's "having plenty of power to belt out the lyrics at the right points." They added that it is a "fantastic exhibit of 90s music". Sal Cinquemani from ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' noted that it perhaps is O'Connor's "greatest vocal achievement" and described it as a "classic torch song she quite simply owns." Tom Doyle from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' said that "it doesn't sound at all like any of her other stuff."

Commercial performance

O'Connor's power ballad version of the song became a worldwide hit, topping charts in O'Connor's native Ireland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Plus top five in France and top 20 in Denmark. It was certified platinum in Austria and in the United Kingdom, and gold in Germany and in Sweden. In the United States it spent four weeks at the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; in addition, it was number one on the ''Billboard'' Alternative Songs chart and reached no. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart (held off the top position by

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

's "

This Old Heart of Mine "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" is a Holland–Dozier–Holland song that was a hit for American musical group the Isley Brothers in January 1966 during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label. Featuring Ronald Isley on lead vocal, ...

" for three weeks). In terms of its chart performance on the Hot 100 it ranked no. 3 for 1990. In April 1990 it was certified platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. On the second of its four weeks at number one, the record's parent album ''

'' started a six-week run at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2019 the single ranked 97 in a Hot 100 60th-anniversary Top 600 covering the period from 1958 to 2018. In Great Britain the single ranked no. 2 for the year, behind a re-release of the Righteous Brothers' " Unchained Melody".

Music video

Concept

Directed by

, the accompanying music video for the song consists mostly of a closeup on Sinéad O'Connor's face as she goes through stages of sadness and anger while singing the lyrics; the rest consists of her walking through the Parc de Saint-Cloud in Paris. Toward the end of the video, two tears roll down her face, one on each cheek. O'Connor has said that her tears were real. She did not intend to cry but then thought, "I should let this happen." She explained that the tears were triggered by thoughts of her mother, who died in a car accident in 1985. She said she learned to channel her emotions with the "

bel canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...

" singing style, which she compared to extreme acting methods. In the middle and at the very end of the video there is a shot from O'Connor's photo session for the ''

'' album cover.

Reception

The clip won three "Moonmen" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year (O'Connor was the first female artist to be awarded it), Best Female Video and Best Post-Modern Video. It was nominated for

Breakthrough Video Breakthrough or break through may refer to: Arts Books * ''Break Through'' (book), a 2007 book about environmentalism by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger * ''Break Through'' (play), a 2011 episodic play portraying scenes from LGBT life * ...

, Viewer's Choice and International Viewer's Choice during the ceremony. The video was also the subject of many parodies and spoofs, such as Gina Riley's parody "Nothing Is There" on '' Fast Forward,'' referring to the fact that O'Connor tended to shave her head bald.

Prince version

Prince released his own rendition of "Nothing Compares 2 U", with Rosie Gaines on guest vocals. This live version of the song was included on his 1993

'' The Hits/The B-Sides''. This version reached number 7 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in 1993 and number 66 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the ''

'' issue dated January 15, 1994. Following Prince's death in 2016, the live recording with Rosie Gaines, peaked at number 43 on the US

Digital Songs Sales The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...

chart and number 31 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. Prince's original 1984 recording of the song was not released until 2018, when it was issued as a single by Warner Bros. Records in conjunction with his estate. In addition, the Prince version was given its own music video, released in conjunction with the studio recording on April 19, 2018; the video consists of edited rehearsal footage shot in the summer of 1984. Prince's 1984 original recording peaked at number 21 on the US Hot R&B Songs chart and number 8 on the US

R&B Digital Song Sales Hot R&B Songs is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular R&B songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations, digital download sales and streaming data. It was establis ...

chart in 2018. The song was later included as the final track on Prince's 2019 posthumous compilation '' Originals'', which contains a multitude of demo recordings Prince had made for other artists such as The Bangles and Kenny Rogers.

Legacy

* In 2003, '' Q Magazine'' ranked "Nothing Compares 2 U" at number 242 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". * It was included at number 165 by '' Rolling Stone'' in its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". * In 2007,

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

ranked O'Connor's rendition number 10 of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". * In September 2010 Pitchfork Media included the song at number 37 on their ''Top 200 Tracks of the 90s''. * The song was listed at number 77 on ''

''s "Greatest Songs of All Time". * ''TIME'' magazine included "Nothing Compares 2 U" in its 2011 (unranked) list of "All-TIME 100 Songs". * In 2012, ''Porcys'' listed the song at number 60 in their ranking of "100 Singles 1990-1999", noting that "it's probably one of the noblest, most dignified slow songs of the decade". * In October 2014,

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

released her thirty-eighth and final studio album '' Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics'' in which she covered several songs by other female recording artists, including an upbeat, jazz version of O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U". * The song was simulcast on radio stations throughout the United States to commemorate Prince 15 days after his death. The simulcast was timed to reflect the song's opening lyric: "It's been 7 hours and 15 days since you took your love away." * Chris Cornell posted a link to his version the day after Prince's death. In an accompanying message, he wrote: "Prince's music is the soundtrack to the soulful and beautiful universe he created, and we have all been privileged to be part of that amazing world. I performed his song 'Nothing Compares 2 U' for the first time a couple months ago. It has a timeless relevance for me and practically everyone I know. Sadly, now his own lyrics in this song could not be more relevant than at this moment, and I sing them now in reverence as I pay tribute to this unequaled artist who has given all of our lives so much inspiration and made the world so much more interesting. We will miss you Prince!!!" On Father's Day 2018, Cornell's daughter Toni released a version of the song she recorded with her dad before his death in 2017. In 2020, the song was covered on Chris Cornell's '' No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1''. * In 2019, ''Stacker'' placed the song at number 20 in their list of "Best 90s pop songs". * In 2020, '' The Guardian'' ranked the song at number 12 in its list of the "100 Greatest UK No 1s" * Country artist Jon Pardi covered the song on his album ''Rancho Fiesta Sessions'' in 2020. * Cleveland.com ranked "Nothing Compares 2 U" the best '' ''Billboard'' ''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

No. 1 song of the 1990s in 2020, calling it "one of the greatest love songs ever written". * It was included at number 184 by '' Rolling Stone'' in its 2021 Update list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Track listings

* 7" single # "Nothing Compares 2 U" – 5:09 # " Jump in the River" – 4:13 * CD maxi # "Nothing Compares 2 U" – 5:09 # "Jump in the River" – 4:13 # "Jump in the River" (instrumental) – 4:04

Credits and personnel

Nothing Compares 2 U *

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

, background vocals,

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

, mixing * Prince – music and lyrics * Nellee Hooper – producing *Chris Birkett – engineering, mixing *Fachtna O' Ceallaigh – mixing Jump in the River *Sinéad O'Connor – music and lyrics, lead vocals, producer, mixing * Marco Pirroni – music and lyrics *Chris Birkett – engineering, mixing *Fachtna O' Ceallaigh – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Ireland chart history

"Nothing Compares 2 U" entered the Irish singles chart on January 11, 1990, reaching number one two weeks later. After a six-week run at the top, Sinéad O'Connor was replaced by " Love Shack" by The B-52s. The song left the chart on March 29, after twelve weeks.

UK chart history

In the

UK Top 100 The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top ...

chart dated January 20, 1990, the single entered at no. 30, then rocketed to no. 3, then to number one, where it stayed for four weeks, holding off a twin challenge from dance acts Technotronic and Black Box. The single slipped to number two in the chart dated March 3, replaced at the top by " Dub Be Good to Me" by Beats International. "Nothing Compares 2 U" completed its twelve-week run within the UK top 40 in early April. "Nothing Compares 2 U" was Britain's biggest-selling new recording of 1990, ranking no. 2 in the year-end chart behind a re-release of the Righteous Brothers' 1965 hit " Unchained Melody".

US chart history

The single entered the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 at number 33, in the issue dated March 24, 1990. "Nothing Compares 2 U" rose steadily over the next four weeks – no doubt bolstered by the increasing exposure of the song's video on

– before reaching number one in the issue dated April 21. The single took just six weeks to reach number one – tied with

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's " Vogue" and New Kids on the Block's " Step by Step" as the year's fastest climber to the top. It spent four weeks at number one, as it did in the UK, with Jane Child's "

Don't Wanna Fall in Love "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Child. Released in January 1990 as the second single from her self-titled debut album, the single went to number two for three consecutive weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

" and

Calloway Calloway may refer to: People * A.J. Calloway, American TV personality * Auburn Calloway, flight engineer of FedEx Express who nearly hijacked FedEx Flight 705 * Blanche Calloway, American jazz singer, bandleader, and composer * Cab Calloway, an ...

's " I Wanna Be Rich" stuck at no. 2.

's " Vogue" replaced it at number one. The single spent ten weeks in the Top Ten – one of only four 1990 releases to do so – and finished its 15-week run in the US Top 40 in late June.

Certifications and sales

Release history

References