Nothing Compares 2 U
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| "Nothing Compares 2 U" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Sinéad O'Connor | ||
| from the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | ||
| Released | 1990 (U.S.) | |
| Format | CD single | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 5:09 | |
| Label | Chrysalis Records | |
| Writer(s) | Prince | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology | ||
| "Jump In the River" (1988) |
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990) |
"The Emperor's New Clothes" (1990) |
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written around 1984 or 1985 by Prince for The Family.
Contents |
[edit] The Family version
In 1985 The Family, a funk band created as an outlet to release more of Prince's music, released a self-titled album. "Nothing Compares 2 U" was not released as a single and received little recognition.
[edit] Sinéad O'Connor version
Outspoken and controversial Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor re-recorded the track in 1990 and included it on her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, bringing the song to worldwide prominence. Her vocal performance was passionate and heartfelt, and the song's music video was a hit on MTV. The single topped the charts worldwide, including the UK, United States and Australia.
A popular misconception about the song is that it was about her break up with longtime manager and lover Fachtna O'Kelly.
[edit] Music video
The video for "Nothing Compares 2 U" was directed by John Maybury. Widely considered to be one of the best videos of the 1990s, the clip consists almost solely of a closeup on O'Connor's face as she passionately sings the song's lyrics. The video's iconic moment comes toward the end, when a single tear rolls down each side of her face. It is widely believed that it was the lyric "All the flowers that you planted, Mama" which caused this, because Sinead had a very complex relationship with her late mother who she claims abused her. The clip won Best Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards - the first video by a female artist to win in this category.
[edit] Single track listing
- "Nothing Compares 2 U"
- "Jump in the River"
- "Jump in the River" (Instrumental)
[edit] Prince version
Due to the song's newfound popularity by Sinéad O'Connor, Prince himself began to perform it in concert and included a live rendition on his 1993 compilations The Hits/The B-Sides and The Hits 1. Prince's version is a duet between himself and Rosie Gaines, who at the time was in his group the New Power Generation.
[edit] Other covers
The song was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their 2003 album Take a Break.
[edit] Accolades
- In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the Sinéad O'Connor single at number 162 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, which contains only two songs of the 1990s ranked higher than that.
- In a 2006 poll for a Channel 5 program "Britain's Favourite Break-up Songs", Sinéad O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was voted fifth.
- VH1 Classic listed Sinead O'Connor's Version as the second greatest Classic Love Song behind Al Green's "Let's Stay Together".
| Preceded by "Tears On My Pillow" by Kylie Minogue |
UK number one single January 28, 1990 for 4 weeks |
Succeeded by "Dub Be Good To Me" by Beats International |
| Preceded by "I'll Be Your Everything" by Tommy Page |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 21, 1990- May 12, 1990 |
Succeeded by "Vogue" by Madonna |
[edit] External links
Categories: 1990 singles | Number-one singles in Australia | Ballads | Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles | Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one singles | Prince songs | Number-one singles in the United Kingdom | Number-one singles in New Zealand | Number-one singles in Germany | MTV Video of the Year Award | MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
