Nothing Compares 2 U
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "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 | Asylum 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, a funk band created as an outlet to release more of his music. The band's self-titled album was released in 1985, but "Nothing Compares 2 U" was not released as a single and received little recognition.
Five years later, outspoken and controversial Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor re-recorded the track and included it on her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, bringing the song to worldwide prominence. The single topped the charts worldwide, including the UK, United States and Australia.
Her vocal performance was passionate and heartfelt, and the song's music video was a hit on MTV. Due to the song's newfound popularity, 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.
The song was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album 2003 Take a Break.
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.
A popular misconception about the song was that it was about giving up smoking.
[edit] Single track listing
- "Nothing Compares 2 U"
- "Jump in the River"
- "Jump in the River" (Instrumental)
[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 most iconic moment comes toward the end, when a single tear rolls down 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.
| 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 |
Succeeded by: "Vogue" by Madonna |
