The passing of Sinéad O’Connor at 56 has brought back to the forefront a powerful image etched in the minds of many: the Irish singer, with her shaved head, pale skin, and intensely piercing grey eyes fixed directly into the camera. This is the defining visual from O’Connor’s most enduring and celebrated song, “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Released at the dawn of the 1990s, this poignant ballad soared to the top of the charts in over a dozen countries globally, including Australia and the United States. However, what many might not realize is that this signature song for O’Connor had already journeyed through the hands of two other musical entities before it became her global sensation.
From Paisley Park to Global Stage: The Song’s Genesis
“Nothing Compares 2 U” began its life five years prior to O’Connor’s iconic rendition, originating from the prolific mind of Prince. The legendary artist penned the track for The Family, a band he meticulously formed and signed to his own Paisley Park Records label. The Family debuted the song on their self-titled album in 1985, which, ironically, would be their sole album release under that moniker.
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The original recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U” is distinctly rooted in the sonic landscape of the 1980s. Synthesizers and drum machines create a characteristic 80s pop atmosphere, with synthesized strings almost overwhelming the vocals of lead singer St. Paul Peterson. Despite its initial release, the song was never released as a single by The Family and consequently garnered minimal attention.
Sinéad O’Connor’s Stripped-Down Ballad: A Worldwide Phenomenon
By 1990, Sinéad O’Connor was already establishing herself on the international music scene, following the release of her critically acclaimed 1987 debut album, “The Lion and The Cobra.” Her sophomore album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” released in 1990, featured “Nothing Compares 2 U” as its lead single – a dramatically reimagined, emotionally raw ballad version of the song.
O’Connor’s interpretation propelled the album to phenomenal success. It earned four Grammy Award nominations, and O’Connor secured a win for Best Alternative Music Performance for “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” largely fueled by the power of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” In a move characteristic of her fiercely held principles, O’Connor famously boycotted the Grammy Awards, denouncing them as overly commercial and detached from true artistic merit.
By the close of 1990, “Nothing Compares 2 U” had achieved staggering sales figures, exceeding 3.5 million copies sold. Billboard magazine officially recognized its monumental impact, crowning it the number one World Single of the year.
The Unforgettable Music Video: A Close-Up of Heartbreak
The overwhelming success of “Nothing Compares 2 U” was undeniably amplified by its groundbreaking music video, which became one of the most iconic visual pieces of the 1990s. The video is stark and intimate, featuring O’Connor in a black turtleneck, her face filling the frame in an extreme close-up, conveying profound pain and sorrow directly to the viewer.
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As she delivers the song’s heart-wrenching lyrics, a single tear traces a path down her cheek, intensifying the palpable emotion. The raw vulnerability O’Connor projected in the video stemmed from the Bel Canto acting method, which encourages performers to tap into personal traumatic memories to evoke genuine emotion.
“It’s always the same thing and it always works … I always think of my mother … which is why I had the little tear in the video. My mother died when I was 17 and it wasn’t long after that that I was making the video,” O’Connor revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 6, explaining the deeply personal source of the video’s emotional resonance.
In an era where music videos were still a relatively nascent art form, O’Connor’s visual masterpiece garnered significant acclaim. At the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, she took home three awards, including the coveted Best Music Video award, solidifying the video’s place in pop culture history.
Prince’s Version Resurfaces: Reclaiming the Narrative
Following the immense success of O’Connor’s cover, Prince revisited “Nothing Compares 2 U,” releasing his own version in 1993, featuring Rosie Gaines, who had also performed with The Family, on backing vocals. However, it wasn’t until after Prince’s untimely death in 2016 that his original, more rock-infused rendition began to gain similar recognition to O’Connor’s iconic ballad.
In 2018, fans were finally granted access to what is considered the definitive Prince version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” when his estate released the original 1984 demo recording. This release offered a glimpse into the song’s initial creation and Prince’s artistic vision for it.
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The accompanying music video for Prince’s demo features previously unseen footage of Prince & The Revolution from the summer of 1984, capturing them in the process of recording the song at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. This release allowed fans to appreciate the song’s evolution and Prince’s own powerful interpretation.
A Song Bridging Generations: The Cornells’ Heartfelt Tribute
Just days before Prince’s 1984 demo was officially released, a poignant cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” emerged, performed by a 13-year-old Toni Cornell alongside her father, the late Chris Cornell. Chris Cornell, the iconic frontman of the 90s rock band Soundgarden, who had passed away just a year prior, was known to be a great admirer of Prince’s music.
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“I miss your love everyday,” Toni Cornell shared at the time of the release. “Recording this song with you was a special and amazing experience I wish I could repeat 100 times over and I know you would too. Happy Father’s Day daddy, nothing compares to you.” This emotional tribute further cemented the song’s enduring power to resonate across generations and to express profound personal loss and love.
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Irony in Silence: “Nothing Compares” Documentary and Song Rights
In a striking twist of fate, last year, O’Connor released a documentary about her life, her activism, and her legacy as a feminist icon, aptly titled “Nothing Compares.” However, when the moment arrived in the film to feature her most famous song, viewers were met with silence.
This absence was due to the fact that Prince’s estate had denied permission to use O’Connor’s own recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U” in the documentary. Sharon Nelson, Prince’s half-sister, explained the estate’s decision in a statement to Billboard, citing their preference for Prince’s own versions.
“Nothing compares to Prince’s live version with Rosie Gaines that is featured on the Hits 1album and we are re-releasing that album on vinyl on November 4th,” Nelson stated. “I didn’t feel [Sinéad] deserved to use the song my brother wrote in her documentary so we declined. His version is the best.”
Despite the inability to feature its namesake song, “Nothing Compares” the documentary went on to achieve significant critical acclaim, winning two British Independent Film Awards and receiving widespread praise from critics, further solidifying O’Connor’s impactful legacy, even amidst the complex history surrounding her signature song.
In conclusion, “Nothing Compares 2 U” is far more than just a cover song in music history. It is a testament to the transformative power of interpretation, a vehicle for raw emotional expression, and a song that continues to resonate deeply with listeners across generations. While penned by Prince, it was Sinéad O’Connor’s rendition, infused with her unique vulnerability and artistic vision, that catapulted the song into global consciousness and cemented its place as an unforgettable anthem of heartbreak and longing.
