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Nothing Compares 2 U

"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written by the American musician Prince for his band the Family. It first appeared on their only album, The Family (1985). Its lyrics express the feelings of longing expressed by an abandoned lover.

Not to be confused with Nothin' (That Compares 2 U).

"Nothing Compares 2 U"

8 January 1990[1]

S.T.S (Dublin, Ireland)

5:10

The Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor recorded a version for her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), co-produced with Nellee Hooper. It was released as the album's second single in early 1990 and became a worldwide hit. Its music video, directed by John Maybury, received heavy rotation on MTV. In December 1990, Billboard named "Nothing Compares 2 U" the "#1 World Single" of 1990 at its first Billboard Music Awards.[4]


In 1993, Prince released a live version of "Nothing Compares 2 U", with Rosie Gaines on guest vocals, on his compilation album The Hits/The B-Sides. His 1984 demo was released as a single in 2018 and included on the 2019 compilation Originals.

Background[edit]

"Nothing Compares 2 U" was written by the American musician Prince, who recorded a demo in 1984. In 1985, Prince's funk band the Family released their sole studio album, The Family, including "Nothing Compares 2 U". It was not released as a single and received little recognition. Prince's demo was released in 2018.[5]

Recording[edit]

The Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor recorded a version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" for her second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), with a new arrangement by her and the producer Nellee Hooper. O'Connor's version is in the key of F major.[6]

Response[edit]

Commercial[edit]

O'Connor's version was a worldwide hit, topping charts in O'Connor's native Ireland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States (plus top five in France). 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 number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart (held off the top position by Rod Stewart's "This Old Heart of Mine" for three weeks). In terms of its chart performance on the Hot 100 it ranked number three for 1990. In April 1990, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. On the second of its four weeks at number one, the record's parent album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got 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 the United Kingdom the single ranked number two for the year, behind a re-release of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody".[10] In July 2023, days after O'Connor's death, "Nothing Compares 2 U" reappeared on the UK Top 100 at number 45,[11] and charted at number 1 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[12]

– lead and backing vocals, Yamaha DX7, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums

Prince

– saxophone

Eric Leeds

– backing vocals

Susannah Melvoin

– orchestral arrangement

Clare Fischer

In 2003, ranked "Nothing Compares 2 U" at number 242 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[45]

Q magazine

It was included at number 165 by in its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[46]

Rolling Stone

In 2007, ranked O'Connor's rendition number 10 of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".[47]

VH1

In September 2010, Pitchfork included the song at number 37 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

[48]

The song was listed at number 77 on Billboard's "Greatest Songs of All Time".

[49]

magazine included "Nothing Compares 2 U" in its 2011 (unranked) list of "All-TIME 100 Songs".[50]

Time

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".

[51]

In October 2014, 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".

Aretha Franklin

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."

[52]

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!!!"[53] 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.[54] In 2020, the song was covered on Chris Cornell's No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1.[55]

Chris Cornell

In 2019, Stacker placed the song at number 20 in their list of "Best 90s pop songs".

[56]

In 2020, ranked the song at number 12 in its list of the "100 Greatest UK No 1s"[57]

The Guardian

artist Jon Pardi covered the song on his album Rancho Fiesta Sessions in 2020.

Country

In 2024, , accompanied by Wendy & Lisa sang this song at the 2024 Grammy Awards during the "In Memoriam" segment as a tribute to O'Connor. She ended the performance by saying "Artists for ceasefire! Peace in the world!" as a response to the 2023 Israel–Hamas ceasefire and the Israel–Hamas war.

Annie Lennox

ranked "Nothing Compares 2 U" the best Billboard Hot 100 number-one song of the 1990s in 2020, calling it "one of the greatest love songs ever written".[58]

Cleveland.com

It was included at number 184 by Rolling Stone in its 2021 update list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

[59]

List of European number-one airplay songs of the 1990s