Nothing Compares 2 U

"Nothing Compares 2 U"
Single by Sinéad O'Connor
from the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
B-side"Jump in the River"
Released8 January 1990[1]
Studio
GenrePop[3]
Length5:10
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)Prince
Producer(s)
Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology
"Jump in the River"
(1988)
"Nothing Compares 2 U"
(1990)
"The Emperor's New Clothes"
(1990)
Music video
"Nothing Compares 2 U" on YouTube
Audio sample

"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.

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.

  1. ^ "BPI".
  2. ^ Buskin, Richard (February 2012). "Classic Tracks: Sinéad O'Connor 'Nothing Compares 2 U'". Sound On Sound. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (April 21, 2015). "How 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Endured". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  4. ^ "Search Results". Billboard Music Awards. Retrieved December 6, 2020.