Nothing Compares 2 U (5:10)

“Nothing Compares 2 U” is a song written in mid-1981 by Prince for The Family. In 1990, 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 subject of the song is actress Susannah Melvoin. The song’s music video was a hit on MTV. The single topped the charts worldwide, including the United States, UK and Australia. Unusually (for a ballad), the song also topped the Modern Rock Tracks.

Critical Reception

* In 2004, Rolling Stone 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.
* 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”.
* In 2002, VH1 ranked the song the 18th greatest one-hit wonder.
* In 2007, VH1 ranked O’Connor’s rendition number 10 of the “100 Greatest Songs of the 90s”.
* In 2008, VH1 ranked the song the number 1 on “Final Countdown - Top 50 Heartbreakers”.