Sinéad O'Connor's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Hit No. 1 on This Day
Nothing compares to Sinéad O'Connor (and the titan that is Prince). On this day 36 years ago, the Irish singer and musician's biggest hit peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The pop cover skyrocketed O'Connor to international fame and acclaim, becoming her signature song.
Prince originally wrote "Nothing Compares 2 U" for his funk band The Family in 1984 for their self-titled debut album, which was released on Aug. 19, 1985. It received little fanfare at the time. Prince went on to release a live version of the song in 1993, and it was included on his compilation album Originals in 2019.
O'Connor recorded her version for her sophomore effort, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. She debuted the track as a single on Jan. 8, 1990, while her second studio album hit music stores on March 12, 1990, a little over a month before the iconic tune topped multiple charts.
In addition to taking the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100, O'Connor's cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" ranked No. 1 on a whopping 25 other charts across the globe, including on the UK Singles chart. The song spent four weeks at number one on both the US and UK charts. It also climbed back into the weekly charts after O'Connor died in 2023.
As for certifications, "Nothing Compares 2 U" sold 3,500,000 copies worldwide, achieving Platinum in seven countries, including going double Platinum in Australia. It reached Gold in two countries. O'Connor received glowing reviews for her moving cover. Prince's lyrics delve into the pain of longing in the wake of being abandoned by a lover, and O'Connor's raw vocals tap into this perfectly. It's a visceral performance brimming with tangible pain.
One reviewer remarked that "when Sinéad sang 'Nothing Compares 2 U,' seas calmed, angels wept, and Top 40 radio stood still to listen to this powerful expression of unrequited love." Billboardnamed the track the "#1 World Single" in December 1990.
In 2021, Rolling Stoneranked "Nothing Compares 2 U" at number 184 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." VH1 placed it at number 10 on their ranking of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s," while Timeincluded the track in an unranked list of their "All-TIME 100 Songs."