The song that turned real tears into a global pop phenomenon
In short: In 1990, Sinéad O'Connor released a cover of Prince’s 'Nothing Compares 2 U' that became a defining moment in music history. Beyond the chart success, it was built on a specific technical demand: no compression on her vocals, allowing every raw emotion to reach the listener unfiltered.
Originally written by Prince and released in 1985 by his band The Family, 'Nothing Compares 2 U' initially received little recognition. It wasn't until Sinéad O'Connor covered it for her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, that the track became a global juggernaut. Produced by O'Connor and Nelle Hooper, the arrangement featured programming from Gota Yashiki using an Atari ST computer and Akai sampler. To capture its signature intimacy, O'Connor insisted on recording her vocals in a single take with absolutely no compression applied to the microphone signal.
The song’s success was tied to its visceral emotionality. The music video, directed by John Maybury, famously features O'Connor weeping during the performance. She later revealed these tears were genuine, triggered by memories of her mother who died in a 1985 car accident. To achieve this level of vulnerability, she utilized 'bel canto' singing techniques—a method she compared to extreme acting—to channel deep personal loss into a public performance. This approach helped the track reach number one in over a dozen countries, including the US and UK.
Despite its massive popularity, the song remains a subject of critical debate. While many praised it as a 'brilliant interpretation' or a 'classic torch song,' some critics dismissed it as overly sentimental, arguing that the heavy string arrangements dragged down the momentum. Regardless of these aesthetic disagreements, the track has secured a permanent place in the canon, appearing on Time magazine’s All-TIME 100 Songs and ranking highly on various 'Greatest of the 90s' lists.
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