This is Prince’s Greatest Song, but He’s Not Even Famous For It

American singer-songwriter Prince is one of the strongest forces to ever hit popular music. He was a pioneer, experimenting with different groups and sounds. Changing his name, playing with genre and gender, and blurring lines that were previously clear-cut. Throughout his prolific career, he released enough mega-hits to keep listeners more than satisfied. “Purple Rain”, “When Doves Cry”, “Kiss”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, “Raspberry Beret”… the list goes on and on. These are the tracks that fans often associate with Prince. But there is another hugely successful song for which he was responsible, a track that made just as big of a splash as his other greatest hits. However, this one has a key difference: Prince is not the one singing.

In 1984, Prince wrote a new song and recorded a demo. At the time, Prince felt this new piece did not align with his sound. He decided to give the song to The Family, a short-lived funk band that he had formed as part of his record label, Paisley Park Records. The group included it on their first and only album, a self-titled record released in 1985. The album did so poorly that it was pulled from circulation only a few years later. The Family disbanded, and the album drifted off into oblivion. Prince moved on to other (more successful) projects. It would not have been a surprise had this song gone down with the ship, never to be heard from again. However, halfway across the world, the song would be given a second chance. In 1989, Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor was recording a new album, and her manager suggested she include a cover of a track that had flopped a few years earlier. Thus, Sinéad O’Connor famously recorded “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

Sinéad O’Connor Saved This Abandoned Track

Image via Showtime

“Nothing Compares 2 U” appeared on O’Connor’s second studio album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. She imbued the track with a depth of emotion that was not present in The Family’s original version. Her incredible vocal performance and willingness to display vulnerability transmuted the song into something completely new. The world loved what they heard. It quickly became her most popular song, garnering international attention that she had not been expecting nor seeking.

Many speculated that her instant ability to connect to the yearning, heartsick lyrics was due to a breakup she was going through during the time of recording – the crumbling of a romantic relationship with the very manager who had introduced her to “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The song became the perfect outlet for O’Connor – she channeled all of her pain and suffering into the recording, which she allegedly perfected in a single take. She ditched The Family’s cinematic, baroque-y arrangement in favor of a stripped-down, double-tracked rendition. This ingenious reconstruction allowed her vocals and Prince’s lyrics to shine unencumbered.

O’Connor’s version went platinum in the US and the UK, topping charts in countries all over the world – and for good reason. The power ballad was an instant classic. Her vocals are unexpected and powerful, oscillating between a whispering falsetto and a full-on belt. At some points, a tremor can be heard in her voice, emphasizing her authentic connection to the song. The music video premiered on MTV in 1990 and viewers were enraptured. Tears roll down O’Connor’s cheeks as she gazes directly into the camera, radiating authentic emotion through the screen in a simple close-up shot of her face. It won Video of the Year, making her the first woman to achieve this award. Sadness, anger, frustration, acceptance – they can all be heard in the nuances of O’Connor’s singular voice. The recording was a raging success – but not every listener was quite so enthused.

Prince Responds to Sinéad O’Connor’s Success

Image via Columbia Records

Apparently, Prince was not a fan of Sinéad O’Connor’s version of “Nothing Compares 2 U”. At the time, O’Connor’s rendition had outsold all of Prince’s music in the US and UK. It is often speculated that Prince resented the immense global attention O’Connor received from lyrics that he had penned. According to O’Connor, Prince once invited her over and suggested a pillow fight – then filled his pillow with hard objects. Later, after both artists had passed, Prince’s estate refused to allow O’Connor’s version of the song to be included in a documentary about her life.

In 1993, Prince released a live recording of the song featuring Rosie Gaines, a member of his group the New Power Generation, on his compilation album The Hits/The B-Sides. This version did not quite reach O’Connor’s level of commercial success, but perhaps it should have. The combination of Prince and Gaines’ powerful, bluesy vocals breathes new life into the song. A saxophone solo, glittering piano and guitar riffs, and plenty of cymbals from the percussion section infused this version with a new level of soul. The duo attacks this live version with everything they have, as if to reclaim it once and for all.

The Renditions Kept Coming

Images via Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com

The two aforementioned versions of this song are definitely the most well known, but there are many other noteworthy recordings of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Soundgarden frontman/ grunge icon Chris Cornell included the song in many of his live performances throughout his career – like O’Connor, he connected deeply to the lyrics. He recorded a live version in 2015 at SiriusXM studios, which gained popularity after Prince’s death in 2016. He is accompanied by only a cello and a guitar in this version, producing a tender, restrained adaptation of the song – existing in stark sonic contrast to Prince and O’Connor’s versions. Cornell’s live recording was not officially released until 2018 as part of a posthumous self-titled compilation album.

Many other notable artists have covered “Nothing Compares 2 U”, including Aretha Franklin and Madonna. The many versions of this song and the incredible artists who have chosen to make it their own are proof of its incredible impact on the music world. No matter which version you believe to be the best or the most authentic, every rendition adds a layer of meaning to one of the most beautiful songs ever written. They are all significant and they are all connected. Music does not exist in a vacuum. It is not meant to be stagnant: it should move and grow and change, reflecting the world in which it exists. “Nothing Compares 2 U” is a perfect example of the power of music and the influence a single song can have on countless lives.