Sinéad O'Connor in 1991. RollingNews.ie
Editor's Note: The family of Sinéad O'Connor announced that the beloved singer-songwriter had died on July 26, 2023. It was later confirmed that she died of natural causes. At just 56, O'Connor left behind an iconic legacy.
Sinéad O'Connor's magnificent voice and refusal to conform to the music industry's expectations made her one of the most celebrated singers to ever emerge from the island of Ireland.
Never one to chase mainstream success, O'Connor, with her iconic shaved head, eschewed pop star status to remain true to herself throughout her career.
Having said that, O'Connor still released a catalog of magnificent songs and achieved worldwide fame, both as an extremely talented singer and an activist who was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in.
In celebration of the late, great Sinéad O'Connor, here are just a few of her best songs:
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990)
By far her most successful song, O'Connor's cover of Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U" rocketed to number one in the US in 1990 and was named Billboard's top song of the year.
Rarely has an artist made a cover song their own like O'Connor did with this effort. The accompanying music video, which features close-up shots of an emotional O'Connor with a shaved head, is absolutely captivating.
O'Connor managed real tears in the music video by thinking about her tragic relationship with her mother.
Mandinka (1987)
"Mandinka" announced O'Connor's arrival as a pop revolutionary.
O'Connor juxtaposed lyrics about West African people with a corrosive guitar riff, showing off her outstanding vocal ability during the song's iconic chorus.
It was the biggest hit of O'Connor's young career and a sign of things to come.
Troy (1987)
The first single on her debut album "The Lion and the Cobra," "Troy" is a deeply personal song that deals with O'Connor's personal traumas and the balance between reliance and self-destruction.
The song features references to Helen of Troy and a WB Yeats poem about the same historical figure and displays lyrical ability far beyond her years (she was 21 when the song was released).
Drink Before the War (1987)
Also appearing on her debut album, "Drink Before the War" is arguably O'Connor's first public criticism of the Catholic Church.
O'Connor wrote the song when she was 15, detailing how a Catholic school principal was determined to stifle creativity. She later said that she hated the song, adding that the lyrics made her cringe.
However, fans continue to connect with it - it is among her most-listened to songs on streaming platform Spotify.
Five years after releasing her debut album, O'Connor famously ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II during an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," calling people to "fight the real enemy."
All Apologies (1994)
O'Connor released a haunting cover of the Nirvana song "All Apologies" in 1994 in tribute to Kurt Cobain, who tragically committed suicide earlier that year.
O'Connor's stripped-down version features delicate vocals that hit all the right notes, powerfully delivering lines such as "Find my nest of salt / Everything is my fault".
It is a particularly poignant effort, given O'Connor's public struggles with mental health.
Foggy Dew (1995)
“The Foggy Dew" is one of the best-known ballads commemorating Ireland's 1916 Easter Rising. It was first written as a poem by a young priest, Charles O'Neill, who was inspired after attending the first meeting of Dáil Eireann in Dublin's Mansion House on January 21, 1919. His poem was later put to the melody of the old Irish lament the “Banks of the Mourlough Side."
O'Connor teamed up with Irish folk band The Chieftains for one of the most beloved renditions of the song; their collaboration featured on The Chieftains' 1995 album "Long Black Veil."