Sinéad O'Connor Vinyl Records – I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got & Essential Albums on Vinyl

Sinéad O'Connor was one of the most singular voices in popular music — and one of the most fearless. Born in Dublin in 1966, she released her debut The Lion and the Cobra in 1987 at the age of twenty, and by 1990 had released the album that defined her career: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, with its near-universally-known cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U. The Letterman appearance, the Madonna feud, the SNL incident, the years of marginalisation, the rehabilitation in her final years — O'Connor's life was lived more publicly than almost any musician of her generation, and she paid the price for it.

The records remain extraordinary. Universal Mother (1994), Faith and Courage (2000), the reggae covers of Throw Down Your Arms (2005) and the late-career return How About I Be Me (2012) all repay attention. She died on 26 July 2023 at 56. On vinyl, her catalogue is consistently strong — close-miked vocals, sparse arrangements, and productions (mostly with Sean O'Hagan, Marco Pirroni, John Reynolds) that put the voice front and centre. The Chrysalis and Ensign originals and the recent coloured-vinyl reissues are all worth seeking out.

Best Sinead O'Connor Albums on Vinyl

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990)
Her masterpiece. Nothing Compares 2 U, Black Boys on Mopeds, The Last Day of Our Acquaintance, Three Babies, Feel So Different — the album that made her a global star and remains the essential O'Connor record. Won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.

The Lion and the Cobra (1987)
The debut. Mandinka, Troy, I Want Your (Hands on Me), Jerusalem — recorded when O'Connor was nineteen and self-produced after she scrapped the original Mick Glossop production. A startling, fully-formed first album.

Universal Mother (1994)
The follow-up that broke from the Nothing Compares 2 U expectations. Fire on Babylon, Famine, John I Love You, All Apologies (Nirvana cover) — a more politically angry record that polarised on release and is now widely admired.

Faith and Courage (2000)
The mid-career return after a period away from secular music. No Man's Woman, Daddy I'm Fine, The State I'm In — collaborating with Wyclef Jean, Brian Eno and Adrian Sherwood. One of her most consistent later records.

So Far… The Best of Sinéad O'Connor (1997)
The career compilation, featuring the Limited Clear Vinyl 2xLP edition that's become a collector's favourite. All the essentials in one place.

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