In 1998, Linda Ronstadt called named the best vocal performance ever. 500,000,000 streams later, the world agrees

Linda Ronstadt praised Sinéad O’Connor’s version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” as one of the greatest pop vocals of all time, saying O’Connor’s voice ranked among the best of the second half of the 20th century. Her admiration reflects how O’Connor’s distinctive performance could command respect across musical genres.

The article places the song within Ronstadt’s broader interest in exploring different styles and valuing strong songwriting over simply pursuing pop hits. It also notes that O’Connor remained admired by musicians including Peter Gabriel and members of Pink Floyd and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The supplied article text does not substantiate the headline’s 500 million streams figure.