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"Success" is a song written by Johnny Mullins that was originally recorded by the American
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
artist
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
. It was released as a single and became a major country hit in 1962. The song was among Lynn's first major hits as a recording artist. In 1992, the Irish singer-songwriter
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...
covered it as "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home", which became an international hit.


Loretta Lynn version

In 1961, Loretta Lynn signed a recording contract with
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
under the production of
Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician, bandleader and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was a chief architect of the 1950s and 60s Nashville sou ...
. "Success" was among the first songs Lynn had recorded for the record company. Located in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, the session was produced by Owen Bradley. The song was recorded under her first session with Bradley and the recording label. Three other tracks were recorded on the same session. Composed by Johnny Mullins, "Success" was recorded in the
honky tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, honky tonk, or tonk) is either a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons or the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ...
style of country music, which incorporated more traditional elements of the genre. "Success" was released as a single via
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
in April 1962. The single spent a total of 16 weeks on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot Country Western and Sides chart before peaking at number six in September. Although Lynn's first hit had been 1960's "
I'm a Honky Tonk Girl "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl" is the debut single by American country music artist Loretta Lynn, released in March 1960. The song was among the first to not only be recorded by Lynn, but also to be penned by her. She composed the song while living in Wa ...
," it was "Success" that became Lynn's first top ten hit in her career. The single ultimately started a series of top ten hits for Lynn during the decade. This would be followed by number one singles as well. In 1963, the song was issued on Lynn's debut studio album entitled '' Loretta Lynn Sings,'' also on Decca.


Track listings

* 7-inch vinyl single #"Success" – 2:36 #"A Hundred Proof Heartache" – 2:25


Charts


Sinéad O'Connor version

The Irish singer-songwriter
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...
covered the song as "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home" in 1992. It was released on September 1, 1992, as the lead single from her third album, ''
Am I Not Your Girl? ''Am I Not Your Girl?'' is the third studio album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor and the follow-up to the hugely successful ''I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got''. It is a collection of covers of mostly jazz standards, which O'Connor describes a ...
'' (1992). O'Connor first heard the song on an early '60s album by American
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
artist
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
. The cover is produced by O'Connor with
Phil Ramone Philip Rabinowitz (January 5, 1934March 30, 2013), better known as Phil Ramone, was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, and co-founder of A & R recording studio. Its success led to expansion ...
and remains one of her biggest hits after it charted in several countries. The single peaked within the top 20 in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, top 30 in Belgium and Switzerland, and top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. In the US, the single reached number 20 on the ''Billboard''
Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-play ...
chart. The song was later included on her first compilation album, '' So Far... The Best Of'' (1997).


Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from music critics.
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' commented, "There's a new Sinead coming to town, as she previews her upcoming set of pop standards, ''
Am I Not Your Girl? ''Am I Not Your Girl?'' is the third studio album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor and the follow-up to the hugely successful ''I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got''. It is a collection of covers of mostly jazz standards, which O'Connor describes a ...
'' Interestingly, she delivers one of the most assured, full-voiced performances to date, digging deep into the emotion of the material with a combination of heartfelt emotion and unbridled confidence. Will stun folks at first, though they will eventually become enthralled by the sincerity of this project."
Greg Sandow Greg Sandow (born June 3, 1943) is an American music critic and composer. Education Sandow is a graduate of Harvard University, with a bachelor's degree in government. He is also a graduate of Yale University, with a master's degree in compositi ...
from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' called it a transformation of a
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
song, writing, "Right at the start, a tortured brass riff tears it from its
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
roots. And at the end O’Connor dissolves it into an all-but-deranged cry of despair, repeating "Am I not your girl?" for a full minute and a half, 27 times in all, with the brass shrieking behind her." Tom Ewing from
Freaky Trigger ''Freaky Trigger'' is an Internet publication and e-zine that focuses on popular culture with topics varying from music to cinema. It was founded by the music critic Tom Ewing in 1999 and features Pete Baran and Mark Sinker as editors. From 2 ...
felt the song shows that O'Connor "can belt with the best of them". ''Lennox Herald'' described it as a "dramatic
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
with big band sound hit." ''
Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St. Paul's Square, Liverpool, England. It is published Monday through Sunday, and is Liverpool's da ...
'' said the song "could have been written for her".
Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As music critic and editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in publications worldwide ...
from ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' wrote, "This is another country song, but O'Connor has redone the old Loretta Lynn hit in big-band fashion, turning it into a commentary on how obsession with material values can destroy a relationship. In the debate over O'Connor’s political gestures, it’s easy to forget that the Irish singer-songwriter is a gifted artist." A reviewer from ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' named it "her most bewitching single" since "
Nothing Compares 2 U "Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written by the American musician Prince for his band the Family. It first appeared on their only album, '' The Family'' (1985). Its lyrics express the feelings of longing expressed by an abandoned lover. The I ...
", remarking that it is "expensively produced, with a brilliant orchestral arrangement offsetting her vulnerable small voice beautifully. Bittersweet lyrics and constantly shifting tempo add considerably to what is an inspired choice." Parry Gettelman from ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'' felt her "drastic reworking" is "intriguing", adding that "the overwrought arrangement suits O'Connor's tightly wound vocal." ''
People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''Peopl ...
'' said in their review of the album, that "the only time O'Connor seems to be anything but childlike" is on the song. Daphne Kwong from ''
Stanford Daily ''The Stanford Daily'' is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. ''The Daily'' is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the ...
'' felt "the music overwhelms O'Connor's voice until she starts singing louder midway through the song."


Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song. In the video, O'Connor performs the song on a press conference about child abuse while cameras are flashing. She imparts lyrics with
sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with #Non-manual elements, no ...
. Timothy White from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described the video like this, "The singer is depicted on a sleekly nightmarish dais, delivering her clement declaration as if responding to some sinister state inquisition. Her simple lament is soon transmuted into an indictment of the social atrocities of a wayward age, while actual
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
slides of international torture victims are flashed upon the walls behind her."


Track listings


Charts


References

{{Authority control 1962 songs 1962 singles 1992 singles Decca Records singles Loretta Lynn songs Sinéad O'Connor songs Song recordings produced by Owen Bradley Songs written by Johnny Mullins (songwriter)