Watch Dolores O’Riordan Reimagines Fleetwood Mac ‘Go Your Own Way’ With a Cranberries ‘Linger’ Twist

A Voice That Stood Apart

Dolores O’Riordan was known for a voice that listeners could recognize within seconds. As lead singer and main songwriter of The Cranberries, she helped shape hits like “Linger” and “Zombie.” After the band first stepped away in 2003, she began working on her own music before the group reunited in 2009. Whether performing with her band or alone, her sound remained clear and direct.

Her style often drew comparisons to Sinéad O’Connor because both artists had a way of turning emotion into something powerful yet controlled. O’Riordan could move from soft and airy notes to stronger bursts without losing balance. That ability allowed her to reshape songs in ways that felt natural, even when they were not originally hers.

A Stripped-Back Radio Moment

In 2007, during an appearance on the French radio station Europe 2, O’Riordan performed a quiet version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” With only an acoustic guitar for support, she eased into the song at a slower pace. The simple setup gave her voice more room to stand out.

When she reached the chorus, she held the microphone at arm’s length as her voice grew stronger. The natural breaks and waves in her delivery blended well with the melody. The performance felt so close to her own style that it almost sounded like a Cranberries track. If the song had not already been famous, a new listener might have thought it belonged on one of the band’s records.

Watch Dolores O’Riordan performed Fleetwood Mac track like her own during a radio appearance:

Drawing a Crowd in Paris

As she continued, people gathered in the halls outside the recording booth. They pressed near the windows to watch her sing. Even in a small studio setting, she carried the same energy she brought to larger stages.

At the time, O’Riordan was promoting her first solo album, Are You Listening?. The record performed well in Europe, reaching No. 2 in Italy and No. 11 in France. It also climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard European Top 100 Albums chart. The response showed that audiences were ready to follow her outside the band.

Writing on Her Own Terms

Are You Listening? reflected a different side of her writing. After The Cranberries went on hiatus, she spent four years creating new material. She approached it more like a personal project than a planned release. Out of 32 songs, she selected 12 that focused on understanding herself beyond the group.

In an interview with Hot Press, she explained how her solo work differed from her band writing. Speaking about the track “The Black Widow,” she said, “It’s completely different to the Cranberries.” She added, “Lyrically too, I wouldn’t have written something as dark and personal as that with the boys.”