However, “Hallelujah” might just be an exception. The track became a staple not only for alternative artists but also pop singers, with Alexandra Burke’s famous rendition meaning Cohen got an unexpected credit on a series of Simon Cowell songs. X factor.

Speaking to host Jo Whiley, new guitar icon St Vincent called ‘Hallelujah’ ‘one of the best songs ever written’. Continuing, she explained: “(It’s about) the complication of being alive – and the agony and the ecstasy and all the conflict inherent in that.” If she resolutely condemns the musicians who dare to attack the piece, it is difficult not to agree with her assertion regarding its power.

This is something Cohen himself recognized quite early on. The artist struggled to find a rhythm for his new song and largely got stuck in the lyrical melodrama he had constructed. The verses stretched on for pages and Cohen was unable to bring them into the sphere of musical pleasure. Instead, it was John Cale of Velvet Underground fame who I found the secret agreementso to speak, to this piece of iconoclastic brilliance.

Since then, Cohen’s 1984 classic has sat atop pop music’s golden throne. As beloved by musos as by the general public, the fact that so many artists have been willing to embrace it over the years remains a testament to the song’s creation and creator. Here are five of the best.

The five best covers of “Hallelujah”

“Hallelujah” – John Cale

There is simply only one starting point, and no, it isn’t. that A. NOW, John CaléThe version of the song isn’t necessarily the one that evokes the most emotion or connects most deeply to the original material. It was included because of Cale’s overall contribution to Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece. The Velvet Underground man has reduced the once epic 15-verse track to today’s colossal, captivating culture.

The process was long and arduous, too exhausting to recount quickly. Instead, it’s best to re-listen to the 1992 performance of the track and allow John Cale’s lilting Welsh tone to descend upon the celestial melody with the respect he, in many ways, gave it.

“Hallelujah” – Willie Nelson

It’s not unusual for someone to have a chance to master Leonard Cohen’s eternal anthem from 1984. Various positions. The song has become an anthem for musicians around the world and is rightly loved by almost everyone who hears it. Yet, despite the continued coverage, Willie Nelson makes it original and daring.

Featured on his 2006 record SongbirdNelson’s gnarly voice is the perfect salt for the caramel country tones he uses. Leaning on the side of poetry, Nelson barely sings, instead letting the power of the lyrics at hand do the hard work. It’s a macabre country affair, a bit removed from the beauty at the center of the piece, but somehow it seems to work best.

“Hallelujah” – Regina Spektor

As connected to New York and the boom of the independent revolution as The Strokes, without the bravado, Regina SpektorThe influence of on today’s influx of singer-songwriters is often overlooked. Spektor carefully toed the line between irony and postmodernism to deliver sardonic tracks filled with sharp wit and a truly unique voice.

So the similarities between her and Cohen are pretty clear. In 2005, Spektor confirmed this conclusion with a simply sublime cover of Cohen’s mega-hit. Using a piano and violin, Spektor’s sometimes comical performance is always significantly countered by the finesse of his vocal abilities. Soaring and falling whenever necessary, it’s a forgotten gem from years of independent landfill that deserves to be rediscovered.

“Hallelujah” – Bob Dylan

“How long did it take to write it?” Bob Dylan asked Leonard Cohen of the beautiful piece. “Two years,” Cohen lied, knowing full well that the process of forming this particular song actually spanned five laps around the sun.

Regardless of how long it took to write it, one thing is certain: “Hallelujah” is one of the greatest ever written, and Dylan was more than happy to cover the track in front of an audience in 1988. “That song ‘Hallelujah’ resonates with me,” Dylan later said. The New Yorker. “It’s a beautifully constructed melody that rises, evolves and recedes, all in record time. But this song has a connective chorus that, when it kicks in, has a power of its own. The secret chord and directness of the song “I know you better than you know yourself” has a lot of resonance for me.

The meeting between Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen is a beauty to behold.

“Hallelujah” – Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley‘s cover of “Hallelujah” is the definitive version of the song and if you can’t connect with humble grandeur Buckley imbues the track with his sumptuous vocals, then chances are you’re just “cool » for fun. You’re missing the whole point of the music.

This performance from his Chicago reunion show is as close to perfect as it gets. It’s powerful and deeply personal; he speaks with truthful tenacity and refuses to allow the universal merit of such a theme to stand in the way of Buckley’s own vision of the piece. Pin-sharp and ever so likely to hear the pin hit the floor, it is on performances like this that the majesty of the piece and the sadness of losing Buckley are most keenly felt.

Simply put, if this performance doesn’t move you, it might be worth checking out what you have instead.

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