Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah

"Hallelujah" is the opening song on the second side of Leonard Cohen's Various Positions album. Released as the B-side of a single in 1984, the song was largely ignored, except as fodder for cover versions.

"Hallelujah" gained in popularity after being included in the 2001 movie Shrek, in a John Cale version in the actual movie and a Rufus Wainwright version on the soundtrack. It finally reached the charts after Cohen's death in 2016, in Canada (#17), the U.S. (#59), and, especially, Europe (it topped the charts in France).

Although not included on such lists pre-Shrek, "Hallelujah" has become a mainstay on best Canadian song lists in recent years: #10 on Chart magazine's 2005 list, #5 in Bob Mersereau's The Top 100 Canadian Singles in 2010 and the 2011 Mar*Star list, and #11 on the CBC's 2014 list.

Click below for:

• the original album version
• a 1985 live Leonard Cohen version
• a later live Leonard Cohen version
• the Jeff Buckley version
• the John Cale version
• the Rufus Wainwright version
• the k.d. lang version

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Personnel

• Leonard Cohen – vocals, guitars
• Jennifer Warnes – vocals
• John Crowder – bass
• Richard Crooks – drums
• Sid McGinnes – guitar
• Kenneth Kosek – fiddle
• Ron Getman – harmonica
• John Lissauer – piano, keyboard orchestrations

• Leonard Cohen – Suzanne (song)
• Leonard Cohen – Bird on the Wire (song)
• Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat (song)
• Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen (album)
• Leonard Cohen – I'm Your Man (album)
• Leonard Cohen – The Future (album)
• Leonard Cohen – Various Positions (album)