The 10 greatest covers of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'

Leonard Cohen is one of Canada's greatest songwriters, and "Hallelujah" may just be his magnum opus, if only for the sheer breadth of its influence

One of the most covered songs in the world, from school choirs to mega stars, "Hallelujah" has a stirring magnitude that begs people to try their hand at it. There are more than 300 covers, and the song has been translated and sung in German, French and Welsh.  

Cohen's 1984 original may not be the most popular version of the song, but it's his enduring lyrics that still resonate with so many today. From the biblical allusions to the sweeping themes of love, heartbreak, humility, loneliness and the overcoming of adversity, "Hallelujah" is a grandiose statement, but its meaning is also quite malleable. It can sound triumphant or heart-wrenching, be big and bold or pulled back and insular — and that all depends on who's performing it. 

So what makes a cover of this masterpiece memorable in such an oversaturated market? In the selection of this list, we considered surprising or meaningful contexts, phenomenal vocal performances, inspired arrangements and more. Read on to discover which versions rise above the fray. 

10. Puddles Pity Party, 2014

Whoever thought "Hallelujah" would be sung by a clown? It isn't the most conventional performance, but Michael Geiger (a.k.a. Puddles Pity Party) shook the SF Regency Lodge Ballroom in London as soon as his formidable baritone sang out the first notes. 

9. Chester Bennington, 2017 

The weight of this performance is what makes it so meaningful. Chester Bennington, the former lead singer of Linkin Park, sang this moving rendition at his friend and fellow musician Chris Cornell's funeral. The pain and loss is clear each time his voice breaks. Bennington died by suicide two months later. 

8. Brandi Carlile, 2010 

Brandi Carlile's Americana-folk flare adds some extra gravitas to this 2010 performance. Her voice is at times measured and subdued, and other times soaring and robust, depending on the verse. Carlile has performed "Hallelujah" live a handful of other times throughout the years, but the fullness of the Seattle Orchestra accompaniment here truly sets it apart. 

7. Jennifer Hudson, 2019

"Hallelujah" is often performed by a single vocalist, zeroing in on the emotional intensity and insularity of the song's lyricism. In this 2019 rendition, known belter Jennifer Hudson forgoes any of that simplicity and brings her powerhouse vocal runs and ad libs, adding gospel background singers and an impressive stage production. If anyone can sell a version this grandiose, it's her. 

6. Willie Nelson, 2006

Willie Nelson brings his Texan charm to everything he sings, and his cover of "Hallelujah" is no exception. The guitar melody is joined by banjo and harmonica, and Nelson's straightforward country twang evokes a sense of peaceful calm. 

5. Scary Pockets feat. Judith Hill, 2020 

It's quite difficult to breathe new life into a song so many people have already sung, but in 2020 Scary Pockets and Judith Hill did just that. A funk cover of "Hallelujah" seems so outlandish — until you press play and hear Hill's emotive, soulful vocals and Scary Pockets' grooving accompaniment. It's miraculous. 

4. Yolanda Adams, 2021

Yolanda Adams's a cappella rendition of "Hallelujah" at the 2021 COVID-19 American national remembrance is an immediate tearjerker. At a time when the entire world was collectively grieving the loss of millions of lives, the stripped-back power of her vocal performance felt like a sermon. As the gospel icon's voice echoes over the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., it's impossible not to feel chilling goosebumps. 

3. John Cale, 1991

The arrangement of "Hallelujah" that most people know and love is all thanks to John Cale, who reworked Cohen's original in 1991. Cale saw Cohen perform the song live and was immediately taken by it. Later, he was asked to contribute to a Cohen tribute album titled I'm Your Fan, and Cale immediately knew he wanted to cover "Hallelujah." He reinterpreted it, pulling out verses that he found "cheeky or mischievous," and a new version was born. Cale's performance of the song is raspy and bold, and with just his voice and a piano he kickstarted a new trajectory for the song. 

2. Jeff Buckley, 1994

Jeff Buckely came across Cale's arrangement and released his version of "Hallelujah" in 1994. He included his emotionally eviscerating cover on his album Grace, to little fanfare at the time. However, the song brought posthumous success to the musician. Buckley died in 1997, but 10 years later his version was re-released as a standalone single and went on to chart at the top of the BillBoard Hot 100 in 2008. Buckley's gentle guitar playing and his plaintive, piercing vocals lean into the sorrow deep within Cohen's original. When he sings, "And I've seen your flag on the marble arch/ love is not a victory march/ it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah," his voice contorts with pain, as if he's truly feeling every word. Buckley's version embodies so much of what "Hallelujah" has come to represent: a baring of all the contradictions and tribulations of human existence, which is perhaps why it's so often performed at funerals. 

1. k.d. lang, 2010 

K.d. lang first covered "Hallelujah" on her 2004 covers album, Hymns of the 49th Parallel, and two years later she sang the song in front of Cohen himself when he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. She told the Canadian Press that she was nervous, but ultimately that she knew she had to leave it all on the stage: "I kind of settled on the fact that I can only give him my interpretation of his work, and just laid it out there." Her interpretation was one of immense emotionality, impressive phrasing and undeniable vocals.

Lang also told the Canadian Press that her reading of the song's lyrics is about "the struggle between having human desire and searching for spiritual wisdom. It's being caught between those two places." Her rendition is perfectly balanced, swelling where it needs to and holding back at other moments. The rich fullness of her vocals peaks as she hits the high notes on the chorus, then almost immediately merges back into her lower register — one of those tinglingly good musical moments. She said in the aforementioned interview that the song's lyrics transport her to "a more meditative state," and you see that in her live performance at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It's as if an otherworldly power takes over — her eyes closed, the music flowing out of her effortlessly while she's surrounded by a sea of glowing lights.