Last night, songwriting legend Leonard Cohen passed away at the age of 82. Though he’d been prolific artist for nearly 50 years—garnering widespread critical acclaim— Cohen will forever be associated with a piece of music that has become one of the most-covered songs in rock and roll: the haunting tale of frailty, love and grace, “Hallelujah.”
More than 30 years after it was written, it remains one of the most-loved pieces of writing in pop culture. With its biblical references, hypnotic melody and themes of brokenness and surrender, “Hallelujah” is one of music’s unique songs that allows artists to do more than just cover it: It lets them reinvent its sounds and find new meaning to its poetry.
In memory of the legendary songwriter, we’ve compiled 14 of our favorite covers of one of his greatest songs
