10 Cover Versions That Are Absolute Masterpieces

Today it can sound as if Jeff Buckley’s take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah is a little too overused. It can be heard on countless film and TV soundtracks usually in some moment that needs to emphasize an emotional scene. Yet, it is the absolute mastery of Buckley’s version that makes it so ubiquitous.

Compared to Cohen’s original it is a thing of beauty. While Cohen sounds cold and almost uninterested in his singing, Buckley, gives the song the emotional depth and turmoil that the subject matter of the lyrics deserve.

What makes Buckley’s take even more interesting is that it is a cover of cover. Much in the same way that Bowie based his version of Wild Is The Wind on Nina Simone’s cover, Buckley based his interpretation of Hallelujah on John Cale’s recording of the song.

Accompanied by only his guitar Jeff Buckley sings the song to perfection never once making the nearly seven minutes running time seem overlong or unnecessary. Sadly, Buckley would die only a few years after its release but the song is his lasting legacy, and a frustrating glimpse of the heights he might have achieved had he still been with us today.