Best Versions of "Hallelujah"

Hajj "Hallelujah" is one of the most famous and most covered songs. Which one is your favorite?

The Top Ten

1 Peter Hollens

Jackie Evancho and Peter Hollens is the best duet of "Hallelujah" ever.

Peter and Jackie meld well together in this beautiful song.

Jackie Evancho and Peter Hollens recently reprised this live on stage in Portland OR. Fantastic performance! - BobG

Most other singers try to outdo Cohen on his own song. Not here. Peter deliberately had Jackie Evancho go into her upper range high notes to set a contrast between his mellow tenor voice and hers. This makes this cover version unique to all other covers done. The crescendo they do at the 3:06 mark is one of the most dynamic you will ever hear on an A Capella recording of any song.

V 11 Comments
2 Leonard Cohen

Absolutely nobody can top the guy who actually composed the song, and lived the events that inspired it.

Leonard's is the original against all other versions must be judged. It spoke to me immediately.

Over 480 different cover versions of this, topped only by "Yesterday" and a couple of Christmas carols. Leonard Cohen makes everybody else sound like an amateur.

Jeff who?

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3 Jeff Buckley

I shed my tears listening to this. Lol no, but seriously everyone think this is his song. Same thing happened with hurt 'by' johnny cash

This is the ultimate version. Beautiful, emotion-filled vocals, great guitar playing. No disrespect to anyone else, but this is by far the best version. - Hajj

Dang spam voters. If you asked 1,000 actual random people, this would definitely come out on top. - Hajj

Nothing can match this...-D

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4 Rufus Wainwright V 1 Comment
5 KD Lang

The only person other than Cohen who really emotionally knows what this song is. Is it a coincidence that they are both Canadian?

When asked to sing this at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver with Lang, Cohen deferred saying something along the lines of "You have KD. What do you need me for? "

Her version at the 2010 Olympics tops them all!

Most moving and poignant performance ever done.

V 1 Comment
6 John Cale V 1 Comment
7 Willie Nelson
8 Allison Crowe

Communicating emotion without sentimentality is an unique gift and talent of Allison Crowe. She's able to perform Leonard Cohen's song in her unique way which reaches so many people who desire such authenticity.

9 Bon Jovi

How is this different from the Jon Bon Jovi version

10 Bob Dylan

The Newcomers

? Roy and Rosemary

The Contenders

11 Pentatonix

When you listen with headphones the beautiful harmony is even richer!

This may be the best version of this song ever

12 Susan Boyle

Gorgeous, sublimely nuanced performance

13 Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake
14 Regina Spektor
15 Jon Bon Jovi

This must be by the tribute band, since the great version actually by Bon Jovi is already listed.

Bizarre that this on here twice.

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16 Norah Jones Norah Jones
17 Neil Diamond Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career that began in the 1960s.
18 Celine Dion and The Canadian Tenors
19 TakeNote

This is the Clemson TakeNote a cappella singers. From their 2007 album "Now That We Have Your Attention".

This is the Clemson TakeNote a cappella singers. From their 2007 album "Now That We Have Your Attention".

V 1 Comment
20 Il Divo

Even without "understanding" the non-English lyrics, I was crying before the end of the first verse. Their rich voices and phenomenal balance of volume is non-equaled.

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