The 5 Best Leonard Cohen Songs

Above: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)

Like the best medicine, the greatest music allows us to recover, reflect, and recoup. Legendary singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, was a man who made this type of music. A catalogue spanning five decades, Cohen crafted some of our era's most moving, introspective, and powerful works of art. This is why it's painfully ironic, that when the Canadian icon passed away yesterday, he gave fans any sort of grief. After all, here was a man who spent his entire adult life, producing music that only healed the listener.

When an icon like Cohen passes away, the loss is easier when we remember the greatest aspect of music - that it exists as its own entity, and does so beyond the composer's lifetime. For fans of Leonard Cohen, the one thing that we will always have, is his art. When we turned to his music before, it was there for us, and when we do so again today, it remains in the very same place. Just like Leonard Cohen, and all of the great artists that died this year, everything that they gave us is unflinching. Prince, David Bowie, and Leonard Cohen are eternal through their music, and we will have them forever if we choose to listen.

Today in our mourning, it only seems appropriate that we turn to Leonard Cohen's discography. He was one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, and likely of all time. In honour of his life, here are some of Leonard Cohen's greatest and most essential songs.

4. “Everybody Knows”

Through an ability to adapt and evolve, Leonard Cohen’s artistic output was consistently relevant. “Everybody Knows” is a darkly rich synthpop anthem, that’s seeped into the mainstream by way of countless movies and TV shows. The single derives from Cohen’s 1988 studio release, I’m Your Man, and like the work it came from, it’s an undeniable burst of angst and pessimism. With that kind of reputation, it’s no surprise that I’m Your Man has become a favourite album of artists like Tom Waits. Like most of Cohen’s work, it can be such an emotional rollercoaster, that when we exit the ride, we almost have to find and nurture our sense of optimism in order to continue the day. Thankfully, if everybody knows, then everything must eventually be all right.

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