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Leonard Cohen

Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality and romantic relationships. Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. In 2011, Cohen received one of the Prince of Asturias Awards for literature and the ninth Glenn Gould Prize.

Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s; he did not launch a music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), was followed by three more albums of folk music: Songs from a Room (1969), Songs of Love and Hate (1971) and New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974). His 1977 record Death of a Ladies' Man was co-written and produced by Phil Spector, which was a move away from Cohen's previous minimalist sound. In 1979, Cohen returned with the more traditional Recent Songs, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences. Perhaps Cohen's most famous song, "Hallelujah" was first released on his studio album Various Positions in 1984. I'm Your Man in 1988 marked Cohen's turn to synthesized productions and remains his most popular album. In 1992, Cohen released its follow-up, The Future, which had dark lyrics and references to political and social unrest.

Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of Ten New Songs, which was a major hit in Canada and Europe. His 11th album, Dear Heather, followed in 2004. Following a successful string of tours between 2008 and 2013, Cohen released three albums in the final four years of his life: Old Ideas (2012), Popular Problems (2014) and You Want It Darker (2016), the last of which was released three weeks before his death.

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Genres rock folk rock ballad pop rock folk

Albums

  1. Songs of Leonard Cohen
    1967
  2. Songs From a Room
    1969
  3. Songs of Love and Hate
    1970
  4. New Skin for the Old Ceremony
    1974
  5. Death of a Ladies' Man
    1977
  6. Recent Songs
    1979
  7. Various Positions
    1984
  8. I'm Your Man
    1988
  9. The Future
    1992
  10. Ten New Songs
    2001
  11. Dear Heather
    2004
  12. Old Ideas
    2012
  13. Popular Problems
    2014
  14. You Want It Darker
    2016

Other releases

  1. The Partisan
    1969
  2. Live Songs
    1973
  3. Suzanne / Bird On The Wire
    1973
  4. So Long, Marianne
    1974
  5. Greatest Hits
    1975
  6. Greatest Hits
    1975
  7. Do I Have To Dance All Night / The Butcher
    1976
  8. Liebesträume: Leonard Cohen singt seine schönsten Lieder
    1980
  9. Highlights
    1982
  10. Heart Housed in Thorn-Bush
    1985
  11. Ain’t No Cure for Love
    1988
  12. The Best of Leonard Cohen
    1988
  13. First We Take Manhattan
    1988
  14. I'm Your Man
    1988
  15. First We Take Manhattan / Suzanne / So Long Marianne
    1989
  16. Los 60 de los 60
    1992
  17. Diamonds in the Mine Field
    1992
  18. Democracy
    1992
  19. At the Beeb
    1993
  20. 1993-05-21: First We Take Manhatten: Kongresshaus, Zürich, Switzerland
    1993
  21. Above the Soul
    1993
  22. No Cure for Love
    1993
  23. Columbia Records Radio Hour Presents Leonard Cohen Live! From The Complex, Los Angeles, CA, April 18, 1993
    1993
  24. Live at Montreux 1976
    1993
  25. Cohen Live
    1994
  26. More Best of Leonard Cohen
    1997
  27. Blossoms of Heaven, Ashes of Hell
    1998
  28. Beautiful Losers
    1998
  29. Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
    2000
  30. Hit Collection
    2000
  31. In My Secret Life (Ten New Songs demo CD)
    2001
  32. Leonard Cohen
    2002
  33. The Essential Leonard Cohen
    2002
  34. An Introduction to Leonard Cohen
    2003
  35. Greatest Hits
    2008
  36. Greatest Hits
    2008
  37. The Collection
    2008
  38. Live in London
    2009
  39. Greatest Hits
    2009
  40. Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
    2009
  41. Songs From the Road
    2010
  42. All Time Best
    2011
  43. The Complete Studio Albums Collection
    2011
  44. The Complete Columbia Albums Collection
    2011
  45. Show Me The Place
    2011
  46. Darkness
    2012
  47. Live in Fredericton
    2012
  48. Angels at My Shoulder
    2012
  49. Original Album Classics
    2012
  50. Almost Like the Blues
    2014
  51. From The Shadows
    2014
  52. Leonard Cohen & Canadian Poetry
    2014
  53. Live in Dublin
    2014
  54. Opus Collection
    2015
  55. Can't Forget: A Souvenir of The Grand Tour
    2015
  56. Once More For Marianne - Live 1976 - FM Broadcast from Casino Barriere de Montreux
    2016
  57. The End of Love
    2016
  58. Upon a Smokey Evening
    2017
  59. Upon a Smokey Evening - Live 1979 - FM Broadcast Beethovenhalle Bohn
    2017