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Jeff Buckley's 'Hallelujah' in chart battle with 'X Factor' version

Buckley fans protest against the TV talent show's cover of Leonard Cohen's song

December 9, 2008 | 29 Comments
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Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' has re-entered the UK singles chart, just two weeks before the winner of this year's 'X Factor' will release a cover of the song in a bid to get the coveted Christmas Number One.

Although the winner of the TV talent show is yet to be decided, fans of Buckley's version of the song - and Leonard Cohen's, who wrote the song - have been buying his version in protest.

Buckley's 'Hallelujah' - from his 1994 debut 'Grace' - is currently at number 43 in the charts, climbing six places from number 49 last week (November 30). The song has not been re-released physically.

There are several protest groups on social network sites such as Facebook urging fans of the song to buy Buckley's version and boycott the 'X Factor' one.

The winner of 'The X Factor' is set to be decided this weekend (December 13), with three contestants remaining - Alexandra Burke, Eoghan Quigg and boyband JLS.

Ironically, this is not the first time Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' has benefited from one of Simon Cowell's TV talent shows.

In March 2008, the song reached the top of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart after American Idol contestant Jason Castro performed the song on the show.

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Comments (29)

Add a comment

BlackMarketKarma

Dec 9, 2008

thats cos the jeff buckley version is much better than anyone off of the lame factor

time_for_something_biblical

Dec 9, 2008

Ugh.Fuck X Factor.They should be hung, drawn and quartered for even thinking about covering this song!

daveg90

Dec 9, 2008

who cares its not even his bloody song

chrispaz

Dec 9, 2008

X Factor shouldn't be allowed to use this or any credible song. They'll just wank it up like they normally do anyway. They should just stick to the shitty pop that they're famous for and leave the serious music to those who know what they're doing. If anyone actually thinks that the X Factor version could be anywhere near as good as Buckley's sublime rendition, then you are clearly a twat, and all you are doing is taking up space on this planet.

ed2005

Dec 9, 2008

What happened to the welsh language version by Brigyn? Heard it on Tom Robinson's show a few weeks ago, it was fab!

monkeymayor

Dec 9, 2008

lets hope x factor make number 1 - at least its upfront nonsense rather than geoff buckley trying to be credible. He wrings any meaning there once was in the leornard cohen version out. its always been amazing to me how his version was ever seen as good.

micro_cuts

Dec 9, 2008

Simon Cowell is the arse of society for letting this happen. He should die

little james

Dec 9, 2008

Ye the X Factor is crap, but why are people protesting about the covering of Jeff Buckley song that he only covered it himself.. Yous are idiots.

milo2020

Dec 9, 2008

"credible song"? "serious music"?!?!?! LOL 4eva!!!!!its just a pop song, a pretty decent one, but still just a pop song and the thing about pop is that its sometimes popular and may sometimes be performed by cretins on ITV. deal with it MAN

mfcx5jw2

Dec 9, 2008

Too right.If XFactor want to do a cover, then it should go up against the current best of that cover. Then we'll see which one is better.No cover should be compared to the original, seeing as covers are a 'response' to the original

electro_kitty

Dec 9, 2008

Why are NME readers so full of hatred that they would wish someone dead? SImon Cowell is a great businessman with a good ear for pop music...ok it may not be NME reader's cup of tea but within his target audience he's very good at what he does. You guys amaze me with your seething hatred sometimes, it's not good for your blood pressure you know!

DeanMo

Dec 9, 2008

Sales of the Buckley version are being generated by its placement in the current BBC iplayer advert. If people really want to protest, it's better to purchase one of the many recordings of Hallelujah not put out by SonyBMG's label, the profiteers behind X Factor and Jeff Buckley.

CathyAnne

Dec 10, 2008

Buckley did an amazing version of this gong, but in fairness, Jason Castroâ€™s version of Hallelujah (from American Idol Season 7, this year was a deep and heartfelt rendition causing Buckleyâ€™s version of the song to jump to #1 on iTunes. (because Castro was unable to have a song on iTunes during the American Idol competition). Buckleyâ€™s version never reached number 1, but Castro did bring it back to life. His song was beautiful and does deserve recognition as well.

rich.harris82

Dec 10, 2008

Spot on electro_kitty. Why do X Factor have any less of a right to sing that song than Jeff Buckley did? The beauty of music is it's diversity and it's your choice whether you listen to any particular song or cover of that song or not. So it's pretty simple, if you don't like it turn it off and stop inflicting your useless opinions on everyone else. Anyone with even an ounce of talent being told to stop making music is a travesty as far as I'm concerned.

ed2005

Dec 10, 2008

Jeff Buckley's verion is the definitive one, the problem with Leonard Cohen's original isn't his performance, but rather the eighties production which marrs otherwise brilliant songs on both 1984's Various Positions LP and 1987's I'm Your Man. John Cale's version's good too...

gingermzungu

Dec 10, 2008

This is an utter travesty and simply highlights Cowell's shallow and money-grabbing personality. 'Hallelujah' is a song that generates deep sentimental feelings, and to bastardize it by allowing it to be performed by plastic faced, moulded and soulless 'artists' just shows how programmes like the X Factor benefit noone bar Cowell and his bank manager. If the intent of this show is to find the 'next big thing', then maybe they ought to make the contestants write some songs, or even have Cowell approach respected songwriters to pen a 'unique' song for the winner. That's right, unique. A strange and sadly underused word these days. No matter what efforts are made, we can never stop this song reaching Number 1. It's as inevitable as this comment is pointless, but as someone who idolises Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen and Rufus Wainwright (the three seminal performers of this beautiful song) I feel the need to vent my fury. Music fans of the world, unite, and let your voice be heard.

geetar

Dec 10, 2008

In response to ed2005, yeah, I agree with that comment a lot. Actually Jeff himself said that his version was based on John Cale's version from I'm Your Fan. In relation to the X Factor issue, it would appear that 'Hallelujah' is becoming another 'All Along The Watchtower' i.e. a song repeatedly covered with varying results. As much as most would say the Hendrix version is definitive of '.. Watchtower', I think most would agree that the recording on Grace is the definitive 'Hallelujah' (which, incidentally, was a cut and paste of a number of different performances Jeff did in the studio). Knowing that a pure and beautiful song is being churned out dispassionately by a vacuous money-making machine is depressing for any music lover, surely? Cohen, Cale, Buckley, Wainwright etc were/are artists and the song was an expression and act of catharcism. Whoever records it on the X Factor is just printing money for Cowell. Like a puppet on a string... For me, the true 'X Factor' is in Buckley's performance. That version has 'it'.

fnchy77

Dec 10, 2008

talent and x-factor in the same sententce, rich.harris? thats a serious contradiction. Cowell is part and parcel of why the music industry is being destroyed - its music for non-music fans, music for those who just download the occasional track they hear on t.v..... sod the albums, sod the rest of the work artists and bands do in a year - just release one big-hit money making single and get rich quick from it, then dump the artist for "the next big thing" the very next year. Its cynical, destructive and makes a mockery of the bands and artists who work bloody hard to get where they are. Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sheryl "airhead" Cole and Dani Minogue are enemies of "proper" music, musicians and songwriters.

Lyoness7

Dec 10, 2008

Simon Cowell is all for bombastic voices who screech and perform vocal gymnastics. This type of singing will not fit well with Hallelujah. Of course Cowell does not realize this.Castro's version was true to Buckley's version and very moving. But figures money grubbing Cowell would try to capitalize on the buzz created by Castro's version by having the X Factor winner record and release it.Idiot

VickySC

Dec 12, 2008

I can't believe they're going to slaughter such a classic and beautiful song. It's sick and wrong.

Nickabilly

Dec 12, 2008

What's this obsession with Jeff Buckley's version? For my money, the best versions are: Bob Dylan's live version, John Cale's 'Shrek' version, and probably, Cohen's O2 version. Whether we think any of the X factor people will nail it, I reckon this song is for all - just check U-tube to see how many have given it a go. The Scandinavian 'boy' group rate pretty high in my book. As with Suzanne, I bet the great man would be pleased it belongs to everyone!!!

emmalee72

Dec 13, 2008

Leonard is the only one to get the perfect 'minor fall' and 'major shift', but Damien Rice is the only singer that gets the real hurt of the song, for my money. Even Buckley didn't capture the depth this song should have!

nickykol

Dec 17, 2008

'minor fall' and 'major shift'? its major lift dumbass.jeffs version is one of the most beautiful songs ever. fair play to leonard cos he actually wrote the thing. x-factor...? na.

angeLOLhurricane

Dec 18, 2008

this might seem a bit like watching someone nob your mum, but lets remember that music is for everybody, and if a song as beautiful as 'hallelujah' has to be plasticised to appeal to the mooing, slack jawed ugly people that make up normal society, so be it. at least in their own infantile, low IQ kind of way, they are appreciating a great work of art.

angeLOLhurricane

Dec 18, 2008

what i am driving at is, this isnt worth fiebombing any hmv's over. definitely not.

Takethepowerback

Dec 18, 2008

This is just another poignant reminder of just how incredibly thick the general public of this coutry are. They simply listen to what they are told to buy on that box they watch all day, and then buy it. They have no regard for who wrote the song, what its about, or even if the person singing it has a clue what its about . This woman clearly has no grasp of what its about, which for her then to reach number 1 is sickening. Cohen spent over 2 years writing this masterpiece, and with everytime he plays it, it seems to grow in significance and meaning to him. At least with the buckley version there is a certain "x factor" around the way he performs it, he couples flawless vocal ability with an understanding and passion for the songs true meaning. Something an xfactor contestant with their dummed down mentality of what music is about, seems incapable of.

AllyDick

Dec 24, 2008

I doubt that Alexandra Burke the X-factor winner has ANY idea what the song she is singing is about. That's what makes it so contemptable. Mind you, I don't like Jeff Buckley's version either. I thought 'Grace' was a very average album....apart from the title track and 'Last Goodbye' !

freebloke

Dec 24, 2008

Honestely I can't understand you are so disappointend. I heard of Jeff Buckley when Italian singer Elisa recorded her version of 'Hallelujah'. She simply blew me away. After that, I bought the album 'Grace' and came across something special. Today I think that this album is one of best one ever recorded. And I still have to thank Elisa for her rendition. I am sure that lots of guys will come across the music by Jeff Buckley after Alexandra's tribute. So, be happy when you see Jeff's talent still alive.

UnaAnn

Dec 26, 2008

I think the fact that jeff buckleys version has gone to number 2 in england just shows how passionate people are about the song and I think its brilliant that people still feel that way.The only reason that the x factor version is at number 1 is because young teenagers are just supporting their favorite act on the show, but I do think when they hear the older versions that many will become interested in both jeff buckley and leonard cohen and there albums wil benefit as a result.it could turn out to be a good thing