The Best of Leonard Cohen
Greatest hits album by
Leonard Cohen
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1975
Recorded1967–1974
GenreContemporary folk
Length46:45
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston, John Lissauer, John Simon
2009 re-release cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

The Best of Leonard Cohen is a greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen, released in 1975. In some European countries, it was released under the title Greatest Hits. This alternative title was used for the original vinyl release and for CD reissues from the 1980s onwards.

Background

According to Ira Nadel's 1996 Cohen memoir Various Positions, Cohen agreed to the project because there was a new generation of listeners and he was given complete artistic control; he picked the songs, designed the package, and insisted that the lyrics be included. The album was not a hit in the United States but did well in Europe, Cohen's major market at the time. He toured in support of the album in 1976, beginning in Berlin on April 22 and ending in London on July 7. It was during this tour that Cohen recorded the funky, disco-infused "Do I Have To Dance All Night" at Musicland Studios. The single was only released in Europe.

Artwork

The front cover photograph was taken in 1968 in a Milan hotel room by a Gino, according to Cohen's liner notes. Alternative rock band Ween based the album cover for their 1991 album, The Pod, after this photograph.

2009 release

In July 2009, this compilation was re-released in England under the title Greatest Hits with updated artwork and a revised track listing. Four tracks from the original 1975 version ("Lady Midnight", "The Partisan", "Last Year's Man" and "Take This Longing") were removed and nine tracks released after 1975 ("Everybody Knows", "Waiting for the Miracle", "A Thousand Kisses Deep", "The Future", "Closing Time", "Dance Me to the End of Love", "First We Take Manhattan", "I'm Your Man" and "Hallelujah") were added.

Track listings

1975 release

  1. "Suzanne" – 3:50
  2. "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:36
  3. "So Long, Marianne" – 5:40
  4. "Bird on the Wire" – 3:27
  5. "Lady Midnight" – 2:58
  6. "The Partisan" – 3:25
  7. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:57
  8. "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:09
  9. "Last Year's Man" – 5:59
  10. "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:07
  11. "Who by Fire" – 2:32
  12. "Take This Longing" – 4:05

2009 release

  1. "Suzanne" – 3:48
  2. "So Long, Marianne" – 5:36
  3. "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:33
  4. "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:07
  5. "Everybody Knows" – 5:34
  6. "Waiting for the Miracle" – 3:24
  7. "Who by Fire" – 2:33
  8. "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:05
  9. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:54
  10. "Bird on the Wire" – 3:25
  11. "A Thousand Kisses Deep" – 6:26
  12. "The Future" – 6:40
  13. "Closing Time" – 5:58
  14. "Dance Me to the End of Love" – 4:38
  15. "First We Take Manhattan" – 5:50
  16. "I'm Your Man" – 4:26
  17. "Hallelujah" – 4:38

Year-end charts

2002 year-end chart performance for The Best of Leonard Cohen
Chart (2002) Position
Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[2] 82

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[3] 2× Platinum 140,000^
France (SNEP)[4] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[5] 2× Platinum 1,000,000‡
Hungary (MAHASZ)[6] Gold 3,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[7] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. The Best of Leonard Cohen at AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  3. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ "French album certifications – Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Leonard Cohen; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2010" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Swiss Gold" (PDF). Billboard. 1 March 1980. p. 51. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "British album certifications – Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 18, 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Greatest Hits in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  9. ↑ "American album certifications – Leonard Cohen – The Best of Leonard Cohen". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
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