How TV And The Movies Wore Out Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’

It’s a fine song, but “it has soundtracked dozens of deaths and breakups, and been belted in too many singing competitions to count. Because it telegraphs emotion – both mournful and hopeful – and involves some vocal acrobatics, it has become shorthand for Big Emotional Moment and employed by performers looking to stamp themselves with authenticity. Here’s a brief history of how pop culture has tortured Mr. Cohen’s creation over the years.”