# The Essential Leonard Cohen

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Robert Christgau | A |
| Rolling Stone | |
The Essential Leonard Cohen is a career-spanning collection of Leonard Cohen songs released in 2002. It is part of Sony's The Essential series.
The songs are arranged in chronological order; all studio albums released before 2002 are represented, except the 1977 album Death of a Ladies' Man. All tracks were digitally remastered by Leonard Cohen and Bob Ludwig. All songs on the compilation were chosen by Cohen himself.
The album was re-released in August 2008 with an extra disc of previously not included tracks (presented as the selection of "fans' favorite" songs).

## Track listing
### Disc one

* "Suzanne" – 3:48
* "The Stranger Song" – 5:00
* "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:34
* "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:54
* "So Long, Marianne" – 5:39
* "Bird on the Wire" (misspelled as "Bird on a Wire" on track list) – 3:25
* "The Partisan" – 3:25
* "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:09
* "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:06
* "Take This Longing" – 4:06
* "Who by Fire" – 2:34
* "The Guests" – 6:40
* "Hallelujah" – 4:38
* "If It Be Your Will" – 3:42
* "Night Comes On" – 4:40
* "I'm Your Man" – 4:25
* "Everybody Knows" – 5:37
* "Tower of Song" – 5:37
Notes
* Tracks 1–5 are from Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
* Tracks 6–7 are from Songs from a Room (1969)
* Track 8 is from Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
* Tracks 9–11 are from New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974)
* Track 12 is from Recent Songs (1979)
* Tracks 13–15 are from Various Positions (1984)
* Tracks 16–18 are from I'm Your Man (1988)

### Disc two

* "Ain't No Cure for Love" – 4:49
* "Take This Waltz" – 5:59
* "First We Take Manhattan" – 5:50
* "Dance Me to the End of Love" (live) – 6:04
* "The Future" – 6:40
* "Democracy" – 7:03
* "Waiting for the Miracle" – 7:42
* "Closing Time" – 5:57
* "Anthem" – 5:59
* "In My Secret Life" – 4:53
* "Alexandra Leaving" – 5:22
* "A Thousand Kisses Deep" – 6:26
* "Love Itself" – 5:21
Notes
* Tracks 1–3 are from I'm Your Man (1988)
* Track 4 is from Cohen Live (1994)
* Tracks 5–9 are from The Future (1992)
* Tracks 10–13 are from Ten New Songs (2001)

### Disc three (The Essential 3.0 re-release)

* "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" from Songs from a Room (1969)
* "Love Calls You by Your Name" from Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
* "A Singer Must Die" from New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974)
* "Death of a Ladies' Man" from Death of a Ladies' Man (1977)
* "The Traitor" from Recent Songs (1979)
* "By the Rivers Dark" from Ten New Songs (2001)
* "The Letters" from Dear Heather (2004)

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 140,000$^^$ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) | Gold | 17,896 |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 150,000$^‡$ |
| Italy (FIMI) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000$^^$ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | Platinum | 47,000 |
| Poland (ZPAV) | Platinum | 20,000$^‡$ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 30,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 235,749 |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||