Leonard Cohen is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Montreal, Quebec. As a teenager, Cohen first picked up the guitar, and formed his first band, the Buckskin Boys. After working as a poet and a writer throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Cohen began his music career.In 1967, after floundering as a writer, Cohen moved back to the United States to embark on his career as a folk musician. Cohen was signed to Columbia Records in 1967, and released his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, later that year. The album peaked at number 13 on the UK Top Albums chart, and number 83 on the Billboard charts, receiving gold certification in the process. In 1969, Cohen released Songs from a Room, which peaked at number two in the United Kingdom.In the 1970s, Cohen released four albums, Songs of Love and Hate, New Skin for the Old Ceremony, Death of a Ladies’ Man, and Recent Songs. New Skin for the Old Ceremony was certified silver in the United Kingdom; however, Cohen’s overall success had waned considerably from his first two albums. The 1980s were something of a renaissance for Cohen, as 1984’s Various Positions was certified gold in Finland and 1988’s I’m Your Man was certified platinum four times over in Norway and topped the charts there.In 1992, Cohen released The Future, which built upon his success of I’m Your Man, as this album was certified double platinum in Canada. Ten years later, Cohen released Ten New Songs. The album was the first to appear on the Billboard charts in the United States since 1971, and was certified platinum in Canada and Norway. In 2004, Cohen released Dear Heather, which built off his success in America, peaking at number 131 on the Billboard 200.In 2010, Cohen was inducted into the Songwrtiters Hall of Fame, a crowning achievement for Cohen. In 2012, Cohen released Old Ideas. The album was a remarkable success, peaking at number one in four countries, number two in the United Kingdom, and number three in the United States. The album was highly critically acclaimed, receiving four and a half stars out of five in Rolling Stone and a 9.5 out of 10 in Paste.
