Unlike the sparse, folk-inspired originals by Cohen or the haunting, guitar-led version by Buckley, Burke's "Hallelujah" was produced by as a "powerhouse prayer". Hallelujah! No 1 for Burke, and triple hit for Cohen

Despite being released in late December, it was the top-selling single of 2008 in the UK. Production and Arrangement

By January 2009, it had sold over one million copies, making Alexandra Burke the first British female solo artist to achieve a million-selling single in the UK.

Alexandra Burke ’s rendition of remains one of the most commercially significant releases in UK chart history . Released as her winner's single following the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, it transformed Leonard Cohen’s poetic composition into a record-breaking pop phenomenon. A Historic Chart Battle

Burke’s version sold 576,000 copies in its first week, dwarfing Buckley’s 81,000.