30 years later, Jeff Buckley and “Grace” are more popular than ever

When Jeff Buckley died in 1997, the promising career of a young singer-songwriter was cut short. He was just 30 years old and working on his second studio album when he accidentally drowned in a Tennessee river.

Buckley's place in music was still unclear in the 90s. He had made a name for himself playing New York clubs, leading to a bidding war between major labels. But his debut, Gracewas not an immediate success upon its release in 1994. While Buckley's emotional intensity won over many critics and listeners, it was a turn-off for others.

In retrospect, Buckley had already shown tremendous potential, not only as a songwriter but as a performer of other people's songs, including a heartbreaking cover of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah,” which appears on the album. There was much more he was working on to present on his second album, which ended up being released posthumously in an unfinished form.

Few could have predicted that three decades later, Buckley is more famous than ever. In the early 2000s, his cover of Cohen's song became a platinum hit years after its release. And thanks to the internet, millennial and now Gen Z fans have emerged as a huge audience for Buckley's music — including the title track from Grace, which has become a beloved classic in its own right. Buckley's sweeping romanticism, mixed with the lore surrounding his death, has made him a tragic hero, like Kurt Cobain, Elliott Smith and River Phoenix.

In this week's episode The Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs hosts Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield analyze Jeff Buckley's “Grace” as well as his very short career. The couple joins with Rolling rock senior writer David Browne, who wrote; Dream Brother: The Life and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley, the 2001 biography of the singer and his biological father. Browne was an early fan of the younger Buckley, having been one of the singer's first interviews.

in 2004, Rolling rock released his list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. Drawn from a massive vote involving artists, industry figures and critics, the list has been a source of discussion, inspiration and controversy for two decades. It is one of the most popular, influential and controversial features the magazine has ever done.

So we set out to make it even bigger, better and fresher. In 2021, we completely overhauled our 500 song list, with a whole new batch of voters from across the musical map. Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs takes a closer look at the entries on our list. Produced in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs finds Brittany and Rob discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including RS colleagues, producers and the artists themselves. It's our celebration of the best songs we've ever made — and a breakdown of what makes them so great.

Watch the latest episode above, at iHeartor wherever you get your podcasts and look for new episodes every Wednesday.