• Get the app
  • Concerts
  • Charts
  • Radio Spins
  • Fast Forward 2025
  • Download Shazam
  • Apps
  • Concerts
  • Charts
  • Radio Spins
  • Fast Forward 2025
  • Help
Listen to Cornelis Vreeswijk, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Cornelis Vreeswijk

Pop

View Artist

Top Songs By Cornelis Vreeswijk

Listen to Somliga går med trasiga Skor by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Somliga går med trasiga SkorCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Brev från kolonien (Live) by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Brev från kolonien (Live)Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Sommarkort by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
SommarkortCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Balladen om herr Fredrik Åkare och den söta fröken Cecilia Lind by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Balladen om herr Fredrik Åkare och den söta fröken Cecilia LindCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Felicia, Adjö by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Felicia, AdjöCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Turistens Klagan by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Turistens KlaganCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Grimasch om morgonen by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Grimasch om morgonenCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Från Fångarna På Kumla by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Från Fångarna På KumlaCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Ballad Till En Bra Polis by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Ballad Till En Bra PolisCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Jag är Fri Jag Har Sonat by Cornelis Vreeswijk, see lyrics, music video & more!
Jag är Fri Jag Har SonatCornelis Vreeswijk

More albums from Cornelis Vreeswijk

Listen to På Powerhouse by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMPå PowerhouseCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Diamanter by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMDiamanterCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Black Girl by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMBlack GirlCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Savoy Hotel by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMSavoy HotelCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Bellman, Taube Och Lite Galet by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMBellman, Taube Och Lite GaletCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to På Mosebacke by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMPå MosebackeCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Mannen som älskade träd by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMMannen som älskade trädCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Hommager & Pamfletter by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMHommager & PamfletterCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Bananer - Bland Annat... by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMBananer - Bland Annat...Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Live - Montmartre - Köpenhamn by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMLive - Montmartre - KöpenhamnCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Liedjes Voor De Pijpendraaier En Mijn Zoetelief (Remastered) by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMLiedjes Voor De Pijpendraaier En Mijn Zoetelief (Remastered)Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to I stället för vykort by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMI stället för vykortCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Leven En Laten Leven (Remastered) by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMLeven En Laten Leven (Remastered)Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Cornelis Vreeswijk (Remastered) by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMCornelis Vreeswijk (Remastered)Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Cornelis Vreeswijk Een Hommage CD2 by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMCornelis Vreeswijk Een Hommage CD2Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Go'bitar - Cornelis Vreeswijk by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMGo'bitar - Cornelis VreeswijkCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to På Börsen by Östen Warnerbring, Ernst Hugo Järegård & Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMPå BörsenÖsten Warnerbring, Ernst Hugo Järegård & Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Poem, Ballader Och Lite Blues by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMPoem, Ballader Och Lite BluesCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Tio vackra visor och Personliga Person by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMTio vackra visor och Personliga PersonCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Cornelis Sjunger Taube by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMCornelis Sjunger TaubeCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to En rolig javel / Guldkorn by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMEn rolig javel / GuldkornCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Guldkorn by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMGuldkornCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Guldkorn by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMGuldkornCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Guldkorn från Mäster Cees Memoarer by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMGuldkorn från Mäster Cees MemoarerCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Victor Jara "Rätten Till Ett Eget Liv" by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMVictor Jara "Rätten Till Ett Eget Liv"Cornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Grimascher Och Telegram by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMGrimascher Och TelegramCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Ballader och grimascher by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMBallader och grimascherCornelis Vreeswijk
Listen to Visor och oförskämdheter (Live) by Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Åkerström & Ann-Louise Hansson
ALBUMVisor och oförskämdheter (Live)Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Åkerström & Ann-Louise Hansson
Listen to Ballader och oförskämdheter by Cornelis Vreeswijk
ALBUMBallader och oförskämdheterCornelis Vreeswijk

About Cornelis Vreeswijk

Listen to Cornelis Vreeswijk, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
Sweden
Born
1937
Genre
Pop
Cornelis Vreeswijk was of great importance to the Swedish ballad, by giving it a much wider audience as well as by incorporating elements of blues, jazz, pop, and Latin rhythms. Vreeswijk reached fame during the mid-'60s with often very political lyrics, and when his songs weren't political, they were explicit in a way that caused them to be blacklisted on the radio. However, by modernizing ballad singing, Vreeswijk has probably meant more for the Swedish singer/songwriter scene than anyone else since Evert Taube; and he played a big role in ensuring the survival of a domestic singer/songwriter tradition alongside the international rock-influenced tradition. Important '90s artists like Stefan Sundström are hard to imagine without the influence from Vreeswijk. Cornelis Vreeswijk grew up in Holland during the Second World War, but when it was over, his father brought the whole family to Stockholm, Sweden. Being 12 years old at the time of emigration, Vreeswijk initially had problems learning the language, but he proved to have an excellent memory and started to spend long hours at the library, catching up on the literature of his new country. After finishing school in 1955, he went to sea and spent the following years between harbors in Europe and the Middle East, practicing the blues when not working. After returning to Stockholm, he recorded his first single in 1959, but the record wasn't released commercially. Vreeswijk had various jobs and eventually started to study sociology, all the while performing his own songs at various parties and pubs. On one occasion, ballad singer Fred Åkerström was in the audience, and he later introduced Vreeswijk to the label Metronome. At first, Åkerström intended to record a number of Vreeswijk's songs, but after hearing the originals, it was decided that they were to be sung by Vreeswijk himself. The full-length debut came in 1964 with Ballader Och Oförskämdheter. It was an immediate success and kick started Vreeswijk's career, casting him into a very hectic period where he still studied and worked during half his time, besides touring and recording. In the autumn of 1964, Vreeswijk took a break from his studies to tour with Åkerström and Ann-Louise Hansson. The nationwide tour was a critical, if not a commercial success, and one show was recorded and released on LP in 1965. It was followed by a second studio album, Ballader Och Grimascher, recorded with jazz pianist Jan Johansson. The lyrics of this album were seen as controversial, being both political and explicit, and the state radio refused to play some of the songs. That was not the last time this happened to Vreeswijk, but the long-term effect of his outspoken lyrics was to remove traditional Swedish ballad singing from its upper-class environment and put it among ordinary people. Other singer/songwriters, like Ulf Lundell, would become even more popular than Vreeswijk during the '70s, but they were mainly rock poets, while Cornelis originated in an older ballad tradition, in which no one overshadowed him at the time. Vreeswijk released a few more successful and controversial albums during the '60s, among them Cornelis Sjunger Taube in 1969, containing interpretations of famous Evert Taube songs. Backing Vreeswijk on this album, and the following tour, was the pop group Made in Sweden, and this was the start of a long-term relationship with guitarist Jojje Wadenius. In addition to his solo career, Vreeswijk also wrote hit songs for major artists like Monica Zetterlund, and acted in various revues and movies during the late '60s and early '70s. But if these years meant his major breakthrough, they were personally very turbulent, with severe alcohol problems and the breakdown of his first marriage. After taking on Taube, it was time for the other, even bigger ballad icon: Carl Michaël Bellman. In 1970, Vreeswijk released Spring Mot Ulla, Spring!! These irreverent interpretations of Bellman became very popular, but the rest of the decade would be more troublesome. Due to unpaid taxes, Vreeswijk spent much of the following years abroad, in Holland and France. He also tried to start a career there, but after some initial success it came to a standstill. The latter half of the decade was mostly spent in Copenhagen, but even though these years weren't Vreeswijk's most successful, he still kept releasing more than an album a year. In 1985, he learned that he was suffering from diabetes, but, at the same time, he was seeing revived interest in his music. One of the starting points for this revival was a very successful appearance as special guest on Ulf Lundell's New Year's concert in 1985, which was televised all over Sweden. The album I Elfte Timmen, from 1986, containing mostly re-recorded old hits, also sold very well and brought a new audience to Vreeswijk. He then went on two tours simultaneously, one with a traditional acoustic group and one with a rock group, to nurture his newly won popularity as a rock artist. He kept up this high tempo the following year as well, but of course it took its toll on his already weak health. In the summer of 1987, Vreeswijk played a hugely successful set at the Roskilde festival, where the staff finally had to interrupt the concert because of the masses of people trying to get into the tent. The concert held at Flustret in Uppsala, September 7, 1987, came to be Vreeswijk's last public appearance. In addition to diabetes, he now also suffered from cancer, but nonetheless managed to record one more album that autumn, Till Fatumeh, and finish a last book of poems bearing the same title. Vreeswijk went to Holland to say farewell to his relatives and, on returning to Stockholm, he became severely ill and died a few days later. ~ Lars Lovén

Similar to: Cornelis Vreeswijk

Discover more music and artists similar to Cornelis Vreeswijk, like Fred Åkerström, Nationalteatern, Ted Gärdestad
Listen to Fred Åkerström, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Fred Åkerström
Listen to Nationalteatern, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Nationalteatern
Listen to Ted Gärdestad, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Ted Gärdestad
Listen to Sven-Bertil Taube, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Sven-Bertil Taube
Listen to Ulf Lundell, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Ulf Lundell
Listen to Magnus Uggla, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Magnus Uggla
Listen to Mikael Wiehe, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Mikael Wiehe
Listen to Evert Taube, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Evert Taube
Listen to Björn Afzelius, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Björn Afzelius
Listen to Monica Zetterlund, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Monica Zetterlund

Shazam Footer

Select language:

Company

  • About Us
  • Apps
  • Careers
  • Help for Apple Devices
  • Help for Android Devices
  • ShazamKit for Developers

Legal

  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Your Data
  • My Library
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
Chrome Web Store
Galaxy Store

Follow Us

© Copyright 2025 Apple Inc. and its affiliates | Supplier Responsibility
instagramSharePathic_arrow_out