If everyone had the same tastes only a handful of singers would have an audience or every singer would try to sound the same.   What I don't understand is the rabid hatred of folk like Cohen who do have a distinctive voice. I have no great interest in Cohen but have lps and CDs and MP3s and introduced his music to my daughter and son and have sought his recordings since I first heard Suzanne. As was said before his music may sound dark to a casual or accidental listener but he displays no arrogance and is quie humorous at times. Consider the lines from Chelsea Hotel:

"I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend.
You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception.
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."