The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, released in 2000, became one of the most commercially successful bluegrass-adjacent albums ever released, introducing early American folk and country music to an audience that had little prior exposure to the tradition. Alison Krauss contributed several tracks and served as a producer alongside T Bone Burnett, whose ear for emotional authenticity shaped the album's tone. "Down to the River to Pray" became one of Krauss's signature recordings — a stark, unaccompanied meditation on baptism and grace. The album's Grammy wins and multi-platinum sales demonstrated that the commercial instincts of Nashville had underestimated the appetite for rootsier sounds, and it accelerated the careers of several artists associated with the collection.
Tracklist
- 1 You Are My Sunshine Source Recording 4:27
- 2 Down to the River to Pray Source Recording 2:55
- 3 I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow Source Recording 3:10
- 4 I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow Source Recording 3:10
- 5 Keep on the Sunny Side alt version 2:53
- 6 I’ll Fly Away Source Recording 3:57
- 7 Didn't leave nobody but the baby 1:58
- 8 In the Highways alt version 2:12
- 9 I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) alt version The Cox Family 3:14
- 10 I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow Source Recording 3:10
- 11 O death 3:19
- 12 In the Jailhouse Now Source Recording 3:36
- 13 I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow Source Recording 3:10
- 14 Angel Band alt version 2:15