25 Years Ago: Movie Soundtrack Takes Bluegrass Mainstream

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In the often contentious environment of country music where the commercial interests of the industry and the critical concerns of roots enthusiasts often result in friction and infighting, it’s very rare that an album comes to any sort of universal consensus, let alone one that’s the soundtrack to a movie, recorded and produced outside the Music Row ecosystem. But such was the fate of the music to the 2000 Coen Brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou, released 25 years ago today, December 5th, 2000.

In fact, the impact and reception for the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack was so significant, it’s very fair to characterize it as one of the most important albums in country music history, and it was most certainly one of the most significant releases of the last quarter century. As we sit back and marvel at the arena level success of Billy Strings and bluegrass music, in many ways you can trace it back to this very soundtrack.

Though sales started off a little slow since the film itself wasn’t a blockbuster out of the gate, as O Brother Where Art Thou gained cult status, sales for the soundtrack soared. It hit #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200, spent over 20 weeks on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and by 2007, had been Certified Platinum eight times over. The O Brother Where Art Thou has gone on to become one of the best selling country albums of all time.

As far a critical acclaim, the soundtrack couldn’t have been received any better. In fact, it pulled off the rare trifecta of country music awards. O Brother Where Art Thou won the all-genre Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002. Ralph Stanley won the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for his a capella “O, Death.” Dan Tymiski won for Best Country Collaboration for singing “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” for the George Clooney character of the film.


O Brother Where Art Thou also won both the CMA and ACM for Album of the Year. “I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow” also won the CMA Single of the Year in 2000. That’s right, a nearly 90-year-old song won over some radio star. That speaks to just how significant this soundtrack was.

The success of the soundtrack also had a massive impact on country music itself. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch became bona fide stars. Artists like Chris Thomas King and Dan Tymiski found new support behind their careers. Ralph Stanley and John Hartford received renewed interest in their legacies as well, and songs like “O, Death” and “Man of Constant Sorrow” became standards.

No, it didn’t result in a massive roots resurgence in the mainstream of country, but it did result in a greater share of the attention in it, at least for a period. But perhaps more importantly, O Brother Where Art Thou installed bluegrass back to its place of prominence in American music. The enthusiasm we see for bluegrass today was very much revitalized by the film and its soundtrack, while other country subgenres such as Western swing and rockabilly still seem to struggle for their proper recognition.

Along with bluegrass itself, the string band resurgence that would reach all the way to the mainstream with bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers very much piggy backed off the O Brother Where Art Thou movement, and was cited directly as an influence. String bands decked out in Depression-era attire became so popular, a backlash against them ensued, even among roots fans. Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” became the “Free Bird” of the era, with Darius Rucker eventually recording a version, taking it to #1 in 2013, and winning awards with it.


The success of the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack most certainly still resonates today, as do the lessons. In the dearth of support for bluegrass, folk, and string music in the mainstream, other avenues can and must be found to reach the proper audiences. As we’ve seen with movies such as Hell or High Water, and TV shows like Yellowstone and Landman, the small and big screens can be conduits for artists to connect with fans and bypass insular mainstream channels.

O Brother Where Art Thou also proved that there is still massive appeal for old music. Listeners just have to be exposed to it in a compelling manner. That’s what The Coen Brothers and soundtrack producer T Bone Burnett did, recording the music even before they shot the film, speaking to what a seminal part the music was to the project. And it paid off in ways that country and roots fans, and even just general fans of music, still enjoy today.

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To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, Lost Highway Records is releasing both limited edition color vinyl and standard vinyl gatefold editions of the album. They are available for pre-order now, and will be released on February 20th, 2026. T Bone Burnett and Lost Highway Records will also be presenting an “Evening in Celebration of O Brother, Where Art Thou?” on the Grand Ole Opry on February 28th.

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Editor’s note: Portions of this article appeared in a previous article. If you found this article valuable, consider leaving Saving Country Music A TIP.

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