Alison Krauss, a virtuoso fiddler and vocalist who began her musical journey as a child prodigy, has captivated audiences worldwide with her hauntingly beautiful voice and masterful bluegrass interpretations. Initially drawn to the sounds of Def Leppard and AC/DC, she found her true calling in bluegrass, rapidly gaining recognition by winning national fiddle competitions from the young age of eight and signing with Rounder Records at just fourteen. Her career, marked by numerous accolades and genre-bending collaborations, has solidified her status as a leading figure in contemporary music.
After extensive listening sessions and passionate discussions amongst devoted Alison Krauss enthusiasts, we present a definitive ranking of her most exceptional songs. This list celebrates the breadth and depth of her artistry, from her solo work to her celebrated collaborations, offering both longtime fans and new listeners a guide to the essential Alison Krauss discography.
18. Can’t Let Go
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Can’t Let Go” marked the eagerly awaited lead single from Alison Krauss and Robert Plant’s second collaborative album, Raise The Roof. This track reignited the magic of their seemingly disparate yet perfectly matched musical partnership. Their vocal harmonies are seamless, with Plant himself describing the Raise The Roof project as a “miracle.” While the song gained prior recognition through Lucinda Williams’ acclaimed rendition on her 1998 album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Krauss and Plant infuse it with a renewed energy and depth, making it their own.
17. Till I Can Gain Control Again
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
Captured live during a special concert honoring Emmylou Harris, “Till I Can Gain Control Again” showcases the subtle power of Alison Krauss’s vocal delivery. This song, originally penned by Rodney Crowell for Emmylou Harris’s 1975 album Elite Hotel, resonates deeply with its themes of vulnerability and resilience. Although Crystal Gayle’s single version reached number one in 1982, Krauss’s interpretation brings a unique poignancy and intimacy to the track, highlighting her ability to connect with the emotional core of a song.
16. Ghost in This House
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
Alison Krauss’s rendition of “Ghost in This House” is infused with her characteristic wry humor and musical brilliance. Famously, Krauss recounts her initial reaction to the song, previously a country hit for Shenandoah, with self-deprecating wit: “I remember thinking: that’s the worst thing I ever heard in my entire life…. We have to do it too!” Despite her initial reservations, Krauss transforms Hugh Prestwood’s composition, avoiding any hint of cheesiness and instead delivering a hauntingly beautiful performance. Her version has resonated with other artists, leading to covers by The Chicks and Kelsea Ballerini.
15. I Never Cared For You
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“I Never Cared For You,” performed live in the studio, takes on an unexpected Latin-infused feel in Alison Krauss’s hands. Featured on an album dedicated to reimagining classic songs, this Willie Nelson original from 1964 reveals Nelson’s enduring influence. Nelson and Krauss’s shared summer tour in 2015 underscored their mutual respect and artistic connection. Krauss embraces Nelson’s poignant and poetic lyrics, such as, “The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all/ And the sky was never blue,” making the song a powerful expression of heartbreak and indifference.
14. Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
The captivating vocal harmonies of Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and Emmylou Harris in “Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby” are undeniably alluring. This a cappella performance, punctuated by handclaps and jaw harp, became a standout moment in the Coen Brothers’ acclaimed film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Jerry Douglas, a musician on the soundtrack, notes the film’s surprising trajectory: “It was sort of a movie with a record – and the record was more popular than the movie at first… and we did tours of everybody that played on it.” The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack’s widespread success and Grammy Award for Album of the Year significantly broadened the audience for bluegrass music.
13. Gentle On My Mind
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
Another exceptional cover from the Windy City album, “Gentle On My Mind” showcases Alison Krauss’s ability to revitalize classic songs. Windy City achieved remarkable success, debuting at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Country and Top Bluegrass Albums charts and earning two Grammy nominations. Produced by Buddy Cannon, whose vocal harmonies Krauss admired since childhood, this John Hartford composition, famously a hit for Glen Campbell, receives a reverent and heartfelt rendition by Krauss and her collaborators, even gracing the closing segment of the Sunday politics program, The Andrew Marr Show.
12. Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On),” a duet with Robert Plant, produced by O Brother’s T Bone Burnett, is from the Grammy-winning album Raising Sand, which swept the 51st Grammy Awards with five wins including Album of the Year. Krauss has expressed a connection to Plant’s vocal style, noting similarities between English male singers and bluegrass vocalists: “English male singers reminded me a lot of bluegrass singers – there’s a gruffness, and a quality to it that comes from the same place, a blue collar place.” Originally performed by The Everly Brothers, this song is accompanied by a quirky video featuring Krauss and Plant on treadmills, visually representing the song’s theme of moving on.
11. Whiskey Lullaby
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Whiskey Lullaby” stands as a timeless duet that transcends genre boundaries, becoming a definitive song about alcoholism, service, and infidelity. Brad Paisley joins Alison Krauss, singing the husband’s perspective (also featured on his 2003 album Mud On The Tires). Ricky Schroder, known for The Champ and NYPD Blue, directed and starred in the music video as the husband. Krauss embodies the wife’s sorrow, their voices intertwining as the tragic narrative unfolds: “We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time/ But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind”. Written by Bill Anderson and Jon Randall, the song rightfully earned the CMA Song of the Year award in 2005.
10. New Favorite
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“New Favorite,” penned by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch and performed by Alison Krauss with Union Station, offers a poignant contrast to “Whiskey Lullaby.” Here, the tables are turned, and it’s the husband who has moved on to a new relationship. The arrangement is subtly powerful, building tension and emphasizing the narrator’s jealousy as she witnesses her former love’s new happiness. Unsurprisingly, the album featuring this track secured the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, highlighting the consistent excellence of Krauss and Union Station’s work.
9. Two Highways
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Two Highways” showcases an earlier iteration of Alison Krauss and Union Station (AKUS), featuring the exceptional Alison Brown on banjo, alongside Krauss’s impressive fiddle and vocal talents. These recordings were transformative, reshaping perceptions of traditional music. Songwriter Natalie Hemby describes their impact: “Alison Krauss and Union Station was flawless. I’d never heard country music sung like that. I love the older stuff, but I’d never heard this type of bluegrass, where it was so pure and beautiful.” Their innovative approach broadened the appeal of bluegrass and paved the way for future generations of artists.
8. Paper Airplane
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
The sepia-toned video accompanying “Paper Airplane” perfectly complements the song’s melancholic beauty. Cicada sounds, soft lighting, a front porch setting, and Krauss on a swing create a visual representation of the song’s themes of sadness and lost love. The title track of an album that marked her most successful UK release to date, Paper Airplane earned multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Bluegrass Album, and resonated deeply with fans, including country singer Carly Pearce, who dreams of a bluegrass duet with Krauss and Dan Tyminski.
7. Let Me Touch You For A While
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Let Me Touch You For A While” is imbued with a sense of longing and regret. Written by Robert Lee Castleman, who also penned “Paper Airplane” and “Forget About It,” this evocative song features Krauss’s voice, both tender and detached, floating above the intricate arrangement. The stylized video depicts her Union Station bandmates as bar patrons, while Krauss seamlessly transitions between portraying a neglected lover and performing with the band, adding layers of emotional depth to the song.
6. I Will
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“I Will” is a standout track from Alison Krauss’s pivotal breakthrough album, which blended original material with carefully chosen covers. Her rendition transforms The Beatles’ original, bringing banjo and dobro to the forefront and infusing it with a country sensibility. The steel drums add an unexpected texture, creating a version so distinctive that it momentarily eclipses the Lennon and McCartney origins of the song from The Beatles’ White Album.
5. Please Read The Letter
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
Originally recorded by Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page for their 1998 album Walking Into Clarksdale, the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant version of “Please Read The Letter” surpasses the original, earning the prestigious Record of the Year Grammy in 2009, among other accolades for Raising Sand. Krauss described the Raising Sand project as an experiment, approached with “no expectations” and a “lighthearted and easygoing” atmosphere, fueled by Plant’s infectious humor. Their collaboration redefined expectations and showcased the power of unexpected musical pairings.
4. Baby Now That I’ve Found You
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” the title track of Alison Krauss’s landmark compilation album, is another example of her transformative cover artistry. She reimagines a 30-year-old hit from the British soul group The Foundations, originally a UK chart-topper in the 1960s, as a tender country ballad. Krauss’s version gained further recognition through its inclusion in the soundtrack of the beloved Australian film The Castle (1997), bridging genres and generations of listeners.
3. The Lucky One
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“The Lucky One” not only secured a Grammy Award for Best Country Song but also marked a pivotal moment in Union Station’s history: the official arrival of Jerry Douglas on dobro. Douglas, initially intending a short-term session role, became a permanent and integral member of the band. He reflects on this period: “It was great to be back in a band inventing all these arrangements, and have such a vehicle as Alison’s voice to work with. It was like having a clean slate to start over, with the knowledge that I had, which grew exponentially as the years went on.” His contributions elevated Union Station’s sound, solidifying their musical synergy.
2. Down To The River To Pray
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“Down To The River To Pray” is a profoundly moving a cappella performance by Alison Krauss, accompanied by the First Baptist Choir of White House, Tennessee. Featured prominently in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, this song became a cultural phenomenon. The film’s soundtrack unexpectedly propelled bluegrass music into the mainstream, selling over ten million copies and revitalizing a genre many had considered commercially unviable. Legend has it that only the Bible outsold the O Brother soundtrack at the time, marking a significant resurgence for roots music.
1. When You Say Nothing At All
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant performing live
“When You Say Nothing At All” became Alison Krauss’s first solo top 10 country hit after she covered it for a 1994 Keith Whitley tribute album. Keith Whitley’s original version topped the charts in 1988, penned by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. Krauss’s rendition also achieved significant success, winning the CMA Single of the Year award and reaching Number Three on Billboard’s Country Chart. Krauss herself described its unexpected popularity as “a freak thing,” given her previous chart history. Years later, she performed it at the White House for the Obamas, accompanied by Sierra Hull and Dan Tyminski, cementing its place as a signature song and topping this list of Alison Krauss’s best tracks.
Listen to Holler’s The Best Alison Krauss Songs playlist.
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Written by Helen Jerome
