Country Music blog The 9513 is running a countdown of what they consider to be the top 100 country albums of the decade. Raising Sand comes in at number 27. Alison Krauss and Union Station also make the list at number 26 with “Lonely Runs Both Ways” from 2004.

Of Raising Sand, Sam Gazdziak writes:

The combination of Led Zeppelin’s front man with one of bluegrass’ most recognized names seemed strange, but Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, along with producer T-Bone Burnett, made it a GRAMMY-winning, platinum-selling success. The album, a collection of covers from the likes of Townes Van Zandt, The Everly Brothers and Gene Clark, featured minimal, moody instrumentation that took both artists out of their respective comfort zones. The album reached #2 on both the Billboard Country charts and the Top 200 charts. Along with its six GRAMMYs, Raising Sand made Plant one of the unlikeliest recipients of a CMA award.

Country Universe puts Raising Sand at number 26 on their list of top 100 albums of the decade. They comment:

Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin’s front man, Robert Plant, are surely an unlikely duo. It turns out, however, that they managed to make one of the most intriguing duets projects of the decade. With vocal styles that are on opposite ends of the spectrum, they find a way to meld together to create an easy harmony that causes the listener to forget their vocal dissimilarities. Moreover, T Bone Burnett’s slow burning productions perfectly compliment this diverse set of songs to make it a legitimately cohesive record.

Recommended Tracks: “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us”, “Please Read the Letter”, “Through the Morning, Through the Night”