Diana Jones, an American singer-songwriter, had the top album (Song to a Refugee) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during July 2021, while Canadian singer-songwriter Murray McLaughlin’s “Pandemic Blues” was the month’s most-played song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

On her six sixth solo album, a collection of songs reflecting empathy for the plight of refugees, Diana Jones gives voice to the dispossessed and to the stories of asylum seekers worldwide. As its title suggests, Song to a Refugee speaks for those frequently without a voice. Long committed to raising awareness of social justice issues, the folk-Americana singer-songwriter has said: “I believe we all want to get involved and give each other hope. How can any of us look away?” Song to a Refugee also features guest artists Steve Earle, Peggy Seeger and Richard Thompson (with whom she has previously toured), along with harmony vocals by the Chapin Sisters.

Jones began performing professionally and recording albums in the mid-late 1990s, while her breakthrough release, My Remembrance of You, came out in 2006 and made a number of music critics’ year-end ‘best of’ lists. She was also named a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition that year. Although she is a contemporary singer-songwriter, Jones’music is rooted in and reflects her love of the old-timey Appalachian traditions of her birth family (particularly her grandfather) with whom she was reunited while in her 20s.

Murray McLaughlin is a Canadian musical treasure. A recipient of 11 Juno Awards and a 2016 inductee into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, his career spans nearly half a century. He has released some 20 albums; “Pandemic Blues” is featured on his most recent – Hourglass, which was the second most-played album on folk radio in July, according to the charts.

McLaughlin, who was born in Scotland and emigrated to Canada with his family at age 5, began playing coffeehouses in Toronto as a teenager. In his 1998 memoir, Getting Out of Here Alive: The Ballad of Murray McLaughlin, he reflects on the Toronto music scene. A member of the Order of Canada since 1993 and a recipient of the National Achievement Award from SOCAN, a Canadian songwriters and publishers collective, McLaughlin also received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2018. Other artists — including Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, John McDermott, Tom Rush, and The Ennis Sisters — have covered his songs.

The July 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12,467 airplays reported on 443 playlists submitted by 119 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of July 2021

1. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (124)
2. Hourglass by Murray McLauchlan (97)
3. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (85)
4. Cold Rain and Snow by Jared Rabin (74)
5. Never Found a Way to Tame the Blues by Jon Shain & FJ Ventre (70)
6. Streamliner by Jesse Brock (65)
7. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (62)
8. Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man by J. P. Harris (59)
9. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (55)
10. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (54)
11. New Century Suite by Michael J. Miles (50)
12. Jake Eddy by Jake Eddy (46)
12. We Can Hear Each Other by Erin Ash Sullivan (46)
14. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (45)
15. Light and Dark by Chris Ronald (43)
16. Our Better Angels by Jesse Palidofsky (38)
17. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (37)
18. Time Out Session 1 – EP by The Accidentals (36)
19. Ballad of a Bad Girl by Kate McDonnell (35)
20. Wild Beat the Wings by John Flynn (32)
20. All This Time Running by Craig Cardiff (32)
22. There Used to Be Horses Here by Amy Speace (31)
23. Outside Child by Allison Russell (29)
24. Treasure of Love by The Flatlanders (28)
25. Let’s Get Away by Kalinec and Kj (27)
25. Undertaker’s Songbook by Sons of the Never Wrong (27)
27. Red Maple Tree by Sloan Wainwright (26)
28. Sometimes I Feel Too Much by Cosy Sheridan (25)
29. Adeline by Chris Coole, Sam Allison, Adrian Gross, Mark Kilianski &
John Showman (24)
30. Blue by Joni Mitchell (23)
30. Madison Archives by Frank Evans and Ben Plotnick (23)
32. They’re Calling Me Home by Rhiannon Giddens (21)
32. At the Bottom of a Canyon in the Branches of a Tree by Steve Dawson
(21)
32. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (21)
32. We Shall Stay Here by Paul Kaplan (21)
32. Migrants by Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra (21)
37. Where and When by Kelly’s Lot (20)
37. Knew Things by Cliff Eberhardt (20)
39. Annamania by Anna Elizabeth Laube (19)
39. Fiddle and a Song by Byron Berline (19)
39. I Am of Ireland: Yeats in Song by Various Artists (19)
39. Bang at the Door by Donna Herula (19)
39. Uppity by Laura Love (19)
44. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (18)
45. Distance and Time by Becky Buller (17)
45. Gone by Tim Grimm (17)
45. Drum Hat Buddha by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (17)
45. Vincent Neil Emerson by Vincent Neil Emerson (17)
49. Let’s Get Happy Together by Maria Muldaur (16)
49. Backyard Birds by Lisa Bastoni (16)
49. Grenadine and Kerosene by Carolyn Shulman (16)
49. Only Human by Luke Leblanc (16)
49. Animal Communicator by Robin Bienemann (16)
49. Together Alone: Songs From the Pandemic by Charlie Mosbrook (16)
49. Echo Land by Bumarang (16)
56. Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno by Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno (15)
56. Cycles by Rachel Baiman (15)
58. The Fray by John Smith (14)
58. Survival by Moors and McCumber (14)
58. Triage by Rodney Crowell (14)
58. Oh Everything by Annie Gallup (14)
58. Alligator Records: 50 Years of Genuine Houserockin’ Music by Various
Artists (14)
58. Live in Germany: To Benefit Bread and Roses by Mimi Farina (14)
64. The Storytellers Suitcase by Ellis Paul (13)
64. The Triumph of Assimilation by Mark Rubin – Jew of Oklahoma (13)
64. Wary + Strange by Amythyst Kiah (13)
67. Pearls by Dave Fry (12)
67. Able Baker Charlie and Dog by Joe Crookston (12)
67. Desert Ghosts by Jaspar Lepak (12)
67. When We Wander by Jesse Terry (12)
67. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (12)

Top Songs of July 2021

1. “Pandemic Blues” by Murray McLauchlan (28)
2. “We Believe You” by Diana Jones (25)
2. “Woody Guthrie Watch Over Me” by Cosy Sheridan (25)
4. “Song to a Refugee” by Diana Jones (20)
5. “Heart of Nat Turner” by Laura Love (19)
6. “America” by Murray McLauchlan (18)
6. “Vinegar Pie” by Hannah Shira Naiman (18)
8. “Cold Rain and Snow” by Jared Rabin (17)
9. “Song to Woody” by Crowes Pasture (16)
9. “This Land Is Your Land” by John Smith (16)
9. “A Better Day A-Coming” by Robin and Linda Williams (16)
12. “Keep Your Head Above the Water” by Jon Shain & FJ Ventre (15)
12. “El Chaparral” by Diana Jones (15)
14. “Out Past Yesterday” by Ina May Wool (14)
14. “July” by Dave Fry (14)
14. “I Wait for You” by Diana Jones (14)
17. “Man on the Levee” by Michael McNevin (13)
17. “Black Rock City” by Jesse Brock (13)
17. “Vincent Black Lightning” by Michael J. Miles (13)
17. “My East Tennessee Home” by Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (13)
17. “The Dreamer” by Jackson Browne (13)
17. “Kensington Station” by Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (13)
17. “Hey, Spikedriver” by Jesse Brock (13)
17. “Black Mountain Rag” by Jake Eddy (13)
25. “One Too Many Mornings” by Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (12)
25. “Circle of Love” by John Flynn (12)
25. “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Yuh” by Alastair Moock (12)
25. “Wild Mountain Stream” by Irene Kelley (12)
25. “Brooklyn in July” by Joe Crookston (12)

Top Artists of July 2021

1. Diana Jones (126)
2. Murray McLauchlan (112)
3. Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (85)
4. Jared Rabin (74)
5. Tim O’Brien (72)
6. Jon Shain & FJ Ventre (70)
6. Woody Guthrie (70)
8. Jackson Browne (68)
9. Jesse Brock (65)
10. J. P. Harris (61)
11. Robin and Linda Williams (56)
12. Michael J. Miles (54)
13. Guy Davis (48)
14. Erin Ash Sullivan (46)
14. Jake Eddy (46)
16. Chris Ronald (44)
17. Joni Mitchell (43)
18. John McCutcheon (41)
18. John Prine (41)
20. Bob Dylan (39)
21. Jesse Palidofsky (38)
21. John Flynn (38)
21. John Smith (38)
21. Nanci Griffith (38)
25. Joe Troop (37)
26. Amy Speace (36)
26. The Accidentals (36)
28. Kate McDonnell (35)
28. Byron Berline (35)
28. Rhiannon Giddens (35)
31. Cosy Sheridan (34)
32. Craig Cardiff (33)
33. Sons of the Never Wrong (32)
33. Ellen McIlwaine (32)
35. Allison Russell (31)
35. Tim Grimm (31)
37. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (30)
38. The Flatlanders (29)
39. Ellis Paul (28)
39. Sloan Wainwright (28)

Nanci Griffith was the most-played artist and had five of the 10 most-played songs on folk radio during August 2021, while Jackson Browne’s Downhill From Everywhere was the month’s top album. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

A Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose music straddled the line between folk and country, Griffith died on August 13 at age 68. She was best known for her colorful, narrative tales of small town life that she sang in her warm, crystalline pure voice with a Texas twang — many of which were covered and recorded by other artists. “Love at the Five and Dime,” perhaps Griffith’s best-known song and the top song on folk radio in August, was a country hit for Kathy Mattea 25 years ago Honored by the Americana Music Association with its Lifetime Americana Trailblazer Award in 2008, Griffith released her 18th and last studio album, Intersection, in 2012. Here’s a link to an article about her published by AcousticMusicScene.com on Aug. 16: http://acousticmusicscene.com/2021/08/16/remembering-nanci-griffith-1953-2021/

Downhill From Everywhere is the new studio release from Jackson Browne. A venerated songwriter and performer, who recorded his first album nearly five decades ago, Browne has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a longtime environmental and social activist, who has been honored for his humanitarian efforts as well. “My Cleveland Heart,” the album’s first single, a co-write with Browne’s longtime guitarist Val McCallum, was the most-played song on folk radio in June.

[Here’s a link to listen to the title track of Jackson Browne’s Downhill From Everywhere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxbB9EWM-Ks.]

The August 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14,725 airplays reported on 492 playlists submitted by 123 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of August 2021

1. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (109)
2. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (98)
3. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (92)
4. Sober Again by Jackson Grimm (84)
5. Come Around by Rob Lutes (80)
6. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (77)
7. Why Wait! by Kate Taylor (75)
8. The Canvas Before Us by Joy Zimmerman (62)
9. Cold Rain and Snow by Jared Rabin (57)
10. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (54)
10. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (54)
12. Sun and Moon by Trevor Tchir (52)
13. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (51)
14. Hourglass by Murray McLauchlan (46)
14. Depreciated by John R. Miller (46)
16. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz and Bryan Mc Dowell (44)
17. Chimney Swifts by Brad Kolodner (43)
18. Uppity by Laura Love (41)
19. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself by Colin Hay (40)
19. One Fair Summer Evening by Nanci Griffith (40)
21. Eden and Her Borderlands by Anya Hinkle (37)
21. Oh Everything by Annie Gallup (37)
21. Never Found a Way to Tame the Blues by Jon Shain and Fj Ventre (37)
24. Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back To Bountiful) by Nanci Griffith (35)
25. Last of the Better Days Ahead by Charlie Parr (34)
26. We Can Hear Each Other by Erin Ash Sullivan (33)
27. I Am of Ireland: Yeats in Song by Various Artists (32)
28. Through the Smoke by Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs (31)
28. Time Out Session 1 by The Accidentals (31)
30. Let’s Get Away by Kalinec and Kj (29)
30. The Last of the True Believers by Nanci Griffith (29)
30. Streamliner by Jesse Brock (29)
30. Light and Dark by Chris Ronald (29)
34. Ballad of a Bad Girl by Kate McDonnell (28)
34. Outside Child by Allison Russell (28)
34. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (28)
37. Whitesburg KY by Brett Ratliff (27)
38. Lone Star State of Mind by Nanci Griffith (26)
38. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (26)
40. Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man by JP Harris’ Dreadful Wind and Rain
(25)
40. Undertaker’s Songbook by Sons of the Never Wrong (25)
42. How I Hear It by Jeremy Stephens (24)
42. Triage by Rodney Crowell (24)
42. There Used to Be Horses Here by Amy Speace and the Orphan Brigade (24)
42. Stand for Myself by Yola (24)
42. The Best Medicine by Kate Howard (24)
47. Tricks of the Trade by Malcolm Holcombe (23)
48. New Century Suite by Michael J. Miles (21)
48. You Don’t Really Know Me by Tim Easton (21)
48. The River Flows Vol. 2 by John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen (21)
51. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (20)
51. Once in a Very Blue Moon by Nanci Griffith (20)
51. Treasure of Love by The Flatlanders (20)
54. From a Distance – The Very Best of Nanci Griffith by Nanci Griffith
(19)
55. They’re Calling Me Home by Rhiannon Giddens (18)
55. First Time Feeling by Leah Blevins (18)
55. Vladimir and Irene by David Potts-Dupre (18)
55. Pilgrim’s Progress Project 5.5 by Terri Hendrix (18)
55. Storms by Nanci Griffith (18)
55. Winter Marquee by Nanci Griffith (18)
55. 662 by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (18)
55. Our Better Angels by Jesse Palidofsky (18)
55. Echo Land by Bumarang (18)
64. Intersection by Nanci Griffith (17)
64. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (17)
64. Gone by Tim Grimm (17)
64. Madison Archives by Frank Evans and Ben Plotnick (17)
64. We Shall Stay Here by Paul Kaplan (17)
69. Wild Beat the Wings by John Flynn (16)
70. First Farewell by Peggy Seeger (15)
70. The Loving Kind by Nanci Griffith (15)
70. Never Too Late to Call by Paul Thorn (15)
70. Timeless by Wood Family Tradition (15)
70. Red Maple Tree by Sloan Wainwright (15)
70. Jake Eddy by Jake Eddy (15)

Top Songs of August 2021

[Here’s a link to listen to Nanci Griffith’s recording of “Love at the Five and Dime,” the month’s most-played song on folk radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgGG61nQX0w]

1. “Love at the Five and Dime” by Nanci Griffith (31)
2. “A Human Touch” by Jackson Browne (21)
3. “Listen to the Radio” by Nanci Griffith (20)
4. “From a Distance” by Nanci Griffith (19)
4. “A Better Day A-Coming” by Robin and Linda Williams (19)
6. “Speed at the Sound of Loneliness” by Nanci Griffith (18)
6. “Angels of Our Better Nature” by Cosy Sheridan (18)
6. “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go” by Nanci Griffith (18)
6. “Heart of Nat Turner” by Laura Love (18)
10. “We Believe You” by Diana Jones (17)
10. “Until Justice Is Real” by Jackson Browne (17)
10. “That Bird Has My Wings” by Rob Lutes (17)
13. “The Dreamer” by Jackson Browne (16)
14. “Magic Saved Me” by Annie Gallup (15)
14. “Love Along the Way” by Joe Troop (15)
16. “He Caught the Katy” by Kate Taylor (14)
16. “Once in a Very Blue Moon” by Nanci Griffith (14)
16. “A Little Soon to Say” by Jackson Browne (14)
16. “Good Day Sunshine” by Kate Taylor (14)
20. “At My Feet” by Jackson Grimm (13)
20. “Pandemic Blues” by Murray McLauchlan (13)
20. “Iron Mountain” by Trevor Tchir (13)
20. “Tower of Song” by Robin and Linda Williams (13)
20. “Across the Great Divide” by Nanci Griffith (13)
25. “Someday and Sometime” by Robin and Linda Williams (12)
25. “Why Wait!” by Kate Taylor (12)
25. “Little Rock Canyon” by Jackson Grimm (12)

Top Artists of August 2021

1. Nanci Griffith (449)
2. Jackson Browne (118)
3. Robin and Linda Williams (102)
4. Diana Jones (97)
5. Jackson Grimm (84)
6. Rob Lutes (82)
7. Kate Taylor (79)
8. Tom T. Hall (68)
9. Joy Zimmerman (62)
10. Carrie Newcomer (59)
11. Jared Rabin (57)
12. Joe Troop (54)
13. Trevor Tchir (53)
14. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (52)
15. Watchhouse (51)
16. Bob Dylan (49)
17. Murray McLauchlan (48)
18. Mark Schatz and Bryan Mc Dowell (47)
19. John R. Miller (46)
20. Brad Kolodner (45)
20. Laura Love (45)
22. Colin Hay (42)
23. Annie Gallup (41)
24. Charlie Parr (39)
25. Jon Shain and Fj Ventre (38)
25. The Everly Brothers (38)
25. Anya Hinkle (38)
28. Tim O’Brien (36)
29. Cosy Sheridan (35)
30. John McCutcheon (34)
31. Guy Davis (33)
31. Erin Ash Sullivan (33)
31. The Accidentals (33)
34. Chris Ronald (31)
34. Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs (31)
34. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (31)
37. Dar Williams (30)
37. John Prine (30)
37. Sons of the Never Wrong (30)
40. Kate McDonnell (29)
40. Kalinec and Kj (29)
40. Stan Rogers (29)
40. Allison Russell (29)
40. Pete Seeger (29)
40. Della Mae (29)
40. Joel Mabus (29)
40. Jesse Brock (29)

John McCutcheon, a revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the most-played artist and had the top album (Bucket List) and the most-played song (its title track) on folk radio during September 2021. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Bucket List is the 42nd release by McCutcheon and contains 18 tracks. It is the follow-up to Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine, which was the top album on folk radio for two consecutive months during the summer of 2020, while McCutcheon was the top artist for three consecutive months. McCutcheon, also a longtime labor and social activist, wrote Cabin Fever’s 17 songs while self-quarantined in his north Georgia cabin during the COVID-19 pandemic. McCutcheon has written some 100 new songs since then.

[Click on the link below to listen to “Bucket List,” the title track of John McCutcheon’s new release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR42XHpM9IU

A performing and recording artist since the early 1970s, McCutcheon was also the most-played artist for three consecutive years (2017-2019) and also had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Well May the World Go”) on folk radio during 2019. McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs during the holiday season for years.

The September 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12,893 airplays reported on 448 playlists submitted by 123 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of September 2021

1. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (159)
2. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (98)
3. A Beautiful Sound by Cosy Sheridan (77)
4. The Road Ahead by Ray Lambiase (65)
5. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (61)
6. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (57)
7. Sober Again by Jackson Grimm (55)
7. Why Wait! by Kate Taylor (55)
7. Uppity by Laura Love (55)
10. We Just Need Love by Efrat (51)
11. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (50)
12. Come Around by Rob Lutes (47)
13. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (46)
14. Bright Side of a Rainy Day by Sloan Wainwright (42)
14. Tricks of the Trade by Malcolm Holcombe (42)
16. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (41)
16. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (41)
18. Sun and Moon by Trevor Tchir (38)
18. Chimney Swifts by Brad Kolodner (38)
20. That Spell by Andrea Von Kampen (36)
21. Red, White and American Blues (It Couldn’t Happen Here) by Nathan
Bell (33)
21. The Canvas Before Us by Joy Zimmerman (33)
23. The State That We Are In by Rachel Garlin (32)
24. Mean Old World by Gordie Tentrees (31)
24. Between Us by Ana Egge (31)
24. My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck (31)
27. Streamliner by Jesse Brock (30)
27. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (30)
29. Family Reunion by Della Mae (29)
29. The River Flows: Vol. 1 & 2 The Complete Sessions by John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen (29)
29. Georgia I’m Here by Joe Crookston (29)
29. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (29)
33. Depreciated by John R. Miller (28)
34. First Bird to Sing by Bruce T Carroll (27)
35. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (26)
35. Better Days (Remastered) by Lili Añel (26)
37. Cold Rain and Snow by Jared Rabin (25)
38. Geography by Rigby Summer (24)
39. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (23)
39. Eden and Her Borderlands by Anya Hinkle (23)
41. Hurricane Coming by Shawna Caspi (21)
41. Ramble in Music City: The Lost Concert (1990) by Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers (21)
43. Up All Night by The Grascals (20)
43. High Tide for Low Time by Doc Carter (20)
43. Stand for Myself by Yola (20)
46. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself by Colin Hay (19)
47. Outside Child by Allison Russell (18)
47. The Horses and the Hounds by James McMurtry (18)
49. Beneath Still Waters by Courtney Granger (17)
49. Let’s Get Away by Kalinec and Kj (17)
49. What Keeps the Heart Afloat by Garrett Wieland (17)
49. Triage by Rodney Crowell (17)
49. The Blues Never End by Elly Wininger (17)
49. Small Town America by Tracy Walton (17)
55. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (16)
55. You, Yeah, You by Tre Burt (16)
55. Treasure of Love by The Flatlanders (16)
55. Hope Street by Brad Colerick (16)
59. Last of the Better Days Ahead by Charlie Parr (14)
59. Cycles by Rachel Baiman (14)
61. Golden Loam by Laurel Premo (13)
61. The Ballad of Dood and Juanita by Sturgill Simpson (13)
61. This Life We’re Livin by Darin and Brooke Aldridge (13)
61. Hourglass by Murray McLauchlan (13)
61. We Shall Stay Here by Paul Kaplan (13)
61. B-Flat Earth by Swamptooth (13)
67. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (12)
67. Looking for the Moon by Tom Paxton (12)
67. Vladimir and Irene by David Potts-Dupre (12)
67. Home in This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads by Various
Artists (12)

Top Songs of September 2021

1. “Bucket List” by John McCutcheon (43)
2. “Tuesday Morning” by Joe Crookston (26)
3. “There Are No Words” by Kitty Donohoe (25)
4. “Which Side Are You On” by Efrat (19)
4. “Farmer” by John McCutcheon (19)
4. “It’s Gonna Get Better” by Cosy Sheridan (19)
7. “Today and Every Day” by Dar Williams (17)
7. “That Bird Has My Wings” by Rob Lutes (17)
9. “We Just Need Love” by Efrat (16)
10. “Heartbreak Hill” by Valerie Smith (15)
10. “The Road Ahead” by Ray Lambiase (15)
12. “Like Molly Brown” by Carrie Newcomer (14)
12. “The Bravest” by Tom Paxton (14)
12. “On That Train” by Valerie Smith (14)
12. “Towers of Love” by Stuart Kabak (14)
12. “Higher Love” by Tom Prasada-Rao (14)
12. “A Dollar Looked Mighty Good” by Valerie Smith (14)
18. “Be Still” by John McCutcheon (13)
18. “Time, Be My Friend” by Dar Williams (13)
20. “Hole in the Ground” by Robin Greenstein (12)
20. “I’m Fine Bein’ Me” by Valerie Smith (12)
20. “Two of Us” by Laura Love (12)
20. “Celilo” by Andrea Von Kampen (12)
24. “Bayou” by Laura Love (11)
24. “Beyond the Ash and Steel” by Judy Kass (11)
24. “The State That We Are In” by Rachel Garlin (11)
24. “Sundown” by The McDades (11)
24. “Bright Side of a Rainy Day” by Sloan Wainwright (11)
24. “You Give It All Away” by Dar Williams (11)
24. “Moonshiner” by John McCutcheon (11)
24. “Little Rock Canyon” by Jackson Grimm (11)
24. “Ramblin Round” by Cosy Sheridan (11)

Top Artists of 2021

John McCutcheon (Photo: Irene Young)

The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes by various artists (Smithsonian Folkways) was the most-played album on folk radio during October 2021, while Jonathan Edwards’ “Right Where I am” was the top song and John McCutcheon was the month’s most-played artist (as he was in September). So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The October 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14,784 airplays reported on 502 playlists submitted by 121 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of October 2021

1. The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes by Various Artists (134)
2. Been a Long Time by Si Kahn (121)
3. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (108)
4. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (87)
5. Be Here for a While by Shane Cook & the Woodchippers (85)
6. Right Where I Am by Jonathan Edwards (83)
7. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (81)
8. Rewrite the Ending by Ina May Wool (66)
9. Renewal by Billy Strings (62)
9. Beating the Odds by Eric Lambert (62)
11. A Beautiful Sound by Cosy Sheridan (55)
12. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (51)
13. After the Flood by Chris Lavancher (49)
13. We’ll Tell Stories by Mary Lou Fulton (49)
15. Us in the U.S. by Gordonville, U.S.A. (48)
16. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (40)
16. Be a Better Me by George Ensle (40)
18. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (39)
19. My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck (38)
20. Vessel by The Accidentals (36)
20. Come Around by Rob Lutes (36)
22. Then and Now by Debi Smith (33)
22. The Road Ahead by Ray Lambiase (33)
24. Tricks of the Trade by Malcolm Holcombe (32)
25. Day by Day by Norman Blake (31)
25. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (31)
27. Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 by
Various Artists (30)
27. Half a Hundred Years by Asleep at the Wheel (30)
27. The Canvas Before Us by Joy Zimmerman (30)
27. Sober Again by Jackson Grimm (30)
27. Uppity by Laura Love (30)
32. That Spell by Andrea Von Kampen (29)
33. The Blues Never End by Elly Wininger (28)
34. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (26)
34. Why Wait! by Kate Taylor (26)
36. Family Reunion by Della Mae (25)
36. Bright Side of a Rainy Day by Sloan Wainwright (25)
36. Depreciated by John R. Miller (25)
39. Last of the Better Days Ahead by Charlie Parr (24)
39. In These Silent Days by Brandi Carlile (24)
39. Everyone a Song, Vol. 2 by The Steel Wheels (24)
42. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (23)
42. Blues | Ballads | Cowboy Songs by Peter Keane (23)
42. A World Like This by George Mann (23)
42. Cabin Fever Dream by Sara Trunzo (23)
46. Red, White and American Blues (It Couldn’t Happen Here) by Nathan Bell (22)
46. Tempting Fate by Carolyn Wonderland (22)
46. Mean Old World by Gordie Tentrees (22)
46. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (22)
46. Dreamers of Atlantis by Margaret McDuffie (22)
51. Down the Old Plank Road by The Chieftains (21)
51. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (21)
53. Ramble in Music City: The Lost Concert by Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers (20)
53. Chimney Swifts by Brad Kolodner (20)
53. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (20)
56. The State That We Are In by Rachel Garlin (19)
57. Small Town Dreamer by Daryl Mosley (18)
58. First Bird to Sing by Bruce T. Carroll (17)
58. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (17)
58. Home in This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads by Various
Artists (17)
58. An Honest Effort by Matt Patershuk (17)
58. The St. Buryan Sessions by Sarah McQuaid (17)
58. We Just Need Love by Efrat (17)
58. The Next Mountain by Rick Faris (17)
65. Wild Beat the Wings by John Flynn (16)
65. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (16)
65. Screaming Into the Void by Ellaharp (16)
65. Long Haul by John Wort Hannam (16)
69. Moxie and Mettle by Balsam Range (15)
69. Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man by J. P. Harris’ Dreadful Wind andRain (15)
69. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (15)

Top Songs OF October 2021

[Click on the link to listen to “Right Where I Am” by Jonathan Edwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUZKVVh8p5U]

Jonathan Edwards

Top Artists of October 2021

John McCutcheon (Photo: Irene Young)

Chinook Waltz by Over the Moon was the most-played album on folk radio during November 2021, while the southwestern Alberta, Canada-based acoustic roots duo was the month’s most-played artist. Topping the song charts were “Ragged Queen” and “Roses in November” by singer-songwriters Mala Oreen and Tret Fure, respectively, while Over the Moon also had three of the top 10 songs. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The November 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,003 airplays reported on 436 playlists submitted by 117 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

[Here’s a link to view a video for “Lonesome Bluebird,” the opening track on Over the Moon’s sophomore release, Chinook Waltz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85I2xqo755Q.]

Top Albums of November 2021

1. Chinook Waltz by Over the Moon (96)
2. Awake by Mala Oreen (69)
3. Renewal by Billy Strings (64)
4. Stops Time by Brooksie Wells (63)
5. Day by Day by Norman Blake (62)
6. Turning Over Stones by Bett Padgett (60)
7. The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes by Various Artists
(54)
8. Blues | Ballads | Cowboy Songs by Peter Keane (51)
9. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (48)
9. The Insurrection Blues by Corey Harris (48)
11. Been a Long Time by Si Kahn (47)
11. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (47)
13. Frame by Frame by T. Buckley (45)
14. Right Where I Am by Jonathan Edwards (40)
14. Be a Better Me by George Ensle (40)
14. Be Here for a While by Shane Cook & the Woodchippers (40)
17. The Empress by The McDades (39)
18. The Long Way Home by Carole Wise (38)
19. Settler by Malcolm Macwatt (37)
20. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (36)
21. Beating the Odds by Eric Lambert (35)
22. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (33)
22. A World Like This by George Mann (33)
24. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (32)
25. Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 by
Various Artists (31)
26. Rewrite the Ending by Ina May Wool (27)
26. Buffalo Nichols by Buffalo Nichols (27)
28. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (26)
29. My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck (25)
29. The Million Things That Never Happened by Billy Bragg (25)
31. The Next Mountain by Rick Faris (24)
32. Last of the Better Days Ahead by Charlie Parr (23)
33. Beautiful Lies by Paul Benoit (22)
33. Half a Hundred Years by Asleep at the Wheel (22)
33. You Get It All by Hayes Carll (22)
33. We’ll Tell Stories by Mary Lou Fulton (22)
37. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (21)
37. Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (21)
39. The Road Ahead by Ray Lambiase (20)
39. The Willie Nelson Family by Willie Nelson (20)
41. Roses in November by Tret Fure (19)
42. Vessel by The Accidentals (18)
42. Small Town Dreamer by Daryl Mosley (18)
42. Kisbee Ring by Abby Posner (18)
42. Pohorylle by Margo Cilker (18)
42. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (18)
47. Everyone a Song, Vol. 2 by The Steel Wheels (17)
47. Tempting Fate by Carolyn Wonderland (17)
47. Then and Now by Debi Smith (17)
47. Lively Times (Live at the Anza Club!) by The Lonesome Ace Stringband
(17)
47. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (17)
47. The St. Buryan Sessions by Sarah McQuaid (17)
47. First Bird to Sing by Bruce T Carroll (17)
54. Us in the U.S. by Gordonville U.S.A. (16)
54. After the Flood by Chris Lavancher (16)
54. Screaming Into the Void by Ellaharp (16)
54. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (16)
54. Our Better Angels by Jesse Palidofsky (16)
54. Scrapper by Joe Nolan (16)
60. That Spell by Andrea Von Kampen (15)
60. The Tightening of the Screws by Gurf Morlix (15)
60. Blues Shack by Mandy Marylane (15)
60. A Beautiful Sound by Cosy Sheridan (15)
60. Time Out Session #1 by The Accidentals (15)
60. The Lonesome Season by Andrew Crawford (15)
60. Geography by Rigby Summer (15)
60. Depreciated by John R. Miller (15)
68. Still Life by Humbird (14)
68. Cockadoodledeux by Legendary Shack Shakers (14)
68. Pins and Needles by Natalie Hemby (14)

Top Songs of November 2021

[Here’s a link to view a video of Lucenre, Switzerland-based singer-songwriter Mala Oreen’s “Ragged Queen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lycZDDC8c9E.]

[Here’s a link to view a video of Virginia-based singer-songwriter Tret Fure performing “Roses in November,” the title track of her 2018 release that was on the charts for eight months: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc7ev2QTZzc.]

1. “Ragged Queen” by Mala Oreen (25)
1. “Roses in November” by Tret Fure (25)
3. “Lonesome Bluebird” by Over the Moon (23)
4. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (22)
5. “Someday Soon” by Over the Moon (18)
5. “My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains” by Norman Blake (18)
7. “Give Thanks” by Jesse Palidofsky (17)
8. “They Can’t Blackout the Moon” by Over the Moon (14)
9. “The Year of Losing Things” by Tom Prasada-Rao (13)
9. “Urge for Going” by Joni Mitchell (13)
9. “Willie Reilly” by The McDades (13)
12. “Right Where I Am” by Jonathan Edwards (12)
12. “Insurrection Blues (Chickens Come Home to Roost)” by Corey Harris (12)
12. “Darcy Farrow” by Over the Moon (12)
12. “The Great Divide” by Jud Caswell (12)
12. “Thanksgiving” by Si Kahn (12)
12. “We Remember” by Craig Werth (12)
18. “The Unknown Soldier” by George Ensle (11)
18. “Three Songs From Home” by Brooksie Wells (11)
18. “Know It All” by Billy Strings (11)
18. “Let the Healing Begin” by George Mann (11)
18. “Resist” by Janis Ian (11)
18. “Snakes in the Trees” by Brooksie Wells (11)
18. “I’m a Believer” by Brooksie Wells (11)
25. “Early Morning Rain” by Brooksie Wells (10)
25. “Be a Better Me” by George Ensle (10)
25. “Moon Same Moon” by Mala Oreen (10)

Top Artists OF November 2021

Canadian artists Suzanne Lévesque and Craig Bigness are Over the Moon

Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss was the most-played album on folk radio during December 2021, while “The Turning Year: A New Year’s Toast” by Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra was the month’s most-played song. Bill Staines, the New Hampshire-based traveling troubadour and prolific songwriter who died last month, was December’s top artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The December 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,672 airplays reported on 461 playlists submitted by 122 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

[Click on the link below to listen to “The Turning Year: A New Year’s Toast”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZASAyzSaxA.]

Top Albums of December 2021

1. Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (73)
2. A Very Blue Rock Christmas, Vol. 2 by Various Artists (65)
3. The Turning Year by Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra (57)
4. Chinook Waltz by Over the Moon (48)
4. On This Christmas Day by Joe Newberry and April Verch (48)
6. Awake by Mala Oreen (47)
7. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (41)
7. Renewal by Billy Strings (41)
9. Day by Day by Norman Blake (38)
10. Blues | Ballads | Cowboy Songs by Peter Keane (33)
11. The Whistle of the Jay by Bill Staines (32)
12. Stops Time by Brooksie Wells (31)
13. Settler by Malcolm Macwatt (30)
14. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (29)
14. Winter’s Grace by Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum (29)
14. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (29)
17. Beneath Some Lucky Star by Bill Staines (28)
17. Turning Over Stones by Bett Padgett (28)
17. The Other Side by Kristi Flagg (28)
17. All That Is True by Scott Alarik (28)
21. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (27)
22. Be Here for a While by Shane Cook and the Woodchippers (26)
23. My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck (24)
23. Peace: A Christmas Collection by Jesse Terry (24)
25. Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas by Mary Chapin
Carpenter (23)
25. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (23)
27. American Noel by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (22)
27. Greatest Hits 1970-2020 by Bruce Cockburn (22)
29. Blue by Joni Mitchell (21)
29. Christmas by Bruce Cockburn (21)
29. Going to the West by Bill Staines (21)
29. Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 by
Various Artists (21)
29. Wonderland: A Winter Solstice Celebration by Various Artists (21)
34. Been a Long Time by Si Kahn (20)
34. Frame by Frame by T. Buckley (20)
34. Insurrection Blues by Corey Harris (20)
34. The Next Mountain by Rick Faris (20)
38. You Get It All by Hayes Carll (19)
38. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (19)
38. Christmas Day on Planet Earth by Lennie Gallant (19)
41. A Better Day a-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (18)
41. Eden and Her Borderlands by Anya Hinkle (18)
41. Folk Songs Old and New by Scott Alarik (18)
41. The Empress by The McDades (18)
41. Declining With Thanks by Ian Robb and James Stephens (18)
41. Sober Again by Jackson Grimm (18)
41. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (18)
41. Midwinter by Peter Mayer (18)
41. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (18)
50. Old Dogs by Bill Staines (17)
50. Bridges by Bill Staines (17)
50. Right Where I Am by Jonathan Edwards (17)
50. One Fair Summer Evening by Nanci Griffith (17)
50. Just Play One Tune More by Bill Staines (17)
50. Putumayo Presents Jazz Christmas by Various Artists (17)
50. Christmas Caravan by Sultans of String (17)
50. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 2 by Various Artists (17)
50. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (17)
59. The Bells of Dublin by The Chieftains (16)
59. December Songs by Mark Dvorak (16)
59. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (16)
59. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (16)
59. The Tightening of the Screws by Gurf Morlix (16)
59. There Used to Be Horses Here by Amy Speace and the Orphan Brigade (16)
65. Christmas Is Right Here by Lori McKenna (15)
65. The First Christmas Gift by Robin and Linda Williams (15)
65. I Dream of Christmas by Norah Jones (15)
65. The Gift of the Magi (And Other Seasonal Stories) by Darryl Purpose
(15)
65. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (15)
65. Buffalo Nichols by Buffalo Nichols (15)
65. Pins and Needles by Natalie Hemby (15)

Top Songs of December 2021

Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra had the most-played song on folk radio. (Photo: Erica Ginsberg)

Top Artists of December 2021

1. Bill Staines (238)
2. John McCutcheon (81)
3. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (75)
4. Scott Alarik (69)
5. Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra (66)
6. Nanci Griffith (56)
7. Bruce Cockburn (51)
8. Norman Blake (50)
9. Joe Newberry and April Verch (48)
9. Dar Williams (48)
9. Over the Moon (48)
12. Mary Chapin Carpenter (47)
12. Mala Oreen (47)
12. Bob Dylan (47)
15. Billy Strings (44)
16. Phil Ochs (43)
17. Robin and Linda Williams (39)
18. Tim O’Brien (38)
19. Sierra Ferrell (37)
20. Carrie Newcomer (36)
20. Bett Padgett (36)
22. Joni Mitchell (34)
23. Peter Keane (33)
23. Cosy Sheridan (33)
23. John Prine (33)
26. Brooksie Wells (31)
27. Malcolm Macwatt (30)
28. Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum (29)
28. Judy Collins (29)
28. Sloan Wainwright (29)
28. Jackson Browne (29)
28. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (29)
28. Joel Mabus (29)
34. Kristi Flagg (28)
34. Jesse Terry (28)
36. Lennie Gallant (27)
36. Michael Nesmith (27)
36. Hayes Carll (27)
39. Shane Cook and the Woodchippers (26)
39. Kate Rusby (26)

Tim Grimm, a southern Indiana-based folk-Americana singer-songwriter, had the top album (Gone) on folk radio during 2021, edging out upstate New York-based singer-songwriter Reggie Harris’ Solid Ground. The Accidentals, a Michigan-based band, had the year’s most-played song (“Wildfire”), while the late Nanci Griffith was 2021’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Tim Grimm had the most-played album (Gone) on folk radio during 2021.

Gone is just one of a number of albums and songs by Grimm that have reached the top of the Folk DJ (now FAI Folk Radio) and EuroAmericana charts. He had both the most-played album (A Stranger In This Time) and song (“Gonna Be Great”) on folk radio during 2017, while his 2019 release, Heart Land Again, was the top alum on the Folk DJ Chart that summer. “Woody’s Landlord,” Grimm’s song about Donald Trump’s father, was the most-played song on folk radio in 2016, while “King Of the Folksingers,” a tribute to his friend and musical icon Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, was the #1 song on the Folk DJ songs chart in 2014. Besides having released more than a dozen albums over the past 20 years, Grimm has worked as an actor in film, theater and television.

Here’s a link to view a lyric video for “Gone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLKgCwBvug

Launched in Traverse City, Michigan by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists (including violin, cello, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and mandolin) Sav Buist and Katie Larson, The Accidentals also include Michael Dause on percussion. Prior to the pandemic, the trio had been playing upwards of 200 shows a year. Its repertoire features an eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock, and classical music. The Accidentals also host and lead workshops across the country as part of their effort to inspire other young musicians. Buist and Larson have also provided strings accompaniment for other artists’ albums. “”Wildfire” is the first single off The Accidentals’ Time Out EP, which was released in May 2021.

Here’s a link to listen to “Wildfire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oKT1yoBTrk

Nanci Griffith, a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose music straddled the line between folk and country, died on August 13, 2021 at age 68. She was best known for her colorful, narrative tales of small town life that she sang in her warm, crystalline pure voice with a Texas twang – many of which were covered and recorded by other artists, just as she covered other artists on her 1993 Elektra release Other Voices, Other Rooms – which won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

An early winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, Griffith later put together the Blue Moon Orchestra — with whom she recorded and toured for more than a decade. Honored by the Americana Music Association with its Lifetime Americana Trailblazer Award in 2008, Griffith released her 18th and last studio album, Intersection, in 2012.

Here’s a link to an article about Griffith that was posted on AcousticMusicScene.com shortly after she died: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2021/08/16/remembering-nanci-griffith-1953-2021/
.]
The 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 164, 278 airplays reported on 5564 playlists submitted by 152 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of 2021

1. Gone by Tim Grimm (372)
2. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (371)
3. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (367)
4. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (361)
5. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (337)
6. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (329)
7. Distance and Time by Becky Buller (309)
8. First Farewell by Peggy Seeger (300)
9. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (298)
10. Just Over the Ridge by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (276)
11. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (274)
11. Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore by Rod Abernethy (274)
13. Time Out – Session 1 by The Accidentals (251)
14. Stone by Stone by Tret Fure (247)
15. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (245)
16. Ballad of a Bad Girl by Kate McDonnell (244)
17. Red Maple Tree by Sloan Wainwright (242)
18. There Used to Be Horses Here by Amy Speace and the Orphan Brigade
(237)
19. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (222)
20. Come Around by Rob Lutes (214)
21. All This Time Running by Craig Cardiff (213)
22. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (212)
23. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (207)
24. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (206)
24. They’re Calling Me Home by Rhiannon Giddens (206)
26. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (203)
26. Outside Child by Allison Russell (203)
28. Hourglass by Murray McLauchlan (201)
29. Knew Things by Cliff Eberhardt (197)
30. Been a Long Time by Si Kahn (193)
30. Joyful Banner Blazing by Maria Dunn (193)
30. Sober Again by Jackson Grimm (193)
33. Ellis Paul’s Traveling Medicine Show, Vol. 1 by Ellis Paul (192)
34. Cold Rain and Snow by Jared Rabin (190)
35. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (186)
36. We Shall Stay Here by Paul Kaplan (183)
37. Light and Dark by Chris Ronald (180)
38. Calla Lily by The Brother Brothers (178)
39. Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno by Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno (176)
40. Renewal by Billy Strings (175)
41. Still Woman Enough by Loretta Lynn (173)
41. Just Causes by Noel Paul Stookey (173)
43. Tapered Point of Stone by Eli West (172)
44. Why Wait! by Kate Taylor (171)
45. Chinook Waltz by Over the Moon (168)
45. Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man by JP Harris’ Dreadful Wind and Rain
(168)
47. Uppity by Laura Love (167)
48. Solace in the Wild by Erin Ivey (166)
49. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (165)
50. Hold the Line by Hardened and Tempered (164)
50. Woman in Color by Raye Zaragoza (164)
52. A Beautiful Sound by Cosy Sheridan (162)
53. The Fray by John Smith (161)
54. Streamliner by Jesse Brock (160)
55. Annamania by Anna Elizabeth Laube (158)
56. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (157)
57. We Can Hear Each Other by Erin Ash Sullivan (156)
58. We Go On: Si Kahn’s Songs of Hope in Hard Times by Katie Oates (154)
58. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (154)
58. Jellyfish on the Moon by Lisa Jeanette (154)
58. Right Where I Am by Jonathan Edwards (154)
62. Poets by Liz Simmons (146)
63. World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz (145)
64. The Canvas Before Us by Joy Zimmerman (144)
65. Desert Ghosts by Jaspar Lepak (142)
65. Echo Land by Bumarang (142)
67. When We Wander by Jesse Terry (140)
67. + 1 by Mike Barnett (140)
69. Songs Doc Didn’t Sing by Doc and Merle Watson (139)
70. Undertaker’s Songbook by Sons of the Never Wrong (137)

Top Songs of 2021

1. “Wildfire” by The Accidentals (105)
2. “Gone” by Tim Grimm (78)
3. “A Better Day A-Coming” by Robin and Linda Williams (77)
4. “Seasons Change” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (76)
5. “We Believe You” by Diana Jones (75)
6. “All This Time Running” by Craig Cardiff (73)
7. “Call Them In” by Crys Matthews (68)
8. “Gentle Arms of Eden” by Darryl Purpose (67)
9. “It’s Who We Are” by Reggie Harris (66)
9. “Monuments” by Tret Fure (66)
9. “Exactly Where You Are” by Crys Matthews (66)
9. “Bucket List” by John McCutcheon (66)
13. “25 Trees” by Tim Grimm (64)
14. “Dreaming of King Lear” by Tim Grimm (63)
14. “My Cleveland Heart” by Jackson Browne (63)
14. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (63)
17. “Right Where I Am” by Jonathan Edwards (62)
17. “The Invisible Woman” by Peggy Seeger (62)
19. “Carry Me With You” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (61)
20. “Music for a Found Harmonium” by Patrick Street (60)
20. “Bryan 3rd Saturday Back Porch Harmony Kaxe” by Random Routes Keos
College Station (60)
22. “All Shall Be Well” by The Accidentals (59)
23. “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie (58)
24. “How I Long for Peace” by Peggy Seeger (57)
24. “Jeremiah” by Sierra Ferrell (57)
24. “Heart of Nat Turner” by Laura Love (57)

Top Artists of 2021

1. Nanci Griffith (847)
2. John McCutcheon (828)
3. Bob Dylan (778)
4. Tim Grimm (517)
5. John Prine (493)
6. Reggie Harris (453)
7. Pete Seeger (449)
8. Jackson Browne (427)
9. Tim O’Brien (410)
10. Dar Williams (400)
11. Ellis Paul (390)
11. Crys Matthews (390)
13. Robin and Linda Williams (388)
14. Joni Mitchell (384)
15. Sloan Wainwright (383)
16. Diana Jones (381)
17. Bill Staines (375)
18. Cosy Sheridan (367)
19. Carrie Newcomer (360)
19. Si Kahn (360)
21. The Accidentals (354)
22. Rhiannon Giddens (353)
23. Peggy Seeger (352)
24. Becky Buller (335)
25. Tret Fure (319)
26. Guy Davis (312)
27. Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell (302)
28. Eliza Gilkyson (290)
29. Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (287)
30. Sarah Jarosz (281)
31. Rod Abernethy (278)
32. Joan Baez (269)
33. Billy Strings (264)
34. Kate McDonnell (258)
35. Tony Rice (255)
35. Laura Love (255)
35. Gillian Welch (255)
38. John Smith (251)
39. The Chieftains (246)
39. Emmylou Harris (246)

Singer-Songwriter Janis Ian had the #1 album (Light at the End of the Line), four of the top 10 songs, and was the most-played artist on folk radio during January 2022. Buffalo Rose, a modern folk–Americana ensemble, joined by Tom Paxton, had the month’s most-played song (Paxton’s “I Give You the Morning”). So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Janis Ian’s Light at the End of the Line, officially released January 22 on her own Rude Girl Records, is the veteran artist’s first album of new material since 2006’s Folk is the New Black and is reportedly her last solo recording. Ian, 70, who burst on the folk scene while still a teenager in the mid-1960s and scored major hits with “Society’s Child” early on in her career, is a two-time Grammy Award-winner. Her new album features 12 newly recorded tracks. Also lending their musical talents to the recording are John Cowan, Vince Gill, Diane Schuur, and Andrea Zonn, among others.

Here’s a link to listen to its opening track, “I’m Still Standing,” which is about getting older but wiser: youtube.com/watch?v=Y93NZWb7oLw.

At 70, with more than 55 years of experience as a professional writer, Ian says she’s ready to step back from performing and recording after touring for the final time later this year. “It takes a certain amount of maturity to realize that you don’t have to keep proving you can write,” she asserts. “I’ve already created a body of work I’m proud of, and I’m old enough to realize that it’s the light at the end of the line that matters. And I’m not calling this retiring. It’s rewiring.”

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Buffalo Rose features Lucy Clabby (vocals), Margo Jazerc (vocals), Bruce Rubideau (mandolin), Malcolm Inglis (dobro), Jason Rafalak (upright bass), and Shane McLaughlan (guitar and vocals). The band – which was recently selected to showcase its talents during this year’s SXSW — is joined on “I Give You the Morning” by Tom Paxton. A folk icon and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Paxton wrote the song that previously appeared on his own recording The Things I Notice Now. It’s one of four songs recorded with Paxton on Buffalo Rose’s forthcoming EP entitled Rabbit.

The January 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 15, 373 airplays reported on 499 playlists submitted by 122 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of January 2022

1. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (143)
2. Long Haul by John Wort Hannam (96)
3. Strings, Wings and Curious Things by Sue Horowitz (86)
3. Songs From the River Wind by Eliza Gilkyson (86)
5. Folk Hero by House of Hamill (79)
6. Rabbit by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (73)
7. Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (70)
8. Sacred Spaces by Eric Bannan (69)
9. Anthems of Home by HuDost (59)
10. Head Above Water by Heather Sarona (49)
10. Over the Moon by Chinook Waltz (49)
12. The Village Out West: The Lost Tapes of Alan Oakes by Various Artists
(44)
13. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (42)
14. Renewal by Billy Strings (41)
15. Blues Ballads Cowboy Songs by Peter Keane (38)
15. Come What May by Kevin Burgess Project (38)
17. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (37)
18. Home by Linda Marks (36)
19. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (35)
19. The Birds of Florida by Susan Werner (35)
21. Age of Apathy by Aoife O’Donovan (34)
22. A Little Life by Liz Miller (33)
22. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (33)
24. Awake by Mala Oreen (31)
25. Stops Time by Brooksie Wells (30)
26. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (29)
26. My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck (29)
28. The Empress by The McDades (28)
29. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (27)
29. Hometown Tragedies by Terry Family (27)
29. Outside Child by Allison Russell (27)
29. The Insurrection Blues by Corey Harris (27)
33. Everything Will Be by Eric Brace and Last Train Home (26)
33. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (26)
33. Turning Over Stones by Bett Padgett (26)
36. I’ll Meet You Here by Dar Williams (25)
36. Buffalo Nichols by Buffalo Nichols (25)
38. Day by Day by Norman Blake (24)
39. Borrowed Time by Joe Troop (23)
39. A World Like This by George Mann (23)
41. Arrivals by Declan O’Rourke (21)
41. The St Buryan Sessions by Sarah McQuaid (21)
41. Be Here for a While by Shane Cook and the Woodchippers (21)
44. Gone by Tim Grimm (20)
44. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (20)
46. Be a Better Me by George Ensle (19)
47. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (18)
47. Surely Will Be Singing by Tammy Rogers and Thomm Jutz (18)
47. Cosmic Banjo by Michael Johnathon (18)
47. The Turning Year by Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra (18)
47. Rewrite the Ending by Ina May Wool (18)
47. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (18)
47. Timeless Hours by Last Chance (18)
54. Settler by Malcolm Macwatt (17)
54. Violet Light by Maya De Vitry (17)
54. Stories and Memories by Mohavisoul (17)
57. Good to Be by Keb’ Mo (16)
57. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (16)
57. Grit and Polish by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (16)
57. The Other Side by Kristi Flagg (16)
61. American Siren by Emily Scott Robinson (15)
61. Satisfyin by Lady A (15)
61. Lost Love Songs by The Pine Hearts (15)
61. Uranium Maiden by Kate Macleod (15)
61. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (15)
66. The Way the River Goes by Dan Weber (14)
66. First Farewell by Peggy Seeger (14)
66. Pohorylle by Margo Cilker (14)
66. Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys by Jimmy Martin and the
Sunny Mountain Boys (14)
66. Frame by Frame by T. Buckley (14)
66. The Second Million Miles by Bill Staines (14)
66. Declining With Thanks by Ian Robb and James Stephens (14)
66. Right Where I Am by Jonathan Edwards (14)
66. Beating the Odds by Eric Lambert (14)
66. The Road Ahead by Ray Lambiase (14)

Top Songs of January 2022

1. “I Give You the Morning” by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (38)
2. “Better Times Will Come” by Janis Ian (33)
2. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (33)
4. “January” by Sue Horowitz (32)
5. “If You Can’t Fly” by Eric Bannan (24)
6. “Wonderful Things” by John Wort Hannam (20)
7. “The South Wind” by Ailisa Newhall (18)
8. “Dancing With the Dark” by Janis Ian (16)
8. “Sister’s Keeper” by Crys Matthews (16)
8. “Louder Than the Guns” by Tret Fure (16)
8. “Take Back The Red White And Blue” by Crowes Pasture (16)
8. “Swannanoa” by Janis Ian (16)
13. “Our Words Will Be Louder” by HuDost (15)
13. “At Least It’s Not Terrorism” by Ina May Wool (15)
15. “Winter Wonderland” by Noel Paul Stookey (14)
15. “Wanderin” by Eliza Gilkyson (14)
17. “Runaway” by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (13)
17. “I’ll Be Lost” by Heather Sarona (13)
17. “Last Kind Word Blues” by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (13)
17. “Bristlecone Pine” by Eliza Gilkyson (13)
21. “Green Light” by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (12)
21. “Ladder to the Sun” by House of Hamill (12)
21. “Sacred Spaces” by Eric Bannan (12)
21. “You Led Me to the Wrong” by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (12)
21. “Long Haul” by John Wort Hannam (12)
21. “Step on the Gas” by Sue Horowitz (12)
21. “Young at Heart” by John Wort Hannam (12)
21. “Hate That Kind of Love” by Marion Halliday (12)

Top Artists of January 2022

1. Janis Ian (150)
2. Eliza Gilkyson (106)
3. John Wort Hannam (97)
4. Sue Horowitz (87)
5. Bill Staines (82)
6. House of Hamill (79)
7. Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (76)
7. Joan Baez (76)
9. John McCutcheon (73)
10. Eric Bannan (71)
11. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (70)
12. Christine Lavin (65)
13. HuDost (61)
14. Bob Dylan (59)
15. Heather Sarona (51)
16. Billy Strings (49)
16. Chinook Waltz (49)
18. J.D. Crowe the New South (48)
19. Crys Matthews (46)
19. Carrie Newcomer (46)
19. Susan Werner (46)
22. Pete Seeger (43)
23. Peter Keane (38)
23. Kevin Burgess Project (38)
23. Nanci Griffith (38)
23. Sierra Ferrell (38)
27. Linda Marks (37)
28. Ina May Wool (35)
28. Dar Williams (35)
30. Liz Miller (34)
30. Aoife O’Donovan (34)
30. Robin and Linda Williams (34)
33. Diana Jones (32)
33. Tim Grimm (32)
33. Michael Johnathon (32)
36. Tret Fure (31)
36. Mala Oreen (31)
38. Jackson Browne (30)
38. Brooksie Wells (30)
40. Sarah McQuaid (29)
40. Punch Brothers (29)
40. Bela Fleck (29)
40. Allison Russell (29)
40. Corey Harris (29)
40. Bett Padgett (29)

Singer-Songwriter Janis Ian had the #1 album (Light at the End of the Line) and was the most-played artist on folk radio for a second consecutive month in February 2022, while Michael Veitch’s “Valentine’s Day” was the month’s top song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Janis Ian’s Light at the End of the Line, officially released in January on her own Rude Girl Records, is the veteran artist’s first album of new material since 2006’s Folk is the New Black and is reportedly her last solo recording. Ian, 70, who burst on the folk scene while still a teenager in the mid-1960s and scored major hits with “Society’s Child” early on in her career, is a two-time Grammy Award-winner. Her new album features 12 newly recorded tracks – including two of February’s top five songs, “I’m Still Standing” and “Better Times Will Come.” Also lending their musical talents to the recording are John Cowan, Vince Gill, Diane Schuur, and Andrea Zonn, among others.

Woodstock, NY-based singer-songwriter Michael Veitch’s song “Valentine’s Day,” co-written with his longtime recording engineer Julie Last, appears on his new album, Wachtraum (which means Wake Dream). Veitch is also part of a documentary entitled We Remember: Songs of Survivors that tells the Holocaust story through song and begins airing on PBS television stations next month.

The February 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12, 637 airplays reported on 421 playlists submitted by 120 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of February 2022

Janis Ian’s The Light at the End of the Line was the top album on folk radio during February 2022.

Top Songs of February 2022

Michael Vetch’s “Valentine’s Day” was the most-played song on folk radio during February 2022.

Top Artists of February 2022

Eliza Gilkyson closely followed Janis Ian as the second most-played artist on folk radio during February 2022.

The Accidentals, an eclectic American power trio, had the most-played song (“Eastern Standard Time”) on folk radio in March 2022 and edged out Quebecois folk group Le Vent du Nord with the month’s top album (Time Out Session #2) and as the most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Launched in Traverse City, Michigan 10 years ago and fronted by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists (including violin, cello, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and mandolin) Sav Buist and Katie Larson, The Accidentals also feature Michael Dause on percussion.

Prior to the pandemic, the trio had been playing upwards of 200 shows a year. Its repertoire features an eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock, and classical music. The Accidentals also host and lead workshops across the U.S. as part of an effort to inspire other young musicians. Buist and Larson have also provided strings accompaniment for other artists’ recordings, while Buist was a winner in last year’s Kerrville New Folk Competition and is a semifinalist in this year’s Songwriter Serenade competition.

Time Out Session #2 is the follow-up to the band’s Time Out EP, which was released last May and whose first single, “Wildfire,” was the #1 song on the FAI Folk Charts for 2021. More information on the band may be found on its website, while here’s a link to view the official video for “Eastern Standard Time,” which was co-written with singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey.

The March 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14,047 airplays reported on 467 playlists submitted by 123 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of March 2022

1. Time Out Session #2 by The Accidentals (93)
2. 20 Printemps by Le Vent Du Nord (91)
3. Songs From the River Wind by Eliza Gilkyson (70)
3. Backroads by Johnsmith (70)
3. Songs From the Beginning by Greg Greenway (70)
6. Southern Currency by Jefferson Ross (65)
6. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (65)
8. Fazz: Now and Then by Noel Paul Stookey (50)
9. Every Seed We Plant by Alice DiMicele (46)
10. The Way the River Goes by Dan Weber (43)
10. Lost Love Songs by The Pine Hearts (43)
10. Something Green by Kate Klim (43)
13. Hurricane Clarice by Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (42)
13. I Can Face the Truth by Dana Cooper (42)
15. For the People by Rupert Wates (38)
16. You Reap What You Sow by The Weeping Willows (37)
17. Twang by Carla Ulbrich (35)
18. Age of Apathy by Aoife O’Donovan (34)
18. Folk Hero by House of Hamill (34)
18. Good to Be by Keb’ Mo’ (34)
21. Corner of the World by Scott Martin (33)
21. We’ll Dance Again by Folkapotamus (33)
21. Anais Mitchell by Anais Mitchell (33)
24. Satchel of Songs by Diane Patterson (29)
24. 8-String Sketches by Mike Mullins (29)
26. Resilience by Josie Bello (28)
26. New Road by Wally Barnick (28)
28. Chris Haddox by Chris Haddox (27)
29. The Love in You by Jordi Baizan (26)
29. The Canvas Before Us by Joy Zimmerman (26)
31. Head Above Water by Heather Sarona (25)
31. Long Haul by John Wort Hannam (25)
33. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (24)
33. Until Now by Carrie Newcomer (24)
35. Wachtraum by Michael Veitch (23)
35. The Worst Kind of New by The Lied To’s (23)
37. Gone, Long Gone by Steve Dawson (21)
38. Good Luck, Take Care by Terry Klein (20)
38. Now and the Evermore by Colin Hay (20)
38. Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (20)
41. The Flowers That Bloom in Spring by Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert (19)
41. Harley Kimbro Lewis by Harley Kimbro Lewis (19)
43. Narrow Line by Mama’s Broke (18)
43. Violet Light by Maya De Vitry (18)
43. Bullet in the Cabin Wall by Cheryl Cawood (18)
46. Tonight There Might Be Stars by Karen Turner (17)
46. Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell (17)
48. Bucket List by John McCutcheon (16)
48. Saving the Republic by Ernest Troost (16)
48. Anthems of Home by Hudost (16)
48. Twelvemonth and a Day by Wolf and Clover (16)
48. Odes – Codes by Max Allard (16)

Top Songs of March 2022

1. “Eastern Standard Time” by The Accidentals (33)
2. “Wide Open” by The Accidentals (18)
3. “Women Who Walked on Water” by Joy Zimmerman (17)
3. “Every Seed” by Alice DiMicele (17)
5. “Let It Roll” by Greg Greenway (16)
6. “Baptize the Gumbo” by Jefferson Ross (15)
6. “Something Green” by Kate Klim (15)
6. “Remain the Same” by The Accidentals (15)
9. “La Centauree” by Le Vent Du Nord (14)
9. “When the Big Bad Books Go Boo” by Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
(14)
11. “Mary the Night’s on Fire” by The Pine Hearts (13)
11. “Dangerous Women” by Colleen Kattau (13)
11. “Backroads” by Johnsmith (13)
11. “Tour Du Monde” by Le Vent Du Nord (13)
11. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (13)
16. “Peace Song” by Sue Horowitz (12)
16. “House of Sin” by The Weeping Willows (12)
16. “Lonely” by Irene Kelley (12)
16. “Leave It in the Dust” by The Accidentals (12)
16. “Deep Down in Your Bones” by Cheryl Cawood (12)
21. “Rattle My Bones” by Johnsmith (11)
21. “My Name Is America” by Johnsmith (11)
21. “Dans l’Eau De Vie De l’Arbre” by Le Vent Du Nord (11)
21. “Peace Call” by Eliza Gilkyson (11)
25. “For the People” by Rupert Wates (10)
25. “Each Season Changes You” by Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves
(10)
25. “At the Foot of the Mountain” by Eliza Gilkyson (10)
25. “We Were There” by Bev Grant (10)
25. “Ever Since Columbine” by Dan Weber (10)
25. “Better Times Will Come” by Janis Ian (10)
25. “The Man Was Burning” by Jake Blount (10)

Top Artists of March 2022

1. The Accidentals (96)
2. Le Vent Du Nord (95)
3. Eliza Gilkyson (89)
4. Janis Ian (76)
5. Johnsmith (75)
6. Greg Greenway (71)
7. Jefferson Ross (68)
8. Noel Paul Stookey (55)
9. John McCutcheon (51)
10. Bob Dylan (50)
11. Alice DiMicele (48)
12. Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (44)
12. Dan Weber (44)
12. Keb’ Mo’ (44)
15. The Pine Hearts (43)
15. Kate Klim (43)
17. Dana Cooper (42)
17. Carrie Newcomer (42)
19. Rupert Wates (40)
19. Aoife O’Donovan (40)
21. Judy Collins (39)
22. Joy Zimmerman (38)
23. Anais Mitchell (37)
23. The Weeping Willows (37)
25. House of Hamill (36)
25. Carla Ulbrich (36)
27. Pete Seeger (33)
27. Scott Martin (33)
27. Folkapotamus (33)
30. Josie Bello (30)
31. Peter Ostroushko (29)
31. Diane Patterson (29)
31. Mike Mullins (29)
34. Wally Barnick (28)
34. Nanci Griffith (28)
36. Jordi Baizan (27)
36. Sue Horowitz (27)
36. Chris Haddox (27)
36. Christy Moore (27)
36. Joni Mitchell (27)

East Nashville-based folk and Americana singer-songwriter Amy Speace had the most-played album (Tucson) and was the most-played artist on folk radio in April 2022, while “Ukranian Now” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon was the month’s top song – edging out Speace’s “If You Fall.” So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The April 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13, 056 airplays reported on 446 playlists submitted by 124 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of April 2022

1.Tucson by Amy Speace (96)
2. All Is Quiet by Susan Cattaneo (69)
3. Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (68)
4. Hurricane Clarice by Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (65)
5. 20 Printemps by Le Vent du Nord (61)
6. Bullet in the Cabin Wall by Cheryl Cawood (59)
6. 1960 by Martyn Joseph (59)
8. Time Out Session #2 by The Accidentals (53)
9. Songs From the River Wind by Eliza Gilkyson (52)
10. Backroads by Johnsmith (50)
11. Chris Haddox by Chris Haddox (47)
11. A White Album by Rain Perry (47)
13. Songs From the Beginning by Greg Greenway (43)
14. My Life in Song by Steve Lundquist (42)
15. Hometown Blues by Steve Madewell (38)
16. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (37)
17. From the Land of Rusted Dreams by Erin Heist (36)
18. Twelvemonth and a Day by Wolf and Clover (35)
19. Dobrosinger by Abbie Gardner (33)
20. Southern Currency by Jefferson Ross (32)
21. Every Seed We Plant by Alice Di Micele (31)
22. For the People by Rubert Wates (30)
23. The Way the River Goes by Dan Weber (29)
23. The Worst Kind of New by The Lied To’s (29)
23. New Road by Wally Barnick (29)
26. Narrow Line by Mama’s Broke (28)
27. I Can Face the Truth by Dana Cooper (27)
27. Lost Love Songs by The Pine Hearts (27)
27. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (27)
30. Never Slow Down by The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (25)
30. Good to Be by Keb’ Mo’ (25)
32. You Reap What You Sow by The Weeping Willows (24)
33. House to House by Matt Andersen (23)
34. Something Green by Kate Klim (22)
34. Twang by Carla Ulbrich (22)
36. Fazz: Now and Then by Noel Paul Stookey (21)
37. Satchel of Songs by Diane Patterson (20)
37. Folk Hero by House of Hamill (20)
39. Age of Apathy by Aoife O’ Donovan (19)
39. 12th of June by Lyle Lovett (19)
39. Almost Proud by The Del McCoury Band (19)
39. Woodsmoke and Oranges by Paul Siebel (19)
39. Co-Starring Too by Ray Wylie Hubbard (19)
39. Ice Cream in November by Lynne Hanson (19)
45. A Beautiful Time by Willie Nelson (18)
45. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (18)
45. Anais Mitchell by Anais Mitchell (18)
48. Woman on the Moon by Giulia Millanta (17)
49. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (16)
49. Corner of the World by Scott Martin (16)
49. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Amanda Anne Platt and the
Honeycutters (16)
49. Violet Light by Maya De Vitry (16)
49. A Happy Old Man by Trip McCool (16)
49. Endangered Species by The Sunshiners (16)
49. Saving the Republic by Ernest Troost (16)

Top Songs of April 2022

[Here’s a link to view a lyric video of “Ukranian Now,” a song co-written by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon in solidarity with the millions of Ukranians forced to leave their homeland in the wake of Russian attacks, as well as those who have stayed to fight. McCutcheon sings lead and plays piano. He is joined by an ensemble of artists that includes Emma’s Revolution, Tret Fure, Joe Jencks, Christine Lavin, Crys Matthews, Bill Miller, Holly Near, Carrie Newcomer, Paxton, Rebel Voices, and Peter Yarrow. The video was edited by Noel Paul Stookey who, like Yarrow, was part of Peter, Paul & Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwxoJHJ4EI.]

1. “Ukrainian Now” by John McCutcheon (29)
2. “If You Fall” by Amy Speace (26)
3. “Half the People” by Chuck Brodsky (22)
4. “Born Too Late” by Martyn Joseph (21)
4. “Why I Wake Early (For Mary Oliver)” by Amy Speace (21)
6. “12th of June” by Lyle Lovett (19)
7. “Ol’ John Prine” by Steve Lundquist (16)
8. “Cottonwood” by Amy Speace (15)
8. “Born in the City” by Abbie Gardner (15)
10. “Each Season Changes You” by Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves
(14)
10. “Crooked Tree” by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (14)
12. “L&N Don’t Stop Here” by Cheryl Cawood (13)
12. “Little Red” by Amy Speace (13)
12. “Every Seed” by Alice Di Micele (13)
15. “Eastern Standard Time” by The Accidentals (12)
15. “All Is Quiet” by Susan Cattaneo (12)
15. “My Name Is America” by Johnsmith (12)
15. “Nothing Says It’s Springtime Like the Redbud” by Chris Haddox (12)
15. “Nancy Blevins” by Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (12)
15. “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die” by Willie Nelson (12)
21. “At the Foot of the Mountain” by Eliza Gilkyson (11)
21. “Louise” by Paul Siebel (11)
21. “Time + Love + Gravity” by Susan Cattaneo (11)
21. “My Father’s House” by Amy Speace (11)
25. “We Are Made of Stars” by Martyn Joseph (10)
25. “Borrowed Blue” by Susan Cattaneo (10)
25. “Fall Apart World” by Mary Gauthier (10)
25. “Backroads” by Johnsmith (10)
25. “Hold Onto Hope” by Susan Cattaneo (10)
25. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (10)

Top Artists of April 2022

1. Amy Speace (102)
2. John Prine (76)
3. John McCutcheon (73)
4. Eliza Gilkyson (71)
5. Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (70)
6. Susan Cattaneo (69)
7. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (68)
8. Martyn Joseph (63)
8. Le Vent du Nord (63)
10. Cheryl Cawood (59)
11. Johnsmith (58)
12. The Accidentals (55)
13. Emmylou Harris (53)
14. Chuck Brodsky (50)
15. Janis Ian (49)
16. Rain Perry (48)
16. Paul Siebel (48)
18. Chris Haddox (47)
18. Greg Greenway (47)
18. Willie Nelson (47)
21. Steve Lundquist (42)
22. Steve Madewell (39)
23. Wolf and Clover (36)
23. Erin Heist (36)
25. Joni Mitchell (35)
26. Alice Di Micele (34)
27. Abbie Gardner (33)
27. Jefferson Ross (33)
29. Dan Weber (32)
29. Rubert Wates (32)
29. Nanci Griffith (32)
29. Keb’ Mo’ (32)
33. Dar Williams (31)
34. Wally Barnick (30)
34. The Lied To’s (30)
36. Mama’s Broke (28)
36. Judy Collins (28)
36. Pete Seeger (28)
36. Richard Thompson (28)
40. Dana Cooper (27)
40. The Pine Hearts (27)
40. Tom Paxton (27)

Singer-Songwriter Chuck Brodsky had the most-played album (Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things) and three of the top 10 songs on folk radio during May 2022. Cosy Sheridan’s “The Land of 10,000 Mothers” edged out Brodsky’s “It Takes Two Wings” for the most-played song, while Bob Dylan was the month’s top artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The May 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts — posted by FAI on folkradio.org on June 23 are based on 13,999 airplays reported on 464 playlists submitted by 119 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Singer-Songwriter Deidre McCalla had the most-played album (Endless Grace) and song (“Shoulder to the Wheel”) on folk radio during June 2022, while Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink &Marcy Marxer edged her out for the month’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Deidre McCalla (Photo: Irene Young)

{Here’s a link to listen to Diedre McCalla’s song, “Shoulder to the Wheel”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxJG_NSyRNs}

The June 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,626 airplays reported on 457 playlists submitted by 123 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of June 2022

Deidre McCalla album cover photo by Irene Young

Top Songs of June 2022

1. “Shoulder to the Wheel” by Deidre McCalla (31)
2. “12th of June” by Lyle Lovett (26)
3. “I Do Not Walk This Path Alone” by Deidre McCalla (24)
4. “Jack of Diamonds” by Hilary Hawke (20)
4. “Dark Enough to See the Stars” by Mary Gauthier (20)
6. “Put My Little Shoes Away” by Kathy Kallick (19)
6. “Don’t Be Discouraged” by Peter Lehndorff (19)
6. “Amsterdam” by Mary Gauthier (19)
9. “We’re All Alike” by Jack Williams (17)
10. “Cannot Change It All” by Pharis and Jason Romero (16)
10. “Jenny and James” by Wes Collins (16)
12. “Steel and Wool” by Kim Beggs (15)
12. “Fall Apart World” by Mary Gauthier (15)
14. “Happy Hollow” by Hilary Hawke (14)
14. “Whiskey Jack (Home)” by Barney Bentall (14)
14. “It Takes Two Wings” by Chuck Brodsky (14)
14. “When the Ground Shifts” by Deidre McCalla (14)
14. “Crossing Borders” by Diana Jones (14)
14. “Born in the City” by Abbie Gardner (14)
14. “Souvenir” by Pharis and Jason Romero (14)
21. “Only All the Time” by Abbie Gardner (13)
21. “The Things You Think You Know” by Chuck Brodsky (13)
21. “What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?” by Kathy Kallick (13)
21. “If My Eyes Were Blind” by Jack Williams (13)
21. “How It Ends” by Mama’s Broke (13)
21. “Truckers and Troubadours” by Mary Gauthier (13)
21. “When the Big Bad Books Go “Boo!” by Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy
Marxer (13)

Top Artists of June 2022

Cover image of the forthcoming live double album collaboration between Grammy Award-winning folk artists Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer that is set for official release on July 29.

Happy Traum was the most-played artist on folk radio during August 2022, while his recent release, There’s a Bright Side Somewhere, was the top album and its title track was the month’s most-played song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere is the first new album in seven years for Traum, whose decades-long involvement in traditional and contemporary folk music has brought him recognition as a performer, writer, editor, teacher, recording artist, and a top-notch fingerstyle guitarist. The album features a mix of 13 traditional and traditional-style American roots music songs.

[Here’s a link to view a video of Happy Traum performing “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere.” A traditional song, it was reportedly first recorded by Reverend Gary Davis in 1961.]

An active participant in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the late 1950s-1960s, Happy — and his late brother Artie — played coffeehouses on the weekends, while he led Sunday Afternoon Sings at Washington Square Park for a couple of years. A student of blues guitar legend Brownie McGhee, whom he cites as a major influence on his picking style, Traum made his recording debut in 1963 with Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, the Freedom Singers and others on Folkways Records, and later recorded four duets with Dylan on his Greatest Hits, Volume 2. Happy Traum has played concerts, clubs and festivals throughout the world; released many CDs; and has appeared and/or recorded with such folk luminaries as Eric Andersen, Rory Block, Larry Campbell, Dylan, Levon Helm, Maria Muldaur, John Sebastian, and Chris Smither. Sebastian and Campbell also accompany him on his latest recording — along with Darol Anger, Cindy Cashdollar, Amy Helm, Bruce Molsky, Geoff Muldaur, Eugene Ruffolo, Tony Trischka, and Jay Ungar, among others.

One of America’s best-known guitar instructors, Traum also is the author of more than a dozen guitar instruction books and has written for a number of leading music publications. He even had a stint as editor of Sing Out! Magazine. As the co-owner of Homespun Tapes, he has produced more than 600 music lessons on DVDs, books and CDs with some of the world’s top artists.

In a September 12 post to the Folk DJ Listserv, Traum expressed thanks to the DJs “for listening, and for playing this recording that I put my heart and soul into for the past couple of years.” Wrote Traum: “The fact that you care about this music, and do such great work in getting it out to your listeners is an affirmation of my life’s work, as well as that of so many other wonderful artists.” He continued … “to be recognized in this way by each of you feels like a culmination of decades-of immersion into the folk/blues/traditional music genres. Thinking of my first album with the New World Singers in 1963 (with Bob Dylan’s liner notes); recordings with my late brother, Artie Traum; the ones we produced for the Mud Acres/Woodstock Mountains Revue in the 1970s; and the solo CDs I have put out since then, I have always sought to up my game and to convey the honesty and joy of acoustic music, and the guitar, in its many forms. By playing songs from There’s a Bright Side Somewhere, you have conveyed a huge honor on me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The August 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14, 536 airplays reported on 492 playlists submitted by 126 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of August 2022

1. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (143)
2. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (124)
3. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (121)
4. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (100)
5. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (93)
6. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (87)
7. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (84)
7. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (84)
9. The Ties That Bind Us by Adler and Hearne (81)
10. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (67)
11. Lifetime Achievement by Loudon Wainwright III (53)
12. One More Time Before You Go by Dan Tyminski (51)
13. Cover to Cover by The Brother Brothers (50)
13. So Much Time, So Much Love by Shelton and Williams (50)
15. Still by David LaMotte (49)
145. Cottonwood by Megan Bee (49)
17. I Am: Songs by Lynn Swisher Spears by Various Artists (46)
18. What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? by Kathy Kallick & Friends/Dodi Kallick (44)
19. Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle (43)
20. All New by Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink, and Marcy Marxer (40)
21. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (39)
22. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (37)
23. Done Come Too Far by Shemekia Copeland (35)
24. Second-Hand by James Keelaghan (32)
24. Americana Railroad by Various Artists (32)
26. From Where I Stand by Wyatt Easterling (31)
26. Ghosts and Memories by Mike P. Ryan (31)
28. Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (29)
29. Out Here Now by Ever More Nest (28)
29. Out of the Woods by Durham County Poets (28)
29. Dobrosinger by Abbie Gardner (28)
32. Lilygild by Hilary Hawke (27)
32. Bloodline Maintenance by Ben Harper (27)
34. 12th of June by Lyle Lovett (26)
34. Long Time to Be Gone by Nora Brown (26)
34. Prettiest Blue by The Early Mays (26)
37. Wind Rose by Jocelyn Pettit (25)
38. The New Faith by Jake Blount (24)
38. One More Ride by Jon Burrowes (24)
40. A Tickle in My Soul by Jack Williams (23)
40. So It Goes by Roland Roberts (23)
42. Broken Love Songs by Aimee Van Dyne (22)
42. Narrow Line by Mama’s Broke (22)
42. Bloom and Grow by Kyla Tilley (22)
45. No Regular Dog by Kelsey Waldon (21)
46. Goodbye, Cloudy Sky by Marc Von Em (20)
46. Backroads by Johnsmith (20)
48. Another End of a Year by Connor Garvey (18)
48. The Mountain, the Valley, the River, the Pine by Patrice Webb (18)
48. True North by Eli Lev (18)
48. Moving Through America by Steve Forbert (18)
48. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (18)
48. Wonderland by Martha Spencer (18)

Top Songs of August 2022

1. “Theres a Bright Side Somewhere” by Happy Traum (39)
2. “500 Miles” by Alice Howe (31)
3. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (29)
4. “Know Your Worth” by Tiffany Williams (27)
5. “It’s Summer and We’re Burning” by Adler and Hearne (26)
6. “Shenandoah” by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (25)
7. “Grandma Danced With the Arkansas Traveler” by Apple and Setser (23)
7. “Lady of the Harbor” by Windborne (23)
9. “Early Summer of ’21” by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (20)
10. “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane” by Apple and Setser (18)
10. “On Eireann’s Shore” by Joe Jencks (18)
10. “Souvenir” by Pharis and Jason Romero (18)
13. “All Those Days of Drinking Dust” by Tiffany Williams (17)
14. “Lancelot” by Jonathan Byrd (16)
14. “New York Town” by Happy Traum (16)
14. “A Friend You’d Never Met” by Apple and Setser (16)
17. “Caledonia” by Joe Jencks (15)
17. “Used to Be” by Megan Bee (15)
17. “The Coming of the Years” by Joe Jencks (15)
17. “Once There Was No Sun” by Jake Blount (15)
21. “When Two Worlds Collide” by Bruce T Carroll (14)
21. “When the Moon Rises Over Skibbereen” by Joe Jencks (14)
21. “Horizon Line” by Dan Navarro (14)
21. “Farewell” by Happy Traum (14)
25. “Elusive Butterfly” by Shelton and Williams (13)
25. “Sweet Texas Songs” by Adler and Hearne (13)
25. “Between Heaven and the Ground” by Mike P. Ryan (13)
25. “Animal” by Jean Rohe (13)
25. “Pray for Rain” by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (13)

Top Artists of August 2022

1. Happy Traum (145)
2. Joe Jencks (125)
3. Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (124)
4. Apple and Setser (100)
5. Tiffany Williams (95)
6. Lucy Kaplansky (92)
7. Windborne (89)
7. Pharis and Jason Romero (89)
9. Adler and Hearne (81)
10. John McCutcheon (74)
11. Dan Navarro (67)
12. Loudon Wainwright III (60)
13. The Brother Brothers (53)
14. Dan Tyminski (52)
15. Joni Mitchell (50)
15. Shelton and Williams (50)
17. Megan Bee (49)
17. David LaMotte (49)
19. Bob Dylan (46)
20. Mary Gauthier (44)
21. Willi Carlisle (43)
22. Deidre McCalla (41)
23. Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink, and Marcy Marxer (40)
24. James Keelaghan (38)
24. Nanci Griffith (38)
26. Mick Moloney (37)
27. Shemekia Copeland (36)
28. Alice Howe (34)
29. Kathy Kallick (33)
30. Ever More Nest (32)
30. Wyatt Easterling (32)
32. Lyle Lovett (31)
32. Mike P. Ryan (31)
34. John Prine (30)
35. Abbie Gardner (29)
35. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (29)
35. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (29)
38. Nora Brown (28)
38. Ben Harper (28)
38. Durham County Poets (28)

John McCutcheon, a revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the most-played artist and had the top album (Leap!) on folk radio during September 2022. James Keelaghan’s “Walk On” and David LaMotte’s “September Me” were the month’s top songs, edging out songs by McCutcheon and Sofia Talvik. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Leap is the 43rd release by McCutcheon during a career that has spanned 50 years. It’s the prolific songwriter’s third album of songs written during the pandemic. His previous recording, Bucket List, was the top album in September 2021, while McCutcheon’s Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine, was the top album on folk radio for two consecutive months during the summer of 2020. McCutcheon was also the most-played artist for three consecutive years (2017-2019) and also had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Well May the World Go”) on folk radio during 2019. McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs during the holiday season for years.

[Here’s a link to listen to “The Ride,” one of the songs on John McCutcheon’s album Leap!

The September 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12, 673 airplays reported on 433 playlists submitted by 119 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of September 2022

1. Leap! by John McCutcheon (160)
2. Second Hand by James Keelaghan (129)
3. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (111)
4. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (100)
5. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (82)
6. Love Lies ‘N’ Leaving by Helen Townsend (67)
7. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (64)
8. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (50)
8. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (50)
10. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (49)
10. Hope Road: From Addiction to Recovery by John Dillon (49)
12. Still by David LaMotte (45)
13. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (44)
14. Lifetime Achievement by Loudon Wainwright III (39)
15. Two Good Hands by Darryl Purpose (36)
16. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (34)
17. Stolen Time by Abigail Lapell (33)
17. The Ties That Bind Us by Adler and Hearne (33)
19. I Draw Slow by I Draw Slow (32)
20. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (31)
21. I’m Going Home by Nick Hutson (30)
22. Cover to Cover by The Brother Brothers (29)
22. Vol. II by Watkins Family Hour (29)
22. Wind Rose by Jocelyn Pettit (29)
22. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (29)
26. Hello Old Friend by Paul Colombino (28)
27. Folk Now: Songs for These Times September 2022 by Various Artists (27)
27. All New by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (27)
29. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (26)
30. Try Love by Julie Gold (25)
30. Cottonwood by Megan Bee (25)
30. The Boat You Row by Atwater (25)
33. Back on the Road to You by Freedy Johnston (24)
34. Reimagining by Claudia Schmidt (22)
34. A House With Blue Siding by Riley Cotton (22)
36. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (21)
37. The Legacy of John and Francis Reedy by John and Frances Reedy (20)
37. Hold On by Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen (20)
39. From Where I Stand by Wyatt Easterling (19)
39. Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle (19)
39. Blanket by Terry Kitchen (19)
42. Broken Love Songs by Aimee Van Dyne (18)
42. Whispers From the Woods by Gordon Thomas Ward (18)
44. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (17)
45. Another End of a Year by Connor Garvey (16)
45. Driving Home by Cheryl Wheeler (16)
45. Solitary Diamond by Laura Orshaw (16)
45. Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson by
Various Artists (16)
45. Ghosts and Memories by Mike P. Ryan (16)
45. We Are Mighty: Sustenance for the Struggle by Fred Arcoleo (16)

Top Songs of September 2022

[Here’s a link to listen to “Walk On” by Canadian singer-songwriter James Keelaghan.]

1. “September Me” by David LaMotte (27)
1. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (27)
3. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (26)
3. “Second Hand” by James Keelaghan (26)
3. “Too Many Churches” by Sofia Talvik (26)
6. “It’s Hard to Love September” by Julie Gold (25)
7. “Devils Curse” by Helen Townsend (23)
8. “Listen Close” by Tom Chapin (22)
9. “Hold Our Ground Forever” by Tom Chapin (21)
10. “Gathering Storm” by James Keelaghan (20)
10. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (20)
12. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (19)
13. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (18)
13. “Song of Crows” by Darryl Purpose (18)
15. “The Mighty” by Fred Arcoleo (16)
15. “Never Going Back Again” by Stillhouse Junkies (16)
17. “The Troubles” by John McCutcheon (15)
17. “Baseball in My Blood” by Erik Balkey (15)
17. “Where Are You Now” by Helen Townsend (15)
17. “Before the Morning Sun” by James Keelaghan (15)
17. “If You Were Real” by Helen Townsend (15)
22. “Work” by John McCutcheon (14)
22. “Uvalde” by Bob Andrews (14)
22. “Autoharpaholic” by Tom Chapin (14)
25. “Colorado Bound” by Stillhouse Junkies (13)
25. “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” by Happy Traum (13)
25. “Black September (Munich ’72)” by Max Ferguson (13)
25. “Liberty” by Sarah Cade (13)
25. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (13)
25. “When Fall Comes to New England” by Cheryl Wheeler (13)

[Here’s a link to listen to “September Me” by David LaMotte.]

Top Artists for September 2022

John McCutcheon was the top artist and had the most-played album on folk radio in September 2022, according to charts compiled by Folk Alliance International. (Photo: Irene Young)

Pat Wictor (Photo: Neale Eckstein)

The October 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14,476 airplays reported on 493 playlists submitted by 128 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of October 2022

1. Flare by Pat Wictor (105)
2. Leap! by John McCutcheon (91)
3. Chasing the Light by Jared Rabin (83)
4. Second-Hand by James Keelaghan (81)
5. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (66)
6. The New Faith by Jake Blount (63)
7. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (60)
8. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (59)
8. Listen to the Red Rock by Various Artists (59)
10. The Best of Mary McCaslin: Things We Said Today by Mary McCaslin (50)
11. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (48)
12. Ain’t Nobody Worried by Rory Block (47)
13. Heal the Heart by The Deer’s Cry (46)
14. Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson by
Various Artists (42)
14. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (42)
16. Witness by Angela Easterling (41)
17. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (40)
18. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (39)
19. Still by David LaMotte (37)
20. Man With the Muse by Bryce Ernest Taylor (36)
21. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (35)
21. Fountain Pen by Nick Carter (35)
23. While I’m Here by Tina Ross (30)
24. Still Woman Enough by Loretta Lynn (29)
25. Love Lies ‘n’ Leaving by Helen Townsend (27)
26. Radio John: Songs of John Hartford by Sam Bush (26)
27. Watchhouse by Watchhouse (25)
27. Driving Home by Cheryl Wheeler (25)
27. Lift the World by Curtis and Loretta (25)
27. Reimagining by Claudia Schmidt (25)
31. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (24)
32. Calling You From My Mountain by Peter Rowan (23)
33. I’m Going Home by Nick Hutson (22)
34. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (21)
35. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (20)
35. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (20)
37. The Liar by John Fullbright (19)
37. Stolen Time by Abigail Lapell (19)
37. Ripples in the Wake by Kirby Heard (19)
37. Rolling Golden Holy by Bonny Light Horseman (19)
37. Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 by
Various Artists (19)
37. Full Circle by Loretta Lynn (19)
37. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (19)
37. Unexpected by Phoebe White (19)
37. Hold On by Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen (19)
46. Cover to Cover by The Brother Brothers (18)
46. Bluegrass 1959-1969 by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (18)
46. Mary Bragg by Mary Bragg (18)
46. Lifetime Achievement by Loudon Wainwright III (18)
46. Old Friends by Mary McCaslin (18)
46. Happy Fish (And Other Delights) by Diane Coll (18)
46. The Bramble and the Rose by Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer (18)

Top Songs of October 2022

[Click on the link to listen to Pat Wictor’s song “How Will They Tell It?”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUhQnRXGO8E]

1. “How Will They Tell It?” by Pat Wictor (23)
2. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (22)
3. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn (18)
4. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (16)
4. “Tunnel’s End” by Jared Rabin (16)
4. “When Fall Comes to New England” by Cheryl Wheeler (16)
7. “Didn’t It Rain” by Jake Blount (15)
7. “Which Side Are You On?” by Artists for Action (15)
7. “Old Friends” by Mary McCaslin (15)
10. “Girl From the North Country” by Jared Rabin (14)
10. “Gathering Storm” by James Keelaghan (14)
10. “Radio” by Emily White (14)
10. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (14)
10. “Listen Close” by Tom Chapin (14)
15. “The Bramble and the Rose” by Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer (13)
16. “The Way of the World” by Pat Wictor (12)
16. “Information War” by Pat Wictor (12)
16. “Grow Your Own” by Jared Rabin (12)
16. “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” by Angela Easterling (12)
16. “Hold Our Ground Forever” by Tom Chapin (12)
16. “Second-Hand” by James Keelaghan (12)
16. “While I’m Here” by Tina Ross (12)
23. “River of the Lost Souls” by Stillhouse Junkies (11)
23. “The Great Backslide” by Tret Fure (11)
23. “Red Rock” by Kate Macleod (11)
23. “Morning Train” by Mother Banjo (11)
23. “Alberta” by James Keelaghan (11)

Top Artists of October 2022

1. Loretta Lynn (143)
2. Mary McCaslin (122)
3. John McCutcheon (114)
4. Pat Wictor (107)
5. James Keelaghan (87)
6. Jared Rabin (83)
7. Tom Chapin (70)
8. Cheryl Wheeler (68)
9. Jake Blount (66)
10. Happy Traum (65)
11. John Prine (64)
12. Stillhouse Junkies (60)
13. Pharis and Jason Romero (55)
14. Rory Block (51)
15. Bob Dylan (48)
16. The Deer’s Cry (46)
16. Lucy Kaplansky (46)
18. Joe Jencks (45)
19. Angela Easterling (42)
20. Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (40)
21. Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (39)
22. David LaMotte (38)
23. Sam Bush (37)
23. Bryce Ernest Taylor (37)
25. Nick Carter (35)
25. Tiffany Williams (35)
27. Peter Rowan (33)
27. Susan Werner (33)
29. Tina Ross (31)
29. Watkins Family Hour (31)
31. Nanci Griffith (29)
32. Eva Cassidy (28)
32. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (28)
32. Claudia Schmidt (28)
35. Billy Strings (27)
35. Tom Paxton (27)
35. Helen Townsend (27)
35. Curtis and Loretta (27)
39. Watchhouse (26)
39. Carrie Newcomer (26)

Sam Bush had the top album (Radio John: Songs of John Hartford) on folk radio during October 2022. The much-heralded mandolinist, multi-instrumenalist and progressive bluegrass pioneer’s rendition of his late close friend’s “In Tall Buildings” tied with singer-songwriter Brian Blake’s “Rice Field in the Distance” for the month’s most-played song, while Bush and revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon were November’s most-played artists. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

[Here’s a link to listen to Sam Bush’s cover of the late John Hartford’s “In Tall Buildings”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fyPSxX9aRA]

The November 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12, 807 airplays reported on 422 playlists submitted by 117 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of November 2022

1.Radio John: Songs of John Hartford by Sam Bush (80)
2. Book of Life by Brian Blake (55)
3. Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown by Seth Avett (49)
4. Arsonist Daughter by Aspen Jacobsen (45)
5. Leap! by John McCutcheon (42)
6. The New Faith by Jake Blount (41)
7. Flare by Pat Wictor (40)
8. Second Hand by James Keelaghan (39)
9. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (37)
10. Chasing the Light by Jared Rabin (36)
10. Pioneering Women of Bluegrass: The Definitive Edition by Alice
Gerrard and Hazel Dickens (36)
12. Listen to the Red Rock by Various Artists (31)
12. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (31)
14. Mama Was a Bandit by The Foxgloves (30)
14. Ramblin’ Soul by Melissa Carper (30)
16. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (29)
16. Live at Budokan by Willie Nelson (29)
18. Still by David LaMotte (27)
19. Words on the Wind by Kerri Powers (26)
20. The Liar by John Fullbright (25)
20. Traveler’s Rest by The Foreign Landers (25)
22. Feels Like Home: Songs From the Sonoran Borderlands-Linda
Ronstadt’s Musical Odyssey by Various Artists (24)
22. Ain’t Nobody Worried: Celebrating Great Women of Song by Rory Block (24)
22. Man With the Muse by Bryce Ernest Taylor (24)
22. Witness by Angela Easterling (24)
26. The Blues Don’t Lie by Buddy Guy (23)
27. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (22)
27. Heal the Heart by The Deer’s Cry (22)
27. Ripples in the Wake by Kirby Heard (22)
30. The Old Man and the C Chord by Chris Coole (21)
30. Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson by Various Artists (21)
32. The American Fiddler by Andy Leftwich (20)
32. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and Sistastrings (20)
32. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (20)
35. Lift the World by Curtis and Loretta (19)
35. Stolen Time by Abigail Lapell (19)
35. Blood and Water by Mike Mangione (19)
35. Caveman by Gurf Morlix (19)
39. Time Stands Still by Kenny Shore (18)
39. Rolling Golden Holy by Bonny Light Horseman (18)
39. Up the Hill and Through the Fog by The Slocan Ramblers (18)
42. Built on Bones by Emily Scott Robinson (17)
42. Roll On by Michael Doucet and Tom Rigney (17)
42. Fountain Pen by Nick Carter (17)
42. Reimagining by Claudia Schmidt (17)
42. While I’m Here by Tina Ross (17)
47. Jubilation by Appalachian Road Show (16)
47. Thanksgiving by Si Kahn (16)
47. Railroad Town by Jr. Williams (16)
50. Fugue State by Luke LeBlanc (15)
50. Lifetime Achievement by Louden Wainwright III (15)
50. All New by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (15)
50. Come Darkness, Come Light by Mary Chapin Carpenter (15)
50. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (15)

Tops Songs of November 2022

[Here’s a link to listen to Brian Blake’s “Rice Field in the Distance”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsigBmfILYs ]

1. “In Tall Buildings” by Sam Bush (17)
1. “Rice Field in the Distance” by Brian Blake (17)
3. “Thanksgiving Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter (16)
4. “Thanksgiving” by Si Kahn (15)
5. “The Poet Game” by Seth Avett (14)
5. “Shouldn’t Give a Damn” by Aspen Jacobsen (14)
7. “No End of Love” by Sam Bush (13)
7. “The Last Time I Saw Richard” by Colleen Kattau (13)
7. “Laughing River” by Seth Avett (13)
10. “Magdalene Laundries” by Terri Camilari (12)
10. “Talkin’ Election” by Tom Smith (12)
10. “Did Galileo Pray?” by James Lee Baker (12)
10. “Through the Dark” by Slaid Cleaves (12)
14. “California Earthquake” by Sam Bush (10)
14. “A Case of You” by Belle-Skinner (10)
14. “Toledo” by The Foxgloves (10)
14. “Radio John” by Sam Bush (10)
14. “Election Day” by Ellis Paul (10)
14. “Book of Life” by Brian Blake (10)
14. “Thanksgiving” by Ron Israel (10)
21. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (9)
21. “Screen Door” by Timothy Scott (9)
21. “Sorry, Alan” by Aaron Nathans and Michael G Ronstadt (9)
21. “Vote” by Spook Handy (9)
21. “How Will They Tell It?” by Pat Wictor (9)
21. “Rolling Mills” by Pharis and Jason Romero (9)

Top Artists of November 2022

1. John McCutcheon (84)
1. Sam Bush (84)
3. Brian Blake (55)
4. Joni Mitchell (54)
5. Seth Avett (49)
6. Willie Nelson (47)
6. James Keelaghan (47)
8. Alice Gerrard and Hazel Dickens (46)
8. Jake Blount (46)
10. Aspen Jacobsen (45)
11. Pharis and Jason Romero (42)
12. Pat Wictor (41)
12. Tom Chapin (41)
14. Jerry Lee Lewis (39)
15. Jared Rabin (37)
16. Tom Paxton (36)
16. Bob Dylan (36)
16. Mary McCaslin (36)
19. Stan Rogers (35)
20. Melissa Carper (32)
21. Stillhouse Junkies (31)
22. Cheryl Wheeler (30)
22. David LaMotte (30)
22. The Foxgloves (30)
25. Billy Strings (29)
25. Mary Chapin Carpenter (29)
25. Claudia Schmidt (29)
25. Arlo Guthrie (29)
29. Kerri Powers (28)
30. John Fullbright (27)
30. Rory Block (27)
30. Joe Jencks (27)
30. Neil Young (27)
34. Watkins Family Hour (26)
35. Angela Easterling (25)
35. The Foreign Landers (25)
35. Bryce Ernest Taylor (25)
35. Gordon Lightfoot (25)
35. Chuck Brodsky (25)
40. Si Kahn (24)
40. Buddy Guy (24)
40. Happy Traum (24)
40. Nanci Griffith (24)

A Lunch At Allen’s Christmas – Zuzu’s Petals by the Canadian band Lunch At Allen’s was the top album on folk radio during December 2022, while “Light the Lamp (A Song for Hanukkah)” by Alaska-based singer-songwriter Emily Kurn was the month’s most-played song. Revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon was the most-played artist for a second consecutive month. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The December 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12,371airplays reported on 429 playlists submitted by 116 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

[Here’s a link to listen to “Zuzu’s Petals,” the title track of Lunch At Allen’s Christmas album that was originally released in 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CVsqRVvMHs.]

Top Albums of December 2022

1. A Lunch At Allen’s Christmas – Zuzu’s Petals by Lunch At Allen’s (59)
2. Wintertide by Brittany Jean (52)
3. Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown by Seth Avett (47)
4. Radio John: Songs of John Hartford by Sam Bush (45)
5. Arsonist Daughter by Aspen Jacobsen (33)
6. The Perfect Gift by Becky Buller (29)
7. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (28)
8. I’m Just Like You by Emily Kurn (27)
9. Christmas Day on Planet Earth by Lennie Gallant (26)
10. The Longest Night of the Year, Volume 2 by Various Artists (25)
10. Me/and/Dad by Billy Strings (25)
12. Tribute to a Song Poet: Songs of Eric Andersen by Various Artists (23)
12. The Old Man and the C Chord by Chris Coole (23)
12. Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas by Mary Chapin Carpenter (23)
12. Flare by Pat Wictor (23)
12. Ain’t Nobody Worried by Rory Block (23)
17. Leap! by John McCutcheon (22)
18. The Gift of the Magi (And Other Seasonal Stories) by Darryl Purpose
(21)
18. Travelers Rest by The Foreign Landers (21)
20. A Very Blue Rock Christmas by Various Artists (20)
20. Christmas by Bruce Cockburn (20)
22. Book of Life by Brian Blake (19)
23. American Noel by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (18)
23. Christmas Caravan by Sultans of String (18)
25. Pioneering Women of Bluegrass by Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (17)
25. Ramblin’ Soul by Melissa Carper (17)
25. A Holiday Celebration With the New York Choral Society by Peter, Paul and Mary (17)
28. White Trash Revelry by Adeem the Artist (16)
28. The Blues Don’t Lie by Buddy Guy (16)
28. Something Borrowed, Something New: Tribute to John Anderson by Various Artists (16)
28. Very Merry Christmas by Williamson Branch (16)
28. Cazimi by Caitlin Rose (16)
28. Winter Soulstice by Kelley Hunt (16)
28. Still by David Lamotte (16)
28. At the Turning of the Year by Anne Hills, Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman (16)
36. The Longest Night of the Year, Volume 1 by Various Artists (15)
36. Lift the World by Curtis and Loretta (15)
36. A Parlor Guitar Christmas by Joel Mabus (15)
36. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (15)
36. Last Month of the Year – A Celebration of the Solstice by Magpie (15)
36. Mazel by Shelley Posen (15)
36. Second-Hand by James Keelaghan (15)
43. The New Faith by Jake Blount (14)
43. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (14)
45. Winter Solstice by John McCutcheon (13)
45. The Longest Night of the Year, Volume 3 by Various Artists (13)
45. What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? by Kathy Kallick (13)
45. I Walked With You a Ways by Plains (13)
45. Live at Wolf Trap by John McCutcheon (13)
45. Voices of Winter by Priscilla Herdman / Anne Hills / Cindy Mangsen (13)
45. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (13)
45. Much Further Out Than Inevitable by John Showman and Chris Coole (13)
45. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (13)
45. Live at Budokan by Willie Nelson (13)

Top Songs of December 2022

[Enjoy listening to “Light The Lamp “ by Emily Kurn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGN4cDowDGM.]

1. “Light the Lamp” by Emily Kurn (27)
2. “Christmas in the Trenches” by John McCutcheon (23)
3. “Rebuild” by Aaron Nathans and Michael G. Ronstadt (14)
3. “The Day After Christmas” by Abbie Gardner (14)
5. “Old Tin Star” by Lunch At Allen’s (13)
5. “I Want an Old Fashioned Christmas” by Amy Speace (13)
5. “Zuzu’s Petals” by Lunch At Allen’s (13)
8. “A Simple Thing as Love” by Sam Bush (11)
8. “The Christians and the Pagans” by Dar Williams (11)
8. “Light One Candle” by Paul and Mary Peter (11)
8. “River” by Joni Mitchell (11)
8. “Christmas in Paradise” by Mary Gauthier (11)
8. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (11)
14. “In Tall Buildings” by Sam Bush (10)
14. “My Gingerbread Man” by The Twangtown Paramours (10)
16. “This Lonely Christmas Night” by Josie Bello (9)
16. “Song for a Winter’s Night” by Brittany Jean (9)
16. “Come Some Winter Morning” by Irene Kelley (9)
16. “Happy New Year” by Ever More Nest (9)
16. “Christmas Day” by Kenny White (9)
16. “Winter Fuel” by Rachel Garlin (9)
16. “Longest Night of the Year” by Joe Jencks (9)
16. “The Poet Game” by Seth Avett (9)
24. “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac (8)
24. “Laughing River” by Seth Avett (8)
24. “When You’re Gone” by The Milk Carton Kids (8)

Top Artists of December 2022

[John McCutcheon performs his classic song “Christmas in the Trenches,” and relates the true story behind it during a performance for the National WW1 Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxqJlnH2m8.]

1. John McCutcheon (75)
2. Lunch At Allen’s (60)
3. Brittany Jean (54)
4. Sam Bush (48)
5. Seth Avett (47)
6. Bob Dylan (46)
7. Shelley Posen (41)
8. Becky Buller (37)
9. Phil Ochs (36)
10. Pete Sutherland (33)
10. Aspen Jacobsen (33)
12. Joni Mitchell (32)
12. Emily Kurn (32)
14. Lennie Gallant (30)
14. Pharis and Jason Romero (30)
16. Billy Strings (29)
16. Mary Chapin Carpenter (29)
16. Joel Mabus (29)
19. Willie Nelson (28)
19. Paul and Mary Peter (28)
19. Bruce Cockburn (28)
19. Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (28)
23. Mary Gauthier (27)
24. Chris Coole (26)
24. Joe Jencks (26)
26. Pat Wictor (25)
27. Rory Block (24)
27. Loreena McKennitt (24)
29. Pete Seeger (23)
29. Cosy Sheridan (23)
29. Darryl Purpose (23)
32. The Foreign Landers (22)
32. Emmylou Harris (22)
32. Kate Rusby (22)
32. Tim O’Brien (22)
32. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (22)
32. Claudia Schmidt (22)
38. John Hartford (21)
38. Abbie Gardner (21)
38. David Lamotte (21)
38. Dar Williams (21)
38. Chuck Brodsky (21)
38. Magpie (21)
38. Bill Staines (21)

Pharis & Jason Romero, a British Columbia-based folk duo, had the top album (Tell ‘Em You Were Gold on Smithsonian Folkways) and most-played song (“Souvenir”) on folk radio during 2022, while John McCutcheon, a revered Georgia-based folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the year’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 163,802 airplays reported on 5501 playlists submitted by 151 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of 2022

Pharis & Jason Romero’s Tell ‘Em You Were Gold topped the FAI Folk Radio albums chart for 2022 and features the year’s most-played song, “Souvenir.”

Top Songs of 2022

[Here’s a link to view the official music video for Pharis & Jason Romero’s “Souvenir.”]

1. “Souvenir” by Pharis and Jason Romero (108)
2. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (98)
3. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (84)
4. “Half the People” by Chuck Brodsky (77)
5. “Born in the City” by Abbie Gardner (76)
6. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (74)
6. “Better Times Will Come” by Janis Ian (74)
6. “12th of June” by Lyle Lovett (74)
6. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (74)
10. “Eastern Standard Time” by The Accidentals (71)
11. “I Give You the Morning” by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (68)
11. “Shoulder to the Wheel” by Deidre McCalla (68)
11. “If You Fall” by Amy Speace (68)
14. “It Takes Two Wings” by Chuck Brodsky (66)
15. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (65)
16. “Ukrainian Now” by John McCutcheon (64)
17. “Cannot Change It All” by Pharis and Jason Romero (63)
17. “At the Foot of the Mountain” by Eliza Gilkyson (63)
17. “Put My Little Shoes Away” by Kathy Kallick (63)
20. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (61)
21. “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie (60)
22. “Crooked Tree” by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (59)
22. “All Those Days of Drinking Dust” by Tiffany Williams (59)
24. “Down the Mountain” by Abbie Gardner (58)
25. “Music for a Found Harmonium” by Patrick Street (57)
25. “Amsterdam” by Mary Gauthier (57)
25. “Dark Enough to See the Stars” by Mary Gauthier (57)

Top Artists of 2022

Folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon was the most-played artist on folk radio during 2022. (Photo: Irene Young)