Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart
January 2026, Week 3

Compiled by Richard Gillmann
From Playlists Submitted to FOLKDJ-L

TOP ALBUMS of January 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2741 plays from 93 playlists from 72 Folk DJs

  1: "Maggie's Journal," Valerie Smith [Bell Buckle, 1/2026] (39)
        "Oh Dear Reader" (5)
  2: "Together Again," Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon [Appalseed, 1/2026] (37)
        "The Future" (8)
        "Artie's Last Stand" (6)
        "Pathfinder" (5)
  3: "Circle & Square," Eric Brace & Thomm Jutz [Red Beet, 1/2026] (19)
        "10 To 4" (5)
        "Fontana Dam" (4)
        "Circle and Square" (4)
        "Diego in Detroit" (3)
  4: "The Blue Rock Session," Amy Speace [Windbone, 12/2025] (18)
        "The Dream of the Hawk" (3)
        "Kindness" (3)
  5: "Strangely in Tune," Diane Coll [Happy Fish, 1/2026] (13)
        "Carolina Wren" (5)
        "In and Out of Time" (3)
        "Half Along the Way" (2)
  5: "unentitled," John Gorka [Red House, 10/2025] (13)
        "Particle & Wave" (5)
        "Hope Doesn't Fall" (2)
        "First Snow On The Mountains" (2)
  7: "Where We Go," Jesse Appelman [Self, 12/2025] (11)
        "Valley Springs" (3)
        "Liminal Criminal" (2)
        "Out in the Valley" (2)
  8: "American Beauty," Grateful Dead [Warner] (10)
        "Sugar Magnolia" (6)
        "Truckin'" (3)
  8: "Blue Kentucky Girl," Tiffany Williams [Self, 1/2026] (10)
        "Blue Kentucky Girl" (9)
  8: "Party in the Pines," Dave Miller [Howlin' Dog, 1/2026] (10)
        "Loser's Prayer" (4)
        "Mama Raised a Fool" (2)
 11: "Bringing the Light," Hot Tamale [Self, 1/2026] (9)
        "Stand Up!" (4)
        "Ain't No Friend" (2)
 11: "Since You Asked Me," Jan Krist [Yellow Room, 1/2026] (9)
        "Hope" (2)
 13: "Empire," Kray Van Kirk [Self, 1/2026] (8)
        "Resistance" (4)
        "Turtle Joe" (2)
 13: "Shelter From the Storms," Lennie Gallant [Gallant Effort, 7/2025] (8)
        "Uncle Harold" (1)
 13: "You Climb the Mountain," The Onlies [Self, 8/2025] (8)
        "Hook and Line" (2)
 16: "Code to Live By," Grant Peeples [Ping, 1/2026] (7)
        "Something Else" (2)
 16: "Driftwood," Weary Ramblers [Self, 1/2026] (7)
        "Day by Day Love Blues" (2)
 16: "Gold & Coal," Cassie & Maggie [Self, 5/2025] (7)
        "Robert Frost" (2)
 16: "Magic Accident," Della Mae [Compass, 1/2026] (7)
        "Family Tree" (4)
        "Magic Accident" (3)
 16: "From Here to the Sea," Meredith Moon [Compass, 10/2025] (7)
        "Lulu Gal" (3)
        "East City Blues" (2)
 21: "Nightclothes," Annie Gallup [Gallway Bay] (6)
        "Robots" (6)
 21: "O California!," Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands [Spruce & Maple, 1/2026] (6)
        "Hell Broke Loose in Georgia" (4)
 21: "Pastures," Natalie Del Carmen [Self] (6)
        "June, You're On My Mind" (3)
 21: "Safe, Sensible & Sane," Alison Brown & Steve Martin [Compass, 10/2025] (6)
        "Wall Guitar" (2)
        "Bluegrass Radio" (2)
 21: "So Long Little Miss Sunshine," Molly Tuttle [Nonesuch, 8/2025] (6)
        "The Highway Knows" (2)
 26: "Sing For Freedom : the Story Of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs," Various Artists [Smithsonian/Folkways] (5/6)
        "99 1/2 Won't Do," Carlton Reece & the Birmingham Movement Choir (1)
 26: "Don't Drink the Poison," Linda Sussman [Sing Out Proud] (5)
        "Let Freedom Ring" (1)
 26: "A Feather in a Hurricane," Oliver the Crow [Self] (5)
        "If You Knew Me Better" (1)
 26: "Hummingbird Highway," Dar Williams [Righteous Babe, 8/2025] (5)
        "Hummingbird Highway" (2)
 26: "Reclamation," Crys Matthews [Self, 2024] (5)
        "Cancel Culture" (2)
 26: "Unhinged," Sophie Gault [Torrez] (5)
        "Loves Gonna Live Here" (2)

TOP SONGS of January 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2741 plays from 93 playlists from 72 Folk DJs

1. "Blue Kentucky Girl" (9)
     from "Blue Kentucky Girl" (Tiffany Williams)
2. "The Future" (8)
     from "Together Again" (Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon)
3. "Raise Your Hand" (7)
     from "Raise Your Hand - single" (Crowes Pasture)
4. "Artie's Last Stand" (6)
     from "Together Again" (Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon)
4. "Robots" (6)
     from "Nightclothes" (Annie Gallup)
4. "Sugar Magnolia" (6)
     from "American Beauty" (Grateful Dead)
7. "10 To 4" (5)
     from "Circle & Square" (Eric Brace & Thomm Jutz)
7. "The Ballad of Husker Scruggs" (5)
     from "The Ballad of Husker Scruggs - single" (Hana Zara)
7. "Barricades" (5)
     from "Barricades - single" (Mark Rubin)
7. "Carolina Wren" (5)
     from "Strangely in Tune" (Diane Coll)
7. "Footsteps" (5)
     from "Then And Now" (Dan & Faith)
7. "Oh Dear Reader" (5)
     from "Maggie's Journal" (Valerie Smith)
7. "Particle & Wave" (5)
     from "unentitled" (John Gorka)
7. "Pathfinder" (5)
     from "Together Again" (Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon)
7. "Tough Like That" (5)
     from "Here & Gone" (Sara Thomsen)

TOP ARTISTS of January 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2741 plays from 93 playlists from 72 Folk DJs

1. Valerie Smith (39)
        "Maggie's Journal" (39)
2. Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon (35)
        "Together Again" (35)
3. Grateful Dead (26)
        "American Beauty" (10)
4. Dolly Parton (19)
        "Little Sparrow" (4)
        "Treasures" (3)
4. Eric Brace & Thomm Jutz (19)
        "Circle & Square" (19)
6. Amy Speace (18)
        "The Blue Rock Session" (18)
7. Tiffany Williams (17)
        "Blue Kentucky Girl" (10)
        "All Those Days of Drinking Dust" (4)
8. John Gorka (15)
        "unentitled" (13)
9. Diane Coll (14)
        "Strangely in Tune" (13)
10. Mavis Staples (12)
        "Sad & Beautiful World" (4)
11. Joe Ely (11/13)
        "Full Circle: The Lubbock Tapes" (8)
11. Jesse Appelman (11)
        "Where We Go" (11)
11. Mark Rubin (11)
        "Barricades - single" (4)
14. Crowes Pasture (10)
        "Raise Your Hand - single" (7)
14. Dave Miller (10)
        "Party in the Pines" (10)
14. Pete Seeger (10)
        "The Essential Pete Seeger" (3)
17. Joan Baez (9/18)
        "Dark Chords On A Big Guitar" (3)
        "Play Me Backwards" (3)
17. Bob Dylan (9)
        "Bob Dylan" (1)
17. Bob Weir (9)
        "Blue Mountain" (4)
        "Ace" (3)
17. Della Mae (9)
        "Magic Accident" (7)
17. Grant Peeples (9)
        "Code to Live By" (7)
17. Hot Tamale (9)
        "Bringing the Light" (9)
17. Lennie Gallant (9)
        "Shelter From the Storms" (8)
17. Molly Tuttle (9)
        "So Long Little Miss Sunshine" (6)
17. Phil Ochs (9)
        "All The News That's Fit To Sing" (4)
17. Sweet Honey in the Rock (9)
        "I Got Shoes" (4)
27. Jan Krist (8)
        "Since You Asked Me" (8)
27. Kray Van Kirk (8)
        "Empire" (8)
27. Odetta (8)
        "Lookin' For A Home" (3)
27. The Onlies (8)
        "You Climb the Mountain" (8)

TOP LABELS of January 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2741 plays from 93 playlists from 72 Folk DJs

1. Smithsonian/Folkways (39)
2. Bell Buckle (38)
3. Columbia (35)
4. Rounder (27)
5. Compass (26)
6. Red House (25)
7. Warner (24)
8. Sugar Hill (22)
9. Nonesuch (20)
9. Red Beet (20)
11. Appalseed (19)
12. Appalsongs (18)
12. Windbone (18)
14. Legacy (15)
14. New West (15)
14. Rhino (15)
17. Thirty Tigers (13)
18. Alligator (12)
18. Happy Fish (12)
20. Appleseed (11)
20. RCA (11)
20. Signature Sounds (11)

FOLK DJs - January 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2741 plays from 93 playlists from 72 Folk DJs

Allen Larman (KPFK-FM, CA)
Angela Page (WJFF-FM & folkmusicnotebook.com, NY)
Art Menius (WHUP-LP, NC)
Artie Martello (folkmusicnotebook.com & mixcloud.com, NY)
Bill "Rusty" Crowell & Jan Alba (WPPM-FM & mixcloud.com, PA)
Bill Revill (WESU-FM, CT)
Bruce Cameron (2MCE-FM, Australia)
Bruce Swan (WSFM-LP, NC)
Charlie Backfish (WUSB-FM, NY)
Chris Kocher (WHRW-FM, NY)
Colin Fielding (3INR-FM, Australia)
Craig Huegel (WMNF-FM, FL)
Dan Shramek (KBOO-FM, OR)
David John (KEOS-FM & KAXE/KBXE-FM, TX)
David Sears (WBGU-FM & syndicated, OH)
Dick Hermans (WKZE-FM, NY)
Eureka Mike (thesonicplanet.com, FL)
Gerry Goodfriend (CKUT-FM, QC)
Gordon Nash (folkmusicnotebook.com, NY)
Harlon Joye (WRFG-FM, GA)
Helen Leicht (folkmusicnotebook.com, PA)
Jack Dugan (WIOX-FM, NY)
Jan Vanderhorst (justusfolk.com, ON)
Jean Geiger (mixcloud.com, WA)
Jeannie Holton & Tom Elligett (WMNF-FM, FL)
Jim Fisher (WGCS-FM, IN)
Jim Gilliland (WRUW-FM, OH)
Jim Marino (CFMU-FM, ON)
Jim Welsh (Radio Summerhall & mixcloud.com, UK)
Joe Pszonek (folkmusicnotebook.com, SC)
John Weingart (WPRB-FM, NJ)
Johnny Bazzano (KRCB-FM, CA)
Jon Stein (WTBQ-FM, NY)
Katrina Knight (mixcloud.com, BC)
Ken Batista (WRCT-FM, PA)
Kevin Elliott (WEFT-FM, IL)
Kevin Vance (KALW-FM & soundcloud.com, CA)
Laurie DesJardins (KVMR-FM, CA)
Len Holton (KUAR-FM & syndicated, AR)
Marc Albert (KMUZ-FM & mixcloud.com, OR)
Marilyn Rea Beyer (WFMT-FM, IL)
Mark Michaelis (WGDR/WGDH-FM, VT)
Mark Sahlgren and Darcy Wilkin (WRKF-FM, LA)
Menachem Vinegrad (Radio Upper Galilee & folkmusicnotebook.com, Israel)
Michael Alzo (WSLU-FM, NY)
Michael Benson (WESU-FM, CT)
Michael Kane (WBRS-FM, MA)
Michael Park (mixcloud.com & PRX, NY)
Mike Regenstreif (CKCU-FM, ON)
Mitch Park (Radio Hawke's Bay & Radio Kidnappers, New Zealand)
Nick Noble (WICN-FM, MA)
Norm Mast (WVPE-FM, IN)
Paul Hartman (WTMD-FM, MD)
Paul Hefti (KRCL-FM & live365.com, UT)
Pete Thomas (WAER-FM, NY)
Peter Fraissinet (WVBR-FM & syndicated, NY)
Peter Kernast (WTSR-FM, NJ)
Richard Gillmann (KBCS-FM & mixcloud.com, WA)
Richard Gordon (WRCT-FM & mixcloud.com, PA)
Richard Howard (KZMU-FM, UT)
Ron Cooke (KTAL-LP, NM)
Ron Olesko (WFDU-FM & folkmusicnotebook.com, NJ)
Steve Brockway (KRFC-FM, CO)
Steve Edge (CiTR-FM & syndicated, BC)
Stu Weaver (WFCF-FM, FL)
Terry B. Moses & Naomi Soule (KCLC-FM, MO)
Tom Coxworth (CKUA-FM, AB)
Tom Druckenmiller (WDIY-FM & podcast, PA)
Tom Funk (KGLP-FM, NM)
Wally Bowen (KOCF-LP, OR)
Wanda Fischer (WAMC-FM, NY)
Wayne Greene (KEOS-FM, TX)