Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart
September 2026, Week 3 (so far)

Compiled by Richard Gillmann
From Playlists Submitted to FOLKDJ-L

TOP ALBUMS of September 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 878 plays from 34 playlists from 29 Folk DJs

  1: "Smoketree," The Kennedys [Self, 8/2026] (8)
        "Smoketree" (3)
        "Song for a Midday Dawn" (2)
  2: "The Morning Dark," Hayden Stern [Adhyâropa, 9/2026] (6)
        "Wedding At 11 West" (2)
  2: "Requiem for a Sleepless Night," Kelly Hunt [Compass, 8/2026] (6)
        "Dreamer" (2)
        "All the King's Horses" (2)
  2: "So Much for Goodbyes," Billy Strings [Reprise, 7/2026] (6)
        "Lay Me Down" (2)
  5: "Williams Branch Is Hard to Find," Carla Gover & Friends [Legacy, 9/2026] (5)
        "Queen Of The Kitchen, King Of The Road" (1)
  6: "Break & Mend," The Heists [Muskeg Collective, 8/2026] (4)
        "Seasons Turn" (2)
  6: "Head Noise," Stephanie Sammons [Point Guard, 8/2026] (4)
        "Tough Love" (1)
  6: "Heirloom," Nathan Evans Fox [Free Dirt, 7/2026] (4)
        "Heirloom" (1)
  6: "Reunion," Mama's Broke [Free Dirt, 5/2026] (4)
        "No Great Reunion" (2)
  6: "Tonight's News," Ken Pomeroy [Rounder] (4)
        "Late for the Sky" (2)
 11: "The Complete Trio Collection," Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris [Rhino, 2016] (3/5)
        "Farther Along" (2)
 11: "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Bill Monroe," Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys [Mercury] (3/4)
        "Scotland - Instrumental" (1)
 11: "The Breakdown," Keb' Mo' [Concord] (3)
        "Every Step of the Way" (1)
 11: "Cover to Cover," Various Artists [Compass] (3)
        "Tear My Stillhouse Down," AJ Lee & Blue Summit (1)
 11: "Gratuitous Grace," Richard Peter Morris [Chutney & Mango, 8/2026] (3)
        "Same Old Moon" (2)
 11: "Hope Is the Thing," Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, 7/2026] (3)
        "Freight Train" (2)
 11: "In the Hour of Chaos," Allison Russell [Fantasy, 7/2026] (3)
        "Really Real" (2)
 11: "In the Meantime," Brant Miller [Miller Woods, 8/2026] (3)
        "I Wanna Be Cool!" (1)
 11: "New Skin," Judy Kass [Self, 7/2025] (3)
        "At Our Best" (3)
 11: "Odds...and Even So," Jon Shain [Flyin'] (3)
        "Morning Song" (2)
 11: "Over the Horizon," Giselle & Erik [Self, 9/2026] (3)
        "Morning Brew" (1)
 11: "Reckoning," Mary Gauthier [In The Black] (3)
        "Alcohol and Adderall" (2)
 11: "Sound Signal Serenades," Son Volt [Transmit] (3)
        "The High Wall Carnival Country" (1)
 11: "Tamarack," Kalos [Self] (3)
        "Tamarack" (1)
 11: "Two Crows," Louise Grasmere [LEG] (3)
        "Two Crows" (2)
 11: "Trade My Troubles," Rising Appalachia [Self, 8/2026] (3)
        "Red Prairie Dawn" (1)
 11: "Unadorned," Deborah Holland [Self, 8/2026] (3)
        "If You Wanna Be In My Life" (1)

TOP SONGS of September 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 878 plays from 34 playlists from 29 Folk DJs

1. "Alcohol and Adderall" (3)
     from "Reckoning" (Mary Gauthier)
1. "At Our Best" (3)
     from "New Skin" (Judy Kass)
1. "Bound to Ride" (3)
     from "Bound To Ride - single" (Dolly Parton & The First Ladies of Bluegrass)
1. "Smoketree" (3)
     from "Smoketree" (The Kennedys)
5. "All the King's Horses" (2)
     from "Requiem for a Sleepless Night" (Kelly Hunt)
5. "Arkansas Mud" (2)
     from "Real Alligator" (Shinyribs)
5. "As Long As I Have You" (2)
     from "Buddy Miller" (Buddy Miller)
5. "Believe In Kindness" (2)
     from "Believe In Kindness" (Deidre McCalla)
5. "Boston Harbor Welcome" (2)
     from "Boston Harbor Welcome - single" (Hayden Stern)
5. "Build It Up" (2)
     from "Old Fashioned Love Song" (Mamas Broke)

TOP ARTISTS of September 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 878 plays from 34 playlists from 29 Folk DJs

1. The Kennedys (10)
        "Smoketree" (8)
2. Hayden Stern (8)
        "The Morning Dark" (6)
3. Dolly Parton (7/15)
        "In the Good Old Days" (3)
        "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" (3)
3. Mama's Broke (7)
        "Reunion" (4)
5. Billy Strings (6)
        "So Much for Goodbyes" (6)
5. Kelly Hunt (6)
        "Requiem for a Sleepless Night" (6)
7. Keb' Mo' (5)
        "The Breakdown" (3)

TOP LABELS of September 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 878 plays from 34 playlists from 29 Folk DJs

1. Rounder (17)
2. Compass (10)
2. Red House (10)
4. Reprise (9)
5. Appleseed (8)
5. New West (8)
5. Smithsonian/Folkways (8)
8. Legacy (7/11)
8. Free Dirt (7)
10. Thirty Tigers (6)
11. RCA (5/7)
11. Adhyâropa (5)
11. Fantasy (5)
11. Nonesuch (5)
11. Sugar Hill (5)

FOLK DJs - September 2026, Week 3
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 878 plays from 34 playlists from 29 Folk DJs

Art Stevenson (WORT-FM, WI)
Bill Revill (WESU-FM, CT)
Bruce Swan (WSFM-LP, NC)
Carolyn VandeWiele (WFHB-FM, IN)
Chris McGill (WSPN-FM, NY)
Cindy Howes (folkalley.com, ME)
David John (KAXE/KBXE-FM, MN)
Don Jacobson (KBOO-FM, OR)
Gerry Goodfriend (CKUT-FM, QC)
JB Nuttle (WSDL-FM, MD)
Jan Vanderhorst (justusfolk.com, ON)
Jim Marino (CFMU-FM, ON)
Joe Pszonek (folkmusicnotebook.com, SC)
Johnny Bazzano (KRCB-FM, CA)
Jon Stein (WTBQ-FM, NY)
Juliet Youngren (WEFT-FM, IL)
Kevin Elliott (WEFT-FM, IL)
Laurie DesJardins (KVMR-FM, CA)
Marc Albert (KMUZ-FM & mixcloud.com, OR)
Michael Benson (WESU-FM, CT)
Mitch Park (Radio Kidnappers, New Zealand)
Peter Kernast (WTSR-FM, NJ)
Richard Howard (KZMU-FM, UT)
Ron Olesko (WFDU-FM & folkmusicnotebook.com, NJ)
Sarah LaDuke (folkalley.com, NY)
Stu Weaver (WFCF-FM, FL)
Susan Forbes Hansen (CKCU-FM, ON)
Wally Bowen (KOCF-LP, OR)
Wayne Greene (KEOS-FM, TX)


Releases new to the chart:
Giselle & Erik: "Over the Horizon" (Self)
Hayden Stern: "The Morning Dark" (Adhyâropa)