Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart
September 2026, Week 4

Compiled by Richard Gillmann
From Playlists Submitted to FOLKDJ-L

TOP ALBUMS of September 2026, Week 4
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2414 plays from 89 playlists from 69 Folk DJs

  1: "Smoketree," The Kennedys [Self, 8/2026] (27)
        "Like An Angel" (4)
  2: "Reunion," Mama's Broke [Free Dirt, 5/2026] (16)
        "Old-Fashioned Love Song" (5)
        "Heaven" (4)
        "The Forsaken Lover" (3)
        "The Nameless" (2)
  2: "Songs From the Knoxville Project," Angela Easterling [De L'est, 9/2026] (16)
        "Nolichucky River" (3)
        "Look For Red" (2)
        "Stand" (2)
        "Trouble" (2)
        "Rejoicing as I Go" (2)
  2: "Troubadourly Yours," Scott Cook [Release Guru, 8/2026] (16)
        "Enough" (4)
        "Something to Do with Love" (4)
        "Troubadourly Yours" (3)
        "A Bigger Tent" (2)
  5: "Hope Is the Thing," Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, 7/2026] (14)
        "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers" (5)
        "Carolina Rain" (3)
        "Wish in Vain" (2)
  5: "So Much for Goodbyes," Billy Strings [Reprise, 7/2026] (14)
        "I'm One of Those" (3)
        "Bluewater Breakdown" (2)
        "I like train songs" (2)
        "Light The Way" (2)
  7: "Tamarack," Kalos [Self, 9/2026] (12)
        "The Open Door" (3)
        "Faultlines" (3)
  8: "Odds...and Even So," Jon Shain [Flyin', 9/2026] (10)
        "Virginia" (3)
        "Morning Song" (2)
        "It's a Long Life" (2)
  8: "These Are the Days That Turn In To Years," Pharis & Jason Romero [Self, 5/2026] (10)
        "Last Call" (3)
        "Always Losing Track" (2)
        "Big Time World" (2)
 10: "Head Noise," Stephanie Sammons [Point Guard, 8/2026] (8)
        "Lone Coyote" (3)
        "Head Noise" (2)
 10: "Never Turning Back," Teni Rane [Self, 9/2026] (8)
        "Driveway Conversations" (3)
        "Secondhand Memories" (2)
 10: "The Oracle," Zera Starchild [Self] (8)
        "Ghosted by the American Dream" (2)
 10: "Over the Horizon," Giselle & Erik [Self, 9/2026] (8)
        "Your Table" (2)
 14: "Home-Brewed," Kate Macleod's Mind the Gap [Courier, 8/2026] (7)
        "The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia" (2)
 14: "So Long Little Miss Sunshine," Molly Tuttle [Nonesuch, 8/2025] (7)
        "The Highway Knows" (2)
        "Rosalee" (2)
 14: "Williams Branch Is Hard to Find," Carla Gover & Friends [Legacy, 9/2026] (7)
        "Plant a Seed, Write a Song" (2)
 17: "Blue Water," David Coller [Upstart Yankee] (6)
        "Captain, My Captain" (2)
        "Nova Scotia Bound" (2)
 17: "The Breakdown," Keb' Mo' [Concord, 9/2026] (6)
        "Walking on Water" (2)
        "Hand It Over" (2)
 17: "Driving Home," Cheryl Wheeler [Philo, 2004] (6)
        "When Fall Comes To New England" (4)
        "75 Septembers" (2)
 17: "The Morning Dark," Hayden Stern [Adhyâropa, 9/2026] (6)
        "Driving Back from Bellingham" (2)
        "Wedding at 11 West" (2)
 17: "Reckoning," Mary Gauthier [Thirty Tigers, 9/2026] (6)
        "Heaven" (2)
        "Some Times" (2)
 17: "Requiem for a Sleepless Night," Kelly Hunt [Compass, 8/2026] (6)
        "Winter Wheat" (2)
 17: "Sing Me Alive," I'm With Her [Rounder, 5/2026] (6)
        "Year After Year" (2)
 17: "Earl Jam 2," Tony Trischka [Down The Road, 3/2026] (6)
        "Dooley" (2)
 25: "Bluegrass Women," Lindsay Lou [Son Of Bart, 9/2026] (5/9)
        "Jubilee" (2)
        "Won't You Come And Sing For Me" (2)
 25: "A Bird on the Wing," Paula Fong [Headbitch] (5)
        "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (3)
 25: "The Healing," Sarah Goslee Reed [Self, 9/2026] (5)
        "When All of This Is Over" (3)
 25: "I've Missed You All These Years," Sera Cahoone [Sub Pop, 9/2026] (5)
        "High and Low" (3)
 25: "Tonight's News," Ken Pomeroy [Rounder, 9/2026] (5)
        "Look at Miss Ohio" (2)
 25: "Undo The Damage," Rod MacDonald [Blue Flute] (5)
        "Undo The Damage" (5)
 25: "Union Made," Old Crow Medicine Show [Hartland, 6/2026] (5)
        "My Side of the Mountain" (1)

TOP SONGS of September 2026, Week 4
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2414 plays from 89 playlists from 69 Folk DJs

1. "Bound to Ride" (5)
     from "Bound to Ride - single" (Dolly Parton)
1. "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers" (5)
     from "Hope Is the Thing" (Rhiannon Giddens)
1. "Old-Fashioned Love Song" (5)
     from "Reunion" (Mama's Broke)
1. "Undo The Damage" (5)
     from "Undo the Damage" (Rod MacDonald)
5. "First Day Of Autumn" (4)
     from "Bittersweet Street" (Anne Hills)
5. "Driveway Conversations" (4)
     from "Never Turning Back" (Teni Rane)
5. "Enough" (4)
     from "Troubadourly Yours" (Scott Cook)
5. "Heaven" (4)
     from "Reunion" (Mama's Broke)
5. "Like An Angel" (4)
     from "Smoketree" (The Kennedys)
5. "Lucky Water" (4)
     from "Lucky Water" (Laura Cortese)
5. "Something to Do with Love" (4)
     from "Troubadourly Yours" (Scott Cook)
5. "When Fall Comes To New England" (4)
     from "Driving Home" (Cheryl Wheeler)
13. "75 Septembers" (3)
     from "Driving Home" (Cheryl Wheeler)
13. "Appalachia" (3)
     from "Appalachia" (Emily Scott Robinson)

TOP ARTISTS of September 2026, Week 4
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2414 plays from 89 playlists from 69 Folk DJs

1. Billy Strings (29/31)
        "So Much for Goodbyes" (14)
        "Highway Prayers" (7)
        "Me/And/Dad" (4)
2. The Kennedys (27)
        "Smoketree" (27)
3. Scott Cook (18)
        "Troubadourly Yours" (16)
4. Mama's Broke (17)
        "Reunion" (16)
5. Angela Easterling (16)
        "Songs From the Knoxville Project" (16)
6. Rhiannon Giddens (15)
        "Hope Is the Thing" (14)
7. Kalos (12)
        "Tamarack" (12)
8. Bob Dylan (11)
        "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (4)
8. Dolly Parton (11)
        "Little Sparrow" (2)
10. Jon Shain (10)
        "Odds...and Even So" (10)
10. Pharis & Jason Romero (10)
        "These Are the Days That Turn In To Years" (10)
12. Cheryl Wheeler (9)
        "Driving Home" (6)
12. John Prine (9)
        "The Tree Of Forgiveness" (3)
12. Teni Rane (9)
        "Never Turning Back" (8)
15. Giselle & Erik (8)
        "Over the Horizon" (8)
15. Molly Tuttle (8)
        "So Long Little Miss Sunshine" (7)
15. Rod MacDonald (8)
        "Undo The Damage" (5)
15. Stephanie Sammons (8)
        "Head Noise" (8)
15. Zera Starchild (8)
        "The Oracle" (8)
20. Carla Gover & Friends (7)
        "Williams Branch Is Hard to Find" (7)
20. David Coller (7)
        "Blue Water" (6)
20. Jesse Welles (7)
        "United Health - single" (2)
20. Kate Macleod's Mind the Gap (7)
        "Home-Brewed" (7)
20. Pete Seeger (7)
        "Headlines And Footnotes: A Collection Of Topical Songs" (2)

TOP LABELS of September 2026, Week 4
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2414 plays from 89 playlists from 69 Folk DJs

1. Rounder (48)
2. Reprise (29)
3. Nonesuch (28)
4. Columbia (22)
5. Compass (21)
5. Free Dirt (21)
7. Legacy (20)
8. Smithsonian/Folkways (15)
9. De L'est (14)
9. Thirty Tigers (14)
11. Oh Boy (13)
11. Release Guru (13)
11. Signature Sounds (13)
14. Philo (12)
15. New West (11)
16. Red House (10)
17. Atlantic (9)
17. Capitol (9)
17. Flyin' (9)
20. Adhyâropa (8)
20. Concord (8)
20. Elektra (8)
20. Point Guard (8)
20. Sub Pop (8)
20. Warner (8)

FOLK DJs - September 2026, Week 4
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2414 plays from 89 playlists from 69 Folk DJs

Al Kniola (WVPE-FM, IN)
Allen Larman (KPFK-FM, CA)
Angela Page (WJFF-FM & folkmusicnotebook.com, NY)
Art Menius (WHUP-LP & WHQR-FM, NC)
Bill "Rusty" Crowell & Jan Alba (WPPM-FM & mixcloud.com, PA)
Bill Revill (WESU-FM, CT)
Bob Weiser (WOMR-FM & WFMR-FM, MA)
Bruce Cameron (2MCE-FM, Australia)
Bruce Swan (WSFM-LP, NC)
Carolyn VandeWiele (WFHB-FM, IN)
Charlie Backfish (WUSB-FM, NY)
Chris Kocher (WHRW-FM, NY)
Cindy Howes (folkalley.com)
Craig Huegel (WMNF-FM, FL)
Dan Alloway (KTEP-FM, TX)
Dan Shramek (KBOO-FM, OR)
David John (KAXE/KBXE-FM, MN)
David Sears (WBGU-FM, OH)
Denis McGilvray (KWGS-FM, OK)
Diane Hunt (KBOO-FM, OR)
Dick Hermans (WKZE-FM, NY)
Ed Mellnick (KBOO-FM, OR)
Eureka Mike (WFCF-FM & thesonicplanet.com, FL)
Gerry Goodfriend (CKUT-FM, QC)
Gordon Nash (folkmusicnotebook.com)
Graham Dean & Barbara Dean (WBCR-LP, MA)
Harlon Joye (WRFG-FM, GA)
Helen Leicht (folkmusicnotebook.com, UK)
JB Nuttle (WSDL-FM, MD)
Jack Dugan (WIOX-FM & thesonicplanet.com, NY)
Jan Vanderhorst (justusfolk.com, ON)
Jim Gilliland (WRUW-FM, OH)
Joe Pszonek (folkmusicnotebook.com, SC)
John Weingart (WPRB-FM, NJ)
Johnny Bazzano (KRCB-FM, CA)
Jon Stein (WTBQ-FM & soundcloud.com, NY)
Justin Helmer (KVSC-FM, MN)
Karen Rakos (KEUL-FM, AK)
Ken Batista (WRCT-FM, PA)
Kevin Elliott (WEFT-FM, IL)
Len Holton (KUAR-FM & mixcloud.com, AR)
Marc Albert (KMUZ-FM & mixcloud.com, OR)
Marilyn Rea Beyer (WFMT-FM, IL)
Mark Michaelis (WGDR/WGDH-FM, VT)
Mark Pedersen (WOJB-FM, WI)
Michael Alzo (WSLU-FM, NY)
Michael Benson (WESU-FM, CT)
Michael Kane (WBRS-FM & KTBG-FM, MA)
Michael Park (mixcloud.com, PRX)
Michael Stock (WLRN-FM, FL)
Mike Regenstreif (CKCU-FM, ON)
Mitch Park (Radio Kidnappers, New Zealand)
Nick Noble (WICN-FM, MA)
Paul Hartman (WTMD-FM, MD)
Pete Thomas (WAER-FM, NY)
Richard Gordon (WRCT-FM & mixcloud.com, PA)
Richard Howard (KZMU-FM, UT)
Ron Cooke (KTAL-LP, NM)
Sarah LaDuke (folkalley.com, NY)
Sherre Birenbaum (therootsfm.org, MO)
Sonny Ochs (folkmusicnotebook.com, NY)
Steve Edge (CiTR-FM & syndicated, BC)
Sue Kessell (WNUR-FM, IL)
Susan Forbes Hansen (WWUH-FM, CT)
Taylor Caffery (WRKF-FM, LA)
Terry B. Moses & Naomi Soule (KCLC-FM, MO)
Tom Coxworth (CKUA-FM, AB)
Tom Druckenmiller (WDIY-FM & podcast, PA)
Wally Bowen (KOCF-LP, OR)