Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart
October 2026, Week 1

Compiled by Richard Gillmann
From Playlists Submitted to FOLKDJ-L

TOP ALBUMS of October 2026, Week 1
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2129 plays from 78 playlists from 66 Folk DJs

  1: "So Much for Goodbyes," Billy Strings [Reprise, 7/2026] (15)
        "10,000 Miles from a Friend" (3)
        "I Like Train Songs" (2)
        "Light the way" (2)
        "Live to Tell" (2)
        "Lay Me Down" (2)
  2: "Undo The Damage," Rod MacDonald [Blue Flute] (14)
        "Undo The Damage" (7)
        "Star of Wonder" (3)
  3: "The Answer," Caroline Cotter [Self] (13)
        "Good News" (3)
        "1000 Years Ago" (3)
  4: "Smoketree," The Kennedys [Self, 8/2026] (11)
        "Smoketree" (4)
        "Girl On A Motorcycle" (2)
        "Without Us" (2)
  4: "Reckoning," Mary Gauthier [Thirty Tigers, 9/2026] (11)
        "Alcohol and Adderall" (3)
        "Reckoning" (2)
        "Some Times" (2)
  6: "Tamarack," Kalos [Self, 9/2026] (10)
        "The Open Door" (3)
  7: "Hope Is the Thing," Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, 7/2026] (9)
        "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers" (3)
        "High on a Mountain" (2)
  7: "Requiem for a Sleepless Night," Kelly Hunt [Compass, 8/2026] (9)
        "All the King's Horses" (4)
        "Dreamer" (2)
  7: "Sunday Afternoon," Kate Prascher [Self] (9)
        "Jubilee" (3)
 10: "Songs From the Knoxville Project," Angela Easterling [De L'est, 9/2026] (8)
        "Count All The Stars" (4)
        "In The Wilds" (2)
 10: "Troubadourly Yours," Scott Cook [Release Guru, 8/2026] (8)
        "Keeping Good Company" (3)
 10: "Under My Canopy," Rachael Sage & The Sequins [MPress] (8)
        "Live It Up" (4)
        "Just Enough" (2)
 13: "Seven North," Phil Henry [Board By Board] (7)
        "Hey There Gilligan" (2)
        "Make Good Trouble Again" (2)
 13: "Bluegrass Women," Lindsay Lou [Son Of Bart, 9/2026] (7)
        "All I Ever Loved Was You" (4)
        "Jubilee" (2)
 13: "Break & Mend," The Heists [Muskeg Collective, 8/2026] (7)
        "Farewell Old Treadwell" (3)
        "In The Meantime" (2)
 13: "Williams Branch Is Hard to Find," Carla Gover & Friends [Legacy, 9/2026] (7)
        "Queen of the Kitchen, King of the Road" (2)
 17: "A Bird on the Wing," Paula Fong [Head Bitch] (6)
        "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (2)
        "Up and Out" (2)
 17: "Blue Water," David Coller [Self] (6)
        "Captain, My Captain" (2)
 17: "Gulf Coast Duets," Libby Koch & Michael O'Connor [Coastal Bend] (6)
        "Boats To Build" (3)
 17: "Hope Is Restless," Nicole Mish [Self] (6)
        "Tell Me Something Good" (3)
        "Wild Song" (2)
 17: "In the Snug," Tulua [Self] (6)
        "One I Love" (1)
 17: "Lucky Water," Laura Cortese [Compass, 9/2026] (6)
        "Lucky Water" (2)
 17: "Reunion," Mama's Broke [Free Dirt, 5/2026] (6)
        "Wildflowers" (1)
 17: "Two Crows," Louise Grasmere [LEG, 9/2026] (6)
        "Two Crows" (2)
        "Tillys Song" (2)
 25: "Second Song," Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts [Reprise] (5)
        "Casting Me Away From You" (2)
 25: "Gratuitous Grace," Richard Peter Morris [Chutney & Mango, 8/2026] (5)
        "Harbor Light" (3)
 25: "The Morning Dark," Hayden Stern [Adhyâropa, 9/2026] (5)
        "Susie's" (2)
 25: "Old Friends," Mary McCaslin [Philo, 1977] (5)
        "Old Friends" (4)
 25: "These Are the Days That Turn In To Years," Pharis & Jason Romero [Self, 5/2026] (5)
        "Left My Home" (3)
 25: "Trade My Troubles," Rising Appalachia [Self, 8/2026] (5)
        "Red Prairie Dawn / Red Rocking Chair" (1)
 25: "The Tree Of Forgiveness," John Prine [Oh Boy, 2020] (5)
        "Summer's End" (2)
 25: "Unadorned," Deborah Holland [Self, 8/2026] (5)
        "Last Helicopter Out of Saigon" (2)

TOP SONGS of October 2026, Week 1
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2129 plays from 78 playlists from 66 Folk DJs

1. "Undo The Damage" (7)
     from "Undo the Damage" (Rod MacDonald)
2. "Smoketree" (5)
     from "Smoketree" (The Kennedys)
3. "All I Ever Loved Was You" (4)
     from "Bluegrass Women" (Lindsay Lou)
3. "All the King's Horses" (4)
     from "Requiem for a Sleepless Night" (Kelly Hunt)
3. "Count All The Stars" (4)
     from "Songs From the Knoxville Project" (Angela Easterling)
3. "I Gotta Do Somethin'" (4)
     from "I Gotta Do Somethin'" (The Twangtown Paramours)
3. "Live It Up" (4)
     from "Under My Canopy" (Rachael Sage & The Sequins)
3. "Marlboros in Muskogee" (4)
     from "Southern Gossip" (Sister Sadie)
3. "Sorcerer's Apprentice" (4)
     from "Hippies, Thugs and Heroes" (Richard Thompson)
10. "10,000 Miles from a Friend" (3)
     from "So Much for Goodbyes" (Billy Strings)
10. "1000 Years Ago" (3)
     from "The Answer" (Caroline Cotter)
10. "Alcohol and Adderall" (3)
     from "Reckoning" (Mary Gauthier)
10. "Boats To Build" (3)
     from "Gulf Coast Duets" (Libby Koch & Michael O'Connor)

TOP ARTISTS of October 2026, Week 1
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2129 plays from 78 playlists from 66 Folk DJs

1. John Prine (18)
        "The Tree Of Forgiveness" (5)
        "Live at the Old Town School of Folk Music" (3)
2. Billy Strings (17)
        "So Much for Goodbyes" (15)
3. Jake Blount (16)
        "Stackolee - single" (3)
3. The Kennedys (16)
        "Smoketree" (11)
        "Headwinds" (3)
5. Rod MacDonald (15)
        "Undo The Damage" (14)
6. Caroline Cotter (14)
        "The Answer" (13)
7. Kalos (13)
        "Tamarack" (10)
8. Bob Dylan (11)
        "John Wesley Harding" (2)
8. Mary Gauthier (11)
        "Reckoning" (10)
10. Rhiannon Giddens (10)
        "Hope Is the Thing" (9)
11. Kate Prascher (9)
        "Sunday Afternoon" (9)
11. Kelly Hunt (9)
        "Requiem for a Sleepless Night" (9)
13. Angela Easterling (8)
        "Songs From the Knoxville Project" (8)
13. Lindsay Lou (8)
        "Bluegrass Women" (7)
13. Richard Thompson (8)
        "Hippies, Thugs and Heroes" (4)
13. Scott Cook (8)
        "Troubadourly Yours" (8)
17. Dolly Parton (7/16)
        "Dolly" (4)
        "Jolene" (3)
17. The Heists (7)
        "Break & Mend" (7)
17. Joni Mitchell (7)
        "Blue" (2)
17. Laura Cortese (7)
        "Lucky Water" (6)
17. Rachael Sage & The Sequins (7)
        "Under My Canopy" (7)
17. Tom Russell (7)
        "Old Songs Yet To Sing" (2)
17. Tulua (7)
        "In the Snug" (6)

TOP LABELS of October 2026, Week 1
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2129 plays from 78 playlists from 66 Folk DJs

1. Compass (34)
2. Reprise (29)
3. Rounder (27)
4. Columbia (24)
5. Oh Boy (22)
6. Nonesuch (21)
7. Free Dirt (19)
7. Smithsonian/Folkways (19)
9. Sugar Hill (18)
10. Thirty Tigers (17)
11. Warner (16)
12. Legacy (13)
12. New West (13)
14. Blue Flute (12)
15. Red House (10)
15. Signature Sounds (10)
17. Atlantic (9)
17. Capitol (9)
17. Fantasy (9)
17. MPress (9)

FOLK DJs - October 2026, Week 1
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L playlists
Based on 2129 plays from 78 playlists from 66 Folk DJs

Art Menius (WHQR-FM, NC)
Artie Martello (folkmusicnotebook.com, NY)
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)
Colin Fielding (3INR-FM, Australia)
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)
JB Nuttle (WSDL-FM, MD)
Jack Dugan (WIOX-FM & thesonicplanet.com, NY)
James Sereda (WUSB-FM, NY)
Jan Vanderhorst (justusfolk.com, ON)
Jenny Flux (2BBB-FM, Australia)
Jim Fisher (WGCS-FM, IN)
Jim Gilliland (WRUW-FM, OH)
Jim Marino (CFMU-FM, ON)
Joe Pszonek (folkmusicnotebook.com, SC)
John Weingart (WPRB-FM, NJ)
Johnny Bazzano (KRCB-FM, CA)
Juliet Youngren (WEFT-FM, IL)
Justin Helmer (KVSC-FM, MN)
Karen Rakos (KEUL-FM, AK)
Katrina Knight (mixcloud.com & folkmusicnotebook.com)
Ken Batista (WRCT-FM, PA)
Kevin Elliott (WEFT-FM, IL)
Len Holton (KUAR-FM & mixcloud.com, AR)
Lilli Kuzma (WDCB-FM, IL)
Marc Albert (KMUZ-FM & mixcloud.com, OR)
Mark Michaelis (WGDR/WGDH-FM, VT)
Menachem Vinegrad (Radio Upper Galilee & folkmusicnotebook.com, Israel)
Michael Benson (WESU-FM, CT)
Michael Park (mixcloud.com)
Michael Stock (WLRN-FM, FL)
Mike Regenstreif (CKCU-FM, ON)
Mitch Park (Radio Kidnappers & Radio Hawke's Bay, New Zealand)
Nick Noble (WICN-FM, MA)
Norm Mast (WVPE-FM, IN)
Paul Hartman (WTMD-FM, MD)
Peter Fraissinet (WVBR-FM, NY)
Peter Kernast (WTSR-FM, NJ)
Richard Gordon (WRCT-FM & mixcloud.com, PA)
Richard Howard (KZMU-FM, UT)
Ron Olesko (WFDU-FM & folkmusicnotebook.com, NJ)
Sarah LaDuke (folkalley.com, NY)
Sherre Birenbaum (therootsfm.org, MO)
Steve Edge (CiTR-FM & syndicated, BC)
Taylor Caffery (WRKF-FM, LA)
Terry B. Moses & Naomi Soule (KCLC-FM, MO)
Tom Druckenmiller (WDIY-FM & podcast, PA)
Tom Funk (KGLP-FM, NM)
Wally Bowen (KOCF-LP, OR)
Wanda Fischer (WAMC-FM & mixcloud.com, NY)