2009 Top Folk Songs
Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart
Compiled by Richard Gillmann of KBCS-FM
From Playlists Submitted to FOLKDJ-L
TOP SONGS OF 2009
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 166046 airplays from 195 different DJs
1. "There's A Bright Side Somewhere" (106)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from "River Of Time"
2. "Better Off Broke" (92)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose To Sing"
3. "Better Times Will Come" (69)
by Diana Jones
from "Better Times Will Come"
3. "The Loving Kind" (69)
by Nanci Griffith
from "The Loving Kind"
5. "Pointing At The Sun" (68)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from "Pointing At The Sun"
6. "Twenty One" (66)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
7. "Deeper Well" (65)
by The Wailin' Jennys
from "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House"
7. "I Know A Bird" (65)
by Eric Brace And Peter Cooper
from "You Don't Have To Like Them Both"
7. "Rocks And Water" (65)
by Bill Evans And Megan Lynch
from "Let's Do Something"
10. "Casey Jones" (64)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
10. "Daddy Played The Banjo" (64)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
12. "River Song" (63)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
13. "Hazy Shade Of Winter" (61)
by Susan Werner
from "Classics"
13. "Steamboat Captain" (61)
by Guy Davis
from "Sweetheart Like You"
13. "Swing Me Down" (61)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose To Sing"
16. "Pound A Week Rise" (57)
by Liz Carroll And John Doyle
from "Double Play"
17. "Come On Up To The House" (56)
by Sarah Jarosz
from "Song Up In Her Head"
18. "Cry" (54)
by Slaid Cleaves
from "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away"
19. "Haven't Learned A Thing" (53)
by Amy Speace
from "The Killer In Me"
20. "Folk Radio" (52)
by Steve James
from "Short Blue Stories"
20. "Grampa Built Bridges" (52)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose To Sing"
20. "Preachin' On The Old Campground" (52)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from "River Of Time"
23. "House Of Cards" (51)
by James Keelaghan
from "House Of Cards"
23. "Turn Turn Turn" (51)
by Susan Werner
from "Classics"
25. "Long Hot Summer Days" (49)
by Sara Watkins
from "Sara Watkins"
26. "Song Up In Her Head" (48)
by Sarah Jarosz
from "Song Up In Her Head"
27. "Hello Stranger" (47)
by Catie Curtis
from "Hello, Stranger"
27. "Scotch Pine" (47)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
29. "Modern World" (46)
by David Wilcox
from "Open Hand"
29. "Serenity Road" (46)
by Annie And Rod Capps
from "My Blue Garden"
31. "Tell Me True" (45)
by Sarah Jarosz
from "Song Up In Her Head"
32. "Angeline The Baker's Gone" (44)
by Euphonia
from "Old Jawbone"
32. "Ring That Bell" (44)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
32. "River Of Time" (44)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from "River Of Time"
35. "Buckets Of Rain" (43)
by Bop Ensemble
from "Between Trains"
35. "Grandmother Moon" (43)
by Drew Nelson
from "Dusty Road To Beulah Land"
35. "Long Road" (43)
by Cliff Eberhardt
from "500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions"
35. "Pancho And Lefty" (43)
by Steve Earle
from "Townes"
35. "Summer Fly" (43)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from "Pointing At The Sun"
35. "Too Many Memories" (43)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
35. "Unbound" (43)
by The Refugees
from "Unbound"
42. "Green Rolling Hills Of West Virginia" (42)
by Emmylou Harris And Mary Black
from "Singing Through The Hard Times: A Tribute To Utah Phillips"
42. "Sweetheart Like You" (42)
by Guy Davis
from "Sweetheart Like You"
42. "Wild Rose Of The Mountain" (42)
by Mara Levine
from "Mara's Gems"
45. "Cotton" (41)
by Sam Baker
from "Cotton"
45. "Highway 2" (41)
by Drew Nelson
from "Dusty Road To Beulah Land"
45. "Juggler Out In Traffic" (41)
by Richard Shindell
from "Not Far Now"
45. "Long Way" (41)
by Antje Duvekot
from "The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer"
45. "My Blue Garden" (41)
by Annie And Rod Capps
from "My Blue Garden"
50. "Across America" (40)
by Nanci Griffith
from "The Loving Kind"
50. "Bless Your Foolish Heart" (40)
by Jesse Winchester
from "Love Filling Station"
50. "One Step At A Time" (40)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from "Pointing At The Sun"
50. "Pretty Flowers" (40)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
50. "Safe Home" (40)
by James Keelaghan
from "House Of Cards"
50. "Toe The Line" (40)
by Ben Bullington
from "White Sulphur Springs"
56. "Free To Fall" (39)
by Beaucoup Blue
from "Free To Fall"
56. "Hallelujah Song" (39)
by Pierce Pettis
from "That Kind Of Love"
56. "I Think Of You" (39)
by John Gorka
from "So Dark You See"
56. "Springhill" (39)
by Brian Vardigans
from "Springhill"
60. "100 Miles" (38)
by Catie Curtis
from "Hello, Stranger"
60. "Am I Right" (38)
by Joel Mabus
from "No Worries Now"
60. "Get Up Clara" (38)
by Richard Shindell
from "Not Far Now"
60. "Grandmother Song" (38)
by Vienna Teng
from "Inland Territory"
60. "Last Love Letter" (38)
by Cosy Sheridan
from "Eros"
60. "Links In A Chain" (38)
by Joe Jencks
from "Links In A Chain"
60. "Logical Song" (38)
by Joe Crookston
from "Able Baker Charlie And Dog"
60. "Southland Street" (38)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose To Sing"
60. "Trono" (38)
by Cori Brewster
from "Buffalo Street"
69. "American Tune" (37)
by Darrell Scott
from "Modern Hymns"
69. "East Of Woodstock, West Of Viet Nam" (37)
by Tom Russell
from "Blood And Candle Smoke"
69. "Is It Me?" (37)
by Jim Photoglo
from "Is It Me"
69. "Shakin' All Over" (37)
by Eilen Jewell
from "Sea Of Tears"
73. "Bird By Bird" (36)
by Joe Crookston
from "Able Baker Charlie And Dog"
73. "East Of Eden" (36)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
73. "Fall Into The Night" (36)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
73. "Girls Like Us" (36)
by Rhythm Angels
from "Girls Like Us"
73. "Land Of The Shadows" (36)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
73. "Lord Won't You Help Me" (36)
by Sara Watkins
from "Sara Watkins"
73. "Ring The Bell" (36)
by The Gibson Brothers
from "Ring The Bell"
73. "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy" (36)
by Pete Seeger
from "At 89"
73. "Weight Of The World" (36)
by Amy Speace
from "The Killer In Me"
82. "Dakota Lullaby" (35)
by Albert And Gage
from "Dakota Lullaby"
82. "Gentle Arms Of Eden" (35)
by Dave Carter And Tracy Grammer
from "Drum Hat Buddha"
82. "Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still" (35)
by Eric Brace And Peter Cooper
from "You Don't Have To Like Them"
82. "Mountain" (35)
by Richard Shindell
from "Not Far Now"
82. "Serpentine Cycle Of Money" (35)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest"
82. "Surprise, Surprise" (35)
by Chris Smither
from "Time Stands Still"
82. "Wondering Where The Lions Are" (35)
by Bruce Cockburn
from "Slice O Life: Live Solo"
82. "Yesterdays And Used To Be's" (35)
by Eric Brace And Peter Cooper
from "You Don't Have To Like Them Both"
90. "Sweet And Shiny Eyes" (34)
by Gretchen Peters With Tom Russell
from "One To The Heart, One To The Head"
90. "I Am Nothing" (34)
by Pierce Pettis
from "That Kind Of Love"
90. "Dream Again" (34)
by David Wilcox
from "Open Hand"
90. "Hoedown At Alice's" (34)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
90. "Right Into Love" (34)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
90. "True And Fine" (34)
by Drew Nelson
from "Dusty Road To Beulah Land"
96. "Choose Joy" (33)
by Buskin And Batteau
from "Red Shoes And Golden Hearts"
96. "Crooked Man" (33)
by Chris Stuart And Backcountry
from "Crooked Man"
96. "Hot Tonight" (33)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
96. "Mississippi River Runnin' Backwards" (33)
by Tom Russell
from "Blood And Candle Smoke"
96. "Night's Beginning To Shine" (33)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose To Sing"
96. "Slow Down" (33)
by Shout Sister Shout
from "Hit That Jive"
96. "Spencer The Rover" (33)
by Cara Dillon
from "Hill Of Thieves"
96. "Stranger" (33)
by Drew Nelson
from "Dusty Road To Beulah Land"
96. "To Live Is To Fly" (33)
by Steve Earle
from "Townes"
105. "7 Pies" (32)
by Still On The Hill
from "Ozark: A Celebration In Song"
105. "Any Old Time" (32)
by Sara Watkins
from "Sara Watkins"
105. "Cherry Mine" (32)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
105. "Drift Away" (32)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
105. "Forky On The Water" (32)
by Alison Brown
from "The Company You Keep"
105. "Green Mountains And Me" (32)
by Slaid Cleaves
from "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away"
105. "Honey, Sugar, Baby, Mine" (32)
by Annie And Rod Capps
from "My Blue Garden"
105. "How Can I Keep From Singing" (32)
by Joel Mabus
from "No Worries Now"
105. "Joy On The Other Side" (32)
by Ruthie Foster
from "The Truth According To Ruthie Foster"
105. "Mother Jones On The Line" (32)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
105. "Peace Like A River" (32)
by Bop Ensemble
from "Between Trains"
105. "Robber Barons" (32)
by Battlefield Band
from "Zama Zama: Try Your Luck"
105. "We Will Adjust" (32)
by Tom Chapin
from "Let The Bad Times Roll"
105. "When I Go" (32)
by Dave Carter With Tracy Grammer
from "When I Go"
119. "America's Waiting" (31)
by John Flynn
from "America's Waiting"
119. "Blue Car" (31)
by Greg Brown
from "Dream City: Essential Recordings, 1997-2006"
119. "Driving" (31)
by The Wailin' Jennys
from "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House"
119. "Ignorance And Privilege" (31)
by John Gorka
from "So Dark You See"
119. "It's A Shame About Him" (31)
by Jesse Winchester
from "Love Filling Station"
119. "Morningside" (31)
by Bill Evans And Megan Lynch
from "Let's Do Something"
119. "Pray Tell" (31)
by The Pines
from "Tremolo"
119. "Rattlin' Bones" (31)
by Kasey Chambers And Shane Nicholson
from "Rattlin Bones"
119. "Safe Home" (31)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
119. "Sangamon" (31)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
119. "Santa Ana Wind" (31)
by Tom Russell
from "Blood And Candle Smoke"
119. "Tennessee Jed" (31)
by Levon Helm
from "Electric Dirt"
119. "Wind" (31)
by Susan Werner
from "Classics"
132. "Lighthouse" (30)
by Antje Duvekot
from "The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer"
132. "2 Cents Plain" (30)
by Joel Mabus
from "No Worries Now"
132. "Balloon Man" (30)
by Richard Shindell
from "Not Far Now"
132. "Bird Song" (30)
by Heather Masse
from "Bird Song"
132. "I Am The Big Easy" (30)
by Ray Bonneville
from "Goin' By Feel"
132. "Into The Mystic" (30)
by Bill Evans And Megan Lynch
from "Let's Do Something"
132. "Oh America" (30)
by Beaucoup Blue
from "Free To Fall"
132. "One Of Those Days" (30)
by Eilen Jewell
from "Sea Of Tears"
132. "One Voice" (30)
by The Wailin' Jennys
from "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House"
132. "Open Hand" (30)
by David Wilcox
from "Open Hand"
132. "Our Time Again" (30)
by Jory Nash
from "New Blue Day"
132. "Tear My Stillhouse Down" (30)
by Euphonia
from "Old Jawbone"
144. "Alive" (29)
by Dala
from "Everyone Is Someone"
144. "Catch Me When I Wake Up" (29)
by Beaucoup Blue
from "Free To Fall"
144. "Money Changes Everything" (29)
by Nanci Griffith
from "The Loving Kind"
144. "Nina Simone" (29)
by Tom Russell
from "Blood And Candle Smoke"
144. "What I Know" (29)
by Tom Rush
from "What I Know"
144. "When The Leaves Begin To Fall" (29)
by Cliff Eberhardt
from "500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions"
150. "Across The Western Ocean" (28)
by The Green Fields Of America
from "The Green Fields Of America"
150. "Old Fences" (28)
by Bill And Kate Isles
from "Matching Baggage"
150. "2 Timing Bank Robber's Lament" (28)
by Danny Schmidt
from "Instead The Forest Rose"
150. "Beautiful Thing" (28)
by Slaid Cleaves
from "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away"
150. "Been So Long" (28)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from "River Of Time"
150. "Chandelier/Anne Lacey's" (28)
by Liz Carroll And John Doyle
from "Double Play"
150. "Grey And Green" (28)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from "Pointing At The Sun"
150. "Have A Little Heart" (28)
by Cliff Eberhardt
from "500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions"
150. "Maybelle's Guitar And Monroe's Mandolin" (28)
by Robin And Linda Williams
from "Buena Vista"
150. "One Of These Days" (28)
by Nanci Griffith
from "The Loving Kind"
150. "Passing Through" (28)
by Catie Curtis
from "Hello, Stranger"
also "Long Night Moon"
150. "Road West" (28)
by Alison Brown
from "The Company You Keep"
150. "Spike Driver Blues" (28)
by The Pines
from "Tremolo"
150. "This Land Is Your Land" (28)
by Woody Guthrie
from "This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1"
also "My Dusty Road"
150. "Words Unspoken" (28)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
165. "Clean Plate Club" (27)
by Alison Brown
from "The Company You Keep"
165. "Coming Into Los Angeles" (27)
by Arlo Guthrie
from "Tales Of '69"
165. "The Crow" (27)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
165. "Denali, Not McKinley" (27)
by Eric Brace And Peter Cooper
from "You Don't Have To Like That Both"
165. "Glory Bound" (27)
by The Wailin' Jennys
from "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House"
165. "Guitar" (27)
by Guy Clark
from "Somedays The Song Writes You"
165. "I Remember Loving You" (27)
by Tom Paxton
from "Singing Through The Hard Times: A Tribute To Utah Phillips"
165. "If I Had A Hammer" (27)
by Peter, Paul And Mary
from "Peter, Paul And Mary"
165. "Jay Bird" (27)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
165. "Lull It By" (27)
by Greg Brown
from "Dream City: Essential Recordings, 1997-2006"
165. "Mary Ellen Carter" (27)
by Stan Rogers
from "Between The Breaks...Live!"
165. "Matching Baggage" (27)
by Bill And Kate Isles
from "Matching Baggage"
165. "Reasonland" (27)
by Antje Duvekot
from "The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer"
165. "Songs Of Hope And Freedom" (27)
by Gathering Time
from "Songs Of Hope And Freedom"
165. "Southern Shores" (27)
by Robin And Linda Williams
from "Buena Vista"
165. "Summertime" (27)
by The Wailin' Jennys
from "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House"
165. "Volunteers" (27)
by Mark Erelli
from "Delivered"
165. "When The Lilacs Are In Bloom" (27)
by Sarah Lee Guthrie And Johnny Irion
from "Folksong"
165. "Zephyr Wind" (27)
by Dana And Susan Robinson
from "Big Mystery"
184. "2 Sparrows" (26)
by Naomi Sommers
from "Gentle As The Sun"
184. "Alligator Ate Her Poodle" (26)
by Joel Mabus
from "No Worries Now"
184. "Amelia" (26)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
184. "American Noel" (26)
by Dave Carter And Tracy Grammer
from "Wonderland: A Winter Solstice Celebration"
184. "Aphrodisiaholic" (26)
by Sometymes Why
from "Your Heart Is A Glorious Machine"
184. "Bold Marauder" (26)
by Caroline Doctorow
from "Another Country"
184. "Christmas In The Trenches" (26)
by John McCutcheon
from "Live At Wolf Trap"
184. "City Of New Orleans" (26)
by Steve Goodman
from "No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology"
184. "Crocodile Man" (26)
by Annie And Rod Capps
from "My Blue Garden"
184. "Darkest Hour Is Just Before The Dawn" (26)
by Debra Cowan
from "Fond Desire Farewell"
184. "Ev'ry Night" (26)
by James Hill And Anne Davison
from "True Love Don't Weep"
184. "Folk Song" (26)
by Sarah Lee Guthrie And Johnny Irion
from "Folksong"
184. "Hillbilly Goddess" (26)
by Alecia Nugent
from "Hillbilly Goddess"
184. "Jewel Of Paris" (26)
by Nathan Rogers
from "Gauntlet"
184. "Last Time Loving You" (26)
by Rhonda Vincent
from "Destination Life"
184. "Life Threads" (26)
by Lucy Kaplansky
from "Life Threads (single)"
184. "The Longing" (26)
by Smithfield Fair
from "The Longing"
184. "Nashville Blues" (26)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from "River Of Time"
184. "On A Wing And A Prayer" (26)
by Peter Mulvey
from "Letters From A Flying Machine"
184. "Pitkin County Turnaround" (26)
by Steve Martin
from "The Crow"
184. "Rivertown" (26)
by The Greencards
from "Fascination"
184. "Sister Love's Cafe" (26)
by Rhythm Angels
from "Girls Like Us"
184. "That Kind Of Love" (26)
by Pierce Pettis
from "That Kind Of Love"
184. "Tumbleweed Stew" (26)
by Slaid Cleaves
from "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away"
184. "Walking On A Wire" (26)
by Catie Curtis
from "Hello, Stranger"
184. "When Fall Comes To New England" (26)
by Cheryl Wheeler
from "Different Stripe"
also "Driving Home"
184. "White Freightliner Blues" (26)
by Steve Earle
from "Townes"
184. "You're The Weather" (26)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
212. "10 Paces" (25)
by Ben Bedford
from "Land Of The Shadows"
212. "500 Miles" (25)
by Cliff Eberhardt
from "500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions"
212. "Avenue" (25)
by The Greencards
from "Fascination"
212. "Bracero" (25)
by Joe Jencks
from "Links In A Chain"
212. "Colorado Girl" (25)
by Steve Earle
from "Townes"
212. "Cotton Eyed Joe/Ruby" (25)
by Laura Love And Orville Johnson
from "The Sweeter The Juice"
212. "Cotton-Eyed Joe" (25)
by Euphonia
from "Old Jawbone"
212. "Dad's Yard" (25)
by Catie Curtis
from "Hello, Stranger"
212. "Days I Do Not Believe" (25)
by Cosy Sheridan
from "Eros"
212. "Dutchman" (25)
by John Gorka
from "So Dark You See"
212. "Edge Of A Dream" (25)
by Sarah Jarosz
from "Song Up In Her Head"
212. "Every Kind Of Blues" (25)
by Angelo M
from "Steelwork"
212. "False From True" (25)
by Pete Seeger
from "At 89"
212. "Father's Day" (25)
by Johnsmith
from "Gravity Of Grace"
212. "Full Moon, Baby" (25)
by Putnam Smith
from "Goldrush"
212. "Good Luck In The Promised Land" (25)
by Buskin And Batteau
from "Red Shoes And Golden Hearts"
212. "Great Day In The Morning" (25)
by Claire Lynch
from "Whatcha Gonna Do"
212. "Hard Times Come Again No More" (25)
by David Ferrard
from "Across The Troubled Wave"
212. "Hell Or High Water" (25)
by Albert And Gage
from "Dakota Lullaby"
212. "If I Had A Gun" (25)
by Rhythm Angels
from "Girls Like Us"
212. "The L And N Don't Stop Here Anymore" (25)
by Kathy Mattea
from "Coal"
212. "Ragdoll Princes And Junkyard Queens" (25)
by Antje Duvekot
from "The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer"
212. "Red Shoes And Golden Hearts" (25)
by Buskin And Batteau
from "Red Shoes And Golden Hearts"
212. "Secret Gardens" (25)
by Shawn Colvin
from "Born To The Breed: A Tribute To Judy Collins"
212. "Single Girl" (25)
by Bearfoot
from "Doors And Windows"
212. "To Dance" (25)
by Pierce Pettis
from "That Kind Of Love"
212. "Vertigo" (25)
by Antje Duvekot
from "The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer"
239. "Soul Of A Man" (24)
by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
from "A Stranger Here"
239. "Vow Of Silence" (24)
by David Wilcox
from "Open Hand"
239. "Streets Of Charlottetown" (24)
by Chris Stuart And Backcountry
from "Crooked Man"
239. "My Familiar Sky" (24)
by Cori Brewster
from "Buffalo Street"
239. "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" (24)
by Richard Thompson
from "Rumor And Sigh"
239. "Big Mystery" (24)
by Dana And Susan Robinson
from "Big Mystery"
239. "Bring Back Storyville" (24)
by Guy Davis
from "Sweetheart Like You"
239. "California Dreamin" (24)
by Bop Ensemble
from "Between Trains"
239. "Canned Goods" (24)
by Greg Brown
from "One Night"
also "If I Had Known: Essential Recordings, 1980-1996"
239. "Chalk" (24)
by Buddy And Julie Miller
from "Written In Chalk"
239. "Daddy's Lullaby" (24)
by Jim Photoglo
from "Is It Me"
239. "Day I Die" (24)
by Diana Jones
from "Better Times Will Come"