AcousticMusicScene.com is pleased to publish the monthly Top Albums and Songs charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. In April 2012, 1000 Pound Machine, a new release by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kate Campbell topped the albums chart, while the classic instrumental tune “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” by Earl Scruggs, the pioneering banjo player and bluegrass legend who died on March 28 at age 88, was reportedly the most-played song on folk radio during the month.

[Editor’s Note: An article about Earl Scruggs appears in the Bluegrass & Beyond section on AcousticMusicScene.com.]

The April 2012 charts are based on 13,889 airplays from 154 different DJs. The number of spins (airplay) is shown in parentheses.

Top Albums of April 2012

1: “1000 Pound Machine,” Kate Campbell [Large River, new] (58)
“Montgomery To Mobile”
“Wait For Another Day”
“Red Clay After Rain”
“1000 Pound Machine”
2: “Little Blue Egg,” Dave Carter And Tracy Grammer [Red House, 2/12] (56)
“Better Way”
“Hard To Make It”
“3-Fingered Jack”
“Gypsy Rose”
3: “Lay Down, Lay Low,” The Steel Wheels [thesteelwheels.com, 1/12] (55)
“Breaking Like The Sun”
“Rain In The Valley”
“Halfway To Heaven”
“Spider Wings”
4: “An Island Out Of Time,” Molasses Creek [Soundside, 2/12] (48)
“Mississippi Sawyer”
“Scat Reel Set”
“Because”
5: “Some Bright Morning,” Rani Arbo And Daisy Mayhem [Signature, new] (47)
“East Virginia”
“Hear Jerusalem Moan”
“Reason To Believe”
“Travelin’ Shoes”
6: “Voice Of Ages,” The Chieftains [Hear, 2/12] (43)
“When The Ship Comes In”
“Frost Is All Over”
“Pretty Little Girl”
7: “Hickory,” Mariel Vandersteel [marielvandersteel.com, 3/12] (42)
“Hog And Sheep Going To The Pasture”
“3 Forks Of The Cumberland”
“On The Danforth”
8: “Dirt Farmer,” Levon Helm [Vanguard, 2007] (40)
“Mountain”
“Wide River To Cross”
“Poor Old Dirt Farmer”
8: “New Siberia,” Antje Duvekot [antjeduvekot.com, new] (40)
“Ballad Of Fred Noonan”
“Sleepy Sea Of Indigo And Blue”
“Into The City”
10: “Intersection,” Nanci Griffith [Hell No, new] (39)
“High On A Mountain Top”
“Hell No”
“Never Going Back”
11: “Nobody Knows You,” Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, 4/12] (38)
“Rescue Me”
“Nobody Knows You”
“As I Go”
12: “Evie Ladin Band,” Evie Ladin Band [Evil Diane, new] (36)
“First Time”
“Got You On My Mind”
“Dime Store Glasses”
13: “Leaving Eden,” Carolina Chocolate Drops [Nonesuch, 2/12] (32)
“Country Girl”
“Ruby Are You Mad At Your Man?”
13: “Sunday Never Comes,” Jackstraw [jackstraw.net, 12/11] (32)
“Randy The Rambler”
“Come On Back To Me”
“Dark And Empty”
15: “The Good Stuff,” Peter Mulvey [Signature, 3/12] (31)
“Everybody Knows”
“But I Do”
15: “Light In The Sky,” Red Molly [redmolly.com, 10/11] (31)
“Walk Beside Me”
“Do I Ever Cross Your Mind”
17: “Borderland,” The Stray Birds [reverbnation.com/thestraybirds, new] (30)
“Come Sunday”
“Down In The Willow Garden”
“My Horses Ain’t Hungry”
18: “Bend In The River,” Claudia Schmidt [Red House, new] (29)
“Banana Moon”
“Bend In The River”
“Pretty At The End”
18: “Electric Dirt,” Levon Helm [Vanguard, 2009] (29)
“When I Go Away”
“Growin’ Trade”
“Tennessee Jed”
18: “New Kind Of Lonely,” I See Hawks In L. A. [Western Seeds, 2/12] (29)
“New Kind Of Lonely”
“Hunger Mountain Breakdown”
“Bohemian Highway”
21: “The Plum Tree And The Rose,” Sarah McQuaid [Waterbug, 3/12] (28)
“Sun Goes On Rising”
“Solid Air”
22: “Troubadours On The Rhine,” Loreena McKennitt [Quinlan Road, 2/12] (27)
“Parting Glass”
“Bonny Swans”
“Lady Of Shalott”
23: “Long Ride Home,” Darrell Scott [Full Light, 1/12] (26)
“It Must Be Sunday”
“Someday”
“Trying Not To Love You”
23: “Pink Umbrella,” Cary Cooper [ethereal girl, 10/11] (26)
“Hey Little Violet”
“Drop In The Bucket”
23: “Tilt-A-Whirl,” Drew Nelson [Red House, 2/12] (26)
“Dust”
“Promised Land”
26: “Please Don’t Sell The Piano,” Ellen Cherry [Wrong Size Shoes, new] (24)
“Please Don’t Sell The Piano”
“Impossible Bottle”
“Pickett’s Charge”
27: “This Land: Woody Guthrie’s America,” John McCutcheon [Appalsongs, 11/11] (23)
“Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done”
“Howjadoo”
28: “Ends Of The Earth,” Emily Pinkerton [Green Jeans, 3/12] (22)
“Negra”
“Polo Margariteno”
29: “Live At Sundilla,” Dave Potts [Looking Up, 1/12] (21)
“$12.99”
“If I Broke The Record”
29: “Mountains Of Dreams,” Tracy Weinberg [reverbnation.com/tracyweinberg, 1/12] (21)
“Mountains Of Dreams”
“Looking For Trouble”
29: “Safe Crossing,” West Of Eden [West Of, 4/12] (21)
“Coffin Ship”
“Scilly Set”
29: “Tromper Le Temps,” Le Vent Du Nord [Borealis, new] (21)
“Le Diable Et Le Fermier”
33: “In The Time Of Gods,” Dar Williams [Razor & Tie, new] (20)
“I Have Been Around The World”
“This Earth”
33: “Like A Man,” Adam Cohen [Decca, 4/12] (20)
“Out Of Bed”
“Beautiful”
33: “Take The Air,” Jenn Rawling And Basho Parks [Waterbug, new] (20)
“Little Swallow”
“Big Old Lake”
“Oh Delia”
33: “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band And Friends [Capitol, 1972] (20)
“Nashville Blues”
“Earl’s Breakdown”
37: “Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan,” Various Artists [Fontana, 2011] (19)
“One Too Many Mornings,” Johnny Cash Feat. The Avett Brothers
37: “The Horse King,” Cosy Sheridan [Waterbug, 10/11] (19)
“Be Outside”
“Don’t Walk Away From Love”
37: “People Take Warning!,” Various Artists [Tompkins Square, 2010] (19)
“Titanic Blues,” Hi Henry Brown And Charlie Jordan
“Last Scene Of The Titanic,” Frank Hutchinson
40: “Colours,” Finbar Furey [Valley, 11/11] (18)
“After Sunday Mass”
40: “New Multitudes,” Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames [Rounder, 2/12] (18)
“Changing World”
“Hoping Machine”
40: “Row Upon Row Of The People They Know,” The Once [Borealis, 10/11] (18)
“Cradle Hill”
“By The Glow Of The Keroscene Light”
43: “Broadsides,” Atomic Duo [theconnextion.com/atomicduo/, 3/12] (17)
“Key Chain Blues”
“Trickle Down”
43: “Dead Man’s Hand,” Harpeth Rising [Grimm Rising, 7/11] (17)
“Dead Man’s Hand”
“Hey Driver”
43: “Mud And Stone,” Loretta Hagen [Bearfort, 2/12] (17)
“I’m Gone”
“Money”
43: “No Yodeling On The Radio,” Karen Collins And The Backroads Band [Azalea City, new] (17)
“No Yodeling On The Radio”
“Parallel Lines”
43: “Otter Creek,” Ken Kolodner And Brad Kolodner [Fenchurch, 1/11] (17)
“Otter Creek”
43: “Patience In These Times,” George Mann [Running Scared, new] (17)
“One More Beautiful Song”
43: “Red Curtain,” Still On The Hill [Termite Tracs, 2/12] (17)
“Don’t Mean Northin”
50: “Earl Scruggs And Friends,” Earl Scruggs [MCA, 2010] (16)
“Country Comfort”
“Foggy Mountain Rock/Special”
50: “Foggy Mountain Jamboree,” Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs [Columbia, 2005] (16)
“Earl’s Breakdown”
“Flint Hill Special”
50: “the good in goodbye,” Madison Violet [True North, 9/11] (16)
“Cindy Cindy”
“Goin’ Away”
50: “Home By Dark,” Steve Gillette And Cindy Mangsen [Compass Rose, 1/12] (16)
“Birdsong”
50: “I Carry All I Own,” Caroline Doctorow [Narrow Lane, new] (16)
“Way Out West”
“Dust Devils”
50: “Let It Burn,” Ruthie Foster [Blue Corn, 1/12] (16)
“Titanic”
50: “Promised Land,” Gina Forsyth [Waterbug, 2/12] (16)
“Promised Land”
“What I Did On Mardi Gras Day”
50: “Rockin’ The Uke,” Cathy Fink And Marcy Marxer [Community, 11/11] (16)
“Blues Stay Away From Me”
“Dark Eyes”
50: “Steamboat In A Cornfield,” Truckstop Honeymoon [truckstophoneymoon.com, 12/11] (16)
“Cowtown Blues”
50: “Stories To Keep,” Donna Adler [donnaadler.com, 1/12] (16)
“Michelangelo”
“If My Life Were A Book”
60: “Deeper In The Well,” Eric Bibb [Stony Plain, new] (15)
“Money In Your Pocket”
60: “Gold Rush Goddess,” Melody Walker [Self, 12/11] (15)
“Gold Rush Goddess”
“Family Band”
60: “Live At Eddie’s Attic,” Adler And Hearne [Spring Hollow, 3/12] (15)
“Stranger In The House”
“Hundred Years From Now”
60: “Resurrection Moon,” Audrey Auld [Reckless, 2/12] (15)
“I’d Leave Me Too”
60: “Rhubarb Trees,” Anne Hills And David Roth [Wind River, 11/11] (15)
“May The Light Of Love”
“Rhubarb Trees”
60: “Roadside Attractions,” Chris Lavancher [chrislavancher.bandcamp.com, new] (15)
“Bus Ride West”
“Revelation Road”
60: “Seeds,” Dennis Warner [Main Trail, 2/12] (15)
“Old Love”
“Seeds”
67: “Three,” The Refugees [Wabuho, 1/12] (14)
“Can’t Stop Now”
“Catch Me If You Can”
67: “Dance Of The Robots,” Steve Quelet [stevequelet.com, new] (14)
“Dance Of The Robots”
“Passing Through”
67: “The End Of The Beginning,” John Flynn [johnflynn.net, 1/12] (14)
“Crazy As Ever”
67: “Gypsy Girl,” Kat Goldman [katgoldmanmusic.com, new] (14)
“Just A Walk Tonight”
“Moving Pictures”
67: “The Harrow And The Harvest,” Gillian Welch [Acony, 6/11] (14)
“Scarlet Town”
“Way It Goes”
67: “Hello Cruel World,” Gretchen Peters [Scarlet Letter, 1/12] (14)
“Dark Angel”
“Hello Cruel World”
67: “In Good Company,” Bill Evans [Native And Fine, new] (14)
“Distance Between 2 Points”
“Follow The Drinking Gourd”
67: “Like The Devil Does,” Miss Quincy [missquincy,net, new] (14)
“Dangerous”
67: “Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now,” Justin Townes Earle [Bloodshot, 3/12] (14)
“Am I That Lonely Tonight”
67: “Ramble At The Ryman,” Levon Helm [Vanguard, 5/11] (14)
“Ophelia”
“Weight”

Top Songs of April 2012

Earl Scruggs

1. “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” (17)
by Earl Scruggs
from “Earl Scruggs And Friends”
2. “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” (14)
by Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs
from “Foggy Mountain Jamboree”
2. “Wait For Another Day” (14)
by Kate Campbell
from “1000 Pound Machine”
4. “Montgomery To Mobile” (13)
by Kate Campbell
from “1000 Pound Machine”
5. “Flint Hill Special” (12)
by Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs
from “Foggy Mountain Jamboree”
5. “Just Breathe” (12)
by Willie Nelson
from “Heroes”
5. “When I Go Away” (12)
by Levon Helm
from “Electric Dirt”
8. “Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (11)
by The Band
from “The Band”
8. “Titanic” (11)
by Ruthie Foster
from “Let It Burn”
8. “Wide River To Cross” (11)
by Levon Helm
from “Dirt Farmer”
11. “1000 Pound Machine” (10)
by Kate Campbell
from “1000 Pound Machine”
11. “3 Forks Of The Cumberland” (10)
by Mariel Vandersteel
from “Hickory”
11. “Alabama Department Of Corrections Meditation Blues” (10)
by Kate Campbell
from “1000 Pound Machine”
11. “First Time” (10)
by Evie Ladin Band
from “Evie Ladin Band”
11. “Mountain” (10)
by Levon Helm
from “Dirt Farmer”
11. “Please Don’t Sell The Piano” (10)
by Ellen Cherry
from “Please Don’t Sell The Piano”
11. “Red Clay After Rain” (10)
by Kate Campbell
from “1000 Pound Machine”
11. “Titanic” (10)
by Leadbelly
from “Leadbelly’s Last Session”
19. “Ballad Of Fred Noonan” (9)
by Antje Duvekot
from “New Siberia”
19. “Better Way” (9)
by Dave Carter And Tracy Grammer
from “Little Blue Egg”
19. “Hog And Sheep Going To The Pasture” (9)
by Mariel Vandersteel
from “Hickory”
19. “Le Diable Et Le Fermier” (9)
by Le Vent Du Nord
from “Tromper Le Temps”
19. “Paradise” (9)
by John Prine
from “John Prine”
19. “Rain In The Valley” (9)
by The Steel Wheels
from “Lay Down, Lay Low”
19. “Titanic” (9)
by Pete Seeger
from “Headlines And Footnotes: A Collection Of Topical Songs”
also “American Favorite Ballads, Vols. 1-5”
19. “Up On Cripple Creek” (9)
by The Band
from “The Band”