The Longest Night of The Year CDThe Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (Hudson Harding Music) was the top album on folk radio during December 2018, while Noel Paul Stookey’s “Christmas Dinner” and John McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” were the month’s most-played songs. So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

The December charts are based on 15.467 airplays reported on 559 playlists submitted by 130 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses. The top albums and songs charts are compiled under the auspices of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

Top Albums of December 2018

1. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (253)
2. Somethin’ Special: A Noel Paul Stookey Holiday Recollection by Noel Paul Stookey (77)
3. Woven Waters by Tellico (64)
4. Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches by Various Artists (58)
5. Twas the Night Before Christmas by Vi Wickam (54)
6. Horrible World by Kathy Kallick Band (49)
7. Kid Bayonne by Ray Lambiase (46)
8. A Startle of Wings by Noah Zacharin (44)
9. Pickup Cowboy by Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys (40)
10. Christmas Caravan by Sultans of String (38)
11. She Remembers Everything by Rosanne Cash (35)
11. Family Recipe by Michael Jerling (35)
13. Christine Lavin Presents Just One Angel by Various Artists (31)
13. The Heart of Christmas by Kerry Patrick Clark (31)
15. Last Day on This Earth by David Roth (30)
15. Little Beast by Lucy Wainwright Roche (30)
15. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (30)
15. Ghost Light by John McCutcheon (30)
19. Hudson Harding Happy Holidays, Vol. 12 by Various Artists (29)
19. Wings by Zoe Speaks (29)
19. Home for the Harvest by Craig Bickhardt (29)
22. The Gift of the Magi (And Other Seasonal Stories) by Darryl Purpose (28)
23. Roses in November by Tret Fure (27)
24. Vintage by John Flynn (26)
24. Some People I Know by Brother Brothers (26)
24. Royal Traveller by Missy Raines (26)
24. Reflections by Andy and Judy (26)
24. Secularia by Eliza Gilkyson (26)
29. Sweet Old Religion by Pharis and Jason Romero (25)
29. Come Darkness, Come Light – Twelve Songs of Christmas by Mary Chapin Carpenter (25)
29. The Infinite Dark by Jane Volen and 3 Ravens (25)
32. Everyday Street by Lucy Kaplansky (24)
32. A Good Dog Is Lost: A Collection of Ron Hynes Songs by Ken Tizzard (24)
34. Damn Sure Blue by Kate Campbell (23)
34. Sing the Winter Away by Naming the Twins (23)
34. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (23)
34. Christine Lavin Presents Just One Angel, Vol. 2 by Various Artists (23)
38. Pretty Bird by Kathy Mattea (22)
38. The Forgotten by Joe Jencks (22)
38. Hudson Harding Happy Holidays, Vol. 11 by Various Artists (22)
38. Grenades by Kaia Kater (22)
42. Dead Reckoning by Jellyman’s Daughter (21)
42. March Through Storms by House of Hamill (21)
42. Hot Jazz, Cool Blues and Hard-Hitting Songs by Barbara Dane (21)
42. Time Is Everything by Vivian Leva (21)
46. Where Do I Come From by Maggie Roche (20)
46. The First Christmas Gift by Robin and Linda Williams (20)
48. A Very Blue Rock Christmas by Various Artists (19)
48. Wilderness Years by Jory Nash (19)
48. Down the Road Wherever by Mark Knopfler (19)
48. American Noel by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (19)
48. Midwinter by Peter Mayer (19)
48. Remember Who We Are by Charlie Mosbrook (19)
54. Wintersong by Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem (18)
54. Poets, Philosophers, Workers and Wanderers by Joe Jencks (18)
54. Winter’s Grace by Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum (18)
54. The Silver Wood: Winter Songs by Krista Detor (18)
54. The Man I’m Supposed to Be by Rod Abernethy (18)
59. More Blood, More Tracks, the Bootleg Series, Vol. 14 by Bob Dylan (17)
59. When Winter Comes – A Christmas Album by Sofia Talvik (17)
59. Dance in the Street by Donna the Buffalo (17)
59. The Hermit’s Spyglass by Ben Bedford (17)
59. Armadillo on a Hot Tin Roof by Vi Wickam and Justin Branum (17)
59. The Hillbenders by Hillbenders (17)
59. Welcome to the Ether by Wes Collins (17)
59. Whistle Down the Wind by Joan Baez (17)
67. Black Cowboys by Dom Flemons (16)
67. Triumph by Kate Callahan (16)
67. See You Around by I’m With Her (16)
67. Hudson Harding Happy Holidays, Vol. 10 by Various Artists (16)
67. Voices of Winter by Priscilla Herdman, Anne Hills, Cindy Mangsen (16)
67. I Am Christmas by Finest Kind (16)
67. Christmas by Bruce Cockburn (16)

Top Songs of December 2018

1. “Christmas Dinner” by Noel Paul Stookey (18)
1. “Christmas in the Trenches” by John McCutcheon (18)
3. “A Hazy Shade of Winter” by Crowes Pasture (16)
3. “Courage for the Morning” by Tellico (16)
3. “River” by Joni Mitchell (16)
3. “Santa & Elvis” by Mark Stepakoff (16)
7. “Carol of the Bells” by Vi Wickam (14)
7. “Urge for Going” by Katherine Rondeau (14)
7. “The Christmas Train” by Ray Lambiase (14)
7. “The Christians and the Pagans” by Dar Williams (14)
7. “Lets Do Something Different for Christmas” by James Lee Baker (14)
12. “Solstice Blues” by Eric Gerber (13)
12. “In December” by Kim Moberg (13)
12. “It’s That Time Again” by Rich Krueger (13)
12. “Oy to the World” by Christine Lavin (13)
12. “Poem at Year’s End” by Sofia Talvik (13)
17. “Snowflake” by Carlo Gover and Zoey Barrett (12)
18. “West of the Cumberlands” by Tellico (11)
18. “On the Last Day of the Year” by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Tom Paxton (11)
18. “American Noel” by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (11)
18. “Light the Lamp” by Emily Kurn (11)
22. “(I Want My Daddy) for Christmas” by Noel Paul Stookey (10)
22. “A’soalin Fantasia ” by Noel Paul Stookey (10)
22. “What Would Jesus Do?” by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (10)
22. “Infant King” by Tret Fure (10)
22. “The Coming of the Cold” by Carolann Solebello (10)