Ry Cooder had the top album (The Prodigal Son) and four of the ten most-played songs on folk radio during May 2018, while Reggie Harris and Cosy Sheridan & Charlie Koch shared the month’s top song with “Ready To Go” and “My Fence & My Neighbor,” respectively. So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio.

The May 2018 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 14,879 airplays reported on 578 playlists submitted by 134 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The top albums and songs charts had been voluntarily compiled for some 20 years by Richard Gillmann, a former folk DJ, and, as of this year, are now being compiled by a team of people under the auspices of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

Top Albums of May 2018

Ry Cooder The Prodigal Son CD Cover1. The Prodigal Son by Ry Cooder (128)
2. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (123)
3. Them and Us by Chuck Brodsky (103)
4. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (88)
5. The Lies the Poets Tell by Laurie MacAllister (84)
6. Sweet Old Religion by Pharis and Jason Romero (81)
7. Safe Until Tomorrow by The Kennedys (80)
8. The Broken Heart of Everything by David Francey (76)
8. My Fence & My Neighbor by Cosy Sheridan and Charlie Koch (76)
10. Take This Hammer by Joe Rollin Porter (72)
11. The Man I’m Supposed to Be by Rod Abernethy (70)
12. Black Cowboys by Dom Flemons (68)
13. Shiver by Carolann Solebello (63)
14. Voices by Tom Rush (53)
15. The Forgotten by Joe Jencks (52)
16. Armadillo on a Hot Tin Roof by Vi Wickam and Justin Branum (46)
17. Held in the Arms by Lucia Comnes (44)
17. White Tiger by Ana Egge (44)
19. Last Man Standing by Willie Nelson (42)
20. Carter Stanley’s Eyes by Peter Rowan (41)
20. Whistle Down the Wind by Joan Baez (41)
22. Old Songs Yet to Sing by Tom Russell (40)
22. Rising Tide by Taivi (40)
24. Get Us Out of Fearland by Banjo Nickaru and Western Scooches (38)
25. Songs of the Mountains, Songs of the Plains by Roe Family Singers (35)
26. Rabbit in the Moon by Sparrow Blue (34)
26. Volunteer by Old Crow Medicine Show (34)
28. For Real by Rita Hosking (33)
28. Natural by Jesse Terry (33)
28. Ghost Light by John McCutcheon (33)
31. North of Despair by Wood and Wire (32)
31. 10,000 Days Like These by Low Lily (32)
31. Sometimes Just the Sky by Mary Chapin Carpenter (32)
34. See You Around by I’m With Her (31)
34. Live From the Art Farm by The Fretless (31)
34. Tongue and Groove by Andrew Collins Trio (31)
34. Time Is Everything by Vivian Leva (31)
38. Old Freight by Alan Barnosky (30)
38. The Gap of Dreams by Altan (30)
40. At the Turning Point by Tom Chapin and Friends (29)
40. Edges Run by Mipso (29)
42. In City and Country by The Young Novelists (28)
42. I’m The Only One Who Will Tell You, You’re Bad by Goodnight Moonshine (28)
44. Low Tide by Tracy Grammer (27)
45. Beginning Again by Rod MacDonald (26)
45. True in Time by John Gorka (26)
45. When the Sun Comes Up by Lonesome Ace Stringband (26)
48. The Lesser of Two Evils by The Lied To’s (25)
48. The Invisible Comes to Us by Anna and Elizabeth (25)
48. Hot Jazz, Cool Blues and Hard-Hitting Songs by Barbara Dane (25)
51. All Their Many Miles by Super Saturated Sugar Strings (24)
51. North by Heather Styka and the Sentimentals (24)
53. No Pressure by Hot Club Sandwich (23)
53. Songs From the Deluge by Western Centuries (23)
55. Where Have All the Flowers Gone by Various Artists (22)
55. By the Way, I Forgive You by Brandi Carlile (22)
57. Rise Up by Belle of the Fall (21)
57. Sunshiner by The Mammals (21)
59. Southland by Lindsey Lou (20)
59. End Zone by Annie Lou (20)
59. Time to Fly by Mare Wakefield and Nomad (20)
59. Morose by Les Poules a Colin (20)
63. Rivers and Roads by Special Consensus (19)
63. Every Road We Take by Joyce Luna (19)
63. The Next Chapter by Connla (19)
66. Emerald Rae by Emerald Rae (18)
66. Live at the Kitchen Sink by C. Daniel Boling (18)
66. Sing Louder by Meghan Cary (18)
66. Call Me Lucky by Chris Smither (18)
70. A Landscape of Ghosts by Rob Siegel (17)
70. Love Is the Answer by Judy Chops (17)
70. American Favorite Ballads by Pete Seeger (17)
70. Every Seed Must Die by Promise Is Hope (17)
70. Blindfaller by Mandolin Orange (17)
70. Accomplice One by Tommy Emmanuel (17)

Top Songs of May 2018

Here’s a link to view a video of Cosy Sheridan and Charlie Koch’s song “My Fence & My Neighbor” (Video by Neale Eckstein): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSCtBVexmBQ

Reggie Harris Ready To Go CD cover1. “Ready to Go” by Reggie Harris (33)
1. “My Fence & My Neighbor” by Cosy Sheridan and Charlie Koch (33)
3. “Them and Us” by Chuck Brodsky (32)
4. “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” by John Prine (28)
5. “Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right” by Ry Cooder (25)
6. “The Times They Are A-Changin” by Reggie Harris (24)
7. “I’ll Be Rested When the Roll Is Called” by Ry Cooder (21)
8. “Straight Street” by Ry Cooder (19)
9. “Are You Happy Now?” by Laurie MacAllister (18)
10. “Stand Up Guy” by Chuck Brodsky (15)
10. “Shrinking Man” by Ry Cooder (15)
12. “Love Guides the Wounded Heart” by Reggie Harris (14)
12. “Safe Until Tomorrow” by The Kennedys (14)
12. “Be Silent No More” by The Kennedys (14)
12. “Hiram” by Carolann Solebello (14)
12. “Sweet Old Religion” by Pharis and Jason Romero (14)
12. “Last Man Standing” by Willie Nelson (14)
18. “Umbrella” by The Kennedys (13)
18. “Call It Chicken” by Chuck Brodsky (13)
20. “Little Girls” by Meghan Cary (12)
20. “You Must Unload” by Ry Cooder (12)
20. “Black Jack Davy” by Joe Rollin Porter (12)
20. “Lonely Road” by David Francey (12)
24. “Spike Driver Blues” by Joe Rollin Porter (11)
24. “On the Farm” by Lucia Comnes (11)
24. “Warsaw in May” by Chuck Brodsky (11)
24. “The Prodigal Son” by Ry Cooder (11)
24. “Saro Jane” by Joe Rollin Porter (11)
24. “True North” by Carolann Solebello (11)
24. “Jesus and Woody” by Ry Cooder (11)
24. “Old World Style” by Pharis and Jason Romero (11)
24. “I Don’t Need No Glasses” by Banjo Nickaru and Western Scooches (11)
24. “For a Song” by Laurie MacAllister (11)
24. “Walking in Jerusalem” by David Francey (11)
24. “Skip the Cat Needs a Home” by Cosy Sheridan and Charlie Koch (11)
24. “Night and Morning” by David Francey (11)