The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury, as interpreted and performed by Gretchen Peters, was the top album on folk radio during May 2020, closely followed by 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson. “2020 Vision” by Danny Schmidt was the month’s #1 song, while Bob Dylan was the most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
A Nashville,TN-based singer and songwriter, Peters has earned considerable critical acclaim and accolades as a songwriter — as well as a singer. Her songs have been performed and recorded by such artists as Bryan Adams, Faith Hill, Etta James, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, The Neville Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, and George Strait. Yet on her latest album, The Night You Wrote That Song – The Songs of Mickey Newbury, she pays tribute to a fellow member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame who had a major influence on her.
“I’m so grateful to all the folk DJs for playing the album and making this possible,” says Peters of her #1 chart position. “Mickey Newbury’s music has been a big source of inspiration to me since I was a teenager, and this album was a labor of love, a long time coming.”
Danny Schmidt is an Austin, TX-based singer-songwriter, whose song “2020 Vision” was written in mid-April and recorded in quarantine in the home studio that he shares with his wife Carrie Elkin, also a singer-songwriter. “The song is just a series of reflections on life in the age of the coronavirus,” according to Schmidt. “These are uniquely challenging times, but interestingly, even in isolation, the pandemic has created a shared experience between us all.” “2020 Vision” is currently available for free on Bandcamp.
The May 2020 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12,881 airplays reported on 500 playlists submitted by 105 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (http://folk.org) is a Kansas City, MO-based nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
The monthly top albums,songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.
Top Albums of May 2020
1. The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury by Gretchen
Peters (83)
2. 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson (80)
3. Western Sun by Nell and Jim Band (57)
4. The Path of Stones by John Doyle (55)
5. Brother Sister by Watkins Family Hour (46)
6. Character by Rachael Sage (42)
7. Headlight by Della Mae (40)
8. Highway Philosophers by Lara Herscovitch (39)
9. We Fit Together by Barry Oreck (37)
10. Big Road by David Bromberg (36)
10. 25 Trips by Sierra Hull (36)
12. Early Morning Rain by Steve Forbert (34)
13. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (32)
14. Nonet by The Mammals (31)
14. Chicago Barn Dance by Special Consensus (31)
16. Time Traveler by Jason Wilber (30)
17. Bad for You by The Steeldrivers (28)
18. Eiderdown by Gordon Thomas Ward (27)
19. Live at Seagull Shop Restaurant by Jud Caswell (26)
20. Good Souls Better Angels by Lucinda Williams (25)
20. Home by Billy Strings (25)
22. Waterfalls by Thomas Aaron Garlow (24)
22. Ashes in the Morning by Ken Dunn (24)
22. Look Long by Indigo Girls (24)
25. The Perfect Plan by The Lowest Pair (23)
26. Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection by Pete Seeger (22)
26. Waltz for Abilene by Cindy Cashdollar (22)
28. Logan Ledger by Logan Ledger (20)
28. Hello Stranger by Eliza Meyer (20)
30. Mondegreens by Rachel Garlin (19)
30. Good Good Man by Vance Gilbert (19)
30. Lucky Girl by Claudia Nygaard (19)
30. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (19)
34. The Loud Album by Carla Ulbrich (18)
34. Lucky in Love by Antonio Andrade (18)
36. Chasing the Sun by Bobtown (17)
36. Bravado by Rose Cousins (17)
36. Making Life Sweet by The Early Risers (17)
36. Lp5 by John Moreland (17)
36. Facets of Folk by Mara Levine (17)
36. Hang Me Out to Dry by Trip McCool (17)
36. Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne by Amy Speace (17)
43. Treat a Stranger Right by Frank and Allie Lee (16)
43. I Have Known Women by Saro Lynch-Thomason and Sam Gleaves (16)
45. The Family Songbook by The Haden Triplets (15)
45. How We Want to Love by Lisa Bastoni (15)
45. Straight to Marrow by Clint Alphin (15)
48. Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn by Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn (14)
48. Love and Leave You by 100 Mile House (14)
48. And Laurie Lewis by Laurie Lewis (14)
48. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (14)
48. Song Like a Seed by Sara Thomsen (14)
48. Circadian by Letitia Vansant (14)
54. A Long Way Back – The Songs of Glimmer by Kim Richey (13)
54. Call the Captain by Western Centuries (13)
54. Losing Ground Vol. 1 by The Sweeplings (13)
54. Sins We Made by Harrow Fair (13)
54. Wildwood by Katie Dahl (13)
59. Alicia Viani by Alicia Viani (12)
59. Someday Soon Somehow by Scott Fab (12)
59. Strange Fascination by Chatham County Line (12)
59. Refuge by Sultans of String (12)
59. Caught It From the Rye by Tre Burt (12)
59. Hold My Beer V.2 by Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen (12)
59. Big Blue Sky in the Morning by Barbara Jo Kammer (12)
59. From a Distance by Valerie Smith (12)
59. The Storyteller’s Suitcase by Ellis Paul (12)
59. Work My Claim by Brooks Williams (12)
59. One Town Over by g.f. Patrick (12)
70. Harmony Ascension Division by Pete Bernhard (11)
70. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (11)
70. Honest by Ordinary Elephant (11)
70. Wings of a Jetliner by Nate Lee (11)
70. The Light We Bring by Trout Steak Revival (11)
70. Ghosts of West Virginia by Steve Earle (11)
70. Assiniboine and the Red by The Small Glories (11)
70. Where the Wind Blows by Beppe Gambetta (11)
70. Best of the Rest by Si Kahn (11)
70. Be a Pain by Alastair Moock (11)
70. Everyday Moments by Connie Kaldor (11)
70. Blindsided by Mark Erelli (11)
Top Songs of May 2020
1. “2020 Vision” by Danny Schmidt (22)
2. “From a Distance” by Valerie Smith (20)
3. “A Prayer for the Sane” by Danny Schmidt (19)
4. “Peace in Our Hearts” by Eliza Gilkyson (16)
5. “Ohio” by Rachael Sage (14)
6. “Six Feet Apart” by Crys Matthews and Heather Mae (13)
6. “Promises to Keep” by Eliza Gilkyson (13)
8. “Take This Hammer” by David Bromberg (12)
8. “Just Dropped in (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” by
Gretchen Peters (12)
8. “Earthman” by The Dillards (12)
11. “A Simple Song” by Barry Oreck (11)
11. “The Path of Stones” by John Doyle (11)
11. “Why You Been Gone So Long” by Gretchen Peters (11)
11. “One Vote One Name” by Joel Rafael (11)
15. “Mothers” by Grace Morrison (10)
15. “Headlight” by Della Mae (10)
15. “East Side West Side” by The Mammals (10)
15. “Wash Your Hands” by The Twangtown Paramours (10)
15. “Heaven Help the Child” by Gretchen Peters (10)
15. “Bravery’s on Fire” by Rachael Sage (10)
15. “Frisco Depot” by Gretchen Peters (10)
22. “I Wonder” by Claudia Nygaard (9)
22. “Travelin’ the Road West” by Nell and Jim Band (9)
22. “No Place to Run” by Barry Oreck (9)
22. “In My Beautiful Dream” by Nell and Jim Band (9)
22. “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” by Eliza Gilkyson (9)
22. “Sing Merrily to Me” by John Doyle (9)
22. “My Heart Aches” by Eliza Gilkyson (9)
22. “Lafayette” by Watkins Family Hour (9)
22. “Bet on Love” by Pharis and Jason Romero (9)
Top Artists of May 2020
1. Bob Dylan (149)
2. Pete Seeger (105)
3. Eliza Gilkyson (91)
4. Gretchen Peters (85)
5. John Prine (66)
6. Nell and Jim Band (57)
7. John Doyle (55)
8. Della Mae (47)
8. Watkins Family Hour (47)
8. Danny Schmidt (47)
11. John McCutcheon (44)
12. Rachael Sage (43)
13. Pharis and Jason Romero (42)
14. The Steeldrivers (41)
15. Lara Herscovitch (40)
16. David Bromberg (39)
17. Barry Oreck (38)
18. Special Consensus (37)
18. Sierra Hull (37)
20. Steve Forbert (35)
21. Lucinda Williams (34)
22. Jake Blount (33)
23. The Mammals (32)
23. Valerie Smith (32)
25. Billy Strings (31)
25. Jason Wilber (31)
25. Joan Baez (31)
25. Carla Ulbrich (31)
29. Indigo Girls (30)
29. Mara Levine (30)
31. Little Richard (29)
32. Saro Lynch-Thomason and Sam Gleaves (27)
32. Gordon Thomas Ward (27)
34. Jud Caswell (26)
35. Ken Dunn (25)
35. Steve Goodman (25)
35. Tom Paxton (25)
38. Logan Ledger (24)
38. Thomas Aaron Garlow (24)
38. Laurie Lewis (24)
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