Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine by John McCutcheon was the top album on folk radio during June 2020, while the revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist also was the month’s top artist and “$20 Bill (For George Floyd)” by Tom Prasada-Rao was the month’s #1 song. 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.
John McCutcheon, a performing and recording artist since the mid-1970s, was the most-played artist for three consecutive years (2017-2019) and also had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Well May the World Go”) on folk radio during 2019. McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs during the holiday season for years. Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine is his 41st recording. McCutcheon, also a longtime labor and social activist, wrote the songs while self-quarantined in his north Georgia cabin during the COVID-19 pandemic, after returning from an Australian tour in mid-March.
Tom Prasada-Rao, a Silver Spring, MD-based singer-songwriter, wrote and recorded “$20 Bill (For George Floyd)” in the days following the senseless murder of a 46 year-old black man by a Minneapolis, MN police officer after he allegedly bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. A poignant and heartbreakingly powerful protest song, “$20 Bill (For George Floyd)” has been covered by more than 150 other artists to date. Below is a link to view Prasada-Rao’s original version, while one he did with the Fox Run Five appears with the Top Songs chart.
The June 2020 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 14,283 airplays reported on 438 playlists submitted by 115 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (https://folk.org) is a 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 June 2020
1. Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine by John McCutcheon (107)
2. Ordinary Love by Ellis Delaney (97)
3. 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson (94)
4. Western Sun by Nell and Jim Band (75)
5. The Night You Wrote That Song: The Songs of Mickey Newbury by Gretchen Peters (73)
6. Nonet by The Mammals (68)
7. Swingin’ at the Savoy by Vi Wickam and Paul Anastasio (63)
8. I Have Known Women: Songs by Si Kahn Celebrating Women’s Lives and Struggles by Saro Lynch Thomason and Sam Gleaves (61)
9. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (58)
10. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (56)
11. Keep on Walkin’ by Julie and John Pennell (50)
12. Ghost Tattoo by Kristen Grainger and True North (47)
12. Alternative Facts and Other White Lies by Mike Glick (47)
14. World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz (46)
15. Roots, Rhymes and Branches by Brant Miller (44)
16. The Path of Stones by John Doyle (43)
17. 25 Trips by Sierra Hull (39)
18. Headlight by Della Mae (38)
18. Big Blue Sky in the Morning by Barbara Jo Kammer (38)
20. Bad for You by The Steeldrivers (37)
21. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (35)
22. Besos Kisses by Colleen Kattau (34)
23. Big Road by David Bromberg Band (33)
24. Eiderdown by Gordon Thomas Ward (32)
24. Brother Sister by Watkins Family Hour (32)
26. Character by Rachael Sage (31)
26. Home by Billy Strings (31)
28. Bitter Better by Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards (30)
28. Look Long by Indigo Girls (30)
30. We Fit Together by Barry Oreck (29)
31. Up Around the Bend by Kim Moberg (28)
32. Facets of Folk by Mara Levine (27)
32. Ghosts of West Virginia by Steve Earle and the Dukes (27)
34. Any Kind of Angel by Jenny Reynolds (26)
34. Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan (26)
36. Blues With Friends by Dion (25)
36. Live at the Seagull Shop by Jud Caswell (25)
38. Early Morning Rain by Steve Forbert (24)
39. Good Good Man by Vance Gilbert (23)
40. Waterfalls by Thomas Aaron Garlow (22)
40. Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens (22)
40. Heartbreaker Please by Teddy Thompson (22)
40. Hwy 17 Revisited by Penne Sandbeck (22)
40. Waltz for Abilene by Cindy Cashdollar (22)
45. Making Life Sweet by The Early Risers (21)
45. One Town Over by GF Patrick (21)
45. Bravado by Rose Cousins (21)
45. Time Traveler by Jason Wilber (21)
49. Wings of a Jetliner by Nate Lee (20)
49. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (20)
49. Pawn Shop Radio by VickiKristinaBarcelona (20)
49. Planting in a Drought by Tom Smith (20)
53. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (19)
53. Reunions by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (19)
53. Song Like a Seed by Sara Thomsen (19)
56. The Perfect Plan by The Lowest Pair (18)
56. Work My Claim by Brooks Williams (18)
58. The Family Songbook by The Haden Triplets (17)
58. Caught It From the Rye by Tre Burt (17)
58. Assiniboine and the Red by The Small Glories (17)
58. Darrell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams by Darrell Scott (17)
58. Highway Philosophers by Lara Herscovitch (17)
63. The Loud Album by Carla Ulbrich (16)
63. Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton by Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton (16)
65. Chicago Barn Dance by Special Consensus (15)
65. “The Lockdown Sessions 2020 by Skinner and T’witch (15)
65. Concert at the Slab by Cris Cuddy (15)
65. Lucky Girl by Claudia Nygaard (15)
65. Straight to Morrow by Clint Alphin (15)
70. If I Catch My Dream: Songs of Hope for a Better World by Bett Padgett
(14)
70. Let Love Go On by Mark Dvorak (14)
70. Treat a Stranger Right by Frank and Allie Lee (14)
70. Hello Stranger by Eliza Meyer (14)
70. Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne by Amy Speace (14)
Top Songs of June 2020
[Here’s a link to view a video of Tom Prasada-Rao performing “$20 Bill (For George Floyd) with the Fox Run Five:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEXwcz9dm2k}
1. “20 Dollar Bill (For George Floyd)” by Tom Prasada-Rao (24)
2. “My Heart Aches” by Eliza Gilkyson (23)
2. “The Night That John Prine Died” by John McCutcheon (23)
4. “If You Could Hear Me Now” by The Mammals (18)
4. “Promises to Keep” by Eliza Gilkyson (18)
6. “I Remember Everything” by John Prine (16)
7. “The Finest Adventure” by Ellis Delaney (15)
7. “Front Line” by John McCutcheon (15)
7. “Peace in Our Hearts” by Eliza Gilkyson (15)
10. “Hometown Blues” by Pharis and Jason Romero (14)
10. “Pie for Breakfast” by Ellis Delaney (14)
12. “2020 Vision” by Danny Schmidt (13)
12. “If Your’e Not Outraged (You Are Not Listening)” by Mike Glick (13)
12. “When All of This Is Over” by John McCutcheon (13)
12. “Johnny” by Sarah Jarosz (13)
12. “Where Now America?” by Brant Miller (13)
12. “Six Feet Away” by John McCutcheon (13)
18. “Amen to the Freedom Rides” by Colleen Kattau (12)
18. “Sheltered in Place” by John McCutcheon (12)
18. “A Prayer for the Sane” by Danny Schmidt (12)
18. “Take This Hammer” by David Bromberg Band (12)
18. “Uncivil War” by Shemekia Copeland (12)
18. “Hometown” by Sarah Jarosz (12)
24. “A 60’s Hippie’s Psychedelic Nightmare” by Barry Oreck (11)
24. “Beside the Firelight” by Heather Pierson (11)
24. “Guantanamera” by Olga Alvarez (11)
Top Artists of June 2020
John McCutcheon (Photo: Irene Young)
2. Eliza Gilkyson (108)
3. Ellis Delaney (97)
4. John Prine (96)
5. Bob Dylan (83)
6. Nell and Jim Band (76)
7. Gretchen Peters (74)
8. The Mammals (71)
9. Saro Lynch Thomason and Sam Gleaves (66)
10. Pharis and Jason Romero (64)
11. Vi Wickam and Paul Anastasio (63)
12. Jake Blount (58)
13. Sarah Jarosz (57)
14. Julie and John Pennell (50)
15. Mike Glick (47)
15. Kristen Grainger and True North (47)
17. Brant Miller (44)
18. John Doyle (43)
19. The Steeldrivers (42)
20. Sierra Hull (41)
21. David Bromberg Band (39)
21. Della Mae (39)
23. Barbara Jo Kammer (38)
24. Pete Seeger (35)
24. Our Native Daughters (35)
24. Mara Levine (35)
27. Judy Collins (34)
27. Colleen Kattau (34)
27. Vance Gilbert (34)
30. Rachael Sage (33)
30. Kim Moberg (33)
30. Watkins Family Hour (33)
33. Billy Strings (32)
33. Gordon Thomas Ward (32)
35. Indigo Girls (31)
36. Barry Oreck (30)
36. Tom Russell (30)
36. Nanci Griffith (30)
36. Danny Schmidt (30)
36. Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards (30)
Like/Follow Us!