Distance and Time by Becky Buller, a Minnesota-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, was the most-played album on folk radio during January 2021. Topping the monthly songs chart was “Monuments” by singer-songwriter Tret Fure. Tony Rice, the late bluegrass guitar virtuoso who died on Christmas Day, was January’s 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.
Buller is a 10-time winner of International Bluegrass Music Awards (including 2016 Fiddler and Female Vocalist of the Year) and was a musician and songwriter on three Grammy-nominated albums last year. She has also taught bluegrass fiddle, singing and songwriting for 20 years and serves on the board of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Foundation.
Fure has released nearly 20 albums during a career spanning 50 years. “Monuments” appears on her latest release, Stone By Stone, which was the #2 album in January. Her previous album, Roses in November, was on the Folk DJ charts for eight months, while one of its tracks, “Lessons From Home Plate,” was the most-played song in June 2018. Fure also teaches guitar and songwriting and is a past president of AFM Local 1000, the traveling musicians union. Here’s a link to hear “Monuments”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZj_cVPJkYA.
Rice, a 2013 inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, was an influential acoustic guitar player who developed his own flatpicking style that melded elements of acoustic jazz, traditional country and folk with bluegrass. He played with J.D. Crowe & The New South, the David Grisman Quintet, The Bluegrass Album Band, Tony Rice Unit, and Rice, Hillman & Pederson. Rice also collaborated with such artists as Norman Blake, Bela Fleck, Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, and Ricky Skaggs. Here’s a link to an article posted shortly after his death: http://acousticmusicscene.com/2020/12/29/tony-rice-bluegrass-guitar-virtuoso-1951-2020/
The January 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13, 679 airplays reported on 458 playlists submitted by 112 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
Top Albums of January 2021
1. Distance and Time by Becky Buller (120)
2. Stone by Stone by Tret Fure (88)
3. Hold the Line by Hardened and Tempered (64)
4. Our Turn Now by Len Seligman (59)
5. Roots by Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (48)
6. All About the Timing by Roland Roberts (46)
7. Woman in Color by Raye Zaragoza (42)
8. Back to the Earth by Adam Hurt (41)
9. Learning to Listen by Susan Ellenton (38)
9. Shall We Hope by Tony Trischka (38)
11. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (37)
12. Solace in the Wild by Erin Ivey (33)
13. Mipso by Mipso (31)
14. We Go On: Si Kahn’s Songs of Hope in Hard Times by Katie Oates (30)
14. Old Friends by Gathering Time (30)
14. Songs Doc Didn’t Sing by Doc and Merle Watson (30)
14. Kitchen Days by Braden Gates (30)
18. 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson (29)
18. Manzanita by The Tony Rice Unit (29)
18. Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine by John McCutcheon (29)
18. As Long as I’m Dreaming by Laura Smith (29)
22. Tangle of Souls by Scott Cook (28)
22. Tryin’ to Get Home by Andy Cohen (28)
24. Ghost Tattoo by Kristen Grainger and True North (27)
24. When I Wait for You by Dirk Powell (27)
26. Joyful Banner Blazing by Maria Dunn (24)
26. The Burnt Pines by The Burnt Pines (24)
26. Night Flyer: The Singer Songwriter Collection by Tony Rice (24)
26. Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot by Tony Rice (24)
26. Jaroso by Darrell Scott (24)
31. Rough Enough by Frank Richard (23)
31. Church Street Blues by Tony Rice (23)
33. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (22)
33. The Onlies by The Onlies (22)
35. Boulevard by Rod Macdonald (21)
35. World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz (21)
35. Winter Wanderings by Sara Thomsen and Paula Pedersen (21)
35. Total Freedom by Kathleen Edwards (21)
39. Live @ the Freight by Cry Cry Cry (20)
39. Record Time by Randy Casey (20)
39. My Work Here Ain’t Yet Done by Georgie Jessup (20)
39. Fall Like Rain by Justin Moses (20)
43. Love Circles ‘Round by Byrd and Street (19)
43. Over That Road I’m Bound by Joachim Cooder (19)
43. I’ll Be Back Soon by Tiffany Williams (19)
43. Shadow of the Cyclone by Aaron Nathans and Michael G. Ronstadt (19)
43. Skaggs and Rice by Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice (19)
48. Chasing Echoes by Phil Henry (18)
48. Tribulation by Appalachian Road Show (18)
48. Pretty Free by Justin Farren (18)
51. Unit of Measure by The Tony Rice Unit (17)
51. The Balladeer by Lori McKenna (17)
51. Ordinary Love by Ellis Delaney (17)
51. Norman Blake and Tony Rice 2 by Norman Blake and Tony Rice (17)
51. Diary of a Snowflake by Donal Hinely (17)
51. Just a Little Rain by Ray Cardwell (17)
51. More From the Levee by Chris Smither (17)
51. Mariah by Mama Said String Band (17)
59. Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 3 by Gillian Welch (16)
60. The Dirt and the Stars by Mary Chapin Carpenter (15)
60. Blake and Rice by Norman Blake and Tony Rice (15)
60. Still Time by Karen Matheson (15)
60. Over the Sea to Skye by Hanneke Cassel (15)
60. This Too Shall Pass by Chris Wilhelm (15)
60. Just Like Leaving by Bella White (15)
60. The Coronavirus Sessions by George Mann (15)
60. Long Day in the Milky Way by Kris Delmhorst (15)
68. Friend of the Sky by Cej (14)
68. Me and My Guitar by Tony Rice (14)
68. Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions) by Sturgill
Simpson (14)
68. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 3 by Various Artists (14)
68. Alternative Facts and Other White Lies by Mike Glick (14)
Top Songs of January 2021
Tret Fure
2. “Stars Without a Heaven” by The Twangtown Paramours (22)
3. “Hold Each Other Up” by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (21)
4. “More Heart, Less Attack” by Becky Buller (19)
5. “Don’t Look Back” by Becky Buller (18)
5. “Quarantine” by Crowes Pasture (18)
5. “Tell the Truth (Shame the Devil)” by Becky Buller (18)
8. “When We Meet Again” by Merry Hell (16)
9. “Stone by Stone” by Tret Fure (15)
10. “This Time” by Ana Egge (14)
10. “Gone” by Tim Grimm (14)
10. “Melt Me Down” by Jordi Baizan (14)
10. “Magnolia” by Hardened and Tempered (14)
14. “Our House Is on Fire” by Emma’s Revolution (13)
14. “I Already Knew” by Katie Dahl (13)
14. “Hold the Line” by Hardened and Tempered (13)
17. “What Would Pete Do?” by Andy and Judy (12)
17. “Woodstock” by Becky Buller (12)
17. “Beautiful Soul” by Roland Roberts (12)
17. “The Ride” by Becky Buller (12)
17. “Stand Up” by Karyn Oliver (12)
17. “Our Turn Now” by Len Seligman (12)
23. “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Tiffany Williams (11)
23. “The Bear (Covid Blues)” by Mike Glick (11)
23. “Dangerous Women” by Carla Gover and Zoey Barrett (11)
23. “How We Come Apart” by Cosy Sheridan (11)
23. “Peace in Our Hearts” by Eliza Gilkyson (11)
Top Artists of January 2021
Tony Rice (photo courtesy of Absolute Publicity)
2. Becky Buller (120)
3. Tret Fure (96)
3. Joan Baez (96)
5. Hardened and Tempered (64)
5. Pete Seeger (64)
7. Len Seligman (59)
8. The Tony Rice Unit (55)
9. John McCutcheon (50)
10. Bob Dylan (49)
11. Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (48)
12. Gillian Welch (47)
13. Roland Roberts (46)
14. Raye Zaragoza (44)
15. Eliza Gilkyson (41)
15. Pharis and Jason Romero (41)
15. Adam Hurt (41)
18. Andy Cohen (40)
18. Tony Trischka (40)
20. Susan Ellenton (38)
21. John Prine (37)
22. Doc and Merle Watson (34)
23. Gathering Time (33)
23. Mipso (33)
23. Erin Ivey (33)
26. Norman Blake and Tony Rice (32)
26. Joni Mitchell (32)
28. Braden Gates (30)
28. Darrell Scott (30)
28. Katie Oates (30)
31. Rod Macdonald (29)
31. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (29)
31. Laura Smith (29)
31. Dirk Powell (29)
35. Scott Cook (28)
35. Sturgill Simpson (28)
35. Tim Grimm (28)
38. The Bluegrass Album Band (27)
38. Kristen Grainger and True North (27)
38. Sarah Jarosz (27)
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