Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears had the top album (Just Over the Ridge) and three of the five most-played songs on folk radio during February 2021. The Colorado-based duo, whose repertoire includes original compositions and reverent interpretations of old-time and bluegrass standards, also was the month’s most-played artist. The duo edged out Rod Abernethy, a North Carolina-based singer-songwriter and grand-prize winner of the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards, whose Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore was February’s second-most-played album. 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.
The February 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12,099 airplays reported on 415 playlists submitted by 116 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.
Top Albums of February 2021
1. Just Over the Ridge by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (82)
2. Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore by Rod Abernethy (78)
3. Ellis Paul’s Traveling Medicine Show Vol. 1 by Ellis Paul (61)
4. Distance and Time by Becky Buller (52)
5. Solace in the Wind by Erin Ivey (42)
6. We Go On: Si Kahn’s Songs of Hope in Hard Times by Katie Oates (41)
7. The River Flows by John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen (40)
8. Stone by Stone by Tret Fure (39)
8. Lamentations by Rupert Wates (39)
8. I’ll Be Back Soon by Tiffany Williams (39)
11. Things She Couldn’t Get Over by Dale Ann Bradley (38)
12. Ecstatic Bird in the Burning by Luke Concannon (35)
13. Joyful Banner Blazing by Maria Dunn (32)
13. Lost Songs by Terry Kitchen (32)
15. All About the Timing by Roland Roberts (31)
15. Still Time by Karen Matheson (31)
15. On the Loose by The Squirrel Hillbillies (31)
18. That’s Life by Willie Nelson (30)
19. Revolutionary Love by Ani Difranco (29)
20. Hold the Line by Hardened and Tempered (27)
21. The Burnt Pines by The Burnt Pines (25)
22. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (24)
22. In Our Voices by Moira Smiley and Voco (24)
24. Roots by Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (23)
24. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (23)
26. Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens (21)
27. Woman in Color by Raye Zaragoza (20)
28. Have You Been to Jail for Justice? by Anne Feeney (19)
28. Our Turn Now by Len Seligman (19)
30. Learning to Listen by Susan Ellenton (18)
30. Flyover Country by Susan Werner (18)
30. My Work Here Ain’t Yet Done by Georgie Jessup (18)
33. Songs From the Cabin by Jeff and Teresa Davidsmeyer (17)
33. Songs Doc Didn’t Sing by Doc and Merle Watson (17)
35. What Lies Ahead by Ed Sweeney and Yang Wei (16)
35. Ghost Tattoo by Kristen Grainger and True North (16)
35. Commonplaces by Partington and Sweeney (16)
38. 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson (15)
38. Pushing Forward by Wes Weddell and Ailisa Newhall (15)
38. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (15)
38. World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz (15)
38. When I Wait for You by Dirk Powell (15)
38. Mariah by Mama Said String Band (15)
44. Fiddler’s Pastime by Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (14)
44. Dump the Bosses Off Your Back by Anne Feeney (14)
44. Diary of a Snowflake by Donal Hinely (14)
44. Shall We Hope by Tony Trischka (14)
44. Fall Like Rain by Justin Moses (14)
44. Just Like Leaving by Bella White (14)
50. Tangle of Souls by Scott Cook (13)
50. Old Friends by Gathering Time (13)
50. Union Maid by Anne Feeney (13)
50. Chasing Echoes by Phil Henry (13)
50. Slow It Down by Crowes Pasture (13)
50. Kitchen Days by Braden Gates (13)
56. Ilanga by Afrika Mamas (12)
56. Johnny Cash: Forever Words Expanded by Various Artists (12)
56. Highway Troubadour by Jesse Colin Young (12)
56. Back to the Earth by Adam Hurt (12)
56. Besos Kisses by Colleen Kattau (12)
56. Where the Trees Know My Name by Larry Cordle (12)
56. By Request by A.j. Croce (12)
56. Knew Things by Cliff Eberhardt (12)
64. Calla Lily by The Brother Brothers (11)
64. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (11)
64. As Long as I’m Dreaming by Laura Smith (11)
64. Out of the Blue by Mitch Katz (11)
68. Poets, Philosophers, Workers and Wanderers by Joe Jencks (10)
68. 100 Summers by James Lee Baker (10)
68. Bravado by Rose Cousins (10)
68. Accidental August by Anne Hills (10)
68. About Towers by Wor (10)
68. The Life and Times of Emmylou Harris by Various Artists (10)
68. American Silence by Chris Pierce (10)
68. Damage Control by Curtis Salgado (10)
68. j.t by Steve Earle and the Dukes (10)
Top Songs of February 2021
Natalie Spears and Lizzy Plotkin (Photo: Renee Ramge)
1. “Seasons Change” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (22)
2. “Carry Me With You” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (19)
3. “It’s Who We Are” by Reggie Harris (18)
4. “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Tiffany Williams (16)
5. “Sweet Song in the Tall Grass” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (13)
5. “Call Them In” by Crys Matthews (13)
7. “Because We Need You Now” by Cliff Eberhardt (12)
7. “Doing Nothing” by Luke Concannon (12)
7. “Is This Love” by Crowes Pasture (12)
7. “Oxford Town” by Rod Abernethy (12)
11. “My Valentine” by Mitch Katz (11)
11. “Monuments” by Tret Fure (11)
11. “What’s It Gonna Take?” by Anya Hinkle (11)
11. “Dust Bowl” by Erin Ivey (11)
11. “Blind Love Blues” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (11)
16. “Angel From Montgomery” by Ellis Paul (10)
16. “Our People Gonna Rise” by Emma’s Revolution (10)
16. “We’ll Hold the Light” by Joy Zimmerman (10)
16. “Tennessee” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (10)
20. “Travelin” by John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen (9)
20. “Gone” by Tim Grimm (9)
20. “Some Sweet Day” by Katie Oates (9)
20. “Where Have You Been All My Life” by Erin Ivey (9)
20. “$20 Bill (For George Floyd)” by Tom Prasada Rao (9)
20. “In My Home” by Jaime Michaels (9)
20. “Just Around the Corner” by Rod Abernethy (9)
20. “The Hummingbird (Kieran’s Jig)” by Luke Concannon (9)
20. “This Old World” by Lizanne Knott (9)
20. “Beautiful Soul” by Roland Roberts (9)
20. “Through the Window” by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (9)
20. “Tell the Truth (Shame the Devil)” by Becky Buller (9)
20. “Over the Fence” by Rod Abernethy (9)
20. “If I Only Had a Brain” by Ellis Paul (9)
20. “Things She Couldn’t Get Over” by Dale Ann Bradley (9)
Top Artists of February 2021
Rod Abernethy (Photo by Jonathan Byrd)
1. Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (82)
2. Rod Abernethy (80)
3. Ellis Paul (75)
4. Anne Feeney (66)
5. Becky Buller (52)
6. Tret Fure (44)
7. Erin Ivey (42)
8. Katie Oates (41)
9. John Hurlbut and Jorma Kaukonen (40)
9. Willie Nelson (40)
11. Rupert Wates (39)
11. Tiffany Williams (39)
11. Dale Ann Bradley (39)
14. Luke Concannon (35)
14. Bob Dylan (35)
14. Terry Kitchen (35)
14. Maria Dunn (35)
14. Susan Werner (35)
19. John McCutcheon (33)
19. Reggie Harris (33)
19. The Squirrel Hillbillies (33)
22. Karen Matheson (31)
22. Ani Difranco (31)
22. Roland Roberts (31)
25. Rhiannon Giddens (30)
25. Pharis and Jason Romero (30)
27. Gillian Welch (28)
28. Hardened and Tempered (27)
28. John Prine (27)
28. Joni Mitchell (27)
28. Tim Grimm (27)
32. Eliza Gilkyson (26)
32. Pete Seeger (26)
34. Moira Smiley and Voco (25)
34. The Burnt Pines (25)
36. Our Native Daughters (23)
36. Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (23)
38. John Gorka (22)
38. Doc and Merle Watson (22)
38. Kate Wolf (22)
38. Sarah Jarosz (22)
38. Crowes Pasture (22)
38. Buffy Sainte-Marie (22)
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