John McCutcheon, a revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the most-played artist and had the top album (Leap!) on folk radio during September 2022. James Keelaghan’s “Walk On” and David LaMotte’s “September Me” were the month’s top songs, edging out songs by McCutcheon and Sofia Talvik. 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.
Leap is the 43rd release by McCutcheon during a career that has spanned 50 years. It’s the prolific songwriter’s third album of songs written during the pandemic. His previous recording, Bucket List, was the top album in September 2021, while McCutcheon’s Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine, was the top album on folk radio for two consecutive months during the summer of 2020. McCutcheon was also 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.
[Here’s a link to listen to “The Ride,” one of the songs on John McCutcheon’s album Leap!
The September 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12, 673 airplays reported on 433 playlists submitted by 119 different folk 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 September 2022
1. Leap! by John McCutcheon (160)
2. Second Hand by James Keelaghan (129)
3. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (111)
4. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (100)
5. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (82)
6. Love Lies ‘N’ Leaving by Helen Townsend (67)
7. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (64)
8. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (50)
8. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (50)
10. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (49)
10. Hope Road: From Addiction to Recovery by John Dillon (49)
12. Still by David LaMotte (45)
13. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (44)
14. Lifetime Achievement by Loudon Wainwright III (39)
15. Two Good Hands by Darryl Purpose (36)
16. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (34)
17. Stolen Time by Abigail Lapell (33)
17. The Ties That Bind Us by Adler and Hearne (33)
19. I Draw Slow by I Draw Slow (32)
20. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (31)
21. I’m Going Home by Nick Hutson (30)
22. Cover to Cover by The Brother Brothers (29)
22. Vol. II by Watkins Family Hour (29)
22. Wind Rose by Jocelyn Pettit (29)
22. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (29)
26. Hello Old Friend by Paul Colombino (28)
27. Folk Now: Songs for These Times September 2022 by Various Artists (27)
27. All New by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (27)
29. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (26)
30. Try Love by Julie Gold (25)
30. Cottonwood by Megan Bee (25)
30. The Boat You Row by Atwater (25)
33. Back on the Road to You by Freedy Johnston (24)
34. Reimagining by Claudia Schmidt (22)
34. A House With Blue Siding by Riley Cotton (22)
36. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (21)
37. The Legacy of John and Francis Reedy by John and Frances Reedy (20)
37. Hold On by Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen (20)
39. From Where I Stand by Wyatt Easterling (19)
39. Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle (19)
39. Blanket by Terry Kitchen (19)
42. Broken Love Songs by Aimee Van Dyne (18)
42. Whispers From the Woods by Gordon Thomas Ward (18)
44. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (17)
45. Another End of a Year by Connor Garvey (16)
45. Driving Home by Cheryl Wheeler (16)
45. Solitary Diamond by Laura Orshaw (16)
45. Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson by
Various Artists (16)
45. Ghosts and Memories by Mike P. Ryan (16)
45. We Are Mighty: Sustenance for the Struggle by Fred Arcoleo (16)
Top Songs of September 2022
[Here’s a link to listen to “Walk On” by Canadian singer-songwriter James Keelaghan.]
1. “September Me” by David LaMotte (27)
1. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (27)
3. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (26)
3. “Second Hand” by James Keelaghan (26)
3. “Too Many Churches” by Sofia Talvik (26)
6. “It’s Hard to Love September” by Julie Gold (25)
7. “Devils Curse” by Helen Townsend (23)
8. “Listen Close” by Tom Chapin (22)
9. “Hold Our Ground Forever” by Tom Chapin (21)
10. “Gathering Storm” by James Keelaghan (20)
10. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (20)
12. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (19)
13. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (18)
13. “Song of Crows” by Darryl Purpose (18)
15. “The Mighty” by Fred Arcoleo (16)
15. “Never Going Back Again” by Stillhouse Junkies (16)
17. “The Troubles” by John McCutcheon (15)
17. “Baseball in My Blood” by Erik Balkey (15)
17. “Where Are You Now” by Helen Townsend (15)
17. “Before the Morning Sun” by James Keelaghan (15)
17. “If You Were Real” by Helen Townsend (15)
22. “Work” by John McCutcheon (14)
22. “Uvalde” by Bob Andrews (14)
22. “Autoharpaholic” by Tom Chapin (14)
25. “Colorado Bound” by Stillhouse Junkies (13)
25. “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” by Happy Traum (13)
25. “Black September (Munich ’72)” by Max Ferguson (13)
25. “Liberty” by Sarah Cade (13)
25. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (13)
25. “When Fall Comes to New England” by Cheryl Wheeler (13)
[Here’s a link to listen to “September Me” by David LaMotte.]
Top Artists for September 2022
John McCutcheon was the top artist and had the most-played album on folk radio in September 2022, according to charts compiled by Folk Alliance International. (Photo: Irene Young)
2. James Keelaghan (142)
3. Tom Chapin (115)
4. Joe Jencks (104)
5. Stillhouse Junkies (100)
6. Lucy Kaplansky (68)
7. Helen Townsend (67)
8. Happy Traum (66)
9. Bob Dylan (53)
10. Apple and Setser (50)
10. Windborne (50)
10. Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (50)
13. John Dillon (49)
14. David LaMotte (46)
15. Loudon Wainwright III (45)
16. Darryl Purpose (39)
17. Pharis and Jason Romero (36)
18. Tiffany Williams (34)
19. Abigail Lapell (33)
19. John Prine (33)
19. Cheryl Wheeler (33)
19. Adler and Hearne (33)
19. Mary Gauthier (33)
24. Watkins Family Hour (32)
24. I Draw Slow (32)
26. Julie Gold (30)
26. Tom Paxton (30)
26. The Brother Brothers (30)
26. Nick Hutson (30)
26. The Seekers (30)
31. Sofia Talvik (29)
31. Bruce Springsteen (29)
31. Jocelyn Pettit (29)
34. Paul Colombino (28)
34. Pete Seeger (28)
34. Claudia Schmidt (28)
37. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (27)
38. Dan Navarro (26)
38. Atwater (26)
38. Nanci Griffith (26)
Like/Follow Us!