Annual FAI Folk Radio Charts for 2022

Pharis & Jason Romero, a British Columbia-based folk duo, had the top album (Tell ‘Em You Were Gold on Smithsonian Folkways) and most-played song (“Souvenir”) on folk radio during 2022, while John McCutcheon, a revered Georgia-based folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the year’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.

The 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 163,802 airplays reported on 5501 playlists submitted by 151 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 2022

1. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (491)
2. The Light at the End of the Line by Janis Ian (438)
3. Songs From the River Wind by Eliza Gilkyson (406)
4. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (349)
5. DobroSinger by Abbie Gardner (346)
6. Leap! by John McCutcheon (329)
7. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (308)
8. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (298)
9. Second-Hand by James Keelaghan (297)
10. What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? by Kathy Kallick & Friends /
Dodi Kallick (296)
11. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (292)
12. Backroads by Johnsmith (290)
13. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (288)
14. All New by Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (284)
15. Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (281)
15. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (281)
17. Time Out Session #2 by The Accidentals (253)
18. Folk Hero by House of Hamill (249)
19. Still by David LaMotte (248)
20. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (247)
21. Narrow Line by Mama’s Broke (242)
22. Tucson by Amy Speace (240)
23. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (234)
24. Long Haul by John Wort Hannam (231)
25. All Is Quiet by Susan Cattaneo (220)
26. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (218)
27. Lilygild by Hilary Hawke (214)
28. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (213)
29. 12th of June by Lyle Lovett (204)
30. Raise the Roof by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (196)
30. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (196)
32. I Can Face the Truth by Dana Cooper (195)
33. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (193)
33. Age of Apathy by Aoife O’Donovan (193)
33. 20 Printemps by Le Vent Du Nord (193)
36. Dirt Does Dylan by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (190)
37. The Way the River Goes by Dan Weber (186)
38. Bullet in the Cabin Wall by Cheryl Cawood (185)
38. Hurricane Clarice by Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (185)
40. Flare by Pat Wictor (178)
41. Strings, Wings and Curious Things by Sue Horowitz (176)
42. Songs From the Beginning by Greg Greenway (175)
43. The New Faith by Jake Blount (168)
44. Lost Love Songs by The Pine Hearts (166)
45. Southern Currency by Jefferson Ross (160)
46. Renewal by Billy Strings (159)
46. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (159)
48. 8-String Sketches by Mike Mullins (158)
49. A Beautiful Time by Willie Nelson (156)
50. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (155)
50. The Ties That Bind Us by Adler and Hearne (155)

Top Songs of 2022

[Here’s a link to view the official music video for Pharis & Jason Romero’s “Souvenir.”]

1. “Souvenir” by Pharis and Jason Romero (108)
2. “I’m Still Standing” by Janis Ian (98)
3. “The Welcome Song” by Jan Aldridge Clark (84)
4. “Half the People” by Chuck Brodsky (77)
5. “Born in the City” by Abbie Gardner (76)
6. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (74)
6. “Better Times Will Come” by Janis Ian (74)
6. “12th of June” by Lyle Lovett (74)
6. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (74)
10. “Eastern Standard Time” by The Accidentals (71)
11. “I Give You the Morning” by Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton (68)
11. “Shoulder to the Wheel” by Deidre McCalla (68)
11. “If You Fall” by Amy Speace (68)
14. “It Takes Two Wings” by Chuck Brodsky (66)
15. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (65)
16. “Ukrainian Now” by John McCutcheon (64)
17. “Cannot Change It All” by Pharis and Jason Romero (63)
17. “At the Foot of the Mountain” by Eliza Gilkyson (63)
17. “Put My Little Shoes Away” by Kathy Kallick (63)
20. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (61)
21. “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie (60)
22. “Crooked Tree” by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (59)
22. “All Those Days of Drinking Dust” by Tiffany Williams (59)
24. “Down the Mountain” by Abbie Gardner (58)
25. “Music for a Found Harmonium” by Patrick Street (57)
25. “Amsterdam” by Mary Gauthier (57)
25. “Dark Enough to See the Stars” by Mary Gauthier (57)

Top Artists of 2022

1. John McCutcheon (934)
2. Bob Dylan (633)
3. Eliza Gilkyson (606)
4. Pharis and Jason Romero (591)
5. Janis Ian (514)
6. Lucy Kaplansky (500)
7. Joe Jencks (426)
8. Chuck Brodsky (410)
9. Abbie Gardner (405)
10. Pete Seeger (400)
11. Mary Gauthier (393)
12. Johnsmith (390)
13. James Keelaghan (376)
14. John Prine (374)
15. Willie Nelson (365)
16. Joni Mitchell (358)
17. Nanci Griffith (355)
18. Happy Traum (335)
19. Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (333)
20. Deidre McCalla (312)
21. Tom Chapin (305)
22. Amy Speace (302)
23. The Accidentals (301)
24. Carrie Newcomer (290)
25. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (286)
26. Windborne (277)
27. Billy Strings (275)
27. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (275)
27. Cheryl Wheeler (275)
30. Lyle Lovett (265)
31. David LaMotte (260)
32. Cosy Sheridan (259)
33. House of Hamill (256)
34. Dar Williams (252)
34. Joan Baez (252)
34. Jake Blount (252)
37. John Wort Hannam (251)
38. Mama’s Broke (250)
39. Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (248)
40. Sam Bush (244)