Gordon Lightfoot, the iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter who died on May 1, was the top artist and had four of the five most-played songs on folk radio during May 2023, while fellow Canadian Michael Jerome Browne, a noted acoustic blues and roots artist, had the month’s top album (Gettin’ Together). 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 May 2023 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 12,640 airplays reported on 421 playlists submitted by 112 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 May 2023
1. Gettin’ Together by Michael Jerome Browne (75)
2. Gord’s Gold by Gordon Lightfoot (69)
3. Skylark by Open Road (65)
4. O Sun O Moon by Bruce Cockburn (62)
5. Traveling Wildfire by Dom Flemons (60)
6. Between Hello and Goodbye by Greg Greenway (55)
7. Only This Far by The Rough and Tumble (53)
8. Constellations by Meredith Moon (50)
8. Stand in the Joy by William Prince (50)
10. Songbook by Gordon Lightfoot (48)
11. How to Shine by Jaime Michaels (47)
12. Mighty Poplar by Mighty Poplar (46)
13. Circumstance by Alice Howe (43)
13. Forgottonia by Chris Vallillo (43)
15. Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot by Tony Rice (42)
16. Bluegrass Vacation by Robbie Fulks (41)
16. Into the Night by Robinson and Rohe (41)
18. The Little In-Between by Tim Grimm (40)
18. Great Blue North by Special Consensus (40)
20. Nuevo South Train by Larry and Joe (39)
21. On Banjo by Alison Brown (38)
21. Headland by Kalos (38)
21. Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot by Various Artists (38)
24. Among Other Things by Bella White (37)
24. Angels in the Wreckage by Low Lily (37)
24. Maybe Modern by Grace Morrison (37)
27. Grass Roots by Leftover Salmon (36)
28. California by The Refugees (35)
29. God Fearing Heathen by Dan Tyminski (33)
30. Celebrants by Nickel Creek (32)
31. The Enchanted World by The Rifters (31)
31. The Chicago Sessions by Rodney Crowell (31)
33. Keep Your Courage by Natalie Merchant (29)
33. Workin’ on a World by Iris Dement (29)
35. Nine Apples of Gold by Karan Casey (28)
35. The Mother of Trouble by Vance Gilbert (28)
35. Taking Flight by Amelia Hogan (28)
38. Get Behind the Wheel by Eilen Jewell (27)
38. Crossing the Causeway by Mary Beth Carty (27)
40. Canvas by Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy (25)
41. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (24)
41. I Only See the Moon by The Milk Carton Kids (24)
43. Rona by Queen Esther (23)
44. Lightfoot by Gordon Lightfoot (22)
45. When My Momma Sang to Me: Songs of Murphy Hicks Henry by Various
Artists (21)
45. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot (21)
47. The Sea Beside Us by Beth Desombre (20)
47. Now by Graham Nash (20)
49. All the Love by Brittany Jean (19)
49. The Way I Feel by Gordon Lightfoot (19)
49. Pieces of Treasure by Rickie Lee Jones (19)
Top Songs of May 2023
[Here’s a link to listen to “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot, the month’s most-played song on folk radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXzauTuRG78.]
1. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” by Gordon Lightfoot (33)
2. “If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot (23)
3. “Where I’m Coming From” by Robinson and Rohe (21)
4. “Early Morning Rain” by Gordon Lightfoot (20)
5. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot (19)
6. “Ten Degrees and Getting Colder” by Nanci Griffith (17)
6. “Coffee Blues” by Michael Jerome Browne (17)
8. “My Mother’s House” by Cosy Sheridan (16)
8. “Jamaica Farewell” by Harry Belafonte (16)
10. “Looking for Yes” by Joe Crookston (15)
11. “Slow Moving Train” by Meredith Moon (14)
12. “Monday Morning Blues” by Michael Jerome Browne (13)
12. “Alberta Bound” by Special Consensus (13)
14. “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot (12)
14. “Cut ‘Em Down” by Erik Balkey (12)
14. “God of War” by The Rough and Tumble (12)
14. “No Hiding Place” by Open Road (12)
14. “Brakeman’s Daughter” by Kalos (12)
19. “Everybody Loves You” by Open Road (11)
19. “Big Money Blues” by Dom Flemons (11)
19. “Early Morning Rain” by Ian and Sylvia (11)
19. “That’s Where the Hope Comes” by Greg Greenway (11)
19. “Broken Things” by Grace Morrison (11)
19. “Julia Ward Howe (A Mother’s Day for Peace)” by Tom Chapin (11)
19. “Wildflowers” by Open Road (11)
Top Artists of May 2023
[Here’s a link to an article about Gordon Lightfoot, the month’s most-played artist. that was posted on AcousticMusicScene.com on May 2, the day after he died:
https://acousticmusicscene.com/2023/05/02/gordon-lightfoot-canadas-folk-poet-laureate-1938-2023/.]
The late Gordon Lightfoot was the most-played artist on folk radio in May 2023; Gord’s Gold was the #2 album; and four of his classic songs were among the top five.
2. Harry Belafonte (96)
3. Willie Nelson (93)
4. Bob Dylan (92)
5. Bruce Cockburn (76)
6. Michael Jerome Browne (75)
7. Open Road (65)
8. Pete Seeger (64)
9. Dom Flemons (62)
10. Greg Greenway (56)
11. The Rough and Tumble (55)
12. Meredith Moon (52)
13. Tony Rice (51)
14. William Prince (50)
15. Jaime Michaels (49)
16. Alice Howe (46)
16. Mighty Poplar (46)
18. Chris Vallillo (45)
19. Iris Dement (42)
20. Robinson and Rohe (41)
20. Special Consensus (41)
20. Robbie Fulks (41)
20. Tim Grimm (41)
24. Low Lily (40)
25. Alison Brown (39)
25. Dan Tyminski (39)
25. Larry and Joe (39)
28. Bella White (38)
28. Grace Morrison (38)
28. Kalos (38)
28. The Refugees (38)
28. Leftover Salmon (38)
33. Tom Chapin (37)
33. Nanci Griffith (37)
35. Rodney Crowell (32)
35. The Rifters (32)
35. Nickel Creek (32)
38. Karan Casey (31)
39. Natalie Merchant (30)
40. Judy Collins (29)
40. Vance Gilbert (29)
40. Amelia Hogan (29)
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