Cris Jacobs had the top album (One of These Days) on folk radio during May 2024, while Stella Prince’s “Dear Future Me” was the most-played song and Bob Dylan was the month’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.
A Baltimore, Maryland-based singer-songwriter, Jacobs also had the most-played album on folk radio in April. The music on One of These Days is rooted in bluegrass, folk and blues. Produced by Jerry Douglas (an acclaimed Dobro player and winner of 16 Grammy Awards), the 11-track album was recorded live and features Jacobs’ friends The Infamous Stringdusters as his backing band. Also lending their talents to the recording are Sam Bush, Billy Strings, Lee Ann Womack, The McCrary Sisters, Lindsay Lou, and more.
[Here’s a link to listen to Cris Jacobs’ “Work Song (I Can Still Sing)” also featuring Lindsay Lou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=523p6c6_BeE.]
Stella Prince’s Dear Future Me,” is the title track of a five-song EP that the up-and-coming, Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter released in April. Prince describes her sound as “Gen Z Folk” and aims to help bring folk music to a new generation, although her music has also been getting considerable play on Americana and alt country radio. She was the youngest performer at this year’s Tin Pan South festival, has performed for a full house at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café, showcased her talents at Your Roots Are Showing -Ireland’s Folk Conference, and reportedly played a sold out tour of the UK.
[Here’s a link to listen to Stella Prince’s “Dear Future Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or7lLiBgKQQ.]
The May 2024 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 12,387 airplays reported on 420 playlists submitted by 110 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 2024
1 One of These Days by Cris Jacobs 73
2 Wanderer Ruth Moody 64
2 Sharing in the Spirit Ana Egge 64
4 Trail of Flowers Sierra Ferrell 62
5 Diamond Days Brooks Williams 61
6 As Above Now So Below Crow and Gazelle 59
7 The Ghost of Tucumcari Dana Cooper 56
8 All About the Bones Chris Smither 54
9 By Now Heather Little 49
10 Sailing Dreams Muriel Anderson 45
11 Strange Medicine Kaia Kater 44
12 My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall Various Artists (42)
13 Restless Soul Syndrome Jon Shain (40)
13 Dear Future Me Stella Prince (40)
15 Jubilee Becky Buller (37)
16 The Pie Chart of Love RubyJoyful (36)
17 Bring in the Light Phoebe Rees (35)
18 Trees Laurie Lewis (33)
18 Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis Various Artists (33)
20 Every New Beginning Kim Richey (32)
20 Ordinary Elephant Ordinary Elephant (32)
22 All Is Song Misner and Smith (30)
23 Another Heart Ann Savoy (26)
24 Garden Old, Flowers New Tom Rush (25)
25 Change Is Now: A Tribute to the Byrds Christian Parker (23)
26 Les Secrets Du Ciel Yann Falquet (22)
26 Listen to the World Spin Paper Wings (22)
26 Used to Ain’t Here No More Ken Tillery (22)
29 Another Side Rachael Sage (21)
30 Life After Life Mark and Maggie O’Connor (20)
30 $10 Cowboy Charley Crockett (20)
30 Little Sun Charlie Parr (20)
30 Time and Evolution Stephanie Sammons (20)
30 The Living Kind John Smith (20)
30 The Last Trip Home Wendy Grossman (20)
30 Before the Machine Zoe Fitzgerald Carter (20)
30 The Border Willie Nelson (20)
38 Out of the Darkness Nina Jo Smith (19)
38 All My Friends Aoife O’Donovan (19)
38 World Brand New Mouths of Babes (19)
41 Tigers Blood Waxahatchee (18)
41 Banjo Jubulations Benny Bleu (18)
43 Edge of a Hurricane Katie Oates (17)
43 Yellow Line Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (17)
43 Water This Dark John Shipe (17)
43 Seed Todd Burge (17)
43 American Patchwork Quartet American Patchwork Quartet (17)
43 Ship to Shore Richard Thompson (1)
43 Simple Motion Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz (17)
43 The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Live) Georgia Sea Island Singers (17)
43 The Beauty of This Now Marc Douglas Berardo (17)
43 The Best Part Lisa Redfern (17)
Top Songs of May 2024
1 “Dear Future M” Stella Prince (21)
2 “Broken Truth” Tim Grimm (19)
3 “Don’t You Sleep” Ana Egge (17)
4 “Where Berries Grow” Ana Egge (14)
4 “These Are the Days” Crow and Gazelle (14)
4 “Work Song (I Can Still Sing)” Cris Jacobs (14)
7 “Door Won’t Close” Ana Egge (13)
7 “The Witch” Kaia Kater (13)
9 “Big Sciota” Benny Bleu (12)
9 “American Dreaming” Sierra Ferrell (12)
9 “Honey Whatcha Like Me to Do” Jon Shain (12)
12 “Big Sky” Brooks Williams (11)
12 “Dangerfield Newby” New Dangerfield (11)
12 “Digging the Hole” Chris Smither (11)
12 “The Spell of the Lilac Bloom” Ruth Moody (11)
12 “Poor Davey” Cris Jacobs (11)
12 “The Ghost of Tucumcari” Dana Cooper (11)
12 “If You See Her, Say Hello” Erik Balkey (11)
12 “One of These Days” Cris Jacobs (11)
20 “That Laugh” Josie Bello (10)
20 “The Same Day” RubyJoyful (10)
20 “In Montreal” Kaia Kater (10)
20 “Calm Before the Storm” Chris Smither (10)
20 “North Calling” Ruth Moody (10)
20 “Sailing Dream” Muriel Anderson (10)
20 “Already Free” Ruth Moody (10)
Top Artists of May 2024
1 Bob Dylan (102)
2 Pete Seeger (76)
3 Cris Jacobs (75)
4 Ruth Moody (66)
4 Ana Egge (66)
4 Sierra Ferrell (66)
7 Brooks Williams (65)
8 Chris Smither (61)
9 Dana Cooper (59)
9 Crow and Gazelle (59)
11 Heather Little (49)
12 Muriel Anderson (47)
13 Kaia Kater (45)
14 Becky Buller (43)
15 Stella Prince (42)
16 Laurie Lewis (40)
16 Jon Shain (40)
18 RubyJoyful (36)
19 Phoebe Rees (35)
19 Benny Bleu (35)
21 Ordinary Elephant (34)
22 John Prine (33)
23 Willie Nelson (32)
23 Kim Richey (32)
23 Spider John Koerner (32)
26 Misner and Smith (30)
27 Tom Rush (29)
27 Tim O’Brien (29)
27 Tim Grimm (29)
30 Judy Collins (28)
30 Joan Baez (28)
32 John Smith (27)
33 Ann Savoy (26)
33 Christian Parker (26)
35 John McCutcheon (25)
35 Sarah Jarosz (25)
35 Bruce Cockburn (25)
35 Joni Mitchell (25)
39 Gordon Lightfoot (24)
39 Leyla McCalla (24)
39 Carrie Newcomer (24)
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