Together Again, the second collaborative recording by iconic folksinger-songwriters Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon, was the top album on folk radio during January 2026, while “The Future,” its opening track, was the month’s most-played song, and the two were the most-played artists. 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 follow-up to their acclaimed 2023 release (Together) that similarly topped folk radio charts, Together Again features 14 new co-written songs by Paxton (88) and McCutcheon (73). Amid the pandemic in 2021, the two met weekly for songwriting sessions over Zoom and came up with enough songs for an album. After Together’s release, they realized that they had more than enough material for another one and recorded Together Again. The album features a mix of songs – political, humorous and nostalgic, along with a baseball tale.
[Here’s a link to listen to the album’s opening track, “The Future,” a cinematically poignant and reflective ballad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmlw1TkZvcY.]
Tom Paxton — a prolific songwriter who is known for such songs as “The Last Thing On My Mind,” “Bottle of Red,” “Whose Garden Was This, “ and Ramblin’ Boy” has retired from the road but has been writing songs and recording professionally for more than 60 years. A Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from ASCAP, BBC Radio 2, Folk Alliance International, and the Recording Academy, Paxton also has had his songs covered by many notable artists. These include Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, John Denver, Willie Nelson, and Peter, Paul & Mary, among others. Bluegrass Sings Paxton, a multi-artist collection of a dozen select songs penned by him and performed by a wide array of bluegrass singers and pickers, topped the FAI Folk Albums Chart during the fall of 2024.
John McCutcheon, a prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has been a performing =and recording artists since the mid-1970s and a frequent presence on the FAI Folk Charts. A number of his albums and songs have topped the monthly folk charts over the years, while he was the most-played artist for three consecutive years (2017-2019) and also had the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and 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. A longtime labor and social activist, McCutcheon is a former president of Local 1000 – the traveling musicians union.
The January 2026 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10,424 airplays reported on 344 playlists submitted by 97 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 January 2026
1. Together Again by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (117)
2. Maggie’s Journal by Valerie Smith (62)
3. The Blue Rock Session by Amy Speace (60)
4. Circle and Square by Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz (57)
5. Unentitled by John Gorka (43)
6. Where We Go by Jesse Appelman (34)
7. Since You Asked Me by Jan Krist (29)
8. Together on a Rock by The Pairs (28)
8. Safe, Sensible and Sane by Alison Brown and Steve Martin (28)
8. You Climb the Mountain by The Onlies (28)
11. Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City
Fiddlers Convention by Various Artists (24)
12. Strangely in Tune by Diane Coll (22)
13. Bones of Trees by Tim Grimm (21)
13. The Work, the Hope, the Promise by Wes Weddell (21)
13. Party in the Pines by Dave Miller (21)
13. From Here to the Sea by Meredith Moon (21)
17. Driftwood by Weary Ramblers (20)
18. Voisinages by Le Vent Du Nord (19)
18. So Much I Still Don’t See by Sam Robbins (19)
18. Hummingbird Highway by Dar Williams (19)
18. Wild and Clear and Blue by I’m With Her (19)
18. Hill Country Folk Music by Terry Klein (19)
18. Gold and Coal by Cassie and Maggie (19)
18. Dark Ages by Eliza Gilkyson (19)
18. Empire by Kray Van Kirk (19)
26. Tip of the Spear by Doug Mishkin (18)
26. A Tip Toe High Wire by Sierra Hull (18)
28. Hardscrabble Hope by Maria Dunn (16)
28. Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (16)
28. Bringing the Light by Hot Tamale (16)
28. The Breathing Room by Cosy Sheridan (16)
28. Nightclothes by Annie Gallup (16)
33. Code to Live By by Grant Peeples (15)
33. So Long Little Miss Sunshime by Molly Tuttle (15)
33. Here and Gone by Sara Thomsen (15)
33. Ivyland by James O’Malley (15)
33. The Wind Will Change Again by The Twangtown Paramours (15)
38. A Feather in a Hurricane by Oliver the Crow (14)
38. Avec Elodie by Eloise & Co (14)
38. Reclamation by Crys Matthews (14)
38. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (14)
38. Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle by Willie Nelson (14)
43. Field of Stars by John McCutcheon (13)
43. Sad and Beautiful World by Mavis Staples (13)
45. Appalachia by Emily Scott Robinson (12)
45. Songs From a Secret Room by Chris Rusin (12)
45. Blue Mountain by Bob Weir (12)
45. Southern Sky by Danny Burns (12)
49. The Woods Have Shown Us by Ponyfolk (11)
49. In the West by The Horsenecks (11)
49. Labor of Love by Tinsley Ellis (11)
Top Songs of January 2026
1.”The Future” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (22)
2. “Artie’s Last Stand” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (18)
3. “Robots” by Annie Gallup (16)
3. “Raise Your Hand” by Crowes Pasture (16)
5. “Blue Kentucky Girl” by Tiffany Williams (15)
6. “Peggy-O” by The McDades (14)
6. “Pathfinder” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (14)
6. “Particle and Wave (Goodness in the World)” by John Gorka (14)
9. “The Sea and the Shore” by Amy Speace (12)
9. “The Ballad of Husker Scruggs” by Hana Zara (12)
9. “Tough Like That” by Sara Thomsen (12)
12. “Fontana Dam” by Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz (10)
12. “If They’d Been Black” by Doug Mishkin (10)
12. “Kindness” by Amy Speace (10)
12. “Lay This Old Guitar Down” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (10)
12. “That Was a Long Time Ago” by Valerie Smith (10)
12. “Cheatin’ When I’m Eatin'” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (10)
18. “On a Monday in London” by Amy Speace (9)
18. “Since You Asked Me” by Jan Krist (9)
18. “10 to 4” by Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz (9)
21. “Waves on the Sea” by The Onlies (8)
21. “A Friend Like You” by The Milk Carton Kids (8)
21. “Both Sides Now” by Cassandra Kubinski (8)
21. “Sugar Magnolia” by Grateful Dead (8)
21. “Broken Truth” by Tim Grimm (8)
21. “Magic Accident” by Della Mae (8)
21. “Dark Night of the Soul” by Eliza Gilkyson (8)
21. “Stop at Nothing” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (8)
21. “The Victim Tree” by John Flynn (8)
Top Artists of January 2026
1.Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon (118)
2. Amy Speace (67)
3. Valerie Smith (63)
4. Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz (57)
5. John Gorka (50)
6. Joan Baez (49)
7. Grateful Dead (36)
8. Bob Dylan (35)
8. Pete Seeger (35)
10. Jesse Appelman (34)
11. Mavis Staples (32)
12. Dar Williams (30)
12. Molly Tuttle (30)
14. Jan Krist (29)
14. John McCutcheon (29)
14. The Onlies (29)
17. Alison Brown and Steve Martin (28)
17. Tiffany Williams (28)
17. The Pairs (28)
20. Eliza Gilkyson (27)
21. Phil Ochs (26)
21. Cassie and Maggie (26)
23. Dolly Parton (25)
23. The Mavericks (25)
25. Joe Ely (24)
25. Willie Nelson (24)
25. Dave Miller (24)
25. Diane Coll (24)
29. Crowes Pasture (23)
29. Bob Weir (23)
31. I’m With Her (22)
31. Sierra Hull (22)
31. Mary Chapin Carpenter (22)
31. Meredith Moon (22)
31. Joni Mitchell (22)
31. Tim Grimm (22)
37. Wes Weddell (21)
37. Cosy Sheridan (21)
37. Grant Peeples (21)
40. Le Vent Du Nord (20)
40. Weary Ramblers (20)
40. Colleen Kattau (20)
40. Kray Van Kirk (20)
40. Sam Robbins (20)
