Since Bluegrass Today launched in September 2011, one of the more popular features on the site has been our radio airplay chart. It is published both weekly and monthly, showing which songs received the most spins as reported by more than 100 participating terrestrial and satellite radio hosts across the US.
The chart was the brainchild of Bluegrass Today co-owner Terry Herd, a long-time radio syndicator with the Bluegrass Radio Network, and a former programmer for Sirius prior to their merger with XM. It was Terry’s belief that the bluegrass world deserved a chart that specifically measured spin count for broadcast radio, and creating one was a founding goal for the new site.
Following the chart each week (and month) has been great fun for fans, artists, labels and songwriters alike, and provided plenty of fodder for social media celebration.
Now that we have a full year of data from our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart, we can publish an annual Top 30 report for 2012. This list shows which individual tracks received the most airplay, as reported by our participating programmers.
- Final Farewell – Chris Jones & The Night Drivers (Rebel); writers: Chris Jones, Jon Weisberger
- Carolina Moonshine Man – Lou Reid & Carolina (KMA Records); writers: Ray Edwards, Terry Foust, Lou Reid
- Dirt Road Heartache – Marty Raybon (Rural Rhythm); writers Melissa Pierce, Jerry Salley
- Monroe’s Doctrine – Special Consensus (Compass); writers: Ronnie Bowman, Craig Market, Bob Minner
- Oh, Kentucky – Lou Reid & Carolina (KMA Records); writer: Dennis Duff
- Nobody Knows You – Steep Canyon Rangers (Rounder); writer: Graham Sharp
- Another Man’s Arms – Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice (Rebel); writer: Russell Johnson
- Life Finds A Way – The Grascals (Mountain Home); writers: Jamie Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Bowman
- When You’re Holding Me – Rhonda Vincent (Upper Management Music); writer: Donna Jo Webster
- Close The Door Lightly When You Go – Lonesome River Band (Rural Rhythm); writer: Eric Anderson
- A Natural Thing – Audie Blaylock & Redline (Rural Rhythm); writer: Harley Allen
- Anywhere Is Home Again – Volume 5 (Mountain Fever); writer: Jesse Daniel
- I’m Over You – The Boxcars (Mountain Home); writer: Keith Garrett
- The Other Side of Lonesome – Brand New Strings (Brand New Strings/Rural Rhythm); writer: Randall Massengill
- Your Kind of Love – Michelle Nixon & Drive (Mountain Fever); writer: Nick Nixon, Michelle Nixon
- Old Moonshiner – Russell Johnson (CDBY); writer: Russell Johnson
- Sounds of Home – Blue Highway (Rounder); writer: Shawn Lane
- January Night – Wayne Taylor (Wayne Taylor Records); writers: Raymond Adams Jr., Wayne Taylor
- That’s Just Me Lovin’ You – Darin & Brooke Aldridge (Mountain Home); writers: Lisa Shaffer, Jerry Salley
- I’ll Be Broken Hearted – Tony Holt & The Wildwood Valley Boys (Old Heritage Records); writers: Cardell Eaton, Al Eaton
- Rain – Clay Hess (Kang Records); writers: Craig Market, Wayne Winkle
- Little Pink – Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie (Rural Rhythm); traditional
- Somewhere South of Crazy – Dale Ann Bradley (Compass); writers: Pam Tillis, Dale Ann Bradley
- Lovin’ Liza Jane – Detour (Bluegrass Ahead); writer: Melissa Armstrong
- My Heart Is On The Mend – Larry Stephenson (Compass); writer: Randall Hylton
- Water Under The Bridge – NewTown (NewTown); writers: Rich Alves, Guy Clark
- Quarterline Road – Detour (Bluegrass Ahead); writer: Jeff Rose
- Catch Me If I Try – Kenny & Amanda Smith Band (Kenny & Amanda Smith); writers: David Wilcox, Pat Patrick
- Restless Workin’ Man – Blue Highway (Rounder); writer: Shawn Lane
- My Rose of Old Kentucky – Del McCoury Band (McCoury Music); writer: Bill Monroe
Have a quick listen to the tracks in our 2012 Top 30 in the iTunes player to the left.
Congratulations to all our 2012 chart toppers, and everyone who appeared on the chart over the course of the year.
Special thanks to the radio hosts who report their spins each week.
If you host or program bluegrass radio (terrestrial or satellite broadcast), and would like to take part in our chart reporting, we would love to hear from you.
