The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown

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Episode 172: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown #200 Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

This week we celebrate a very special milestone – the 200th edition of the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown.

To mark the occasion, I was joined by special guest co-host Terry Herd from Nashville. Terry is CEO and co-founder of Bluegrass Today, an IBMA Broadcaster of the Year, former IBMA board member, creator of SiriusXM's Bluegrass channel, and one of today's most successful bluegrass songwriters.

As you'll hear, Terry and I quickly discovered we had far more stories to tell than time available to tell them. The result is a show packed with chart action, songwriting insights, broadcaster tales, and a few laughs along the way.

This week's chart features:
• A new #1 song
• Eight debuts
• Six returning songs
• Two chart ties, resulting in 22 songs in this week's countdown

Appropriately enough, the #1 song this week is Jaelee Roberts' "I'm Putting You Out of My Misery," written by my guest co-host Terry Herd. The song has spent three of its first four weeks on the chart at #1 after debuting straight at the top.

My thanks to Terry for making the trip from Nashville to join us for this special edition, and to all the artists, labels, radio stations and listeners who have supported the countdown through its first 200 editions.

Whether you've been listening since Countdown #1 or have just discovered the programme, thank you for coming along for the ride.

Now let's count down the twenty most-played songs on bluegrass radio this week.

Mike Kear
Hawkesbury Radio,
Sydney, Australia

Episode 171: Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown – Episode 199 Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown – Episode 199

This week on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown we have a brand new number one song, six debuts, six returning songs and a tie at number 11.

Red Camel Collective returns to the top of the chart with Finding Your Way Home, while Jaelee Roberts, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers and the Travelin' McCourys continue to battle it out near the top of the countdown.

Among this week's new entries are songs from Shawn Camp, Kevin Denney, Andy Leftwich, Laura Leigh Jones and The Po' Ramblin' Boys, while Blue Highway returns with a live recording of The North Side featuring Grayson Lane.

Along the way we'll spotlight some of the songwriters behind this week's chart, including Terry Herd, Larry Gatlin, Guy Clark, Lee Ann Womack, Ashby Frank and Brink Brinkman.

Thanks for joining me for Episode 199. Next week we'll celebrate a major milestone as the Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown reaches Episode 200. We'll have a specal episode for that with an mportant guest co-host.

The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown is written, produced and hosted by Mike Kear in Sydney, Australia, and is heard on radio stations in Australia and the United States.

Episode 170: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown episode 198 Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown from Sydney, Australia, Jaelee Roberts holds on to the number 1 spot for a second straight week with “I’m Putting You Out of My Misery” — her very first chart-topper.

We also welcome this week’s highest debut from Anthony J. Howell with the Earl Scruggs classic “Ground Speed,” while Dailey & Vincent continue climbing with “Moon Shines on the Still,” and Jody King featuring Larry Cordle flies into the top 3 with “Jet Airliner.”

There’s movement all through the chart this week, including returns from the Travelin’ McCourys, another strong week for Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, and a pair of long-running favourites from Trey Hensley and The Grascals.

Plus this week:
• A special visit to the Bluegrass Gospel chart
• New music from Darin & Brooke Aldridge
• A three-way tie at number 2 on the Gospel chart
• And plenty of the world’s best new bluegrass music

Hosted by Mike Kear in Sydney, Australia.

BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown — heard on great radio stations and podcasts around the world.

Episode 169: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown Episode 197 Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown, we're counting down the most-played songs on bluegrass radio this week, according to the airplay survey conducted by BluegrassToday and published last Friday.

It's a busy chart this week. Thanks to a tie, we have 21 songs appearing in the Top 20, including a rare tie at #16. We also have a brand new number one song, giving one band its first trip to the top after a steady climb up the chart.

Along the way we'll hear the current #1 gospel song in bluegrass, visit a classic piece of Australian music history with a fresh new recording from John Williamson and The McClymonts, and witness one of the more unusual moments we've seen on the countdown.

Join Mike Kear in Sydney, Australia, for two hours of great bluegrass music, artist stories, chart milestones and the songs making the biggest impact on bluegrass radio this week.

Episode 168: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown Episode 196 May 27, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown, we count down the 20 most-played songs from the latest Bluegrass Today airplay chart.

This week's show features:

A brand new number one after a steady ten-week climb.
Two debuts on the countdown.
New music from Bryan Sutton, Brad Kaylor & Mineral Bluff Revue, Caroline Owens and more.
Another strong showing from some of bluegrass music's biggest names, including Lonesome River Band, Special Consensus, Wyatt Ellis, Dailey & Vincent and The Kody Norris Show.
A look at three songs making waves on the Grassicana chart, featuring Della Mae, Caroline Owens and The Infamous Stringdusters.

Along the way you'll hear stories from the artists, chart statistics, and a few of the surprises that make each week's countdown unique.

The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is produced by Mike Kear at Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia, and is based on the weekly Bluegrass Today airplay survey.

Thanks for listening, and we'll do it all again next week with another countdown of the most-played songs in bluegrass radio.

BluegrassToday and the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown are trademarks used with permission.

Episode 167: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown – Show 195 May 18, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown we have a brand new number one song, four songs making their debut appearances, and another three songs returning to the chart.

The Lonesome River Band races all the way to the top with Pretty Little Widow in only its second week on the countdown, while Dailey & Vincent continue their remarkable chart success with both Ruby and the fast-rising Moon Shines on the Still.

We also feature new music from Buddy Melton, Throwdown Thursday, Daniel Grindstaff & The Uptown Troubadours, Rebekah Speer and more, along with a special 50th anniversary appearance from Special Consensus.

This week’s countdown also includes stories behind the songs, chart milestones, artist background information, and another look at some of the fastest-moving songs currently climbing bluegrass radio around the world.

Featured artists this week include:

• The Lonesome River Band
• Dailey & Vincent
• Buddy Melton
• Red Camel Collective
• Benson
• Milan Miller
• The Grascals
• The Kody Norris Show
• Unspoken Tradition
• Ashby Frank
• Throwdown Thursday
• Brad Kaylor & Mineral Bluff Revue
• Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
• Jody King featuring Larry Cordle
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Special Consensus
• Kristy Cox
• Wyatt Ellis
• Daniel Grindstaff & The Uptown Troubadours
• Rebekah Speer

Plus — a quick heads-up: countdown number 200 is now only a few weeks away, and special plans are already underway.

The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is produced by Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia and heard on great radio stations and podcasts around the world.

Episode 166: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown Episode 194 May 11, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown we have a brand new number one song, six debut entries and six returning songs, so there’s plenty happening across the chart this week.

Along the way we also spotlight brand new music from Jaelee Roberts, including her latest release “I’m Putting You Out of My Misery,” written by Terry Herd, plus a look back at the song that first established her as one of bluegrass music’s rising stars — “Let Me Be Lonely.”

And in a special feature segment this week, we take a look at one of the biggest stories currently developing in bluegrass gospel music — the remarkable domination of the gospel chart by Darin & Brooke Aldridge and their new Billy Blue Records album “Soul Condition,” which this week accounts for fully half of the gospel top ten.

Join Mike Kear from Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia for two hours of the world’s best contemporary bluegrass music, artist information, chart action and a few unexpected moments along the way.

The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is a production of Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia. BluegrassToday and the BluegrassToday Top 20 Countdown are trademarks of BluegrassToday.com and are used with permission.

Episode 165: The Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 Countdown Episode 193 May 06, 2026

Show notes

This week on the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown with Mike Kear from Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney, Australia — we have a brand new #1 song after a long battle at the top of the chart.

This week’s countdown also features:

4 debut songs
6 returning songs
and plenty of movement right across the Top 20.

After five weeks at #1, Dailey & Vincent’s “Ruby” finally steps aside as a new chart-topper takes control of the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart.

Along the way we’ll hear the latest from:

Kristy Cox
Del McCoury Band
Della Mae
Carson Peters & Iron Mountain
Vickie Vaughn
and many more of today’s top bluegrass artists.
We'll divert to look at a couple of the up and coming songs that are close to joining our countdown, and we revisit a superb master storyteller that Mike confessed he almost forgot about.

The BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown is produced in Sydney, Australia and heard on great radio stations around the world each week.

Episode 164: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown Episode 192 Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Hosted by Mike Kear at Hawkesbury Radio, Sydney, Australia

This week on the countdown, Dailey & Vincent continue their remarkable run at number one with Ruby, making it a record fifth week on top — the most by any song in the history of the BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown.

There are big movers throughout the chart, including Throwdown Thursday surging from #18 to #2 with Next Big Thing, and Chris Jones & The Night Drivers jumping from #19 to #4 with Steal My Today.

New entries this week come from Special Consensus, Southern Legacy, Jeff Brown & Wayne Taylor, Della Mae, and Del McCoury Band.

Along the way, we also step outside the chart for a special look at brand new music just arriving at Foggy Hollow headquarters, featuring fresh releases from Claire Lynch, Darin & Brooke Aldridge and Old Crow Medicine Show.

Thanks for listening wherever you are around the world.

Produced and presented by Mike Kear at Hawkesbury Radio, Sydney, Australia

Episode 163: BluegrassToday Weekly Top 20 Countdown – Show #190 Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

This week’s countdown brings plenty of movement right across the chart — and a rare moment at the very top.

For only the second time in the life of the countdown, we have a tie at number one, with two songs sharing the top spot.

There are strong debuts, big movers, and another standout performance from a song that continues to rewrite the record books for longevity on the chart.

This week’s #1 songs

Jesse Smathers – Take a Drink on Me
Dailey & Vincent – Ruby

Show highlights

A rare tie at #1 — only the second time in countdown history
Alison Krauss & Union Station’s Richmond on the James extends its record as the longest-running song on the countdown
Big move into the Top 5 for Darren Nicholson
Strong debut from The Lonesome River Band
Continued consistency from Red Camel Collective

Also featured this week